Level 3: indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [12]; the perfect active infinitive [iv]; practice (2)

Complete the Latin with (1) the introductory verb and (2) the perfect active infinitive

[1]

[i] Flavia (1) says that the boys (2) fought. │ Flāvia (1) __________ puerōs (2) __________.

[ii] I announce that he showed the sign to the barbarian. │ __________ eum barbarō signum __________.

[iii] Livia announces that he sent the sister to Egypt. │ Līvia __________ eum sorōrem ad Aegyptum __________.

[iv] She believes that I hurried into this forest. │ Illa __________ mē in hanc silvam __________.

[v] The boys announce that they went into the prison. │ Puerī __________ sē in carcerem __________.

[vi] They know that the farmers cried. │ Illī __________ agricolās __________.

[vii] Venus knows that Livia raged. │ Venus __________ Līviam __________.

[viii] Venus thinks that he has hidden the gold. │ Venus __________ eum aurum __________.

[ix] We say that Hercules laughed. │ __________ Herculem __________.

[x] You (pl.) announce that the slave worked hard. │ __________ servum diligenter __________.

[xi] You know that Cornelia helped the student. │ __________ Cornēliam discipulam __________.

[xii] You think that I told a joke to him/her. │ __________ mē iocum eī __________.

(1) crēdit; dīcimus; dīcit; nūntiant; nūntiat; nūntiātis; nūntiō; putās; putat; scīs; scit; sciunt

(2) cēlāvisse; festīnāvisse; furuisse; iūvisse; īvisse; labōrāvisse; lacrimāvisse; mīsisse; mōnstrāvisse; nārrāvisse; pugnāvisse; rīsisse

[1]

[i] Flāvia dīcit puerōs pugnāvisse.

[ii] Nūntiō eum barbarō signum mōnstrāvisse.

[iii] Līvia nūntiat eum sorōrem ad Aegyptum mīsisse.

[iv] Illa crēdit mē in hanc silvam festīnāvisse.

[v] Puerī nūntiant sē in carcerem īvisse.

[vi] Illī sciunt agricolās lacrimāvisse.

[vii] Venus scit Līviam furuisse.

[viii] Venus putat eum aurum cēlāvisse.

[ix] Dīcimus Herculem rīsisse.

[x] Nūntiātis servum diligenter labōrāvisse.

[xi] Scīs Cornēliam discipulam iūvisse.

[xii] Putās mē iocum eī nārrāvisse.

[2]

[i] Did you believe that he had written this letter? │ Crēdēbās eum hanc epistulam scrīpsisse?

[ii] He announced that he had fled. │ Ille nūntiāvit sē fūgisse.

[iii] He didn’t know that you had seen the slave. │ Ille nesciēbat tē servum vīdisse.

[iv] Horatia said that she had despaired. │ Horātia dīxit sē dēspērāvisse.

[v] I announced that the girl had slept. │ Nūntiāvī puellam dormīvisse.

[vi] I believed that he had led the woman to Italy. │ Crēdidī eum mulierem ad Italiam dūxisse.

[vii] Iulia knew that the daughter had defended her. │ Iūlia sciēbat fīliam eam dēfendisse.

[viii] Leda was saying that she had suffered. │ Lēda dīcēbat sē doluisse.

[ix] Minerva was announcing that she had hindered the good girl. │ Minerva nūntiābat sē puellam bonam impedīvisse.

[x] We announced that you had sailed to Greece. │ Nūntiāvimus tē ad Graeciam nāvigāvisse.

[xi] You (pl.) were thinking that the messengers had killed the pirate. │ Putābātis nūntiōs pīrātam interfēcisse.

[xii] You thought that Aurelia had given the spear to Antonia. │ Putāvistī Aurēliam hastam Antōniae dedisse.

(1) crēdēbās; crēdidī; dīcēbat; dīxit; nesciēbat; nūntiābat; nūntiāvī; nūntiāvimus; nūntiāvit; putābātis; putāvistī; sciēbat

(2) dedisse; dēfendisse; dēspērāvisse; doluisse; dormīvisse; dūxisse; fūgisse; impedīvisse; interfēcisse; nāvigāvisse; scrīpsisse; vīdisse

[2]

[i] Crēdēbās eum hanc epistulam scrīpsisse?

