Optional Latin Challenge: Reading Virgil in Latin

Grammar & Vocabulary, Latin Virgil, Book II, vv. 40-49

Try a few lines for fun! We will translate this passage in class, but you may enjoy trying to translate some or all of this on your own. Some new grammar is described first, but you don’t have to know it for class. You can also go straight to the vocabulary at the bottom, but it's easiest to spend a few minutes reading about the grammar.

Here is some grammar you need to recognize for these lines: It’s simply to help you through the translation. You don’t have to learn this for class.

PARTICIPLES:

REMEMBER THAT USELESS fourth principal part of the verb? It is a participle--a verbal adjective.

EX. laudo, laudare, laudavi, laudatum. The fourth principal part--laudatum--is a perfect passive participle. It can be translated “having been praised” or “praised.” It is declined like a first- and second-declension adjective, magnus, -a, -um:

laudatus, laudata, laudatum.

It will agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case.

EXAMPLES:

Equus ductus ad aquam non bibit.

The horse led to water does not drink. Or: The horse, having been led to water, does not drink.

Femina amata agebat bonam vitam.

The woman, having been loved, was leading a good life. Or: The beloved woman was leading a good life.

Litteras scriptas heri amas.

You love the letter written yesterday. Or, more loosely: You love the letter which was written yesterday.

THE FUTURE ACTIVE PARTICIPLE IS ALSO DECLINED WITH FIRST AND SECOND DECLENSION ENDINGS. Again, take the fourth principal part:

laudatum, ductum, monitum

Find the stem by removing the -um ending.

laudat-
duct-
monit-

Add -ur. Then add first and second declension endings.

laudaturus, -a, -um
ducturus, -a, -um
moniturus, -a, -um

Translate: about to praise
about to lead
about to warn

EX. Vincit Graecos ducturos copias ad Italiam.

He conquers the Greeks about to lead troops to Italy. Or, more smoothly, he conquers the Greeks who are about to lead the troops to Italy.

Caesar scripturus epistulam cogitat de bello.

Caesar, about to write a letter, thinks about the war. Or: Caesar, who is about to write a letter, thinks about the war.

3. ALTERNATE GENITIVE PLURAL FORM FOR 2ND DECLENSION NOUNS:

Often in poetry the -orum is contracted to -um. EX. virum for virorum


VOCABULARY:

aliquis: some (here it’s m. nom. sing.)
ante + acc.: before
ardens
arx. arcis, f.: citadel, height, hill
aut: or. Aut...aut = either...or
aveho, -ere, avexi, avectum: carry away, convey away. Translate here: were carried or conveyed away.

careo, carere, carui, caritum: lack + abl.
comitor caterva: see magna on this list for translation of phrase
credo, -ere, credidi, creditum: believe
Danaus, -a, -um: Greek
decurro, decurrere: run down
desuper: from above
dolus, -i, m.: trick
domus: home
error, erroris, m.: error, deceit
et: and, even
fabricata est: was fashioned (we don’t know this verb form yet)
ferentis = ferentes (masc. acc. pl.) = bearing
hostis (with a long 'i") = hostes (acc. pl. ) of "enemy." It's an alternate form.
id: it
insania, -ae, f.: madness, frenzy, folly
includo, -ere, inclusi, inclusum: enclose, confine
inspicio, -ere, -spexi, inspectum: look into
Laocoon, ontis, m.: A Trojan priest of Neptune.
lateo, latere, latui: lie hidden, hide
lignum, -i, n.: wood
machina, -ae, f.: machine, engine, device
magna comitante caterva: with a great crowd accompanying him (This is grammar we don’t know yet.)

miser, -a, -um: wretched
murus, -i, m.: wall
notus, -a, -um: known
occulto (1): hide
omnis (with a long i) = m. or f. acc. pl. of “all. “ This is an alternate accusative form for a 3rd declension adj. Normally we would see -es, like the 3rd declension ending for nouns. Adjectives are different!
Primus, -a, -um: first
procul: from a distance, far off
puto (1): think
quae: what? (interrogative adjective, f. nom. sing.) Note: the verb “est” is left out in this line.
quidquid: whatever
sic: thus
summus, -a, -um: top of
tantus, tanta, tantum: so great
Teucer, Teucri, m: Trojan
Ulixes, is, m: Ulysses, Odysseus
venio, venire, veni, ventum: come