Chapter 5a. Latin to English

Question 1

1. Officium līberōs virōs semper vocābat.

Answer 1

1. Duty was always calling (on) free men.

Question 2

2. Habēbimusne multōs virōs et fēminās magnōrum animōrum?

Answer 2

2. Will we have many men and women with (of) great minds?

Question 3

3. Perīcula bellī nōn sunt parva, sed patria tua tē vocābit et agricolae adiuvābunt.

Answer 3

3. The dangers of wall are not small, but your country will call (on) you and the farmers will help.

Question 4

4. Propter culpās malōrum patria nostra nōn valēbit.

Answer 4

4. Because of the faults of evil (men) our country will not fare well.

Question 5

5. Mora animōs nostrōs superābat et remedium nōn habēbāmus.

Answer 5

5. Delay used to overcome our spirits and we had no cure.

Question 6

6. Multī in agrīs heri manēbant et Romānōs iuvābant.

Answer 6

6. Many (men) were staying in the fields yesterday and were helping the Romans.

Question 7

7. Paucī virī dē cūrā animī cōgitābant.

Answer 7

7. Few men were thinking about the care of the soul.

Question 8

8. Propter īram in culpā estis et crās poenās dabitis.

Answer 8

8. On account of anger you [pl.] are at (in) fault and tomorrow you [pl.] will pay the penalty (penalties).

Question 9

9. Vērum ōtium nōn habēs, vir stulte!

Answer 9

9. You do not have true leisure, stupid man!

Question 10

10a. Nihil est sine culpā;

Answer 10

10a. Nothing is without fault;

Question 11

10b. sumus bonī, sī paucās habēmus.

Answer 11

10b. We are good (men), if we have a few (faults).

Question 12

11. Poēta amīcae multās rosās, dōna pulchra, et bāsia dabat.

Answer 12

11. The poet was giving (to) his girlfriend many roses, beautiful gifts, and kisses.

Question 13

12. Will war and destruction always remain in our land?

Answer 13

12. Bellumne et exitium in patriā semper manēbunt?

Question 14

13. Does money satisfy the greedy man?

Answer 14

13. Pecūniane avārum satiat?

Question 15

14. Therefore, you (sg.) will save the reputation of our foolish boys.

Answer 15

14. Servābis igitur fāmam puerōrum nostrōrum stultōrum.

Question 16

15. Money and glory were conquering the soul of a good man.

Answer 16

15. Pecūnia et glōria animum bonī virī superābant.

Question 17

16. Invidiam populī Romānī crās nōn sustinēbis.

Answer 17

16. Tomorrow you will not endure the dislike of the Roman people.

Question 18

17. Perīculumne igitur heri remanēbat?

Answer 18

17. Therefore was danger continuing yesterday?

Question 19

18. Angustus animus pecūniam amat.

Answer 19

18. A narrow mind loves money.

Question 20

19. Superā animōs et īram tuam.

Answer 20

19. Conquer (your) pride and your [sg.] anger.

Question 21

20. Culpa est mea, Ō amīcī.

Answer 21

20. The fault is mine, o friends.

Question 22

21. Dā veniam fīliō et fīliābus nostrīs.

Answer 22

21. Grant pardon to (our, your, the) son and our daughters.

Question 23

22. Propter adulēscentiam, fīliī meī, mala vītae nōn vidēbātis.

Answer 23

22. Because of (your) youth, my sons, you would not (did not see) see the evils of life.

Question 24

23. Amābō tē, cūrā fīliam meam.

Answer 24

23. Please, take care of my daughter.

Question 25

24. Vita hūmāna est supplicium.

Answer 25

24. Human life is punishment.

Question 26

25. Satisne sānus es?

Answer 26

25. Are you healthy enough?

Question 27

26a. Sī quandō satis pecūniae habēbō

Answer 27

26a. If ever I (will) have enough (of) money,

Question 28

26b. tum mē cōnsiliō et philosophiae dabō.

Answer 28

26b. then I will give myself to wisdom and to philosophy.