[ii] Ille nūntiāvit sē fūgisse.

[iii] Ille nesciēbat tē servum vīdisse.

[iv] Horātia dīxit sē dēspērāvisse.

[v] Nūntiāvī puellam dormīvisse.

[vi] Crēdidī eum mulierem ad Italiam dūxisse.

[vii] Iūlia sciēbat fīliam eam dēfendisse.

[viii] Lēda dīcēbat sē doluisse.

[ix] Minerva nūntiābat sē puellam bonam impedīvisse.

[x] Nūntiāvimus tē ad Graeciam nāvigāvisse.

[xi] Putābātis nūntiōs pīrātam interfēcisse.

[xii] Putāvistī Aurēliam hastam Antōniae dedisse.

Level 3: language review; Labours of Hercules [11] The apples of the Hesperides

Mox opus difficilius Herculī imperātum est; mala scīlicet Hesperidum iussus est asportāre, nōn enim locum sciēbat. In monte autem Atlante habitābant Hesperidēs. Ibi cum serpente ingentī māla aurea cūstōdiēbant. Locum tandem nactus Herculēs, Atlantī dīxit: "Vīsne mihi māla aurea auferre? Hoc tē faciente caelum humerīs impositum tuī vice sustinēbō." Cum malīs reversus Atlās Herculī dīxit: "Nunc tibi licet caelum humerīs semper sustinēre, ipse autem abībō." Tum Herculēs per dolum onere humerīs Atlantis iterum impositō, cum mālīs recessit.

Translate the phrases and explain the form and use of the words in bold:

[i] opus difficilius

[ii] locum tandem nactus

[iii] hoc tē faciente

[iv] caelum … tuī vice sustinēbō

[v] cum malīs reversus

[vi] tibi licet caelum humerīs semper sustinēre

[vii] ipse autem abībō

____________________

[i] opus difficilius │ a more difficult work; comparative adjective (neuter singular) < difficilis, -e

[ii] locum tandem nactus │ having at last found the place; perfect active participle < nancīscor, -ī, nactus sum [3/dep]: to meet with, stumble on, encounter, acquire, find

[iii] hoc tē faciente │ while you are doing this; ablative absolute with a present active participle: faciēns, -entis

[iv] caelum … tuī vice sustinēbō │ I will support the sky … in your place [lit: in place / instead of you]; vice [+ genitive]: in place (of); tuī: genitive of tū

[v] cum malīs reversus │ having returned with the apples; perfect active participle < revertor, -ī, reversus sum [3/dep]: return

[vi] tibi licet caelum humerīs semper sustinēre │ you may always support the sky on your shoulders; licet: impersonal verb + dative [literally: it is allowed to you = you may]

[vii] ipse autem abībō │ but I myself will go away; emphatic pronoun ipse, -a, -um (myself, yourself, him/her/itself)

Soon a more difficult work was appointed for Hercules; that is to say, he was ordered to fetch the apples of the Hesperides, for he did not know the place. Now the Hesperides used to live on Mount Atlas. There, with a huge serpent, they used to guard the golden apples. Having at last found the place, Hercules said to Atlas, ‘Are you willing to carry off the golden apples for me? While you are doing this, I will support the sky placed on my shoulders in your stead.’ Atlas, having returned with the apples, said to Hercules: ‘Now you may always support the sky on your shoulders, but I myself will go away.’ Then Hercules, having again placed the burden on Atlas’ shoulders by a trick, retired with the apples.

The golden apples of the Hesperides by Edward Burne-Jones, 1869-73 (detail)

Level 3: indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [11]; the perfect active infinitive [iii]; practice (1)

If you want countless examples of any feature of Latin, Adler’s Practical Grammar of the Latin Language is the place to go! While some of his sentences can seem rather odd, he is extremely thorough in choosing, in this case, both different expressions by which an indirect statement may be introduced and a wide range of perfect active infinitives. Unlike many other works, which provide little more than a handful of examples, there are no half measures with Adler. He understands that, by seeing a feature frequently in context, it becomes easier to recognise.

