Et amita mea: “Cūr nōn illud in memoriam revocās, quod animum pontificis illīus Gregōriī misericordiā Anglōrum commōverat? Nam multīs annīs ante in forō Rōmānō quondam fuit, cum puerōs nōnnūllōs faciē pulchrā, oculīs caeruleīs, capillīs flāvīs vīdit. Misericordiā commōtus est: nam illī puerī servī erant et vēnumdabantur. Itaque mercātōrēs, quōrum in manū puerī erant, sīc interrogāvit: “Quae est patria eōrum?” inquit. Et mercātōrēs “Ex Angliā sunt” inquiunt, “cuius incolae huius faciēī sunt.” Tum Gregōrius “Num Chrīstiānī sunt?” “Nōn sunt” inquiunt. Et ille “Heu!” inquit; “quam pulchra est faciēs eōrum quōs Rēx Tenebrārum ministrōs habet!” Deinde alia interrogāvit: “Quid est nōmen gentis eōrum?” inquit. Respondērunt eōs esse Anglōs. Et ille “Rēctē!” inquit; “nam angelicam faciem habent: nōn Anglōs sed Angelōs eōs vocārī oportet. Sed quid est nōmen illīus partis Angliae in quā habitābant?” “Deira vocātur, quae pars Northumbriae est” inquiunt. Sed ille “Rēctē!” inquit; “Nam dē īrā Deī ad fidem revocandī sunt.” Postrēmō “Quis est rēx illīus partis Angliae?” inquit. “Aella vocātur” inquiunt. Tum “Allēlūia!” inquit; “nam diēs adventat cum carmen omnium carminum optimum in Angliā cantābitur!”
Notes
[1]
Mercātōrēs [masculine plural], ¦ quōrum [masculine plural; genitive] in manū puerī erant …│ The merchants ¦ in whose hand(s) / in the hands of whom were the children …
Quid est nōmen illīus partis [feminine singular] Angliae ¦ in quā [feminine singular; ablative] habitābant? │ What is the name of that part of England ¦ in which they used to live?
[2]
Respondērunt [i] eōs [accusative] [ii] esse [infinitive] Anglōs
Literally: They replied [i] them [ii] to be Angles > They replied that they were Angles
What is unclear from that sentence in isolation is whether ‘they (replied)’ and ‘they (were)’ are the same people! Context will, of course, determine that in English. Latin, however, leaves you in no doubt.
When the person making the indirect statement is referring to himself, herself etc. Latin will use the reflexive pronoun sē to indicate that i.e.
Respondērunt sē esse Anglōs │ They replied that they (i.e. themselves) were Angles.
When the person making the indirect statement is referring to somebody else then the accusative personal pronoun is used, as it is here:
Respondērunt eōs esse Anglōs │ They replied that they (i.e. another group of people) were Angles.
Gregory asked the merchants:
“Quid est nōmen gentis eōrum?” inquit. Respondērunt eōs esse Anglōs. │ “What is the name of their tribe?” he said. They (the merchants) replied that they (the children) were Angles.
[3]
Nam dē īrā Deī ad fidem revocandī sunt │ For they are to be called back to the faith from the wrath of God.
Links: gerundive
02.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [1]
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/020625-level-3-gerundive-1.html
02.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [2]; practice (1)
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/020625-level-3-gerundive-2-practice-1.html
05.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [3]; practice (2)
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/050625-level-3-gerundive-3-practice-2.html
05.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [4]; practice (3)
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/050625-level-3-gerundive-4-practice-3.html
08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [5]; purpose
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-5-purpose.html
08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [6]; practice (4)
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-6-practice-4.html
08.06.25: Level 3; the gerundive [7]; practice (5)
https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/080625-level-3-gerundive-7-practice-5.html
Exercises
[1] Identify the case of the 5th declension nouns in bold:
- “Ex Angliā sunt” inquiunt, “cuius incolae huius faciēī sunt.”
- angelicam faciem habent
- cum puerōs nōnnūllōs faciē pulchrā … vīdit
- diēs adventat
- Nam dē īrā Deī ad fidem revocandī sunt
- quam pulchra est faciēs
[2] Find the Latin:
- He was moved ¦ by pity
- It is called Daera
- It is right for them to be called [= they ought to be called]
- The song will be sung
- They were being sold
Links: passive voice; all posts
