Ch. 26 question

fancyfree · Post by **fancyfree** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:09 am

HI, I'm new here and here's just a quick two questions on the sense
of sentences
here goes:
Morte tyranni ferocis nuntiata, quisque se ad oratorem potentissimum magna spe vertit.
I translated as The death of the fierce tyrant has been announced, and each person turns himself with great hope to the most powerful speaker.

But I don't think that's right because it doesn't make sense to me. why would the people turn to the "most powerful speaker" if a tyrant had just been killed?
ok, one more:
Regina fortissima carthaginis postea ostendit fidem semper esse sibi cariorem divitiis.
The most strong queen of Carthage always shows herself faithful afterward by riches of dear things. could cariorem be a substantive for
something? thanks! :D

Dacicus · Post by **Dacicus** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:32 am

The first one looks pretty good except for some verb tenses. I translated it as:
When the death of the fierce tyrant had been announced, each person turned himself to the most powerful speaker with great hope.

But I don't think that's right because it doesn't make sense to me. why would the people turn to the "most powerful speaker" if a tyrant had just been killed?

They think the best speaker is also going to be the best new leader. This isn't the best example, but Hitler was a great speaker and many Germans turned to him for leadership after WWI.

My translation for the second one:
The very brave queen of Carthage afterwards showed that fidelity was always dearer to her than riches.

In this case, divitiis is an ablative of comparison. It's an alternate to using quam.

fancyfree · Post by **fancyfree** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:20 pm

In this case, divitiis is an ablative of comparison. It's an alternate to using quam.

Oh, ok. Thanks for your help. I wasn't thinking of other possible uses of the ablative, even though that's the title of the chapter!

Here's another difficult spot from chapter 27, "Thanks a lot, Tully"
(don't want to be a bother tho)

Disertissime Romuli nepotum, Romuli's most learned descendent
quot sunt quotque fuere, Marce Tulli, as many as there are and have
been, Marcus Tullius,
quotque post aliis erunt in annis, and as many others will be in
the years to come
gratias tibi maximas Catullus thank you most great Catullus
agit, pessimus omnium poeta... he leads, the worst poet of all...

it seems to jump from M.T. to Catullus and I don't know why.
How would one translate "agit" to make sense? Thanks a lot, fancyfree.

benissimus · Post by **benissimus** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:57 pm

fancyfree wrote:Here's another difficult spot from chapter 27, "Thanks a lot, Tully"
(don't want to be a bother tho)

Disertissime Romuli nepotum, Romuli's most learned descendent
quot sunt quotque fuere, Marce Tulli, as many as there are and have
been, Marcus Tullius,
quotque post aliis erunt in annis, and as many others will be in
the years to come
gratias tibi maximas Catullus thank you most great Catullus
agit, pessimus omnium poeta... he leads, the worst poet of all...

it seems to jump from M.T. to Catullus and I don't know why.
How would one translate "agit" to make sense? Thanks a lot, fancyfree.

The author, Catullus, is speaking about himself in the third person:
"Catullus gives you the greatest thanks"

gratias agere + inf. = to thank (someone)
Also, keep in mind that a Latin genitive, i.e. "Romuli", should be translated into English by the nominative, "Romulus".

MyIlium · Post by **MyIlium** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 7:29 pm

They think the best speaker is also going to be the best new leader. This isn't the best example, but Hitler was a great speaker and many Germans turned to him for leadership after WWI.

Hm. I always thought it meant that they turned toward him with great hope because he was bringing good news. You know, that big mean tyrant is dead. now.

And, gosh, I remember that "Disertissime Romuli nepotum" passage. Oh, the horror!
Remember that Catullus is talking to Cicero. He is addressing "disertissime Romuli nepotum," who also happens to he "Marce Tulli," hence the vocatives. The whole first three lines are devoted to describing the addresse. The real action starts at line 4, when you have the nominative Catullus "gratias agit."

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Dacicus · Post by **Dacicus** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 7:39 pm

Hm. I always thought it meant that they turned toward him with great hope because he was bringing good news. You know, that big mean tyrant is dead. now.

I interpreted the turning as happening after the announcement because nuntiata is the perfect passive participle and the perfect tense indicates action prior to the main event.