Chapter 9a. Latin to English

Question 1

1. Hic tōtus liber multōs locōs litterārum Rōmānārum laudat.

Answer 1

1. This whole book praises many passages of Roman literature.

Question 2

2. Hī igitur illīs deābus heri grātiās agēbant.

Answer 2

2. These (men, people) therefore were giving thanks to those goddesses yesterday.

Question 3

3a. Illud dē vitiīs istīus rēgīnae nunc scrībam,

Answer 3

3a. I will now write that (thing) about the queen’s faults,

Question 4

3b. et ista poenās dabit.

Answer 4

3b. and that (despicable) one [female] will pay the penalty [lit. pl.].

Question 5

4. Neuter alterī plēnam cōpiam pecūniae tum dabit.

Answer 5

4. Neither (person) will then give an abundant supply of money to the other.

Question 6

5. Potestne laus ūllīus terrae esse perpetua?

Answer 6

5. Can the praise of any land be lasting?

Question 7

6. Labor ūnīus numquam poterit hās cōpiās vincere.

Answer 7

6. The work of one (person) will never be able to defeat these forces.

Question 8

7. Mōrēs istīus scrīptōris erant nimis malī.

Answer 8

7. The character of that (wretched) writer was excessively evil.

Question 9

8. Nūllī magistrī, tamen, sub istō vēra docēre audēbant.

Answer 9

8. No teachers [male], however, dared to teach truth [lit. “true things”] under that dreadful [man].

Question 10

9. Valēbuntne pāx et lībertās in patria nostrā post hanc victōriam?

Answer 10

9. Will peace and freedom fare well in our native land after this victory?

Question 11

10. Dum illī ibi remanent, aliī nihil agunt, aliī discunt.

Answer 11

10. While those (men, people) are staying there, some do nothing, others learn.

Question 12

11. Cicero was writing about the glory of the other man and (of his) wife.

Answer 12

11. Cicerō scrībēbat dē glōria alterīus virī et uxōris.

Question 13

12. The whole state was thanking this man’s brother alone.

Answer 13

12. Tōta cīvitās gratiās agēbat sōlī frātrī huius virī.

Question 14

13. On account of that courage (of yours) those (men) will lead no troops into these places tomorrow.

Answer 14

13. Propter istam virtūtem illī nūllās cōpiās dūcent in haec loca heri.

Question 15

14. Will either new book be able to point out and overcome the faults of these times?

Answer 15

14. Poteritne uter liber dēmōnstrāre superāreque vitia hōrum temporum?

Question 16

15. Ubi illās nunc vidēre possum?

Answer 16

15. Where can I see them [female] now?

Question 17

16. Hic illam virginem in mātrimōnium dūcet.

Answer 17

16. This (man) will marry that maiden.

Question 18

17. Huic cōnsiliō palmam dō.

Answer 18

17. I give the palm to this advice.

Question 19

18. Vīrtūtem enim illīus virī amāmus.

Answer 19

18. For we love the courage of that man.

Question 20

19. Sōlus hunc iuvāre potes.

Answer 20

19. You [sg., male] alone can help.

Question 21

20a. Poena istīus unīus hunc morbum cīvitātis relevābit …

Answer 21

20a. Punishment of this one (wretched) (person, man, woman) will relieve the sickenss of the city …

Question 22

20b. sed perīculum semper remanēbit.

Answer 22

20b. but the danger will always remain.

Question 23

21. Hī enim dē exitiō huius cīvitātis et tōtīus orbis terrārum cōgitant.

Answer 23

21. For these (men) are thinking about the destruction of this state and of the whole world.

Question 24

22. Est nūllus locus utrī hominī in hāc terrā.

Answer 24

22. There is no place for either person in this land.

Question 25

23. Nōn sōlum ēventus hoc docet—iste est magister stultōrum!—sed etiam ratiō.

Answer 25

23. Not only does the outcome teach this (thing)—it is the teacher [male] of stupid (people)—but also reason.

Question 26

The scansion of Martial 12.10.

This poem is written in “limping iambs.” Each line has five iambs ( ∪ -–) followed by either a trochee (– - ∪) or a spondee (– - - –). The first short syllable of the first and third iambs can be replaced by a long. Thus:
_ _
∪ - ∪ - ∪ - ∪ - ∪ - ∪ - - x

In the first line of Martial 12.10 the first syllable of the first iamb is apparently replaced by two shorts; I cannot find this phenomenon discussed in the literature.

Answer 26

Limping iambs are also called “scazons” (“Greek for “limpings”) or “choliambics” (Greek for “angry iambs”). The meter is particularly associated with the archaic Greek poet Hipponax of Ephesus, famous for the poetry of insult and mockery. Limping iambs are also used occasionally by Catullus, most famously in his poem 8, miser Catulle, desinas ineptire, where the poet is apparently mocking himself.

Question 27

24b. read in meter:

Habet Āfricānus mīliēns, tamen captat.

Answer 27

24b. Hăbĕt AHFrĭCAHnŭs MEELĭAYNS, tăMEHN CAHPTat

Question 28

24c. read in meter:

Fortūna multīs dat nimis, satis nūllī.

Answer 28

24c. ForTOONah MULTEES DAHT nimIHSS satISS NOOLEE.

Question 29

24d. read Martial 12.10

Habet Āfricānus mīliēns, tamen captat.

Fortūna multīs dat nimis, satis nūllī.

Answer 29

24d.

Hăbĕt Āfrĭcānus mīliēns, tămen captăt.
Fŏrtūna multīs dat nĭmis, sătis nūlli.

Question 30

25. Sī vīs studēre philosophiae animōque,

Answer 30

25. I you want to pursue philosophy and the mind,

Question 31

26. hoc studium nōn potest valēre sine frūgālitāte.

Answer 31

26. this pursuit cannot fare well without frugality.

Question 32

27. Haec frūgālitās est paupertās volutāria.

Answer 32

27. This frugality is voluntary poverty.

Question 33

28. Tolle, igitur, istās excūsātiōnēs:

Answer 33

28. Therefore, take away those excuses of yours.

Question 34

39. “Nōndum satis pecūniae habeō.

Answer 34

29. “I don’t yet have enough money.

Question 35

30. Si quando illud ‘satis’ habēbō,

Answer 35

30. If I ever will have that ‘enough,’

Question 36

31. tum mē tōtum philosophiae dabō.”

Answer 36

31. then I will give myself entirely to philosophy.”

Question 37

32. Incipe nunc philosophiae, nōn pecūniae, studēre.

Answer 37

32. Begin now to pursue philosophy, not money.