The legendary Scipio Africanus, conqueror of Hannibal, died in exile because of accusations of corruption. Bitter and broken, he reportedly ordered a famous inscription on his tomb just before his death. Here’s what Valerius Maximus tells us in his fifth book on memorable deeds and sayings (5.3.2):
eiusque uoluntarii exilii acerbitatem non tacitus ad inferos tulit, sepulcro
suo inscribi iubendo ‘ingrata patria, ne ossa quidem mea habes’.
I would translate the inscription as “ungrateful fatherland, you do not even have my bones”. But I have also seen the translation “you will not even have my bones”, and on the internet one can find plenty of Latin quotes that say ne ossa quidem mea habebis. I have not seen the latter example in any full Latin text though.
Here’s are my questions:
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Has anyone here ever seen habebis in a full text?
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Even if habes is the correct version, would it still be possible to translate it as “you will” because of something idiomatic that I have missed, or would that simply be a loose translation taking some liberties?