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Vergil · Georgics

Georgics 3.95–122

Choosing and testing stallions

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Georg. 3.95Hunc quoque, ubi aut morbō gravis aut iam segnior annīs
dēficit, abde domō nec turpī ignōsce senectae.
This one too, when, heavy with disease or now slower with years, he fails, shut away indoors, and do not pardon shameful old age.
Georg. 3.97frīgidus in Venerem senior, frūstrāque labōrem
ingrātum trahit, et, sī quandō ad proelia ventum est,
ut quondam in stipulīs magnus sine vīribus ignis,
100incassum furit.
Grown old, he is cold to love, and in vain drags on a thankless labour, and if ever it comes to the encounter, he rages to no purpose, like a great fire in stubble without strength.
Georg. 3.100Ergō animōs aevumque notābis
praecipuē;
So you will mark above all their spirit and age;
Georg. 3.101hinc aliās artīs prōlemque parentum
et Quis cuique dolor victō, quae glōria palmae.
then their other qualities and the stock of their parents, and what grief each shows when beaten, what pride in victory.
Georg. 3.103Nōnne vidēs, cum praecipitī certāmine campum
corripuēre ruuntque effūsī carcere currūs,
105cum spēs arrēctae iuvenum, exsultantiaque haurit
corda pavor pulsāns?
Do you not see, when in headlong contest the chariots have seized the plain and rush pouring from the starting-gate, when the young men's hopes are roused, and throbbing fear drains their leaping hearts?

Georg. 3.106Illī īnstant verbere tortō
et prōnī dant lōra, volat vī fervidus axis;
They press on with the twisted lash, and lean forward to give rein; the axle flies glowing with the force;
Georg. 3.108iamque humilēs, iamque ēlātī sublīme videntur
āera per vacuum ferrī atque adsurgere in aurās;
and now low, now raised aloft, they seem to be borne through the empty air and to rise into the breezes;
Georg. 3.110nec mora nec requiēs;no delay, no rest; Georg. 3.110at fulvae nimbus harēnae
tollitur, ūmēscunt spūmīs flātūque sequentum:
tantus amor laudum, tantae est victōria cūrae.
but a cloud of tawny sand is raised, and they are wet with the foam and breath of those behind: so great is the love of praise, so dear is victory.
Georg. 3.113Prīmus Erichthonius currūs et quattuor ausus
iungere equōs rapidusque rotīs īnsistere victor
115Frēna Pelethroniī Lapithae gȳrōsque dedēre
impositī dorsō atque equitem docuēre sub armīs
īnsultāre solō et gressūs glomerāre superbōs.
Erichthonius first dared to yoke chariots and four horses and to stand victorious above the swift wheels. The Pelethronian Lapiths, mounted on horseback, gave us bridles and the ring, and taught the horseman under arms to prance upon the ground and to gather up his proud paces.

