Eques est miles qui ex equite pugnat

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pmda
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Eques est miles qui ex equite pugnat

Post by pmda »

The above topic name is given as an answer to a question in Orberg's Exercitia latina Ch12. Exercise 12. Question 3. The question is: Quid est eques? Now I thought that equites meant cavalry or some such but it seemed to me that the correct answer to Orberg's question should be:

Eques est miles qui ex equo pugnat.

Does anyone have a view on this? Would it be right to say that cavalry man fights from the cavalry? Thanks.

adrianus
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Re: Eques est miles qui ex equite pugnat

Post by adrianus »

I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me, to say in English "in the cavalry" (not "from the cavalry") for "ex equite". E/ex means also "on behalf of" or "for" or "in the person of a cavalryman". I might say "eques equo pugnat" or "est miles qui equo pugnat" and not "eques est miles qui ex equo pugnat".

Id non nosco (anglicè "in the cavalry" pro "ex equite" dicere) at non mirum mihi est. Praepositio e/ex enim et "ob" et "pro" et "ex personâ equitis" significare potest. "Eques est miles qui equo pugnat" dicam, non "qui ex equo pugnat".
I'm writing in Latin hoping for correction, and not because I'm confident in how I express myself. Latinè scribo ut ab omnibus corrigar, non quod confidenter me exprimam.

pmda
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Re: Eques est miles qui ex equite pugnat

Post by pmda »

qui equo pugnat might mean he fights with a horse...as in Miles gladio pugnat. The soldier fights with a sword. Whereas I think the sense is that he fights from hosrseback....

adrianus
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Re: Eques est miles qui ex equite pugnat

Post by adrianus »

Here it is: // Ecce "ex equo pugnare" for//pro "on horseback" or "from a horse" as you have it // ut dicis in//apud Pliny//Plinium 7.56 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6_Is ... re&f=false
I'm writing in Latin hoping for correction, and not because I'm confident in how I express myself. Latinè scribo ut ab omnibus corrigar, non quod confidenter me exprimam.

pmda
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Re: Eques est miles qui ex equite pugnat

Post by pmda »

Thanks Adrianus very stimulating stuff... I'm having fun with Orberg...but I find one really has got to pay attention.

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