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Livy · Ab Urbe Condita XXII

Ab Urbe Condita 22.5

Fighting blind in the fog

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Liv. 22.5.1Cōnsul perculsīs omnibus ipse satis, ut in rē trepidā, inpavidus turbātōs ōrdinēs, vertente sē quōque ad dissonōs clamōrēs, īnstruit, ut tempus locusque patitur, et, quācumque adīre audīrīque potest, adhortātur ac stāre ac pugnāre iubet: nec enim inde vōtīs aut inplōrātiōne deum sed vī ac virtūte ēvādendum esse;The consul, while all were stricken, himself fairly undaunted, considering the alarming situation, draws up the disordered ranks, though they kept turning towards the discordant shouts, as well as time and place allow, and wherever he can go and be heard, encourages them and orders them to stand and fight: for it was not by vows or by imploring the gods that they must escape from there, but by force and courage; Liv. 22.5.2per mediās aciēs ferrō viam fierī et, quō timōris minus sit, eō minus ferme perīculī esse.a way was made by the sword through the midst of the enemy lines, and the less fear there was, generally the less danger. Liv. 22.5.3Cēterum prae strepitū ac tumultū nec cōnsilium nec imperium accipī poterat, tantumque aberat, ut sua signa atque ōrdinēs et locum nōscerent, ut vix ad arma capienda aptandaque pugnae conpeteret animus, opprimerenturque quīdam onerātī magis iīs quam tēctī.But because of the din and the confusion neither advice nor command could be heard, and so far were they from recognising their own standards and ranks and place that they scarcely had the presence of mind to take up their arms and fit them for battle, and some were overwhelmed while weighed down rather than protected by them.

Liv. 22.5.3Et erat in tantā cālīgine maior ūsus aurium quam oculōrum.And in such thick fog there was more use for ears than for eyes. Liv. 22.5.4Ad gemitūs vulnerum ictūsque corporum aut armōrum et mīxtōs terrentium paventiumque clamōrēs circumferēbant ōra oculōsque.Towards the groans of the wounded and the blows on bodies or armour and the mingled cries of those terrifying and those terrified they kept turning their faces and eyes. Liv. 22.5.5Aliī fugientēs pugnantium globō inlātī haerēbant, aliōs redeuntēs in pugnam āvertēbat fugientium agmen.Some, as they fled, ran into a knot of men fighting and were stuck fast; others, returning to the fight, were turned back by a column of fugitives. Liv. 22.5.6Deinde, ubi in omnīs partīs nēquīquam impetūs captī, et ab lateribus montēs ac lacūs, ā fronte et ab tergō hostium aciēs claudēbant, appāruitque nūllam nisi in dexterā ferrōque salūtis spem esse, tum sibi quisque dux adhortātorque factus ad rem gerendam et nova dē integrō exorta pugna est, nōn illa ōrdināta per prīncipēs hastātōsque ac triāriōs, nec ut prō signīs antesignānī, post signa alia pugnāret aciēs, nec ut in suā legiōne mīles aut cohorte aut manipulō esset: fors conglobābat et animus suus cuique ante aut post pugnandī ōrdinem dabat;Then, when charges had been attempted in every direction in vain, and the mountains and lake hemmed them in on the flanks, the enemy's lines in front and behind, and it became clear that there was no hope of safety except in the right hand and the sword, then each man became his own leader and encourager to action, and a new battle arose afresh, not the battle ordered by principes, hastati and triarii, nor such that the antesignani fought in front of the standards and another line behind them, nor such that each soldier was in his own legion or cohort or maniple: chance massed them together, and each man's own courage gave him his place for fighting, in front or behind; Liv. 22.5.8tantusque fuit ardor animōrum, adeō intentus pugnae animus, ut eum mōtum terrae, quī multārum urbium Ītaliae magnās partēs prōstrāvit āvertitque cursū rapidōs amnīs, mare flūminibus invēxit, montēs lāpsū ingentī prōruit, nēmō pugnantium sēnserit.and so great was the ardour of their spirits, so intent was their mind on the fight, that none of the combatants felt the earthquake which threw down large parts of many cities of Italy, turned swift rivers from their courses, carried the sea into the rivers, and brought down mountains in huge landslides.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×5, ablative absolute ×2, purpose clauses ×3

