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Vergil · Georgics

Georgics 2.371–396

Hedges, goats and Bacchus' rites

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Georg. 2.371Texendae saepēs etiam et pecus omne tenendum,
praecipuē dum frōns tenera inprūdēnsque labōrum;
Hedges too must be woven and all cattle kept out, especially while the foliage is tender and unacquainted with hardships;
Georg. 2.373cui super indignās hiemēs sōlemque potentem
silvestrēs ūrī adsiduē capreaeque sequācēs
375inlūdunt, pāscuntur ovēs avidaeque iuvencae.
for besides harsh winters and the powerful sun, wild oxen and persistent goats continually make sport of it, and sheep and greedy heifers feed on it.
Georg. 2.376Frīgora nec tantum cānā concrēta pruīnā
aut gravis incumbēns scopulīs ārentibus aestās,
quantum illī nocuēre gregēs dūrīque venēnum
dentis et admorsō signāta in stirpe cicātrīx.
Neither cold stiffened with white frost nor heavy summer brooding on the parched rocks has harmed it so much as the flocks and the venom of their hard tooth, and the scar stamped on the gnawed stem.
Georg. 2.380Nōn aliam ob culpam Bacchō caper omnibus ārīs
caeditur et veterēs ineunt proscaenia lūdī
praemiaque ingeniīs pāgōs et compita circum
thēsīdae posuēre atque inter pōcula laetī
mollibus in prātīs ūnctōs saluēre per utrēs.
For no other crime is a goat slain to Bacchus at every altar, and the ancient plays come onto the stage, and the sons of Theseus set up prizes for talent round villages and crossroads, and, merry among their cups, leapt on oiled wineskins in the soft meadows.

