I’ve come across this phrase in Ørberg’s Roma Aeterna and it’s really puzzling me. Here’s the broader context:
Haec est origo templi quod primum omnium Romae sacratum est. Postea inter tot annos, tot bella, bina tantum spolia opima capta sunt: adeo rara fuit fortuna id decus adipiscendi.
And here’s my attempt at translation: “This is the origin of the temple which was the first one of all of them in Rome to be consecrated. Afterwards, throughout so many years and so many wars only twice were the rich spoils captured: so rare was the fortune of obtaining this honour.” I take bina tantum to mean “only twice” but only because I have seen that suggestion in another thread. I don’t understand how it has that sense. According to the dictionary, bini means “two by two, two to each, two at a time etc” I can’t get “twice” out of it. Unless, it takes the place of the cardinal number as in Lewis & Short I.I.B. I would be grateful for any ideas.
I’m not an expert, but I’ve already seen this as a replacement of cardinal numbers, or something close. You may take it with the meaning of “a pair”, “a group of two”
I looked this up in OLD and it gives “Double, twofold.” as the fourth meaning of Bini.
bini -ae -a, a. [BIS±NVS] FORMS: sg.
occurs in LUCR.4.45I, 5.879; Ov.Ponl.4.9.64.
1 Two to each person, category, etc. b (in
relation to groups of two persons, things, etc.,
which recur at periodic intervals, whether
specified or implied) two at a time, two (per
day, year, etc.).
4 Double, twofold.
fit uti uideantur omnia quae tuimur fieri tum …a tuendo
LUCR.4.449; ne, quae sunt singula, …a uide Ov.Ars 3.764;
(astron., of composite signs of the :odiac) nunc —is (signis)
insiste MAN.2.I59;-(W. sg. noun) …a. .per totas aedes
geminare supellex LUCR.4.45I ; duplici natura et corpore …'0
(i.e. hybrid) ex alienigems membris compacta 5.879, inque
domo …us (s.v.l.) conspicietur honor Ov.Pont.4-.9.64.
bini/ae/a is a word meaning “two”; among other uses, it is used to modify words that are “pluralia tantum”, i.e., words that are used only in the plural, instead of duo. See Lewis & Short bini, I.1.B., which you noted in your original post. Singular spolium is very rare, and has a diiferent meaning than spolia, so that spolia is effectively plurale tantum. See L&S spolium. So bina . . . spolia opima just means “two spolia opima”. But translating bina advebially as “two times” here isn’t wrong, even if not literal.
In English, too, there’s a certain awkwardness with pluralia tantum. “Two scissors” doesn’t work because scissors are viewed as double objects, so we have to say “two pairs of scissors”.
Thank you all. It is clear to me now.