Question from LLPSI Cap XLII

Latin Learning Latin
1

The Romans are dealing with Mettius

In eum haec gloriantem cum globo ferocissimorum iuvenum Romulus impetum facit. Ex equo tum Mettius pugnabat, eo facilius [tanto facilius] fuit eum pellere. Pulsum Romani persequuntur.

From the horse Mettius was fighting by which (means) it was easier to strike him…

I don’t know whether ‘eum’ here means Mettius himself or Romulus. That is, whether fighting on his horse made it easier for Mettius to strike Romulus or easier for Romulus to strike Mettius. It seems that, in the next sentence, he (Mettius) is struck…

2

Pello here means not so much “to strike” as to “beat back”, “repel”, “rout”, “put to flight”.

http://perseus.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.14:1177.lewisandshort

Ex equo tum Mettius pugnabat, eo facilius [tanto facilius] fuit eum pellere.

“Mettius was fighting on horseback; so much the easier it was to put him to flight. Once he was in flight, the Romans pursued him.”

eo is a kind of ablative of degree of difference. “by so much it was easier”

Allen & Greenough 414:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=AG+414&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0001

See the note in 414a.

3

Thanks Qimmik

4

Qimmik could quo be an adverb?

See http://perseus.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:847.lewisandshort.

5

Eo and quo can be characterized as adverbs, but they are simply the ablative forms of id and quod.

Lewis & Short:

ĕō, adv. old dat. and abl. form of pron. stem i; cf. is.

I In locat. and abl. uses,

C Of measure or degree—with words of comparison, so much, by so much—followed by quo (= tanto … quanto):

6

Thanks