Take a look at the whole exercise, then first  try the two exercises [A] and [B] which deal with it in two parts.

[1] It is evident ¦ that she has written that letter. │ __________ est ¦  __________ litterās illās  __________.

[2] Is it probable ¦ that he has sent us the book? │ Estne  __________ ¦  __________ nōbīs librum  __________?

[3] Do you confess ¦ that you were wrong? │  __________ne ¦  __________  __________?

[4] He denies ¦ that he was wrong [ = he says that he was not wrong] │  __________ ¦  __________  __________.

[5] I’m delighted ¦ that you have done it │  __________ ¦  __________ hoc  __________.

[6] It is said ¦ that he remained in the countryside │  __________ ¦  __________ rūrī  __________.

[7] I will (want to) say to him ¦ that you have finished the letter │  __________ eī  __________ ¦  __________ epistolam tuam  __________.

[8] Will you tell your father ¦ that I have been here? │  __________ patrī tuō  __________ ¦  __________  __________?

[9] Is it true ¦ that your uncle has arrived? │ Estne  __________ ¦  __________ tuum  __________?

[10] Did he know ¦ that you had arrived? │  __________ne ¦  __________  __________?

[11] It is understood ¦ that he arrived the day before yesterday. │  __________ ¦  __________ nūdius tertius  __________.

[12] I confess ¦ that I promised this. │  __________ ¦  __________ hoc  __________.

[13] He boasted ¦ that he not only had learnt all the exercises in this book, but ¦ that he himself had written the exercises in his own hand. │  __________ ¦  __________ nōn modo omnia pēnsa in hōc librō  __________, sed  __________et exercitia suā manū  __________.

[A] To complete the exercise, first match the English and Latin words and phrases which introduce the indirect statements:

[1] (It is) evident …│ __________ est …

[2] (Is it) probable …? │ Estne __________ …?

[3] Do you confess …? │ __________ne …?

[4] He denies … │ __________ …

[5] I am delighted … │ __________ …

[6] It is said …  │ __________ …

[7] I will (want to) say (to him) … │__________ eī _________ …

[8] Will you tell (your father) (do you want to say to…) … ?│__________ patrī tuō __________ …?

[9] (Is it) true …? │ Estne __________ …?

[10] Did he know …? │ __________ne …?

[11] It is understood …

[12] I confess … │ __________ …

[13] He boasted … │ __________ …

apertum; cōnfiteor; cōnfitēris; dēlector; dīcere … volō; dīcitur; glōriātus est; intelligitur; negat; scīvit; vērisimile; vērum; vīsne … dīcere

[B] Having completed [A] take a look at the second part, the indirect statement, and complete the Latin with the words listed below indicating [i] the subject and [ii] the verb.

[1] It is evident ¦ that she has written that letter. │ Apertum est ¦ __________ litterās illās __________.

[2] Is it probable ¦ that he has sent us the book? │ Estne vērisimile ¦ __________ nōbīs librum __________?

[3] Do you confess ¦ that you were wrong? │ Cōnfitērisne ¦ __________ __________?

[4] He denies ¦ that he was wrong │ Negat ¦ __________ __________.

[5] I am delighted ¦ that you have done it │ Dēlector ¦ __________ hoc __________.

[6] It is said ¦ that he remained in the countryside │ Dīcitur ¦ __________ rūrī __________.

[7] I will (want to) say to him ¦ that you have finished the letter │ Dīcere eī volō ¦ __________ epistolam tuam __________.

[8] Will you tell your father ¦ that I have been here? │ Vīsne patrī tuō dīcere ¦ __________ __________?

[9] Is it true ¦ that your uncle has arrived? │ Estne vērum ¦ __________  tuum __________?

[10] Did he know ¦ that you had arrived? │ Scīvitne ¦ __________ __________?

[11] It is understood ¦ that he arrived the day before yesterday. │ Intelligitur ¦ __________ nūdius tertius __________.

[12] I confess ¦ that I promised this. │ Cōnfiteor ¦ __________ hoc __________.

