in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs

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phil
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in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs

Post by phil »

Fabius Maximus has been skirmishing with Hannibal, using his delaying tactics.

Hīs artibus cum Hannibalem Fabius in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs clausisset, ille sine ūllō exercitūs dētrīmentō sē expedīvit.

Applying these skills, although Fabius had trapped Hannibal in a narrow pass in the Falernum region, he (Hannibal) managed to escape without any loss to his army.

I can't get a nice translation for in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs. I can see that 'in angustiīs' means 'in the pass', 'in agrō Falernō' means 'in the Falernum region', but I can't put them together using 'locōrum'. How does 'of the places' fit in? Can someone help?

Cheers, Phil

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thesaurus
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Re: in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs

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phil wrote:Fabius Maximus has been skirmishing with Hannibal, using his delaying tactics.

Hīs artibus cum Hannibalem Fabius in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs clausisset, ille sine ūllō exercitūs dētrīmentō sē expedīvit.

Applying these skills, although Fabius had trapped Hannibal in a narrow pass in the Falernum region, he (Hannibal) managed to escape without any loss to his army.

I can't get a nice translation for in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs. I can see that 'in angustiīs' means 'in the pass', 'in agrō Falernō' means 'in the Falernum region', but I can't put them together using 'locōrum'. How does 'of the places' fit in? Can someone help?

Cheers, Phil
"Angustum" can be a substantive, as in "narowness." I'm reading it as a means by which Fabius trapped Hannibal. I take "in agro Falerno locorum angustiis" to mean something like "although Fabius had enclosed Hannibal in the Falernum field with the area's tight spots" or "had used the narrow [passes] of the Falernum field to entrap Hannibal...". More literally, it could be "with the narrow spaces of the environs of the Falernum field." I wouldn't make too much of the fact that locorum is plural... sometimes Latin words are plural with singular meaning, or when you wouldn't expect them to be.
Horae quidem cedunt et dies et menses et anni, nec praeteritum tempus umquam revertitur nec quid sequatur sciri potest. Quod cuique temporis ad vivendum datur, eo debet esse contentus. --Cicero, De Senectute

adrianus
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Re: in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs

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Thesaurus wrote:"Angustum" can be a substantive
And the noun "angustia -ae", as you mean to say also, I think, thesaurus. // Et "angustia -ae" nomen, ut te dicere velle scio, thesaure. (angustum -> angustis, non angustiis)
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.

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thesaurus
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Re: in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs

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adrianus wrote:
Thesaurus wrote:"Angustum" can be a substantive
And the noun "angustia -ae", as you mean to say also, I think, thesaurus. // Et "angustia -ae" nomen, ut te dicere velle scio, thesaure. (angustum -> angustis, non angustiis)
Recte admones, docte Adriane.
Horae quidem cedunt et dies et menses et anni, nec praeteritum tempus umquam revertitur nec quid sequatur sciri potest. Quod cuique temporis ad vivendum datur, eo debet esse contentus. --Cicero, De Senectute

adrianus
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Re: in agrō Falernō locōrum angustiīs

Post by adrianus »

Minus doctus magis Dorceus, quià te Actaeonem ego sicut canis eius viri venaticus mordeo. Me ignoscas. (Id meliùs latinè quàm anglicè intellegitur si unquàm intellegi potest.)
Not so learned, more like a worrying dog, so pardon. (—dragging Acteon down. It works better in latin, if it works at all!)
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.

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