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Tacitus · Germania

Germania 21

Feuds, compensation and hospitality

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Germ. 21.1Suscipere tam inimīcitiās seu patris seu propinquī quam amīcitiās necesse est.It is obligatory to take up the feuds of a father or a relative as well as his friendships. Germ. 21.1Nec implācābilēs dūrant: luitur enim etiam homicīdium certō armentōrum ac pecorum numerō recipitque satisfactiōnem ūniversa domus, ūtiliter in pūblicum, quia perīculōsiōrēs sunt inimīcitiae iūxtā lībertātem.Nor do they last unappeased: for even homicide is atoned for by a fixed number of cattle and sheep, and the whole family receives satisfaction, to the public advantage, since feuds are more dangerous where there is freedom. Germ. 21.2Convīctibus et hospitiīs nōn alia gēns effūsius indulget.No other race indulges more lavishly in feasting and hospitality. Germ. 21.2Quemcumque mortālium arcēre tēctō nefās habētur;To turn away any human being from one's roof is held a sin; Germ. 21.2prō fortūnā quisque apparātīs epulīs excipit.each man receives his guest with a meal prepared according to his means. Germ. 21.2Cum dēfēcēre, quī modo hospes fuerat, mōnstrātor hospitiī et comes;When it has run out, the man who was lately host becomes guide to new hospitality and companion; Germ. 21.2proximam domum nōn invītātī adeunt.uninvited, they go to the next house.

Germ. 21.3Nec interest: parī hūmānitāte accipiuntur.Nor does it matter: they are received with equal kindness. Germ. 21.3Notum ignōtumque quantum ad iūs hospitis nēmō discernit.Known and unknown, as far as the right of a guest is concerned, no one distinguishes. Germ. 21.3Abeuntī, sī quid poposcerit, concēdere mōris;If the departing guest asks for anything, it is the custom to grant it; Germ. 21.3et poscendī in vicem eadem facilitās.and there is the same readiness to ask in return. Germ. 21.3Gaudent mūneribus, sed nec data imputant nec acceptīs obligantur.They delight in gifts, but they neither count what they have given as a favour owed nor feel bound by what they have received.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×1, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (90 words)
suscipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptusundertake
tam, adv.so
inimīcitia, -ae f.enmity (usu. pl.)
sīve or seu, conj.or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
pater, patris, m.father
propinquus, -a, -um; as noun, -ī m./-a f.near; (noun) relative
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
amīcitia, -ae f.friendship, alliance
necesse, indecl. adj.necessary
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
implācābilis, -erelentless, that cannot be appeased
dūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusharden, toughen
luō, -ere, luīpay; atone for, expiate
enim, conj.for
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
homicīdium, -ī n.murder, manslaughter
certus, -a, -umdetermined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform
armentum, -ī n.herd (of cattle)
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
pecus, pecoris, n.herd, flock, cattle
numerus, -ī, m.number
recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover
que, enclitic conj.and
satisfactiō, -ōnis f.apology, excuse
ūniversus, -a, -umall together, whole, entire, all
domus, -ūs, f.house, home
ūtiliter (adv.)usefully, profitably, to advantage
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
pūblicum, -ī n.open street, public place
quia (conj.)because
perīculōsus, -a, -umdangerous
iūxtā (adv. and prep. + acc.)nearby; next to
lībertās, -tātis, f.freedom, liberty
convīctus, -ūs m.living together, companionship; society at table
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
hospitium, -ī, n.hospitality
nōn, adv.not
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
effūsē (adv.)far and wide, without restraint
indulgeō, -ēre, indulsī (+ dat.)be kind to, favour
quīcumque, quaecumque, quodcumquewhoever, whatever
mortālis, -emortal
arceō, -ēre, -uīkeep off, keep away, shut out
tēctum, -ī n.roof; house
nefās n. (indecl.)a sin, a wrong; something forbidden by divine law
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
fortūna, -ae, f.fortune
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
apparō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusprepare, get ready
epulae, -ārum f. pl.feast, banquet
excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake out or up, receive, welcome, entertain
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
dēficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectusfail
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
modo, adv.only
hospes, hospitis m.guest; host; guest-friend
mōnstrātor, -ōris m.one who shows, a guide; inventor, teacher
comes, -itis, m. and f.companion
proximus, -a, -umnearest, next
invītō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusinvite
adeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo to, approach
intersum, -esse, -fuī, -futūrusbe or lie between
pār, parisequal
hūmānitās, -tātis f.culture, refinement
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
nōtus, -a, -umknown, well-known, famous
ignōtus, -a, -umunknown
quantum, adv.how much? how?
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
iūs, iūris, n.right, justice, law; iūs dīcere, to pronounce judgment; iūs iūrandum, iūris iūrandī, oath
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.no one, nobody
discernō, -ere, -crēvī, -crētusseparate; distinguish, tell apart
abeō, -īre, -iī, -itūrusgo away, depart
sī, conj.if
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
poscō, poscere, poposcīask, demand
concēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessusgrant, yield
mōs, mōris, m.way, manner, habit, custom
vicis (gen.), vicem f.change, turn; in vicem: in turn
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
facilitās, -ātis f.easiness of manner, good nature, approachability
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsusbe glad, rejoice
mūnus, mūneris, n.service, office, duty; present, gift
sed, conj.but
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
imputō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscharge to someone's account; claim credit for (a favour)
obligō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbind, oblige; mortgage, pledge
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.