Ōlim in palūde versābātur hȳdra. Haec novem capita habēbat. Capita vērō octo abscīdit Herculēs, nōnum autem vulnerāre nōn poterat; immortāle enim erat. Abscissō quōque capite, bīna statim ēnāscēbantur. Hīs tandem igne cōnsūmptīs, caput immortāle sub saxō ingentī condidit Herculēs. Bēluā ita dēvictā, sagittās venēnātō sanguine tīnxit.
(1) Translate the phrases from the text, and (2) briefly explain the grammatical constructions being used:
[i] Abscissō quōque capite
[ii] Hīs tandem igne cōnsūmptīs
[iii] sub saxō ingentī
[iv] sagittās venēnātō sanguine tīnxit
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[i] Abscissō quōque capite │ With each head having been cut off
quōque: ablative neuter singular of quisque (each) i.e. not ‘quoque’ (also)
The phrase could also be translated with ‘although’:
Abscissō quōque capite, bīna statim ēnāscēbantur. │ Although / even though each head was cut off, two (others) immediately grew (in its place)
[ii] Hīs tandem igne cōnsūmptīs │ With these having been finally consumed by fire
Ablative absolute; igne: ablative of means / instrument
[iii] sub saxō ingentī │ under a huge stone; ingentī: ablative singular of ingēns, -entis
[iv] sagittās venēnātō sanguine tīnxit │ He dipped / stained (his) arrows in / with the poisoned blood
sanguis, sanguinis [3/m]: blood
tingō, -ere, tinxī, tinctus (3): moisten; smear; dip; impregnate (with);
venēnātus, -a, -um: perfect passive participle < venēnō, -āre, -āvī [1]: poison
Once there lived in a swamp a water snake. It had nine heads. Hercules, indeed, cut off eight heads, but he was unable to wound the ninth, for it was immortal. Each head having been cut off, two (others) at once grew up (in its stead). These at length having been destroyed by fire, Hercules buried the immortal head under a huge stone. The beast having been thus utterly conquered, he dipped his arrows in its poisoned blood.
Seven-headed (septiceps) hydra; from Historia Naturalis; Jan Jonston (1665)
