Ulixēs autem sociōs haec iussit et eīs suāsit: “Satis diū ille nōs ursit et torsit, satis diū superbiae eius cessimus. Ecce flammae, ecce palūs: sī hic pālus ārdēbit, Polyphēmum oculō spoliābimus. Id nōbīs certē continget, nisi timidī erimus!”
Quibus verbīs postquam animōs eōrum auxit, eōs sēcum dūxit, ūnā cum eīs Polyphēmum temptāvit. Iam pālus in oculō eius haesit, iam Polyphēmus clāmāvit, iam amīcōs vocāvit: “Nēmō mē oculō spoliāvit, nēmō mē necāre studet!
At frūstrā clāmat, nam ā nūllō adiuvātur. Cēterī enim Cyclōpēs: “Sī nēmō tē spoliat, sī ā nūllō necāris, nūllīus auxiliō egēs!”
Vocabulary
cyclōps, -is [3/m]: cyclops, the one-eyed giant from Greek and Roman mythology, of which Polyphemus was one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphemus
image: head of a Cyclops (1st c. AD); Colosseum, Rome
pālus, -ī [2/m]: pole, stake
contingō, -ere, contigī, contāctus [3] (here: + dative) to fall to one’s lot; befall; happen (to)
- id nōbīs … continget: this will happen to us
Notes: conjugation ‘patterns’
[i] Most (not all) 1st conjugation verbs have the same pattern of principal parts e.g.
necō, necāre, necāvī, necātus [1]: kill
spoliō, spoliāre, spoliāvī, spoliātus [1]: rob; deprive
temptō, temptāre, temptāvī, temptātus [1]: attempt
Other conjugations, however, are far less predictable, but there are some patterns to note in perfect tense stems of 2nd conjugation verbs:
-s(s)-; -x-
ardeō, ardēre, ārsī, ārsus [2]: burn
haereō, -ēre, haesī, haesum (supine: no passive) [2]: (here) stick
suadeō, suādēre, suāsī, suāsus [2]: persuade
torqueō, -ēre, torsī, tortus [2]: torment; torture
urgeō, -ēre, ursī, - [2]: oppress
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus [2]: command; order
augeō, augēre, auxī, auctus [2]: increase; strengthen
(b) -uī-
egeō, -ēre, eguī, egitūrus (fut. act. participle: no passive; no supine) [2]: lack; be without
studeō, -ēre, studuī, - [2]: (here) try
From the previous section of this text:
- adhibeō, adhibēre, adhibuī, adhibitus [2]: apply; use
- admoneō, admonēre, admonuī, admonitus [2]: warn; remind
- arceō, arcēre, arcuī, arcitus [2]: keep (off / away); prevent
- praebeō, praebēre, praebuī, praebitus [2]: offer
- sustineō, sustinēre, sustinuī, sustentus [2]: endure; withstand
[ii] Bear in mind at this level that ‘patterns’ cannot be assumed, for example:
cēdō, cedere, cessī, cessus [3]: yield
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus [3]: lead
From the previous section of this text:
- domō, domāre, domuī, domitus [1]: subdue; tame
- impleō, implēre, implēvī, implētus [2]: fill
- colō, colere, coluī, cultus [3]: worship; honour
- tribuō, tribuere, tribuī, tribūtus [3]: grant; bestow
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But Ulysses ordered these things to his companions and persuaded them: “For a long time that creature has oppressed and tormented us; for a long time we have yielded to his arrogance. Look—flames, look—a stake: if this stake burns, we will deprive Polyphemus of his eye. This will certainly happen for us, if we are not cowardly!”
After he had strengthened their spirits with these words, he led them with him and, together with them, attacked Polyphemus. Now the stake stuck in his eye, now Polyphemus shouted, now he called his friends: “Nobody has deprived me of my eye, nobody is trying to kill me!”
But he shouts in vain, for he is helped by no one. For the other Cyclopes say: “If nobody is injuring you, if you are being killed by no one, you need no help from anyone!”
