[VI] HERCULES CLEANS THE AUGEAN STABLES AND KILLS THE STYMPHALIAN BIRDS
Deinde Eurystheus Herculī hunc labōrem multō graviōrem imperāvit. Augēas quidam, quī illō tempore rēgnum Ēlidis obtinēbat, tria milia boum habebat. Hī ingentī stabulō continēbantur. Hoc stabulum, quod per trīgintā annōs nōn pūrgātum erat, Herculēs intrā spatium ūnīus diēī purgāre iussus est. Ille negōtium alacriter suscēpit, et prīmum labōre gravissimō maximam fossam fōdit per quam flūminis aquam dē montibus ad mūrum stabulī dūxit. Tum partem parvam mūrī dēlēvit et aquam in stabulum immīsit. Hōc modō fīnem operis fēcit ūnō diē facillimē.
Post paucōs diēs Herculēs ad oppidum Stymphālum iter fēcit; nam Eurystheus iusserat eum avīs Stymphālidēs occīdere. Hae avēs rōstra ferrea habēbant et hominēs miserōs dēvorābant ille, postquam ad locum pervenit, lacum vīdit in quō avēs incolēbant. Nūllō tamen modō Herculēs avibus adpropinquāre potuit; lacus enim nōn ex aquā sed ē līmō cōnstitit. Denique autem avēs dē aliquā causā perterritae in aurās volāvērunt et magna pars eārum sagittīs Herculis occīsa est.
[1] Ēlis, Ēlidis [3/f]: Elis, an ancient Greek city-state
[2] tria milia boum habebat │ (he) had 3,000 head of cattle
image: declension of bōs, bovis [3 m/f]: head of cattle (cow, ox, bull); note the genitive and dative / ablative plurals
[3] hī ingentī stabulō continēbantur │ these were contained by a huge stable; ablative of means but can translate as “in a huge stable”
[4] intrā spatium ūnīus diēī │ within a period of one day
ūnus declines like any other 1st / 2nd declension adjective except in the genitive and dative singular:
genitive: ūnīus
dative: ūnī
[5] nūllō … modō │ in no way
nūllus, -a, -um: not any; no
Note: ūnus and nūllus belong to a group of nine words known as pronominal adjectives which will be discussed in detail in later posts; for the moment, simply recognise the meanings
[6] ē līmō cōnstitit │ consisted of mud
cōnstō, -āre, cōnstitī, cōnstātus [1] (here) consist; be composed of
līmus, -ī [2/m]: mud
[7] dē aliquā causā perterritae │ frightened for some reason
aliquis / aliquī [m], aliqua [f], aliquid [n]: [i] pronouns someone; anyone; something; anything [ii] adjectival: some; any
aliquis is normally a pronoun whereas aliquī acts likes an adjective but that usage is not consistent
Note: ali-, a prefix used to give a sense of indefiniteness, for example:
aliquandō: at some / any time; sometimes / now and then; at one time (in the past)
aliquot: some; several; a few
aliquotiē(n)s: several times
