§. 337. Exercises, II.

[Episcopus]

I feel not fair with these answers so I am just checking.

1. Caesar pitched camp two miles from the river.
Caesar castra dua milia passuum a flumine posuit.

2. He fortified the camp with a ditch fifteen feet wide and nine feet high.
(Is) castra fossá quindecim latós pedés atque válló novem altós (pedés).

I'm not sure, whether latus, altus should be accusative. Can some one explain as I am doubtful!

3. The camp of the enemy was distant by a great space.
Castra hostium spatió magnó aberat.

4. On the next day he hastened ten miles in three hours.
Proximó dié decem mília passuum tribus hórís properávit.

5. Suddenly the enemy with all their forces made an attack upon the rear.
Subitó hostés omnibus copiís (suís) impetum in novissimum agmen fécérunt.
(It would not be "viribus" right?)

6. For two hours the Romans were hard pressed by the barbarians.
Duás hórás á barbarís Rómání prémébantur.

7. In three hours the barbarians were fleeing.
Duábus hórís barbarí fugiébant.

In this question I don't know, what he means in the English. "for three hours" would make more sense to me.

Any help, corrections are as always greatly appreciated!
(laetissimé accipiuntur, puto...)

[Skylax]

Here are my answers :

1. Caesar a flumine milia passuum duo* castra posuit.
*Caesar puts often the number of miles at the end of the phrase.
2. Castra fossa quindecim pedes lata et vallo novem pedes alto munivit.
Here, "wide" refers to "the ditch". latos pedes would mean "wide feet"
3. Hostium castra « magno spatio »*/ « magnum spatium »**/ longissime aberant.
* Abl of measure of difference (found in Cicero)
** Acc of extent (found in Caesar)
4. Postridie (Postero die) decem milia passuum horis tribus « ire contendit » (cucurrit).
5. Subito hostes omnibus copiis (viribus*) in novissimum agmen impetum fecerunt.
*Caesar uses also vires in the meaning of "armed forces"
6. Horas duas Romani a barbaris pressi sunt.
7. Horis tribus post (Hora quarta*) barbari fugiebant.
It took three hours to make the enemy take flight, thus they fled "at a moment of the fourth hour".

[Episcopus]

1. I thought "dua" referred to milia?

2. Ah yes thanks


4. Postridie oh yes sorry...but would proximo, next work at all?

6. premebantur I thought it was imperfect as it was a situation for 3 hours...is there any difference?

7. Why the hell did I put duabus! I meant tribus!


Thankyou master Skylax! For coming into a beginner's forum which is not very busy lately!

[Skylax]

1. I thought "dua" referred to milia?

Indeed, but the neuter of duo is also duo (it is not plural, it is dual)

4. would proximo, next work at all?

"À la rigueur", but proximus means "the nearest", in the past as well in the future. Both meanings are attested.

6. premebantur I thought it was imperfect as it was a situation for 3 hours...is there any difference?

Yes, but this lenghty situation is considered as a single instant of the story.
In French, we say "Pendant vingt ans, j'ai traîné (not "je traînais") mes bottes sur la route de Mandalay..."). In Latin Decem annos Troia oppugnata est (not oppugnabatur)

But may I say that Your Grace can't be called a beginner anymore.

[Episcopus]

ZuT! J'aurais dú savoir que ce mot-lá était double pas pluriel...en ce moment je le vois comme quelquechose que je ne me rappelerai jamais!
Je ne pense pas que Je puisse m'y habituer car on le voit souvent en Grec mais c'est la première fois que je le vois en latin. Est-ce que c'est courant en latin, si j'ai écrit le bon mot?

Puisque Je le comprends en français ça ne devrait pas etre difficile en latin. L'imparfait on ne l'utilise pas ici parce que cette situation elle s'est déjá passé, bien que cela ait continué pendant trois heures?

Le latin je commence seulment, dès le début Je n'ai été qu'un débutant. Après que J'aurai lu des livres assez compliqués (pour moi!) en latin et compris le subjonctif Je ne serai pas ainsi!

J'espère que vous pourrez me pardonner d'écrire les mots desquels beaucoup ne soient pas bons...fondamentalement j'ai passé un mois l'année dernière quand je lisais des pages de mon livre de la grammaire chaque nuit pendant cinq minutes. Je sais que le francais c'est facile mais nous n'avons qu'un prof qui répète chaque jour "il faisait du soleil" etc.
Donc je dois vous montrer un peu de respecte, en ecrivant en francais, votre langue, car vous avez été la seule personne qui m'a offert de l'aide.
merci
damn je m'arrete de parler maintenant

[Skylax]

Thank you for this fireworks.
C'est magnifique !

In Latin, dual is only found in two words : DUO and AMBO ("both"). Elsewhere, dual has completely disappeared from Latin.

[benissimus]

I didn't know that was dual! Fascinating...

[tdominus]

I didn't know that was dual! Fascinating...

http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE116.html
That's a list of English words from the Indo-european dwo. I find it interesting too.

[Episcopus]

Maintenant Je vois que mon erreur n'était pas aussi mal que j'avais pensé! C'est que Je sens le latin dans mon sang, pas de Grec!!