XCI: ALEXANDER PARIS The Trojan war was the central event of Greek mythic history, and it was central to the Romans as well, since Rome’s founder Aeneas was a refugee from the destruction of Troy. This destruction was foretold when Hecuba, the queen of Troy, had an ominous dream about the son she had just given birth to. Told to kill the child, the servants entrusted with the job exposed him (i.e. left him out in the wilderness to whatever fate befell him) instead (in mythology, they always do). Raised by shepherds, he returned to Troy by chance and fate to win his own funeral games. (Why they waited so long to hold them, I don’t know.) Learning Vocabulary: aliquis, aliquid = someone, something ara, -ae f = altar ardeo, -ere, arsi, arsum = to burn educo, -ere, -duxi, -ductum = to bring up, “educate” exitium, -ii, n = destruction (can also mean “departure”) fio, fieri, factus sum = to happen gladius, -i m = sword misericordia, -ae f = pity plus, pluris (neuter singular) = “more” (from multus, -a, -um) persequor, -i, persecutus sum = to follow insistently quaero, -ere, quaesivi = to seek, to ask quo = to where inquaero, -ere, inquisivi = to inquire or ask insistently sive … sive (seu … seu) = whether … or uxor, uxoris f = wife Characters: Paris, Paridis, the exiled son of Priam and Hecuba Alexandrus, -i = Paris’s “real” name, the one Priam & Hecuba called him Priamus, -i = Priam, the king of Troy Hecuba, -ae = Hecuba, the queen of Troy Deiphobus, -i = one of Priam’s other sons Cassandra, -ae = Cassandra, Priam’s daughter, who had prophetic powers Iuppiter Herceus, Iovis Hercei = Juppiter Herceus, Juppiter the patron of suppliants Focus words: ibi = here ubi = where? (or, when?) inde = from where, from where? quo = to where, to where? fio, fieri, factus sum = to happen Priamus Laomedontis filius cum complures* liberos haberet ex concubitu* Hecubae Cissei sive* Dymantis filiae, uxor eius praegnans in quiete* vidit se facem* ardentem parere, ex qua serpentes plurimos exisse. Id visum* omnibus coniectoribus* cum narratum esset, imperant, quicquid pareret*, necaret*, ne id patriae exitio foret*. Postquam Hecuba peperit * complures = plures *concubitus = uxor, uxoris f = wife *sive: Hyginus has heard 2 stories so he gives two options. * quies, quietis f = a dream (or a sleep) *fax, facis f = a torch *visum = vision *coniector, -oris m or f, = interpreter (in this case, of dreams and omens) *quicquid pareret = “whatever she gave birth to” *necare = occidere = interficere … *ne … foret “so that there would not be …” *datur: the subject is ParisAlexandrum, datur* interficiendus, quem satellites* misericordia exposuerunt*; eum pastores* pro* suo filio repertum expositum* educarunt eumque Parim nominaverunt. Is cum ad puberem aetatem pervenisset, habuit taurum in deliciis*; quo cum satellites missi a Priamo, ut taurum aliquis adduceret, venissent, qui in athlo* funebri, quod ei fiebat*, poneretur*, coeperunt Paridis taurum abducere. *no, not satelites – servants *pastor, pastoris = shepherd *pro = “as …” or “for…” *with eum, describing Paris, “exposed, (then) found” *exposuerunt: “They exposed (him)” *repertum *in deliciis = “as a pet” or “as a favorite” *athlo = games (games held in honor of the dead) *fiebat = “was being held” *poneretur: from pono; here it means “given as a prize) Umm, what was that last sentence? cum Paris ad puberem aetatem pervenisset, habuit taurum in deliciis. cum satellites missi a Priamo ei (dative) venissent, ut aliquis (“one of them”) taurum adduceret, qui (the bull) poneretur in athlo funebri quod ei fiebat, (ei = “for him,” meaning for Paris, since everyone thinks he’s dead) coeperunt (the satellites) Paridis taurum abducere. Grammar: Gerunds, gerundives, passive periphrastic Qui persecutus est eos et inquisivit, quo* eum ducerent; illi indicant* se eum ad Priamum adducere ei, qui* vicisset ludis funebribus Alexandri*. Ille amore incensus tauri sui descendit in certamen* et omnia vicit, fratres quoque suos superavit. Indignans Deiphobus gladium ad eum strinxit*; at ille in aram Iovis Hercei insiluit*; quod cum Cassandra vaticinaretur* eum fratrem esse, Priamus eum agnovit* regiaque* recepit. *quo = to where *indicare (you can guess) *ei qui = to/for the man who … *Alexandros is Paris’s given name *certamen, certaminis n = contest *strinxit = he drew (the sword) *insiluit = “leapt” *vaticinaretur = “(she) prophesied” *agnosco, -ere. agnovi, agnitum = to recognize, acknowledge *regia, -ae f = palace