Latin vocabulary for this passage (171 words)
cōnsul, -ulis m.consul (one of Rome's two chief magistrates)
percellō, -ere, -culī, -culsusstrike down; dismay, crush
omnis, -eall, every
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
satis, adv.enough, sufficiently
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
trepidus, -a, -umanxious, alarmed; critical, dangerous
impavidus, -a, -umfearless, undaunted
turbō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconfuse, throw into disorder, disturb, trouble
ōrdō, ōrdinis, m.arrangement, order, rank; ex ōrdine, in order
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
dissonus, -a, -umdiscordant; differing (in: abl.)
clāmor, -ōris, m.shout, cry
īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctusbuild in or into; draw up; equip, furnish,
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
que, enclitic conj.and
patior, patī, passus, bearsuffer, allow
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
quācumque (adv.)wherever, by whatever way
adeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo to, approach
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītushear; listen or attend to
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
adhortor, -ārī, -ātus sumencourage, urge on
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusfight
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
enim, conj.for
inde (adv.)from there; then
vōtum, -ī n.vow; wish, prayer
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
implōrātiō, -ōnis f.beseeching, crying for help
deus, -ī, m.god
sed, conj.but
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
virtūs, -tūtis, f.manliness, courage, bravery
ēvādō, -vādere, -vāsī, -vāsusgo forth, get away, escape
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
medius, -a, -ummid, middle
aciēs, -ēī, f.line of battle
ferrum, -ī n.iron; iron point, sword
via, -ae, f.road, way
fīō, fierī, factus sumbe done or made, become, happen
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
timor, -ōris, m.fear
parvus, -a, -umlittle, small
eō (adv.)to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more)
ferme (adv.)about, nearly, almost
perīculum, -ī, n.danger, peril, risk
cēterum (adv.)but, however; for the rest
prae (prep. + abl.)in comparison with; because of
strepitus, -ūs m.noise, din
tumultus, -ūs m.uproar, uprising
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
imperium, -ī, n.command; sway, rule
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
tantum, adv.so much or far, only
absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrusbe away, be absent, be distant; be wanting
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
signum, -ī, n.sign, signal
nōscō, -ere, nōvī, nōtumget to know (perf. nōvī: know)
vix, adv.with difficulty, scarcely, hardly, barely
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
capiō, capere, cēpī, captustake, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
aptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusfit, adjust, make ready
pugna, -ae, f.fighting, battle, combat
competō, -ere, -petīvī, -petītuscoincide, meet, agree; be capable, be sound
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressuspress against, overpower, crush
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.a certain, certain
onerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusload, burden
magis, comp. adv.more, rather
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
tegō, tegere, tēxī, tēctuscover
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
cālīgō, -inis f.mist, fog; darkness, gloom
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
ūsus, -ūs, m.use; experience
auris, -is, f.ear
oculus, -ī, m.eye
gemitus, -ūs m.groan, sigh
vulnus, vulneris, n.wound
īctus, -ūs, m.blow
corpus, corporis, n.body
misceō, miscēre, miscuī, mīxtusmix, mingle
terreō, -ēre, -uī, -itusfrighten, terrify
paveō, -ēre, pāvībe terrified, tremble
circumferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātuscarry around
ōs, ōris, n.mouth
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
globus, -ī m.ball; band, group of people
īnferō, īnferre, intulī, inlātusbring in or against, wage against; inflict
haereō, haerēre, haesī, haesūrusstick; hesitate
redeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo back, return
āvertō, -ere, āvertī, āversumturn away, turn aside
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
deinde, adv.then, next
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
nēquīquam (adv.)in vain, without reason
impetus, -ūs, m.attack; impetum facere, to charge
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
latus, lateris n.side, flank
mōns, montis, m.mountain
lacus, -ūs, m.lake
frōns, frontis, f.forehead
tergum, -ī, n.back
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
claudō, -ere, clausī, clausumclose, shut; (agmen) bring up the rear
appāreō, -ēre, -uī, -itumappear, come into view, show oneself
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
nisi, conj.if not, unless
dextra, -ae, f.right hand (manus understood)
salūs, salūtis, f.safety, deliverance, escape
spēs, speī, f.hope
tum, adv.then, at that time
dux, ducis, m. and f.leader, commander
adhortātor, -ōris m.one who encourages, exhorter
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestuscarry, wear; carry on, do
novus, -a, -umnew; novissimus, last
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
integer, -gra, -grumuntouched, fresh, whole
exorior, -orīrī, -ortusarise from, spring up, rise
nōn, adv.not
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
ōrdinō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusset in order, arrange in rows
prīnceps, -ipisfirst, chief; as noun: leader
hastātus, -ī m.a soldier of the first line; prīmus hastātus: the senior centurion of the hastati
triāriī, -ōrum m. pl.the triarii, veteran soldiers forming the third line of a legion
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
antesignānus, -ī m.soldier who fights in front of the standards; antesignānī: front-line troops
post, adv.after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
legiō, -ōnis f.legion
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
cohors, cohortis f.cohort (a tenth of a legion); company
manipulus, -ī m.maniple (a company of soldiers)
fors, fortis f.chance, luck
conglobō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusgather into a mass; (pass.) mass together, rally
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.before
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
ardor, -ōris m.blaze, fire, glow; ardor caelī: a light in the sky
adeō (adv.)so far, to such a degree; so
intendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentusstretch out; stretch, draw, aim
mōtus, -ūs m.motion, movement; uprising
terra, -ae, f.land, earth
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
urbs, urbis, f.city
prōsternō, -sternere, -strāvī, -strātusstrew or spread before, throw or knock down
cursus, -ūs, m.running, speed; course, route, voyage; race
rapidus, -a, -umswift; consuming, fierce
amnis, -is m.river
mare, maris, n.sea
flūmen, -minis, n.river
invehō, -ere, -vēxī, -vectuscarry in; (pass.) attack (in words): invehī in + acc., to inveigh against
lāpsus, -ūs m.gliding, sliding movement; a fall
ingēns, -gentis, adj.huge, vast
prōruō, -ere, -ruī, -rutumthrow down, demolish
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.no one, nobody
sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsusperceive, feel
Livy, Ab Urbe Condita XXII. Latin text: B. O. Foster, Livy (Loeb, 1919–29), with some passages from W. Weissenborn and H. J. Müller (Teubner, 1884–1911), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.