Georg. 2.385Nec nōn Ausoniī, Troia gēns missa, colōnī
versibus incomptīs lūdunt rīsūque solūtō
ōraque corticibus sūmunt horrenda cavātīs
et tē, Bacche, vocant per carmina laeta tibique
ōscilla ex altā suspendunt mollia pīnū.
So too the Ausonian farmers, a race sent from Troy, make sport with rough verses and unbridled laughter, and put on hideous masks of hollowed bark, and call on you, Bacchus, in glad songs, and hang soft little images for you from the tall pine.
Georg. 2.390Hinc omnis largō pūbēscit vīnea fētū,
conplentur vallēsque cavae saltūsque profundī,
et quōcumque deus circum caput ēgit honestum.
From this every vineyard ripens with generous fruit, and hollow valleys and deep glades are filled, and every place towards which the god has turned his comely face.
Georg. 2.393Ergō rīte suum Bacchō dīcēmus honōrem
carminibus patriīs lancēsque et lība ferēmus
395et ductus cornū stābit sacer hircus ad āram
pinguiaque in veribus torrēbimus exta colurnīs.
So we will duly give Bacchus his due honour in the songs of our fathers, and bring dishes and cakes, and the sacred goat, led by the horn, will stand at the altar, and we will roast the rich entrails on hazel spits.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×2, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (139 words)
texō, -ere, -uī, -tusweave
saepēs, -is f.hedge
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
pecus, pecoris, n.herd, flock, cattle
omnis, -eall, every
teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tushold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop
praecipuē, adv.especially
dum, conj.while, as; as long as; until
frōns, frontis, f.forehead
tener, -era, -erumyoung, tender
imprūdēns, -entisoff guard, unaware
que, enclitic conj.and
labor, -ōris, m.labor, toil
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
super (prep. + acc. or abl.; also adv.)over, above, on top of; upon; about, concerning
indignus, -a, -umunworthy; shameful
hiems, hiemis f.winter
sōl, sōlis, m.sun
potēns, -entispowerful
silvestris, -ewooded
ūrus, -ī m.aurochs, wild ox
assiduē (adv.)constantly, continually
caprea, -ae f.roe deer, wild goat; Capreae palūs: the Goat's Marsh, where Romulus vanished
sequāx, -ācisfollowing closely, pursuing; pliant, clinging
inlūdō, -ere, -lūsī, -lūsusmock, make sport of (+ dat.)
pāscō, pāscere, pāvī, pāstusfeed
ovis, -is, f.sheep
avidus, -a, -umeager, greedy (for: gen.)
iuvenca, -ae f.heifer, young cow
frīgus, -oris n.cold
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
tantum, adv.so much or far, only
cānus, -a, -umwhite, grey; (of persons) grey-haired, venerable
concrēscō, -ere, -crēvī, -crētusharden, set; concrētus: clotted, matted
pruīna, -ae f.frost
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
gravis, -eheavy; severe, grievous, serious
incumbō, -ere, -cubuī, -cubitumlean on; throw oneself into, devote oneself to
scopulus, -ī m.rock, crag, reef
āreō, -ēre, āruībe dry; wither
aestās, -tātis, f.summer
quantum, adv.how much? how?
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
noceō, -ēre, nocuī, nocitum (+ dat.)harm, hurt
grex, gregis m.flock, herd; band, gang
dūrus, -a, -umhard; harsh; difficult
venēnum, -ī, n.poison
dēns, dentis, m.tooth
admordeō, -ēre, -momordī, -morsusbite at, gnaw
signō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmark, seal; certify
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
stirps, stirpis f.stock, root; family, race
cicātrīx, -īcis f.scar; mark left on a plant by a wound
nōn, adv.not
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
ob, prep. with acc.on account of, for; in compounds, to, against
culpa, -ae f.fault, blame
caper, -prī m.he-goat
āra, -ae, f.altar
caedō, -ere, cecīdī, caesumcut, cut down; kill
vetus, veterisold, former
ineō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo into, enter; adopt
proscaenium, -ī n.the stage (in front of the scenery)
lūdus, -ī, m.game, sport
praemium, -ī, n.reward
ingenium, -ī n.natural ability, talent, cleverness; character
pāgus, -ī m.district, canton
compitum, -ī n.crossroads
circum, prep. with acc.around
pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positusplace, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
pōculum, -ī, n.cup
laetus, -a, -umglad, joyful
mollis, -esoft, weak
prātum, -ī n.meadow
ungō, ungere, ūnxī, ūnctussmear, anoint
saliō, -īre, saluī, saltumleap, jump; (of the pulse) beat
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
uter, utris m.wine-skin
Ausonius, -a, -umAusonian, Italian (Ausonia: a poetic name for Italy)
Trōius, -a, -umTrojan
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
colōnus, -ī m.settler, colonist; farmer
versus, -ūs m.line (of writing), verse
incomptus, -a, -umuncombed, unkempt; rough, unpolished
lūdō, -ere, lūsī, lūsumplay; mock, deceive
rīsus, -ūs m.laughter
solvō, solvere, solvī, solūtusloosen, unbind, release; pay; with or without nāvem, cast off, set sail, put to sea
ōs, ōris, n.mouth
cortex, -icis m.bark
sūmō, sūmere, sūmpsī, sūmptustake under or up, take; poenam sūmere, to exact or inflict punishment
horrendus, -a, -umdreadful, terrible
cavō, -āre, -āvī, -ātushollow out
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
carmen, -minis, n.song, charm
ōscillum, -ī n.small mask or face of Bacchus hung on trees
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
altus, -a, -umhigh, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep
suspendō, -pendere, -pendī, -pēnsushang up, hang
pīnus, -ūs or -ī f.pine tree; (poetic) a ship
hinc, adv.from this place, hence
largus, -a, -umabundant, plentiful; generous
pūbēscō, -ere, pūbuīreach manhood, grow up; ripen
vīnea, -ae f.shed (a movable shelter for besiegers)
fētus, -ūs m.offspring, young; fruit, produce (of plants)
compleō, -plēre, -plēvī, -plētusfill full, fill up
vallis, -is, f.valley
cavus, -a, -umhollow
saltus, -ūs m.wooded pass, forest glade, woodland
profundus, -a, -umdeep
quōcumque (adv.)to whatever place; in whatever direction
deus, -ī, m.god
caput, capitis, n.head
agō, agere, ēgī, āctusdrive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
honestus, -a, -umrespected, honourable
ergō (adv.)therefore, then; quid ergō? what then?
rīte, adv.duly, fitly
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
honor, -ōris, m.honor
patrius, -a, -umof one's fathers, ancestral
lanx, lancis f.broad dish, platter
lībum, -ī n.cake, esp. one offered to the gods
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductuslead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
cornū, -ūs, n.horn
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
sacer, sacra, sacrumsacred, holy
hircus, -ī m.he-goat, billy goat
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
pinguis, -efat
verū, -ūs n.spit (for roasting)
torreō, -ēre, torruī, tostusparch, scorch, roast
exta, -ōrum n. pl.entrails (heart, liver, lungs) of a sacrificed animal
colurnus, -a, -umof hazel wood
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.