[13] He boasted …  │ Glōriātus est …

… that he not only had learnt all the exercises in this book, │ … __________ nōn modo omnia pēnsa in hōc librō __________ …

… but that he himself had written the exercises in his own hand. │… sed __________ et exercitia suā manū __________.

eam; eum; eum; eum; mē; mē; patruum; sē; sē; sēmetipsum*; tē; tē; tē; tē

*sēmetipsum (sēmet ipsum) < sēmetipse (sēmet ipse): he himself

adfuisse; advēnisse; advēnisse; advēnisse; conclūsisse; ēdidicisse; errāvisse; errāvisse; fēcisse; mānsisse; mīsisse; prōmīsisse; scrīpsisse; scrīpsisse

[1] Apertum est ¦ eam litterās illās scrīpsisse.

[2] Estne vērisimile ¦ eum nōbīs librum mīsisse?

[3] Cōnfitērisne ¦ tē errāvisse?

[4] Negat ¦ sē errāvisse.

[5] Dēlector ¦ tē hoc fēcisse.

[6] Dīcitur ¦ eum rūrī mānsisse.

[7] Dīcere eī volō ¦ tē epistolam tuam conclūsisse.

[8] Vīsne patrī tuō dīcere ¦ mē adfuisse?

[9] Estne vērum ¦ patruum tuum advēnisse?

[10] Scīvitne ¦ tē advēnisse?

[11] Intelligitur ¦ eum nūdius tertius advēnisse.

[12] Cōnfiteor ¦ mē hoc prōmīsisse.

[13] Glōriātus est ¦ sē nōn modo omnia pēnsa in hōc librō ēdidicisse, sed sēmetipsum et exercitia suā manū scrīpsisse.

Level 3: language review; Labours of Hercules [10] The oxen of Geryones

Gēryonēs gigās triplicī corpore in īnsulā Erythīā habitābat, multōs bovēs habēbat īdem, ā gigante Eurytiōne et ā cane bicipite custōdītōs. Herculēs hīs potīrī volēbat, itaque in Libyam et Hispāniam profectus est. Ibi ad utrumque latus maris columnās statuit: hīs igitur nōmen Herculeīs columnīs datum est. Calōre sōlis lacessītus in Helion tēla coniēcit: hic vērō audāciam mīrātus, eum aureā cymbā dōnāvit: itaque Erythīam pervenīre potuit. Interfectō Gēryonē cum Eurytiōne et cane, cum bōbus reversus est.

cymba, -ae [1/f]: boat

gigās, gigantis [3/m]: giant

īdem [m] / eadem [f] / idem [n]: the same (note the slight difference between the masculine and neuter)

https://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GiganteGeryon.html

Translate the phrases and explain the form and use of the words in bold:

[i] gigās triplicī corpore

[ii] multōs bovēs habēbat īdem … (1) ā cane bicipite (2) custōdītōs

[iii] (1) calōre sōlis (2) lacessītus

[iv] (1) hic verō audāciam (2) mīrātus …

[v] ad utrumque latus maris

____________________

[i] gigās triplicī corpore │ a giant with a threefold body; ablative of description

triplex, triplicis: threefold; triple

There are different accounts of Geryon’s appearance: one body and three heads (Hesiod), three bodies (Aeschylus)

[ii] multōs bovēs habēbat īdem … (1) ā cane bicipite (2) custōdītōs │ the same (giant) had many oxen, guarded by a dog with two heads; (1) ā cane: ablative of agent; (2) cūstōdītōs: acc. pl. of perfect passive participle (agreeing with bōvēs) < custōdiō, -īre, -iī, custōdītus [4]: guard

[iii] (1) calōre sōlis (2) lacessītus │ (having been) annoyed by the heat of the sun; (1) calōre: ablative of means / instrument; (2) lacessītus: perfect passive participle < lacessō, -ere, -īvī, lacessītus [3] (here): irritate; annoy; provoke; harass

[iv] (1) hic verō audāciam (2) mīrātus …│ the latter, wondering / having wondered at his boldness …

