Optional Latin Challenge: Aeneid, Book IV, vv. 160-170

It's time for the Optional Latin Aeneid challenge: if you attempt Book IV, lines 160-170, you will undoubtedly win virtus or pietas, and maybe a piece of Valentine candy left over from my box (doubtful). Use the notes below. E-mail me or leave a comment if you have questions.

Remember: there is lots of hyperbaton (which literally means "a walking over"), a separation of words, particularly adjectives from nouns here. EX. v. 160, magna misceri murmure = magna murmure misceri.

A few things you need to know:

1. line 160: misceri means "to be mixed" and is what we call a present PASSIVE infinitive. The infinitive we recognize, miscere (2nd principal part of misceo, "mix"), is a present ACTIVE infinitive, and means "to mix." In the ACTIVE voice, the subject DOES the action (it "mixes." In the PASSIVE voice, the subject RECEIVES the action, or is acted upon (it "is mixed".)

2. line 161: insequitur means "follows": the ending "tur" is the 3rd person singular form of a deponent verb, which we haven't learned yet. Worry about the form later!

3. line 162: commixta = "mixed" or "having been mixed": the 4th principal part, or perfect passive participle, of commisceo, which is declined with 1st and 2nd declension endings (like magnus, -a, -um). (For more information about participles, go here. )

4. line 163: metu is the abl. sing. form of a 4th declension noun (we haven't learned these yet.)

5. line 163: petiere is an alternate form of the third person plural perfect of peto: sought. The perfect tense describes a completed action in the past and is translated here: "(they) sought," though sometimes it is translated as "(they) have sought." The perfect comes from the 3rd principal part of the verb, petii or peti(v)i. Take off the -i and add perfect endings. The 3rd plural perfect ending is erunt or -ere.

6 line 167: fulsere is an alternate 3rd person plural form of the perfect tense of fulg(e)o and means "flashed" or "shone." (see note above.)

7. line 168: ulularunt = ululaverunt. Yet another alternate form of the 3rd person plural perfect of ululo (1), meaning "wailed." (See note for line 166).

8. End 170 with fuit, the 3rd person plural perfect of sum, esse, fui, futurum. It means "was," and comes from the third principal part. (See note for line 166.)

Enjoy!