Lingua Latina

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
Einhard
Textkit Member
Posts: 147
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:05 pm
Location: Hibernia

Lingua Latina

Post by Einhard »

Salvete omnes rerum,

It's been a while! I'm just after finishing Cap XXXVIII of Roma Aeterna and there are a few little things that didn't quite make sense to me. As usual, I'd be grateful for any assistance:

Tu longum fugae laborem ne recusaveris! and Ne dubitaveris!

I assume these are jussive subjunctives but why are they in the perfect? In both instances, the context is a conversation in the present tense.

Nate dea I take it that this is idiomatic, along the lines of "born of a God" or some such. How is it translated exactly?

That's it really. I thought there was more! Anyway, any suggestions apprciated. And hopefully I won't be away so long this time!

Einhard

Imber Ranae
Textkit Member
Posts: 190
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:06 am

Re: Lingua Latina

Post by Imber Ranae »

The use of the perfect subjunctive with ne is idiomatic. It's basically just a negative imperative (prohibitive) equivalent to noli + infinitive, but colloquial and a bit more stern because of it's directness. I'm surprised they'd include it without first explaining its use.

Nate dea is vocative: "O man born of a goddess" or just "O son of a goddess". The ablative alone with nascor is pretty common.
Ex mala malo
bono malo uesci
quam ex bona malo
malo malo malo.

Post Reply