(1) hic: the latter; the preceding sentence refers both to Hercules and the Greek god Helios: in Helion tēla coniēcit │ he (i.e. Hercules) threw darts at Helios; hic is used to refer to the latter of the two (Helios); Hercules has been mentioned several times before, whereas the name Helios has only just been referred to

(2) mīrātus, -a, -um: perfect active participle < mīror, mīrārī, mīrātus sum [1/dep] i.e. ‘having wondered’; deponent verb: passive in form but active in meaning

[v] ad utrumque latus maris │ on each side of the sea; neuter ablative singular < uterque, utraque, utrumque: each (of two)

25.07.25: Level 3; pronominal adjectives [6](1); uterque: both; each (of two)

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/04/250725-level-3-pronominal-adjectives-61.html

Geryones, a giant with a threefold body, used to live in the island of Erythia; the same had many oxen, guarded by the giant Eurytion and a dog with two heads. Hercules wished to get possession of these, so he set out for Libya and Spain. There he set up columns on each side of the sea; to these, therefore, was given the name of the Columns of Hercules. Annoyed by the heat of the sun he hurled darts at Helios; but the latter, wondering at his boldness, presented him with a golden boat; so he was able to get to Erythia. After Geryon had been killed, together with Eurytion and the dog, he returned with the oxen.

Heracles fighting Geryon, amphora ca. 540 BC, Louvre

Helios: from the temple of Athena in Ilion (Troy); between the first quarter of the 3rd century BC and 390 BC; Pergamon-Museum, Berlin

Level 3: indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [10]; the perfect active infinitive [ii]; reading

Excerpt from Bacchides (Plautus)

CHRYSALUS

Occisi sumus. Qui in mentem venit tibi istuc facinus facere tam malum? │ We’re finished! What came into your head to do this thing, such an awful thing?

MNESILOCHUS

Bacchidem atque hunc suspicabar propter crimen, Chrysale, mi male consuluisse: ob eam ream omne aurum iratus reddidi meo patri. │ On account of an accusation, Chrysalus, I suspected ¦ that Bacchides and this man had plotted against me: because of that I angrily handed all the money over to my father.

CHRYSALUS

Quid, ubi reddebas aurum, dixisti patri? │ What did you say to your father when you were returning the money?

MNESILOCHUS

Me id aurum accepisse extemplo ab hospite Archidemide. │ [I said implied] That I had received the money on demand from his friend Archidemides.

Level 3: language review; Labours of Hercules [9] The girdle of Hippolyte

Hippolyte, Amāzonum rēgīna, zōnam pulcherrimam habēbat. Hāc autem potīrī volēbat, Admēte, Eurysthēī fīlia: itaque Herculēs eam asportāre iussus est. Tandem ad Amāzonum terram pervēnit. Ibi prīmum benignē excēpit Hippolyte, zōnamque prōmīsit, sed coortā rixā, contrā Herculem Amāzonēs manūs cōnseruērunt. Hīs victīs et occīsā Hippolyte Herculēs zōnā potītus est.

asportō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: carry away

cōnserō, -ere, cōnseruī, cōnsertus [3]: bind together, fasten

[1] Translate the phrases and explain the form and use of the words in bold:

[i] Hāc autem potīrī volēbat, Admēte, Eurysthēī fīlia

[ii] (1) coortā rixā (2) occīsā Hippolyte

[2] Give the first person singular, present tense of the verbs from the text:

(1) excēpit; (2) prōmīsit

[3] Find from the text an example of:

Enclitic conjunction

Fourth declension noun

Infinitive of a deponent verb

Superlative adjective

____________________

[1]

[i] Hāc autem potīrī volēbat, Admēte, Eurysthēī fīlia │ Now Admete, the daughter of Euiystheuft, wished to get possession of this;  hāc: abl. sg. fem. (referring to zōna in the previous sentence); potior, -īrī, potītus sum [4/dep]: take possession (of) is regularly followed by the ablative case 

[ii] (1) coortā rixā │ a quarrel having arisen; (2) occīsā Hippolyte │ after Hipployte had been slain

Both phrases are ablative absolutes; coorior, -īri, coortus sum [4/dep]: arise; occīdō, -ere, occīdī, occīsus [3]: kill; slay