Georg. 3.118Aequus uterque labor, aequē iuvenemque magistrī
exquīrunt calidumque animīs et cursibus ācrem,
120quamvīs saepe fugā versōs ille ēgerit hostīs
et patriam Ēpīrum referat fortīsque Mycēnās
Neptūnīque ipsā dēdūcat orīgine gentem.
Each labour is equal; equally the trainers seek a young horse, hot in spirit and keen in running, though the old horse may often have driven routed foes in flight, and claim Epirus as his homeland and brave Mycenae, and trace his stock from the very origin of Neptune.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (155 words)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
quoque, adv.also
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
morbus, -ī m.sickness, disease
gravis, -eheavy; severe, grievous, serious
iam, adv.now, already
segnis, -eslow, sluggish, idle
annus, -ī, m.year
dēficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectusfail
abdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusput away, hide
domus, -ūs, f.house, home
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
turpis, -edisgraceful
ignōscō, -ere, ignōvī, ignōtum (+ dat.)pardon, forgive
senecta, -ae f.old age (poetic)
frīgidus, -a, -umcold
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
senior, -ōris m.elder; seniores: the elders (of the people)
frūstrā, adv.in vain
que, enclitic conj.and
labor, -ōris, m.labor, toil
ingrātus, -a, -umunwelcome, unpleasant; ungrateful
trahō, trahere, trāxī, trāctusdraw, drag
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
sī, conj.if
quandō (adv.)when; (after sī) ever
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
quondam (adv.)once, formerly, at one time
stipula, -ae f.stalk; stubble
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
sine, prep. with abl.without
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
ignis, -is, m.fire
incassum (adv.)in vain, to no purpose
furō, -ererage, rave, be mad
ergō (adv.)therefore, then; quid ergō? what then?
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
aevum, -ī n.age, lifetime; old age
notō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmark, note; single out
praecipuē, adv.especially
hinc, adv.from this place, hence
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
ars, artis, f.art
prōlēs, -is f.offspring, children
parēns, -entis m./f.parent
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.what?
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
dolor, -ōris, m.pain, grief; anger
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victumconquer, defeat
glōria, -ae, f.glory
palma, -ae f.palm of the hand; flat spreading branch
nōnne, adv., introducing a question to which an affirmative answer is expectednot?
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
praeceps, -cipitisheadlong
certāmen, -minis, n.struggle, contest
campus, -ī, m.plain, field
corripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptusseize, snatch, snatch up
ruō, -ere, -ī, -itūrusrush
effundō, -fundere, -fūdī, -fūsuspour out
carcer, -eris, m.prison
currus, -ūs, m.chariot, car
spēs, speī, f.hope
arrigō (adrigō), -ere, -rēxī, -rēctusset upright; rouse, excite
iuvenis, -is, m.young man, youth
exsultō, -āre, -āvīleap up; exult, revel, run riot
hauriō, haurīre, hausī, haustusdraw
cor, cordis n.heart
pavor, -ōris, m.terror, panic
pulsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuspush or strike against, knock, knock at
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
īnstō, -āre, -stitīpress on; be at hand
verber, -eris n.lash, whip; (pl.) a flogging
torqueō, torquēre, torsī, tortusturn
prōnus, -a, -umleaning forward; inclined, prone (to)
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
lōrum, -ī n.strap; (pl.) reins
volō, -āre, -āvī, -ātūrusfly
fervidus, -a, -umboiling, burning; fiery, hot-headed
axis, -is m.axle; the axis of the heavens, the sky
humilis, -elow; humble, poor
efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātumcarry out, bring out
sublīmis, -ehigh, lofty; in sublīme: up on high
āēr, āeris, m.air
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
vacuus, -a, -umempty
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
assurgō (adsurgō), -ere, -surrēxī, -surrēctumrise up
aura, -ae, f.air, breeze
mora, -ae, f.delay
requiēs, -ētis f.rest, repose
at, conj.but
fulvus, -a, -umtawny, yellow-brown
nimbus, -ī m.rain-cloud, storm-cloud
harēna, -ae, f.sand; shore
tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātuslift, raise; take away, remove; ancorās tollere, to weigh anchor
ūmēscō, -erebecome wet
spūma, -ae f.foam
flātus, -ūs m.blowing, blast, breath
sequor, sequī, secūtusfollow
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
amor, -ōris, m.love
laus, laudis f.praise, glory
victōria, -ae, f.victory
cūra, -ae f.care, concern (cūrae esse: to be a concern)
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
quattuor, indecl. adj.four
audeō, audēre, ausus sumdare
iungō, iungere, iūnxī, iūnctusjoin; yoke, harness
equus, -ī, m.horse
rapidus, -a, -umswift; consuming, fierce
rota, -ae f.wheel
īnsistō, -ere, īnstitīstand on
victor, -ōris m.conqueror, victor
frēnum, -ī n.bridle, rein
Pelethronius, -a, -umof Pelethronium in Thessaly, home of the Lapiths and centaurs
gȳrus, -ī m.circle, ring; circuit, wheeling course
impōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positusplace or lay upon, impose; embark
dorsum, -ī n.back; ridge (of a hill)
eques, equitis m.horseman; (pl.) cavalry
doceo, -ēre, -uī, -tusteach, explain
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
īnsultō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumleap on; mock, insult (+ dat.)
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
gressus, -ūs m.step, pace; course
glomerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusgather into a ball, mass together
superbus, -a, -umproud, arrogant, haughty
aequus, -a, -umlevel; equal; fair
uterque, utraque, utrumqueeach, either, both
aequē (adv.)equally, just as; aequē ac: just as
magister, -trī, m.master
exquīrō, -ere, -quīsīvī, -quīsītumsearch out, find out
calidus, -a, -umwarm, hot
cursus, -ūs, m.running, speed; course, route, voyage; race
ācer, ācris, ācresharp, shrill
quamvīs (adv.)however much, as … as you like
saepe, adv.often, frequently
fuga, -ae, f.flight
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
agō, agere, ēgī, āctusdrive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
patria, -ae, f.fatherland, country
referō, referre, rettulī, relātusbring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia
fortis, -ebrave
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
dēdūcō, -dūcere, -dūxī, -ductuslead down or away, bring; nāvem dēdūcere, to draw down or launch a ship
orīgō, -inis f.origin, beginning, source; ancestry
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
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.