Lectitō › Fabulae Faciles › Fabulae Faciles: Hercules
Fabulae Faciles 17
The defeat of the Minyae
Ritchie, Fabulae Faciles: Hercules. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō17.1Ergīnus, rēx Minyārum, ob haec vehementer īrātus statim cum omnibus cōpiīs in fīnīs Thēbānōrum contendit.
Erginus, king of the Minyae, was extremely angry because of this and at once marched with all his forces into the territory of the Thebans.
17.2Creōn adventum eius per explōrātōrēs cognōvit.
Creon learned of his approach through scouts.
17.3Ipse tamen pugnāre nōluit, nam magnō timōre adfectus erat; Thēbānī igitur Herculem imperātōrem creāvērunt.
He himself, however, did not want to fight, for he was struck with great fear; so the Thebans made Hercules their general.
17.4Ille nūntiōs in omnīs partīs dīmīsit, et cōpiās coēgit; tum proximō diē cum magnō exercitū profectus est.
He sent messengers in all directions, and gathered forces; then on the next day he set out with a large army.
17.5Locum idōneum dēlēgit et aciem īnstrūxit.
He chose a suitable place and drew up his line of battle.
17.6Tum Thēbānī ē superiōre locō impetum in hostīs fēcērunt.
Then the Thebans made an attack on the enemy from higher ground.
17.7Illī autem impetum sustinēre nōn potuērunt; itaque aciēs hostium pulsa est atque in fugam conversa.
They could not withstand the attack; so the enemy's line was driven back and turned to flight.
Note. conversa: est is left out, as often happens with perfect participles.
Vocabulary
| rēx, rēgis, m. | king |
| ob, prep. with acc. | on account of, for; in compounds, to, against |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| vehementer, adv. | violently, vehemently; earnestly; exceedingly, greatly |
| īrātus, -a, -um | angered, enraged, angry, furious |
| statim, adv. | on the spot, forthwith, at once, immediately |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| cōpia, -ae, f. | supply, abundance; plur., forces, troops |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| fīnis, -is, m. | end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |
| adventus, -ūs, m. | approach, arrival |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| per, prep, with ace. | through, by means of |
| explōrātor, -ōris, m. | explorer, scout, spy |
| cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus | find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fight |
| nōlō, nōlle, nōluī | not wish, be unwilling |
| nam, conj. | for |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| timor, -ōris, m. | fear |
| adficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus | do to, move, affect; visit, afflict |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| igitur, conj. | therefore |
| imperātor, -ōris, m. | commander, general |
| creō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | elect, appoint |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| nūntius, -ī, m. | messenger; message |
| pars, partis, f. | part, side, direction |
| dīmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send different ways, send forth or away, despatch; let slip, lose |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus | drive together, collect; compel |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| proximus, -a, -um | nearest, next |
| diēs, -ēī, m. and f. | day |
| exercitus, -ūs, m. | army |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| idōneus, -a, -um | suitable, fit; favorable |
| dēligō, -ligere, -lēgī, -lēctus | choose out, choose, select |
| aciēs, -ēī, f. | line of battle |
| īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus | build in or into; draw up; equip, furnish, |
| ex, ē (prep. + abl.) | out of, from; of (ē only before consonants) |
| superior, -ius, adj. | higher; former, previous, preceding |
| impetus, -ūs, m. | attack; impetum facere, to charge |
| hostis, -is, m. and f. | enemy, foe |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| autem, conj. | moreover; but, however; now |
| sustineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus | hold or bear up, sustain, withstand |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| itaque, adv. | and so, accordingly, therefore |
| pellō, pellere, pepulī, pulsus | drive, drive away, beat, rout |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| fuga, -ae, f. | flight |
| convertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versus | turn round, turn, change; in fugam convertere, to put to flight |