This sentence is driving me nuts

[bingley]

From Nepos' Life of Timoleon 2.2<br /><br />Cum interficere posset, noluit tutoque ut Corinthum perveniret effecit, quod utrorumque Dionysiorum opibus Corinthii saepe adiuti fuerant, cuius benignitatis memoriam volebat exstare, eamque praeclaram victoriam ducebat in qua plus esset clementiae quam crudelitatis; postremo ut non solum auribus acciperetur, sed etiam oculis cerneretur quem ex quanto regno ad quam fortunam detulisset.<br /><br />What tense is adiuti fuerant?<br />What are the antecedents of cuius and qua?<br />Why is esset in the subjunctive?

[Skylax]

[quote author=bingley link=board=3;threadid=185;start=0#889 date=1056035068]<br />From Nepos' Life of Timoleon 2.2<br /><br /><br />What tense is adiuti fuerant?<br /><br />It's a kind of plu-pluperfect from adiuvare "they had been helped" (so was the situation at a determined moment of the past)<br /><br />What are the antecedents of and qua?<br /><br />Here, cuius is a relative adjective referring to benignitatis. The "kindness" is the fact that both Dionysii had helped Corinth, "kindness of which he wished the memory to show itself"<br /><br />qua : the antecedent is eam, feminine for id<br />because of victoriam : "it was a beautiful victory, (this victory) in which..."<br /><br />Why is esset in the subjunctive?<br />[/quote]<br /><br />Subjunctive in an indirect discourse reproducing the thoughts of the subject of ducebat<br /><br />Vale.<br />Fernand<br /><br />

[bingley]

So, how's this for a fairly literal translation:<br /><br />Although (Timoleon) could have killed (him), he was unwilling (to do so) and arranged for him to arrive safely in Corinth, because the Corinthians had been frequently helped by the wealth of both Dionysuses, of whose kindness he wanted there to be a memorial, (and because) he was bringing about this fine victory in which there had been more mercy than cruelty, (and) lastly in order that it would not only be heard with the ears but also seen with the eyes whom he had brought down from so great a kingdom to such a fate.

[Skylax]

ducebat : the meaning of duco here is "esteem, consider"<br />"he considered this as a fine victory, in which..." Does "to bring about" mean the same? My dictionary says it means "to cause". <br /><br />Anxious to learn English,<br />Fernand.

[bingley]

Your dictionary is correct, Fernand. I assumed victoriam duco, was some sort of idiom for lead to victory, based on duco meaning lead. So, it should be "he thought this was a fine victory". <br /><br />Actually I think my translation is also wrong for cuius because I've got it referring to the two Dionysuses, so it should be "of which kindness".<br /><br />Thanks for all your help. I think I've got it all straight in my mind now.