[2] Give the first person singular, present tense of the verbs from the text:

(1) excēpit │ excipiō; (2) prōmīsit │ prōmittō

[3] Find from the text an example of:

Enclitic conjunction │ -que (zōnamque)

Fourth declension noun │ manūs

Infinitive of a deponent verb │ potīrī

Superlative adjective │ pulcherrimam

Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons, had a very beautiful girdle. Now Admete, the daughter of Euiystheuft, wished to get possession of this; so Hercules was ordered to fetch it. At length he reached the country of the Amazons. There at first Hippolyte received him kindly, and promised (him) the girdle, but a quarrel having arisen, the Amazons fought against Hercules. These having been conquered and Hippolyte slain, Hercules got possession of the girdle.

Hercules and the Girdle of Hippolyta. Statue at the Royal Palace Hofburg in Vienna, Austria

Level 3: indirect statement; the accusative-infinitive [9]; the perfect active infinitive [i]

The first image shows that a statement – regardless of when it was made – can refer to:

[i] on ongoing or general situation [I work every day]

[ii] a situation that is now over [I worked yesterday]

[iii] a situation that will or is going to happen [I shall work tomorrow]

We now focus on [ii] i.e. the speaker refers to something which (has) happened

An example was first given here:

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/03/020625-level-3-sonnenschein-pro-patria.html

Tacitus ¦ eum nōn magnam victōriam reportāvisse … affirmat │ Tacitus asserts ¦ that he (referring to Caesar) did not bring back a great victory.

Tacitus’ statement was “Caesar did not bring back a great victory” i.e. he refers to an event that was already over when he wrote about it.

To convey this, Latin uses a different infinitive i.e. the perfect active infinitive = to have done something

To form it:

[i] the third principal part of the verb is used: reportō, reportāre, reportāvī

[ii] the personal ending -ī is removed: reportāv-

[iii] -isse is added: reportāv¦isse = to have brought back

Therefore, literally:

Tacitus ¦ eum ¦ nōn magnam victōriam reportāvisse … affirmat │ Tacitus asserts ¦ him ¦ not to have brought back a great victory

> Tacitus asserts ¦ that he ¦ did not bring back a great victory.

The perfect active infinitive is formed in the same way for all verbs:

laudō, laudāre, ¦ laudāvī > laudāv- > laudāvisse │ to have praised

videō, vidēre, ¦ vīdī > vīd- > vīdisse │ to have seen

dīcō, dīcere, ¦ dīxī > dīx- > dīxisse │ to have said

faciō, facere, ¦ fēcī > fēc- > fēcisse │ to have done

audiō, audīre, ¦ audīvī > audīv- > audīvisse │ to have heard

sum, esse, ¦ fuī > fu- > fuisse │ to have been

How does this work? Marcus looked at the body of the deceased father and said to himself: “He loved his daughters” i.e. he is thinking about something which is now over.

[i] What does he believe?

Crēdit ¦ [1] patrem [2] amāvisse fīliās.

[Literally: He believes the father to have loved the daughters.]

> He believes that the father loved the daughters.

[ii] What did he believe?

Crēdidit ¦ patrem amāvisse fīliās.

[Literally: He believed the father to have loved the daughters.]

> He believed that the father had loved the daughters.

I am sticking rigidly to English structures of the indirect statement (but English can be flexible in this) in order to show that, while English often changes the tense of the indirect statement based on the tense of the verb which introduces it, Latin does not change the infinitive. In simple terms, whatever the person is talking about in Latin, if that is finished then the perfect infinitive is used.

[1] [i] Frāter sciēbat ¦ [ii] mē epistulam [iii] scrīpsisse.

[Literally: [i] my brother knew [ii] me [iii] to have written the letter.]

> [i] My brother knew ¦ that [ii] I [iii] had written the letter.

i.e. What the brother knew had already happened.

[2] [i] Ego sēdulō [ii] hunc [iii] dīxisse [i] crēdō (Terentius)

[Literally: [i] I believe [ii] him (this man) [iii] to have spoken carefully.]

