Viris Illustribus: What is Hannibal saying?

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TonyLoco23
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Viris Illustribus: What is Hannibal saying?

Post by TonyLoco23 »

I am reading the Viris Illustribus
(available online here: http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/language ... a.htm#marc)

In the Secon Punic War part, under the subsection 'MARCUS CLAUDIUS MARCELLUS', Hannibal is besieging a city called Casilinum and trying to starve it out, the residents of Casilinum are holding out by eating mice and roots. At this point hannibal says something that I do not understand at all:
Miratus
Annibal exclamavit:
Eone usque
dum ea nascantur,
ad Casilinum
sessurus sum?
I cannot work this out, is he saying something like:

"When will I be sitting in Casilinum, not while these people still live!" (are being born? nascantur??)

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thesaurus
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Re: Viris Illustribus: What is Hannibal saying?

Post by thesaurus »

"Amazed, Hannibal exclaimed: 'I am therefore still going to be encamped at Casilinum even to that time when those [radishes] are born/sprouted?'"

"eo usque" means "so long, even to that time."
"ea" refers to the radishes, "rapum," referred to in the previous paragraph. "nascor" can mean both "be born," and to be produced/generated/grown more generally.
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: Viris Illustribus: What is Hannibal saying?

Post by adrianus »

"Is that how it is to be [/the way of it], that I am going to be encamped at Casilinum until they are grown [/as long as they are growing]", i.e., ea = rapa = the turnips

Didn't see your post, thesaurus
Epistulam tuam, thesaure, non vidi
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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