Chapter XIX: Appendix: V

HOW TO THINK IN LATIN

_Flaminius atones for his rashness._[44]

[Footnote 44: Cf. p. 126.] [[Selection C19]]

Tres ferme horas pugnatum est et ubique atrociter;
circa consulem tamen acrior infestiorque pugna est.
Eum et robora virorum sequebantur, et ipse, quacunque
in parte premi ac laborare senserat suos, impigre ferebat
opem; insignemque armis et hostes summa vi petebant {5}
et tuebantur cives, donec Insuber eques (Ducario nomen
erat) facie quoque noscitans consulem, 'En' inquit 'hic
est' popularibus suis, 'qui legiones nostras cecidit agrosque
et urbem est depopulatus. Iam ego hanc victimam manibus
peremptorum foede civium dabo.' Subditisque calcaribus {10}
equo per confertissimam hostium turbam impetum
facit, obtruncatoque prius armigero, qui se infesto venienti
obviam obiecerat, consulem lancea transfixit; spoliare
cupientem triarii obiectis scutis arcuere.

LIVY, xxii. 6.

The heading and the author will at once suggest the stirring incident in the Battle of Lake Trasimene, when Flaminius atoned for his rashness by his gallant example and death.

You have seen how Analysis helps you to arrive at the main thought of the sentence, and you are familiar with the principles that govern the order of words in Latin, and the important part played by the emphatic position of words. So you may now try to +think in Latin+; that is, to take the thought in the Latin order, without reference to analysis or the English order. You will do well to follow closely this advice of experienced teachers:--'Read every word as if it were the last on the page, and you had to turn over without being able to turn back. If, however, you are obliged to turn back, begin again at the beginning of the sentence and proceed as before. Let each word of the Latin suggest some conception gradually adding to and completing the meaning of the writer. If the form of the word gives several possibilities, hold them all in your mind, so far as may be, till something occurs in the progress of the sentence to settle the doubt.'

1. +Tres ferme horas+ = _for nearly three hours_. This construction (Acc. of extent of time) will be familiar to you. Notice the emphatic position of the phrase.

+pugnatum est+ = _the battle was fought_. This use of the so-called impersonal passive is very frequent, and is generally best translated by taking the root-idea of the verb as a subject.

+et ubique atrociter+ = _and everywhere fiercely_.

2. +circa consulem tamen+ = _around the consul however_.

+acrior infestiorque pugna est+ = _the battle is more keen and more vehement_. This presents no difficulty; +acrior+ and +infestior+ must qualify +pugna+, which follows immediately.

3. +eum+ = _him_, plainly _consulem_ (i.e. Flaminius), for no one else has been mentioned. Notice the emphatic position of +eum+.

+et robora virorum sequebantur+ = _both the strongest of his troops followed_. You may know that +robur+ (lit. _hard wood_) is often used of _the toughest troops_, _the flower of an army_.

+et ipse+ = _and himself_, i.e. the consul (Flaminius).

3-4. +quacunque in parte+ = _in whatever part_.

4. +premi ac laborare senserat suos+ = _he had seen his men hard pressed and in distress_. No other meaning is possible, nor does the order present any difficulty, but notice the emphatic position of +suos+.

4-5. +impigre ferebat opem+ = _actively he bore help_.

5. +insignemque armis+ = _and distinguished by his arms_, clearly referring to +consulem+ (l. 2). Cf. +eum+ (l. 3).

+et hostes summa vi petebant+ = _both the enemy with all their might attacked_. +et+ might, of course, = _also_ (cf. +et+, l. 2), but the second +et+ which immediately follows determines the meaning _both_.

6. +et tuebantur cives+ = _and his fellow-citizens_ (Romans) _defended_ (him).

+donec Insuber eques+ = _until an Insubrian trooper_. +donec+ may mean _while_, but the context shows that _until_ or _at last_ is the right meaning here.

6-7. +Ducario nomen erat+ = (his) _name was Ducarius_, i.e. _ei nomen erat Ducario_, where +Ducario+ is possess. dat. in appos. to _ei_ understood. It is, however, possible that the trooper's name was Ducario, but cf. page 126, l. 2. [[Selection C19, line 645]]

7. +facie quoque noscitans consulem+ = _by his face also_ (i.e. as well as by his armour) _recognising the consul_.

7-8. +'En' inquit 'his est' popularibus suis+ = _See, said he, to his fellow-countrymen_ (comrades), _this is the man_.

8. +qui legiones nostras cecîdit+ = _who slaughtered our legions_. There is a slight difficulty here, but a moment's thought will remove it. It must be +cecîdit+, perf. of _caedo_, and not _cec[)i]dit_, perf. of _cado_, which is intransitive.

8-9. +agrosque et urbem est depopulatus+ = _and laid waste our fields and our city_.

9-10. +Iam ego hanc victimam mânibus peremptorum foede civium dabo+ = _now I will give this victim to the shades of our countrymen foully slain_. +Mânibus+ cannot = _hands_ (_m[)a]nibus_), for +peremptorum civium+, which immediately follows, fixes the right meaning.

10-11. +subditisque calcaribus equo+ = _and putting spurs to his horse_. You will not attempt to translate this Abl. Absol. literally.

11-12. +per confertissimam hostium turbam impetum facit+ = _through the closely packed crowd of the enemy he makes his charge_.

12. +obtruncatoque prius armigero+ = _and first cut down the armour-bearer_ (i.e. of Flaminius).

12-13. +qui se infesto venienti obviam obiecerat+ = _who had thrown himself in the way of him advancing at the charge_.

+infesto venienti+ is clearly dative with +obviam+.

13. +consulem lancea transfixit+ = _ran the Consul through with his lance_.

13-14. +spoliare cupientem+ = (him, i.e. Ducarius) _wishing to spoil_ (the consul).

14. +triarii obiectis scutis arcuere+ = _the triarii_ (veterans) _thrusting their shields in the way kept off_.

This passage is quite simple, but it will serve to show you how you may with practice learn to +take the thought in the Latin order+, and to grasp the writer's meaning. All that now remains for you to do is to write out a translation in good English, using short coordinate sentences, each complete in itself, in place of the more involved structure of the original. The following version by the late Professor Jebb will serve as a model:--

They fought for about three hours, and everywhere with desperation. Around the consul, however, the fight was peculiarly keen and vehement. He had the toughest troops with him; and he himself, whenever he saw that his men were hard pressed, was indefatigable in coming to the rescue. Distinguished by his equipment, he was a target for the enemy and a rallying-point for the Romans. At last a Lombard trooper, named Ducario, recognising the person as well as the guise of the consul, cried out to his people, 'Here is the man who cut our legions to pieces and sacked our city--now I will give this victim to the shades of our murdered countrymen.' Putting spurs to his horse, he dashed through the thick of the foe. First he cut down the armour-bearer, who had thrown himself in the way of the onset. Then he drove his lance through the consul. He was trying to despoil the corpse, when some veterans screened it with their shields.