LectitōOpen the reader

Lectitō › Vergil › Georgics › Georgics 2.259–287

Vergil · Georgics

Georgics 2.259–287

Preparing and laying out vineyards

English onlyRead it word by word

Georg. 2.259hīs animadversīs terram multō ante mementō
260excoquere et magnōs scrobibus concīdere montīs,
ante supīnātās aquilōnī ostendere glaebās,
quam laetum īnfodiās vītis genus.
These things observed, remember to bake the earth well beforehand, to cut up the great hills with trenches, and to expose the upturned clods to the north wind, before you plant the glad race of the vine.
Georg. 2.262Optima putrī
arva solō: id ventī cūrant gelidaeque pruīnae
et labefacta movēns rōbustus iūgera fossor.
Fields of crumbling soil are best: this the winds see to, and the cold frosts, and the sturdy digger loosening and stirring the acres.
Georg. 2.265Ac sī quōs haud ūlla virōs vigilantia fugit,
ante locum similem exquīrunt, ubi prīma parētur
arboribus seges et quō mox dīgesta ferātur,
mūtātam ignōrent subitō nē sēmina mātrem.
And men whom no vigilance escapes first seek out a similar place, where the first bed may be prepared for the trees, and to which they may soon be carried when set out, lest the seedlings fail to recognise a mother suddenly changed.
Georg. 2.269Quīn etiam caelī regiōnem in cortice signant,
270ut, quō quaeque modō steterit, quā parte calōrēs
Austrīnōs tulerit, quae terga obverterit axī,
restituant: adeō in tenerīs cōnsuēscere multum est.
Indeed, they even mark the quarter of the sky on the bark, so that they may restore each as it stood, on which side it bore the southern heats, which back it turned to the pole: so strong is habit in tender years.

Georg. 2.273Collibus an plānō melius sit pōnere vītem,
quaere prius.
Whether it is better to plant the vine on hills or on the plain, ask first.
Georg. 2.274Sī pinguis agrōs mētābere campī,
275dēnsa sere;
If you are measuring out the fields of a rich plain, plant thickly;
Georg. 2.275in dēnsō nōn segnior ūbere Bacchus;in thick planting Bacchus is no less productive; Georg. 2.276sīn tumulīs adclīve sōlum collīsque supīnōs,
indulgē ōrdinibus, nec sētius omnis in unguem
arboribus positīs sectō via līmite quadret.
but if you are measuring out soil sloping in hillocks and gently rising hills, give room to the rows, but no less let every path, once the trees are set, square exactly with the lane cut across it.
Georg. 2.279Ut saepe ingentī bellō cum longa cohortīs
280explicuit legiō et campō stetit agmen apertō,
dīrēctaeque aciēs, ac lātē flūctuat omnis
aere renīdentī tellūs, necdum horrida miscent
proelia, sed dubius mediīs Mārs errat in armīs:
omnia sint paribus numerīs dīmēnsa viārum;
As often in a great war, when the legion has deployed its cohorts in long array, and the column has halted on the open plain, and the lines are drawn up, and the whole earth far and wide ripples with gleaming bronze, and they do not yet join in grim battle, but Mars wanders uncertain amid the armies: so let all be measured out with equal numbers in the paths;
Georg. 2.285nōn animum modo utī pāscat prōspectus inānem,
sed quia nōn aliter vīrīs dabit omnibus aequās
terra neque in vacuum poterunt sē extendere rāmī.
not only so that the prospect may feed an idle mind, but because in no other way will the earth give equal strength to all, nor will the branches be able to stretch out into free space.

Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō

Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×4, indirect statement ×3, purpose clauses ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (160 words)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
animadvertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versusturn the mind to, observe
terra, -ae, f.land, earth
multō, adv.by much or far, much, far
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.before
meminī, meminisseremember
excoquō, -ere, -coxī, -coctusboil out, burn out (impurities), purge by fire; bake hard
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
scrobis, -is m.ditch, trench, pit
concīdō, -ere, concīdī, concīsumcut down, kill
mōns, montis, m.mountain
supīnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusturn upwards, lay on its back
aquilō, -ōnis m.the north wind; the north-east wind
ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentusstretch out before, show, explain
glaeba, -ae f.clod, soil
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
laetus, -a, -umglad, joyful
īnfodiō, -ere, -fōdī, -fossusdig in, bury
vītis, -is f.vine
genus, generis, n.kind, nature
bonus, -a, -umgood
puter, putris, putrerotten, decaying; crumbling, loose (soil)
arvum, -ī n.ploughed field, field
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
ventus, -ī, m.wind
cūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumtake care of; (+ gerundive) have something done
gelidus, -a, -umicy, ice-cold
que, enclitic conj.and
pruīna, -ae f.frost
labefaciō, -ere, -fēcī, -factusmake totter, shake, weaken
moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtusmove
rōbustus, -a, -umstrong, sturdy
iūgerum, -ī n.a measure of land (about 2/3 acre)
fossor, -ōris m.digger, labourer
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
sī, conj.if
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
haud, adv.not at all, by no means, not
ūllus, -a, -umany
vir, virī, m.man
vigilantia, -ae f.wakefulness; watchfulness, vigilance
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
similis, -elike, similar (vērī similis: likely)
exquīrō, -ere, -quīsīvī, -quīsītumsearch out, find out
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
arbor, -oris, f.tree
seges, -etis f.field of grain, standing crop
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
mox, adv.soon
dīgerō, -ere, -gessī, -gestusdistribute, arrange; interpret
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
mūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuschange
ignōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbe ignorant of
subitō, adv.unexpectedly, suddenly
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
sēmen, sēminis n.seed
māter, mātris, f.mother
quīn, conj.so that ... not, but that, but
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
caelum, -ī, n.heaven, sky
regiō, -ōnis, f.direction; country, region
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
cortex, -icis m.bark
signō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmark, seal; certify
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.what?
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
calor, -ōris, m.heat
austrīnus, -a, -umof the south wind, southern
tergum, -ī, n.back
obvertō, -ere, -vertī, -versusturn towards
axis, -is m.axle; the axis of the heavens, the sky
restituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtusset up again, put back, restore
adeō (adv.)so far, to such a degree; so
tener, -era, -erumyoung, tender
cōnsuēscō, -suēscere, -suēvī, -suētusbecome accustomed; in tenses of completed action, have become accustomed, be accustomed or wont
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
collis, -is m.hill
an, conj.or (in questions)
plānus, -a, -umflat, level
pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positusplace, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītusseek; ask, inquire
prius, adv.before, first
pinguis, -efat
ager, agri, m.field, land
mētor, -ārī, -ātus summeasure out, mark out
campus, -ī, m.plain, field
dēnsus, -a, -umthick
serō, serere, sēvī, satussow, plant
nōn, adv.not
segnis, -eslow, sluggish, idle
ūber, -eris n.teat, breast
sīn (conj.)but if
tumulus, -ī m.mound, hillock
acclīvis, -esloping upward
supīnus, -a, -umlying on the back; (of hands) palms up, in prayer
indulgeō, -ēre, indulsī (+ dat.)be kind to, favour
ōrdō, ōrdinis, m.arrangement, order, rank; ex ōrdine, in order
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
sētius (adv.)less (nihilō sētius: nevertheless)
omnis, -eall, every
unguis, -is m.fingernail, nail; claw
secō, -āre, secuī, sectuscut; (of fodder) mow
via, -ae, f.road, way
līmes, -itis m.path, track; boundary
quadrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake square; fit, suit, square with; (of rows) run straight
saepe, adv.often, frequently
ingēns, -gentis, adj.huge, vast
bellum, -ī, n.war
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
longus, -a, -umlong; tedious
cohors, cohortis f.cohort (a tenth of a legion); company
explicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusunfold, spread out; set out, explain
legiō, -ōnis f.legion
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
apertus, -a, -umopen
dīrēctus (dērēctus), -a, -umstraight; direct; steep, sheer
aciēs, -ēī, f.line of battle
lātēwidely
flūctuō, -āre, -āvīmove like waves; waver, hesitate
aes, aeris, n.copper, bronze
renīdeō, -ēreshine; smile, beam
tellūs, -ūris f.earth, land (poetic)
necdum (adv.)and not yet, not yet
horridus, -a, -umrough, wild, frightening
misceō, miscēre, miscuī, mīxtusmix, mingle
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
sed, conj.but
dubius, -a, -umdoubtful, uncertain
medius, -a, -ummid, middle
errō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuswander, stray; be mistaken
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
pār, parisequal
numerus, -ī, m.number
dīmētior, -īrī, dīmēnsus summeasure out (perfect participle often passive)
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
modo, adv.only
utī (conj.)older form of ut: that, so that; as
pāscō, pāscere, pāvī, pāstusfeed
prōspectus, -ūs m.view
inānis, -eempty
quia (conj.)because
aliter, adv.in another way, otherwise, differently
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
aequus, -a, -umlevel; equal; fair
vacuus, -a, -umempty
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
extendō, -ere, -tendī, -tentumstretch out, extend
rāmus, -ī, m.branch, bough
Vergil, Georgics. Latin text: J. B. Greenough, The Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics of Virgil (Boston, 1881), 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.