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Tacitus · Germania

Germania 14

Chief and companions in war

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Germ. 14.1Cum ventum in aciem, turpe prīncipī virtūte vincī, turpe comitātuī virtūtem prīncipis nōn adaequāre.When it has come to battle, it is shameful for the chief to be surpassed in valour, shameful for the retinue not to match the valour of its chief. Germ. 14.1Iam vērō īnfāme in omnem vītam ac probrōsum superstitem prīncipī suō ex aciē recessisse: illum dēfendere, tuērī, sua quoque fortia facta glōriae eius adsignāre praecipuum sacrāmentum est: prīncipēs prō victōriā pugnant, comitēs prō prīncipe.But to have come back from the battle alive when one's chief has fallen is a lifelong infamy and disgrace: to defend him, to protect him, and to credit even one's own brave deeds to his glory is their chief oath: the chiefs fight for victory, the companions for their chief. Germ. 14.2Sī cīvitās in quā ortī sunt longā pāce et ōtiō torpeat, plērīque nōbilium adulēscentium petunt ultrō eās nātiōnēs, quae tum bellum aliquod gerunt, quia et ingrāta gentī quiēs et facilius inter ancipitia clārēscunt magnumque comitātum nōn nisi vī bellōque tueāre;If the state in which they were born grows sluggish from long peace and leisure, many of the young nobles of their own accord seek out those tribes which are then waging some war, because rest is unwelcome to the race, and they win fame more easily amid dangers, and you cannot maintain a large retinue except by violence and war; Germ. 14.3exigunt enim prīncipis suī līberālitāte illum bellātōrem equum, illam cruentam victrīcemque frameam;for they demand from the generosity of their chief that war horse, that bloody and victorious framea; Germ. 14.3nam epulae et quamquam incomptī, largī tamen apparātūs prō stīpendiō cēdunt.for feasts and provisions, homely but abundant, take the place of pay.

Germ. 14.3Māteria mūnificentiae per bella et raptus.The means for this munificence come through wars and plunder. Germ. 14.4Nec arāre terram aut expectāre annum tam facile persuāseris quam vocāre hostem et vulnera merērī;Nor would you so easily persuade them to plough the land or wait for the year's harvest as to challenge an enemy and earn wounds; Germ. 14.4pigrum quīn immō et iners vidētur sūdōre adquīrere quod possīs sanguine parāre.indeed, it seems lazy and spiritless to acquire by sweat what you could win by blood.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×2

Latin vocabulary for this passage (113 words)
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
aciēs, -ēī, f.line of battle
turpis, -edisgraceful
prīnceps, -ipisfirst, chief; as noun: leader
virtūs, -tūtis, f.manliness, courage, bravery
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victumconquer, defeat
comitātus, -ūs m.escort, retinue, company
nōn, adv.not
adaequō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumequal, keep up with
iam, adv.now, already
vērō, adv.in truth, indeed; however
īnfāmis, -eof ill repute, notorious
omnis, -eall, every
vīta, -ae, f.life
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
probrōsus, -a, -umshameful, disgraceful; abusive, insulting
superstes, -stitissurviving, outliving (dat.)
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
recēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessumgo back, withdraw, retire
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsusward off; defend
tueor, -ērī, tuitus sumwatch over, protect, defend
quoque, adv.also
fortis, -ebrave
factum, -ī n.deed, act
glōria, -ae, f.glory
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
adsignō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusassign, allot; put down to, impute to
praecipuus, -a, -umspecial, particular, outstanding
sacrāmentum, -ī n.military oath (of allegiance)
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
victōria, -ae, f.victory
pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusfight
comes, -itis, m. and f.companion
sī, conj.if
cīvitās, -tātis, f.state
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
orior, -īrī, -tusarise, come forth, spring up; ortā lūce, at dawn
longus, -a, -umlong; tedious
pāx, pācis f.peace
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
ōtium, -ī n.leisure, rest; peace, quiet
torpeō, -ērebe numb, be paralysed
plērīque, plēraeque, plēraquemost, very many
nōbilis, -ewell-known, noble
adulēscēns, -entis, m.youth, young man
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
ultrō (adv.)of one's own accord; besides (ultrō citrōque: back and forth)
nātiō, -ōnis f.people, nation; birth
tum, adv.then, at that time
bellum, -ī, n.war
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.some, any
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestuscarry, wear; carry on, do
quia (conj.)because
ingrātus, -a, -umunwelcome, unpleasant; ungrateful
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
quiēs, quiētis, f.rest, repose
facile, adv.easily
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
anceps, ancipitistwo-sided, on two fronts; doubtful
clārēscō, -ere, clāruībecome clear; grow loud
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
que, enclitic conj.and
nisi, conj.if not, unless
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
exigō, -ere, -ēgī, -āctumdrive out; finish, spend (a season)
enim, conj.for
līberālitās, -ātis f.generosity
bellātor, -ōris m.warrior, fighter
equus, -ī, m.horse
cruentus, -a, -umbloody, blood-stained
victrīx, -īcis (f. adj. and noun)victorious; conqueror (feminine)
framea, -ae f.spear (the German word for it)
nam, conj.for
epulae, -ārum f. pl.feast, banquet
quamquam, conj.however much, although
incomptus, -a, -umuncombed, unkempt; rough, unpolished
largus, -a, -umabundant, plentiful; generous
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
apparātus, -ūs m.preparation; display, splendour
stīpendium, -ī, n.tax, tribute
cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessumgo, withdraw, give way
māteria, -ae f.timber, material
mūnificentia, -ae f.generosity, open-handedness
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
rapiō, -ere, -uī, -tusseize, snatch
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
arō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusplow
terra, -ae, f.land, earth
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātuslook out for, wait for, await, expect; wait
annus, -ī, m.year
tam, adv.so
persuādeō, -suādēre, -suāsi, -suāsuspersuade, prevail upon, induce
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
vulnus, vulneris, n.wound
mereor, -ērī, meritus sumdeserve; (dē) do service to
piger, -gra, -grumsluggish, slow
quīn, conj.so that ... not, but that, but
immō (adv.)no rather, on the contrary; immō vērō: no, indeed, even
iners, -ertissluggish, idle, unmanly
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
sūdor, -ōris m.sweat; toil
adquīrō, -quīrere, -quīsīvī, -quīsītusacquire, gain in addition
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
sanguis, sanguinis, m.blood
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
Tacitus, Germania. Latin text: H. Furneaux, Cornelii Taciti Opera Minora (Oxford, 1900), 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.