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Vergil · Georgics

Georgics 3.72–94

The marks of a fine horse

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Georg. 3.72Nec nōn et pecorī est īdem dīlēctus equīnō.The same selection applies to the breed of horses as well. Georg. 3.73Tū modo, quōs in spem statuēs submittere gentis,
praecipuum iam inde ā tenerīs impende labōrem.
Only, on those you intend to rear for the hope of the breed, spend special labour right from their earliest youth.
Georg. 3.75Continuō pecoris generōsī pullus in arvīs
altius ingreditur et mollia crūra repōnit;
From the first the foal of a noble breed steps higher in the fields and sets down its legs lightly;
Georg. 3.77prīmus et īre viam et fluviōs temptāre minācēs
audet et ignōtō sēsē committere pontī
nec vānōs horret strepitūs.
it is the first to dare to lead the way and to try threatening rivers, and to entrust itself to an unknown bridge, nor does it shy at empty noises.
Georg. 3.79Illī ardua cervīx
80argūtumque caput, brevis alvus obēsaque terga,
luxuriatque torīs animōsum pectus.
Its neck is high, its head clean-cut, its belly short and its back broad, and its spirited chest swells with muscles.
Georg. 3.81Honestī
spādīcēs glaucīque, color dēterrimus albīs
et gilvō.
Bay and grey are good; the worst colour is white and dun.

Georg. 3.83Tum, sī qua sonum procul arma dedēre
stāre locō nescit, micat auribus et tremit artūs
85collēctumque premēns volvit sub nāribus ignem.
Then, if arms have given out a sound far off, it cannot stand still; it pricks its ears and trembles in its limbs, and, snorting, rolls the gathered fire beneath its nostrils.
Georg. 3.86Dēnsa iuba, et dextrō iactāta recumbit in armō;Its mane is thick, and when tossed lies back on its right shoulder; Georg. 3.87at duplex agitur per lumbōs spīna, cavatque
tellūrem et solidō graviter sonat ungula cornū.
but a double spine runs along its loins, and its hoof hollows the ground and rings heavily with solid horn.
Georg. 3.89Tālis Amyclaeī domitus Pollūcis habēnīs
90Cyllarus et, quōrum Grāī meminēre poētae,
Mārtis equī biiugēs et magnī currūs Achillī.
Such was Cyllarus, tamed by the reins of Amyclaean Pollux, and those of whom Greek poets have told, the paired horses of Mars and the team of great Achilles.
Georg. 3.92Tālis et ipse iubam cervīce effundit equīnā
coniugis adventū pernīx Sāturnus et altum
Pēlion hinnītū fugiēns implēvit acūtō.
Such too was Saturn himself, as he swiftly spread a mane over a horse's neck at his wife's coming, and in flight filled high Pelion with shrill neighing.

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Latin vocabulary for this passage (125 words)
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
nōn, adv.not
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
pecus, pecoris, n.herd, flock, cattle
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
dīlēctus, -ūs m.levy, recruitment of soldiers; dīlēctum habēre: hold a levy
equīnus, -a, -umof a horse, horse's
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
modo, adv.only
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
spēs, speī, f.hope
statuō, statuere, statuī, statūtuscause to stand; decide, resolve
submittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missumsend (as help)
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
praecipuus, -a, -umspecial, particular, outstanding
iam, adv.now, already
inde (adv.)from there; then
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
tener, -era, -erumyoung, tender
impendō, -ere, -pendī, -pēnsusspend, devote (time, money, effort)
labor, -ōris, m.labor, toil
continuō (adv.)at once, immediately
generōsus, -a, -umof good family, well-born
pullus, -ī m.young animal; colt (of a donkey)
arvum, -ī n.ploughed field, field
altē (adv.)high; deep
ingredior, -ī, ingressus sumgo into, enter
mollis, -esoft, weak
crūs, crūris, n.leg
repōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positusput or set back; store up or away
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
via, -ae, f.road, way
fluvius, -ī m.river, stream
temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātustry, attempt
mināx, -ācisthreatening
audeō, audēre, ausus sumdare
ignōtus, -a, -umunknown
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
committō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend together; commit, intrust; expose; proelium committere, to join battle
pōns, pontis, m.bridge
vānus, -a, -umempty, idle, vain; in vanum: in vain
horreō, -ēre, horruīshudder at, dread
strepitus, -ūs m.noise, din
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
arduus, -a, -umsteep, difficult
cervīx, -īcis f.neck (often pl.)
argūtus, -a, -umclear-sounding, shrill, rustling; sharp, clever
que, enclitic conj.and
caput, capitis, n.head
brevis, -eshort
alvus, -ī f.belly, womb; hollow
obēsus, -a, -umfat, plump; swollen
tergum, -ī, n.back
luxuriō, -āre, -āvīgrow rank; run riot, grow soft through ease
torus, -ī m.cushion, mattress; couch
animōsus, -a, -umhigh-spirited, bold, proud
pectus, pectoris, n.breast
honestus, -a, -umrespected, honourable
spādīx, -īcis m.chestnut-brown horse, bay
color, -ōris, m.color
dēterior, -iusworse, poorer
albus, -a, -umwhite
gilvus, -a, -umpale yellow, dun
tum, adv.then, at that time
sī, conj.if
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
sonus, -ī m.sound
procul, adv.at or from a distance, far
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
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)
micō, -āre, -uīflash, glitter
auris, -is, f.ear
tremō, -ere, -uītremble, shake
artūs, -uum m. pl.joints; limbs, body
colligō, -ere, -lēgī, -lēctumgather, collect (sē colligere: recover oneself)
premō, premere, pressī, pressuspress, check, restrain
volvō, -ere, volvī, volūtusroll, turn over; ponder (multa sēcum volvere)
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
nāris, -is f.nostril; (pl.) nose
ignis, -is, m.fire
dēnsus, -a, -umthick
iuba, -ae f.mane
dexter, -tra, -trumright
iactō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumtoss about; discuss
recumbō, -cumbere, -cubuīlie back or down
armus, -ī m.shoulder; (of a horse) flank, side
at, conj.but
duplex, -icisdouble
agō, agere, ēgī, āctusdrive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
lumbus, -ī m.loin, waist
spīna, -ae f.thorn, thornbush
cavō, -āre, -āvī, -ātushollow out
tellūs, -ūris f.earth, land (poetic)
solidus, -a, -umwhole, complete, solid
graviter, adv.severely, seriously
sonō, -āre, sonuī, sonitusmake a sound, sound
ungula, -ae f.hoof
cornū, -ūs, n.horn
tālis, -esuch
Amyclaeus, -a, -umof Amyclae near Sparta; Spartan
domō, -āre, -uī, -itustame, subdue, master
habēna, -ae f.rein
meminī, meminisseremember
poēta, -ae, m.poet
equus, -ī, m.horse
biiugis, -eyoked two together; (of horses) drawing a two-horse chariot
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
currus, -ūs, m.chariot, car
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
effundō, -fundere, -fūdī, -fūsuspour out
coniūnx, coniugis, m. and f.spouse, husband, wife
adventus, -ūs, m.approach, arrival
pernīx, -īcisswift, nimble
altus, -a, -umhigh, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep
hinnītus, -ūs m.neighing
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
impleō, -ēre, -plēvī, -plētumfill; fulfil, complete
acūtus, -a, -umsharp, pointed
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.