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Tacitus · Germania

Germania 22

Bathing, drinking and deliberation at feasts

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Germ. 22.1Statim ē somnō, quem plērumque in diem extrahunt, lavantur, saepius calidā, ut apud quōs plūrimum hiems occupat.Straight after sleep, which they generally prolong into the day, they wash, more often in warm water, as is natural for people among whom winter takes up most of the year. Germ. 22.1Lautī cibum capiunt: sēparātae singulīs sēdēs et sua cuique mēnsa.After washing they take food: each has a separate seat and his own table. Germ. 22.1Tum ad negōtia nec minus saepe ad convīvia prōcēdunt armātī.Then they go out to business, and no less often to feasts, armed. Germ. 22.2Diem noctemque continuāre pōtandō nūllī probrum.To drink continuously for a day and a night is a disgrace to no one. Germ. 22.2Crēbrae, ut inter vīnolentōs, rixae rārō convīciīs, saepius caede et vulneribus trānsiguntur.Quarrels, frequent as among drunken men, are rarely settled with abuse, more often with killing and wounds. Germ. 22.3Sed et dē reconciliandīs invicem inimīcīs et iungendīs adfīnitātibus et adscīscendīs prīncipibus, dē pāce dēnique ac bellō plērumque in convīviīs cōnsultant, tamquam nūllō magis tempore aut ad simplicēs cōgitātiōnēs pateat animus aut ad magnās incalēscat.But on reconciling enemies with one another, on forming marriage alliances and adopting chiefs, and finally on peace and war, they generally deliberate at feasts, as though at no other time is the mind more open to frank thoughts or more warmed to great ones.

Germ. 22.4Gēns nōn astūta nec callida aperit adhūc sēcrēta pectoris licentiā locī;A race without guile or cunning still reveals the secrets of the heart in the freedom of the occasion; Germ. 22.4ergō dētēcta et nūda omnium mēns.so the mind of each is laid bare and naked. Germ. 22.4Posterā diē retractātur, et salva utrīusque temporis ratiō est: dēlīberant dum fingere nesciunt, cōnstituunt dum errāre nōn possunt.On the following day the matter is reconsidered, and the reasoning of each occasion is preserved: they deliberate when they cannot dissemble, they decide when they cannot be mistaken.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×4

Latin vocabulary for this passage (100 words)
statim, adv.on the spot, forthwith, at once, immediately
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
somnus, -ī, m.sleep, drowsiness
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
plērumque (adv.)generally, mostly
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
extrahō, -trahere, -trāxī, -trāctusdraw or drag out, release, rescue
lavō, -āre, lāvī, lautuswash; passive: bathe
saepe, adv.often, frequently
calidus, -a, -umwarm, hot
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
apud, prep, with acc.among, with
plūrimum (adv.)most, very much (plūrimum posse: be most powerful)
hiems, hiemis f.winter
occupō, -cupāre, -cupāvī, -cupātusseize; fill
cibus, -ī, m.food
capiō, capere, cēpī, captustake, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
sēparō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusseparate, divide
singulī, -ae, -aone at a time, single
sēdēs, -is, f.seat, abode
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
mēnsa, -ae f.table
tum, adv.then, at that time
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
negōtium, -ī, n.business, matter; task, trouble, difficulty
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
minus, comp. adv.less
convīvium, -ī n.banquet, dinner party
prōcēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessumgo forward, advance
armātus, -a, -umarmed
nox, noctis, f.night
que, enclitic conj.and
continuō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusjoin together, make continuous; join one house to another
pōtō, -āre, -āvī, pōtusdrink, drink heavily
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
probrum, -ī n.disgrace, shame; probrō habērī: be counted a disgrace
crēber, -bra, -brumfrequent, numerous; close together
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
vīnolentus, -a, -umdrunken, given to wine
rixa, -ae f.brawl, quarrel
rārō (adv.)seldom, rarely
convīcium, -ī n.loud noise, wrangling; abuse
caedēs, -is, f.cutting down, killing, slaughter
vulnus, vulneris, n.wound
trānsigō, -ere, -ēgī, -āctuscarry through, finish, settle
sed, conj.but
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
reconciliō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbring back, win back; reconcile
invicem (adv.)in turn, mutually; ad invicem: to one another
inimīcus, -a, -umunfriendly, hostile
iungō, iungere, iūnxī, iūnctusjoin; yoke, harness
affīnitās, -ātis f.relationship by marriage
adscīscō, -ere, -scīvī, -scītustake up, admit, attach to oneself (as an ally)
prīnceps, -ipisfirst, chief; as noun: leader
pāx, pācis f.peace
dēnique, adv.lastly, finally
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
bellum, -ī, n.war
cōnsultō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumdeliberate, take counsel; consult the interests of (+ dat.)
tamquam (adv., conj.)as, just as; as if
magis, comp. adv.more, rather
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
simplex, -icissimple, unmixed, pure
cōgitātiō, -ōnis f.thought, reflection; plan, intention
pateō, -ēre, -uīlie open; extend, stretch
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
incalēscō, -ere, -caluīgrow warm; be heated (with wine)
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
nōn, adv.not
astūtus, -a, -umcrafty, cunning, shrewd
callidus, -a, -umclever, crafty
aperiō, -īre, -uī, -tusopen
adhūc, adv.to this point, up to this time, yet, still
sēcrētum, -ī n.a private place; secret
pectus, pectoris, n.breast
licentia, -ae f.freedom; lack of restraint, lawlessness
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
ergō (adv.)therefore, then; quid ergō? what then?
dētegō, -ere, -tēxī, -tēctusuncover, unroof; reveal
nūdus, -a, -umnaked, bare
omnis, -eall, every
mēns, mentis f.mind, spirit
posterus, -a, -umfollowing, next
retractō, -āre, -āvī, -ātushandle again, touch again
salvus, -a, -umsafe, unharmed
uterque, utraque, utrumqueeach, either, both
ratiō, -ōnis, f.plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
dēlīberō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumconsider, deliberate
dum, conj.while, as; as long as; until
fingō, fingere, finxī, fictusinvent, make up
nesciō, -scīre, -scīvīnot know, be ignorant; nesciō quis, I know not who, some one or other (nesciō is thus used with other interrogative words also)
cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtusset together or up; appoint; determine
errō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuswander, stray; be mistaken
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
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.