Question 29

27. Semper glōria et fāma tua manēbunt.

Answer 29

27. Your glory and (your) reputation will remain always.

Question 30

28. Vir bonus et perītus aspera verba poētārum culpābit.

Answer 30

28. A good and skillful man will censure the rough words of poets.

Question 31

29x. The very short introduction to elegaic couplets: one line of dactylic hexameter, the meter of epic poetry, i.e. six dactyls (-úuúu) or spondees (- -), followed by a line of dactylic pentameter, i.e. five dactyls or spondees (with one of the spondees divided into two). The basic scheme is as follows:

_ _ _ _ _
- ∪ ∪ │- ∪ ∪ │ - // ∪ / ∪ │ - ∪ ∪ │ - ∪ ∪ │ - x
_ _
- ∪ ∪ - ∪ ∪ - // - ∪ ∪ - ∪ ∪ -

The first four feet of the hexameter line, and the first two feet of the pentameter line, can be either dactyls or spondees. The fifth and sixth feet of the hexameter line are always going to be - uu | - x; the last syllable can be either long or short (anceps) and you don’t have to decide.

continued on “answer” card.

Answer 31

the elegaic couplet, continued.

The hexameter line (the first, longer, line) almost always has a break (called a caesura), between words in the third foot. By far the most common place for this break is after the first beat (whether of dactyl or spondee). This is called a strong caesura, e.g.

 Nōn cēnat sin(e) aprō  //  noster, Tite,     Caecili _  anus

   -       - │-    ∪      ∪ │  -  // - │ -      ∪ ∪ │     -  ∪∪│ - x

The first half of the pentameter line is exactly the same as the first half of a hexameter line with a strong caesura, thus:

         \_        \_ 
   - ∪ ∪ - ∪ ∪ - 

The second half is always two dactyls plus one long syllable

   - ∪ ∪ - ∪ ∪ - 

Notes:

The a of cenat, and the o and e of noster, are long by position because it they are followed by two consonants.

The e of sine is elided into the a of apro; the a remains short, because certain combinations of consonants (liquids + mutes) do not lengthen a preceding short syllable.

Question 32

29a. read aloud, in meter:

Nōn cēnat sĭn(e) ăprō

Answer 32

29a.

NOAN CAYNAT sin aprO

Question 33

29b. read aloud, in meter:

noster, Tĭtĕ, Caecĭlĭānŭs:

Answer 33

29b.

NOHSTER Tĭtĕ CAEcĭlĭAHnŭs

Question 34

29c. read aloud, in meter:

bellum convīvam

Answer 34

39c.

Belllllŭm cōnWEEWăm

Note that double consonants ALWAYS lengthen a preceding short syllable; if you actually try to pronounce both consonants, instead of treating them as the sonically the same as a single one (as English speakers tend to do) you will find an easy key to the sound of Latin.

Question 35

39d. Read aloud, in meter:

Caecĭlĭānus habet!

Answer 35

39d. CAEcĭlĭAHnŭs hăbEt!

Question 36

39e translate: Nōn cēnat sine aprō noster, Tite, Caecilianus

Answer 36

39e. Our (friend) Caecilianus does not dine without a boar, Titus

Question 37

39f. translate: bellum convīvam Caeciliānus habet.

Answer 37

39f. Caecilianus has a lovely guest.

Question 38

39g. read aloud and translate:

Nōn cēnat sine aprō noster, Tite, Caecilianus

bellum convīvam Caeciliānus habet.

Answer 38

39g

Caecilianus does not dine without a boar, Titus

Caecilianus has a lovely guest.

Question 39

40. “Exercitus noster est magnus,” Persicus inquit,

Answer 39

40. A Persian says, “Our army is large…

Question 40

41. “et propter numerum sagittārum nostrārum caelum nōn vidēbitis!”

Answer 40

41. “and because of the number of our arrows you (pl.) will not see the sky!”

Question 41

42. Tum Lacedaemonius respondet:

Answer 41

42. Then a Spartan replies:

Question 42

43. “In umbrā, igitur, pugnābimus!”

Answer 42

43. “Therefore we will fight in the shade!”

Question 43

44. Et Leōnidās, rēx Lacedaemoniōrum, exclāmat:

Answer 43

44. And Leonidas, the king of the Spartans, shouts …

Question 44

45. Pugnāte cum animīs, Lacedaemoniī;

Answer 44

45. “Fight with (high) spirits, Spartans;

Question 45

46. hodiē apud īnferōs fortasse cēnābimus!”

Answer 45

46. today perhaps we will dine among the dead.”