Friday, June 6, 2025

Level 3; Sonnenschein; Prō Patriā [9]; Anglī et Saxonēs [2]

“Sed dē Hengistō et Horsā” inquit “nōn [1] cōgitābam cum [2] interrogāvī. Quis alius vir clārus hīc praecipuō honōre [3] habētur?” Aqua iterum [4] haesit: nōs nihil [5] respondimus. Sed ille “Abhinc annōs duōs saecula tredecim [6] fuerant, ex quō Sānctus Augustīnus, nūntius verbī dīvīnī, cum parvā manū ministrōrum fīdōrum hūc cursum [7] tenuit. Nam annō quīngentēsimō nōnāgēsimō septimō post Chrīstum nātum Gregōrius Prīmus, pontifex Rōmānus, Augustīnum nōtitiam Deī vērī in Angliā [8] docēre [9] iusserat. Itaque Augustīnus ex Galliā in Britanniam [10] nāvigāvit, et nāvem suam ad īnsulam Tanatim [11] applicāvit. Eō tempore Aedilberctus rēx Cantiī [12] erat, quī uxōrem Chrīstiānam, nōmine Berctam, [13] habēbat, fīliam rēgis Francōrum. Itaque rēx Chrīstiānīs benignus [14] fuit, atque Durovernī, in capite rēgnī suī, eīs domum [15] praebuit.”

Exercise

Find the Latin; focus on the verbs but also look at the words and phrases in italics, and note that, at this level, some of the translations are less literal:

  1. (he) maintained a direct course (to) here
  2. Æthelberht was the king at that time
  3. again we were at a loss
  4. He brought his ship to land
  5. he offered his palace to them
  6. He sailed to Britain
  7. I was not thinking about …
  8. is considered particularly honourable
  9. it had been two centuries since …
  10. the king was kind to the Christians
  11. the Pontiff of Rome had ordered Augustine ¦ to teach …
  12. we said nothing in reply [literally: we replied nothing]
  13. when I asked
  14. who had a wife by the name of …

Background

[1] Gregory I, Bishop of Rome; also known as Gregory the Great (Sanctus Gregorius Magnus) was responsible for the first documented large-scale mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_I

[2] Augustine of Canterbury, 6th century monk and later the first Archbishop of Canterbury; he was chosen by Pope Gregory to lead the mission referred to in [1] above

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Canterbury

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Augustine-of-Canterbury

[3] Aethelberht, the first English King to be converted to Christianity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethelberht_of_Kent

Miniature of Gregory the Great writing, in a 12th-century copy of his Dialogues

19th century stained glass image of Saint Augustine in Canterbury Cathedral

Sculpture of Aethelbert at Canterbury Cathedral

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