> [i] I believe ¦ that [ii] he [iii] has spoken carefully.

[3] [i] Putāvērunt [ii] sē fortēs [iii] fuisse.

[Literally: [i] They thought [ii] themselves [iii] to have been brave.]

> [i] They thought ¦ that [ii] they [iii] had been brave.

We’ll look at examples from one author, namely Plautus, since they are all Latin spoken on a stage:

Quis homōst* quī dīcat ¦ mē dīxisse istuc? │ Who is the man who says ¦ that I said that?

*contraction: homō + est

Ulixem audīvī, ut ego sum, fuisse et audācem et malum │ I have heard ¦ that Ulysses was a bold, bad man, just as I am now.

Ulixem audīvī fuisse aerumnōsissimum  │ I have heard ¦ that Ulysses was very miserable.

Cēnsēbam ¦ mē effūgisse ¦ ā vītā maritumā │ I thought ¦ that I had escaped from a sea-faring life.

Ego ¦ illum periisse dīcō │ I say ¦ that he has perished.

Stultē fēcisse fateor │ I admit ¦ that I acted foolishly [literally: I admit to have acted …]

Spērāvī miser ex servitūte ¦ mē exēmisse ¦ fīlium │ I hoped, poor fool, ¦ that I had ransomed my son from slavery.

At ego tuom* tibi advēnisse fīlium respondeō. │ And I reply to you ¦ that your son has arrived.

*tuom = tuum

Crēdō ego hāc noctū ¦ Nocturnum obdormīvisse ēbrium. │ I do believe ¦ that Nocturnus went to bed drunk that night.

Hic gnātum meum tuō patrī ait ¦ sē vēndidisse │ This man says (said) ¦ that he sold / has sold / had sold my son to your father.

You can see from this final example the way in which there are a number of possible English translations of the indirect statement, but Latin only uses the perfect active infinitive since the original direct statement refers to something that has already happened.

Note: other verbs which introduce an indirect statement

ait: (s)he says / said

fateor: I admit

respondeō: I reply

Level 3: language review; Labours of Hercules [8] The mares of Diomedes; [i] -ābus; [ii] impersonal passives

Diomēdēs, Bistonum rēx, equās carne hominum pāscēbat. Herculēs vērō equās clam abstulit, et ad mare dūxit. Hīc autem Bistonēs eum adortī sunt. Diū pugnātum est. Dēvictīs tandem Bistonibus, Herculēs rēgem interfēcit, et corpus equābus dēdit. Tum reversus est incolumis equās sēcum dūcēns. Hae vērō mānsuēfactae sunt carne dominī suī pastae.

mānsuēfaciō, -ere, -fēcī, -factus [3-iō]: tame

pāscō, -ere, pāvī, pastus [3]: feed

Notes:

[1] It doesn’t turn up often: equa, -ae [1/f]: mare; female horse (and not: equus, -ī [2/m])

Note: corpus equābus dēdit │ he gave the body to the mares

equa, -ae is a first declension noun, yet here its dative plural is not in -īs, which is what you would expect, but -ābus; why is this?

(a) [i] fīlius, -ī [2/m]: son;  [ii] fīlia, -ae [1/f]: daughter

(b) [i] deus, -ī [2/m]: god; [ii] dea, -ae [1/f]: goddess

The nouns in (a) and (b) – in the dative and ablative plural – would look the same i.e. they would both end in -īs; therefore, to distinguish between the masculine and the feminine nouns, the dative and ablative plural of the feminine nouns become -ābus:

(a) [i] fīlius [m] > dat. / abl. pl. filiīs; [ii] fīlia [f] > dat. / abl. pl. fīliābus

(b) [i] deus [m] > dat. / abl. pl. deīs; [ii] dea [f] > dat. / abl. pl. deābus

The same is happening here to distinguish between [i] equus [m] > dat. / abl. pl. equīs; [ii] equa [f] > dat. / abl. pl. equābus (but equīs is also found in the literature to refer to [ii])

illa īrāta equābus eius inmīsit furōrem (Honoratus) │ Having grown angry she sent madness upon his horses

However – and it’s a big  ‘however’ – that is not a rule! While fīliābus and deābus are ‘fixed’ forms of the dative and ablative plural of these two specific and very commonly used nouns, it is not a ‘formula’ that can be used to distinguish between, for example, servus, -ī [2/m]: slave and serva, -ae [1/f]: (female) slave, or amīcus (male friend) and amīca (female friend); those nouns – and any others like them – all have the same dative and ablative plural in -īs.

