In particular, what is the subject of "cepit"? Though I get the gist of it on my own, I've cheated and looked at a translation, which translates "cepit" into English as passive, and Romulus and Remus as the subjects of the sentence. Clearly, cepit is active, perfect, 3rd singular, and the boys are accusative, right? Is there some idiom with "capio" that I'm missing? Usually, with a missing subject, there's a he/she/it that can be inferred, but that doesn't seem to work here.ita Numitori Albana re permissa Romulum Remumque cupido cepit in iis locis ubi expositi ubique educati erant urbis condendae.
Help with Livy -- when is "cepit" passive?
-
- Textkit Neophyte
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:03 am
Help with Livy -- when is "cepit" passive?
I've having trouble with the following sentence from Livy:
-
- Textkit Member
- Posts: 156
- Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:42 am
- Contact:
Re: Help with Livy -- when is "cepit" passive?
"Cepit" is certainly, as you say, active. "Cupido" is its subject.
-
- Textkit Neophyte
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:03 am
Re: Help with Livy -- when is "cepit" passive?
Ah, of course! cupido/cupidonis not cupidus/i.Craig_Thomas wrote:"Cupido" is its subject.
Thank you very much. I still don't understand why the translator chose to turn it around and render it passive, but all is clear now.
-
- Textkit Zealot
- Posts: 1093
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:08 am
- Location: Toronto
Re: Help with Livy -- when is "cepit" passive?
Probably to preserve "information order". Since English doesn't have flexible word order like Latin, the passive is one of the ways to get around that and have the information presented in the same order.Gregarius wrote:I still don't understand why the translator chose to turn it around and render it passive,