Lectitō › Fabulae Faciles › Fabulae Faciles: Perseus
Fabulae Faciles 3
Perseus is sent on his travels
Ritchie, Fabulae Faciles: Perseus. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in Lectitō3.1Perseus igitur multōs annōs ibi habitābat, et cum mātre suā vītam beātam agēbat.
So Perseus lived there for many years, and led a happy life with his mother.
Note. multōs annōs: the accusative shows how long, 'for many years'.
3.2At Polydectēs Danaēn magnopere amābat, atque eam in mātrimōnium dūcere volēbat.
But Polydectes loved Danaë greatly, and wanted to marry her.
Note. eam: 'her'. Latin has no separate word for 'he/she/it'; is, ea, id does the job. in mātrimōnium dūcere: 'to marry'.
3.3Hoc tamen cōnsilium Perseō minimē grātum erat.
This plan, however, was not at all pleasing to Perseus.
Note. Perseō: dative, 'to Perseus'. minimē grātum: 'not at all pleasing'.
3.4Polydectēs igitur Perseum dīmittere cōnstituit.
So Polydectes decided to send Perseus away.
3.5Tum iuvenem ad sē vocāvit et haec dīxit: "Turpe est hanc ignāvam vītam agere; iam dūdum tū adulēscēns es.
Then he called the young man to him and said this: “It is shameful to lead this idle life; you have long been a young man.
Note. iam dūdum … es: Latin uses the present for something that started long ago and is still true; English says 'you have long been'.
3.6Quō ūsque hīc manēbis?
How long will you stay here?
Note. Quō ūsque: 'how long?' Here hīc is the adverb 'here', not the pronoun. manēbis: future, 'will you stay'.
3.7Tempus est arma capere et virtūtem praestāre.
It is time to take up arms and show your courage.
3.8Hinc abī, et caput Medūsae mihi refer."
Go away from here, and bring me back the head of Medusa.”
Note. abī and refer are commands. Like dīc, dūc and fac, fer has a short command form.
Vocabulary
| igitur, conj. | therefore |
| multus, -a, -um | much, great; plur., many |
| annus, -ī, m. | year |
| ibi, adv. | in that place, there |
| habitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | dwell, inhabit |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| cum, prep, with abl. | with |
| māter, mātris, f. | mother |
| suus, -a, -um | his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their |
| vīta, -ae, f. | life |
| beātus, -a, -um | happy, blessed |
| agō, agere, ēgī, āctus | drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia |
| at, conj. | but |
| magnopere, adv. | greatly, very much, exceedingly; earnestly |
| amō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | love |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| mātrimōnium, -ī, n. | marriage; in mātrimōnium dūcere, marry |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| tamen, adv. | however, yet, nevertheless |
| cōnsilium, -ī, n. | advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence |
| minimē, adv. | least, very little; by no means, not at all |
| grātus, -a, -um | pleasing, grateful |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| dīmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus | send different ways, send forth or away, despatch; let slip, lose |
| cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus | set together or up; appoint; determine |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| iuvenis, -is, m. | young man, youth |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron. | himself, herself, itself, themselves |
| vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | call, summon |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| turpis, -e | disgraceful |
| ignāvus, -a, -um | lazy, cowardly |
| iam, adv. | now, already |
| dūdum, adv. | formerly, of old; iam dūdum, this long time |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| adulēscēns, -entis, m. | youth, young man |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| ūsque, adv. | all the time; ūsque ad, as far as, until; quō ūsque, see quō |
| hīc, adv. | here; hereupon |
| maneō, manēre, mānsī, mānsus | remain |
| tempus, temporis, n. | time, season |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captus | take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt |
| virtūs, -tūtis, f. | manliness, courage, bravery |
| praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitus | stand in front; show |
| hinc, adv. | from this place, hence |
| abeō, -īre, -iī, -itūrus | go away, depart |
| caput, capitis, n. | head |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| referō, referre, rettulī, relātus | bring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia |