The Third Invasion of Greece Thread!

[Quis ut Deus]

Salvete omnes!

Well, I just got finished wrapping up the "The Third Invasion of Greece," part of Benn's Easy Latin Stories.

I'd like to try my hand at translating each passsage (one at a time, and not every day!) and get some feedback from you guys on how I'm doing.

I'll put the Latin in italics and blue. I'll also put in bold font words/phrases that are confusing to me. Then I'll write out my translation in English. I'll then comment after.

Thanks in advance to all who help out. This will help me immensely!

OK, well here's the first passage;

"The cutting of the canal across Mount Athos"

Xerxes iterum in Graeciam expeditionem facere constituit. Itaque magno exercitu in Asia conscriptio, ad Hellespontum manebat donec omnia parata essentut in Graeciam iter facere sine perciulo posset. Ac primum quidem, quoniam ii, qui circa Athon sunt circumvecti, calamitatem saepe acceperant, fossam fieri iussit trans isthmum, qui ad imum montem situs est. Videtur autem mihi magnificentiae caussa fodi hanc fossam iussisse Xerxes, cupiens et potestatem suam ostentare, et monumentum relinquere sui.

Xerxes decided again to undertake an expedition into Greece. Therefore, having raised a large army in Asia, he remained near the Hellespont while all was to be prepared so that he could march into Greece without danger. And indeed in the first place, he ordered a canal across the isthmus to be dug, which near the bottom of the mountain was to be located, because they, who rode around Athos, often suffered disaster. It seems to me more a motive of pride that Xerxes, both wishing to show his power and also to leave a monument to himself, ordered this canal to be dug.
Comments--
calamitatem saepe acceperant This one is really confusing.

[adrianus]

"they who travelled near Athos had often had a calamity (serious incident/disaster or receive/undergo/suffer/come to harm)"
"...the isthmus that is situated beneath the mountain"
"However, it seems to me out of [/ because of /motivated by,—not "more" literally, but "more" is good loosely] pride that..."

[Quis ut Deus]

Salve Adriane!

Man, you are on the ball! (Don't know how to say that in Latin yet!)

Adrianus, when you advanced Latinists are translating, do you guys go with a more liberal translation, something that sounds right, but may not be word-for-word faithful, or is it a matter of using a good dictionary, or is it just a matter of experience?

For example, I have the Collins Latin Concise dictionary and it has "suffer" as one of the possible meanings of "accipio," yet Whitaker's Words doesn't. Yet neither has "have" as a meaning.

Other than that, seeing as you have suggested only three changes, I may be making progress!

Vale amice!

[adrianus]

you are on the ball!

Perhaps "Pila penes te est!" or "Te alacrem!"

"they who travelled near Athos had often had a calamity

Less a correction than an alternative, this first suggestion.
Minùs corrigendum magìs alternatio haec suggestio prima.

Adrianus, when you advanced Latinists are translating, do you guys go with a more liberal translation, something that sounds right, but may not be word-for-word faithful, or is it a matter of using a good dictionary, or is it just a matter of experience?

I'm not an advanced Latinist, but you would like to be able to do both and to own good dictionaries and to be experienced, I think.
Non praelatus latinista sum. Sic autem puto: te esse et expertum et capacem alterius modi exercendi cupias et bona dictionaria teneas.

I may be making progress!

You surely are. // Verò, progrederis.