[2] Impersonal passives

Diū pugnātum est. │ The battle went on for a long time.

[i] A transitive verb can be followed by a direct object, for example:

Rēx epistulam scrībit │ The king writes / is writing a letter.

Imperātor epistulam legēbat │ The commander was reading a letter.

Magister epistulam mīsit / mīserat │ The teacher (has) sent / had sent a letter.

Fēmina epistulam accipiet │ The lady will receive a letter.

[ii] Those transitive verbs can be changed into passive forms, epistula becoming the subject of the sentence:

Epistula (ā rēge) scrībitur │ A letter is (being) written (by the king).

Epistula (ab imperātōre) legēbatur│ The letter was being read (by the commander).

Epistula (ā magistrō) missa est / erat│ The letter was (has been) / had been sent by the teacher.

Epistula (ā fēminā) accipiētur │ A letter will be received by the lady.

[iii] Intransitive verbs cannot be followed by a direct object, for example:

currō, -ere: run

dormiō, -īre: sleep

eō, īre: go

pugnō, -āre: fight

veniō, -īre: come

[iv] Intransitive verbs cannot have passive forms with a subject e.g. *he has been slept*, *they were being ran*. However, passive forms of intransitive verbs without a subject are used to convey impersonal ideas; in English, that may be expressed by, for example:

“There was shouting going on outside / people were shouting” i.e. the focus is on an action rather than anybody specific performing it.

Diū pugnātum est. │ Literally: It was fought for a long time = There was fighting / people fought for a long time, or (an impersonal) ‘they’ fought for a long time; a noun related to the verb may also work: There was a battle for a long time / the battle went on for a long time.

Therefore, translations can vary but, in the examples below from the authors, you can see that the impersonal nature of the verb is retained:

Pugnātum est ab utrīsque ācriter (Caesar) │ There was fierce fighting on both sides; literally: ‘it’ was fought bitterly …

ea mē spectātum tulerat per Dionȳsia. postquam illō ventum est, iam, ut mē collocāverat, exorītur ventus turbō (Plautus) │ She had taken me to see (the show) at the Dyonisiac festival. After we’d arrived there, just as she had settled me, a storm wind arose.

Ergō ex omnibus locīs urbis in forum curritur (Livy) │ Therefore, from all parts of the city people are running into the forum

Macte novā virtūte, puer: Sīc ītur ad astra (Vergil) │ Be blessed in your new courage, boy; this is the way to the stars / one goes to … [literally: In this way it is being gone …]

Ad arma conclāmātum est (Livy) │ The cry ‘to arms!’ was raised.

Et Rōmam inde frequenter migrātum est, ā parentibus maximē ac propinquīs raptārum (Livy) │ And from there, there was frequent migration to Rome, especially by the parents and relatives of those / the women who had been abducted.

Magnīs opibus dormītur in urbe (Juvenal) │ Only with great wealth is it possible to sleep / do people sleep in the city. 

However, Martial’s dormouse doesn’t quite obey the ‘rule’: (1) Tōta mihi (2) dormītur (1) hiems et pinguior illō tempore sum, quō mē nihil nisi somnus alit. │ Literally: (1) the whole winter for me (2) is slept [ = I sleep the whole winter] and I am fatter during that time (season), when nothing but sleep feeds me.

____________________

Diomedes, king of the Bistones, used to feed his mares with human flesh. But Hercules carried off the mares by stealth, and led them to the sea. But here the Bistones attacked him. They fought for a long time. The Bistones having been at length completely defeated, Hercules slew their king, and gave his body to the mares. Then he returned in safety, bringing the mares with him. Now they became tame (after being) fed on the flesh of their owner.

Hercules and the Mares of Diomedes by Antonio Tempesta (1608)