Quick Question Check

Latin Learning Latin
1

Hi,

I’m working through Ritchie’s Latin Composition textbook and wandered if anyone might help with the following question:


“After a few days they came into view of our camp”
brevis post temporibus, in conspectum castri nostri venerunt

I feel that my answer isn’t right somehow!

Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

2

brevis means short, not few. Also note that brevis is a third declension adjective, so “brevis … temporibus” doesn’t work.

tempus means time, not day. What is Latin for day?

Note that the Latin word for camp, castra, is always plural.

3

Thank you for your help. Would this be right:

paucos post dies, in conspectum castrorum nostrorum venerunt

4

You’re welcome! This is much better, but there was no need to change the construction in the first part of the sentence. The expression paucis post diebus is fine and is used by Cicero and Caesar, among others:

https://latin.packhum.org/concordance?q=paucis+post+diebus

The expression that you used, paucos post dies, can be found in the writings of Livy and Tacitus, but not in Cicero or Caesar:

https://latin.packhum.org/concordance?q=paucos+post+dies

This means it is correct and attested Latin, but not “classical” in the narrow sense of the word.

5

Thanks again, that’s really helpful.

6

I’m glad I could help!