Tacitus: Inspiration for the fight

Question 1

Boudicca curru filias prae se vehens,

Sentence 1 (Part 1/7)

Answer 1

Boudicca, carrying her daughters in front of her in a chariot,

Sentence 1 (Part 1/7)

Question 2

ut quamque nationem accesserat,

Sentence 1 (Part 2/7)

Answer 2

as she approached each tribe

Sentence 1 (Part 2/7)

Question 3

solitum quidem Britannis feminarum ductu bellare testabatur,

Sentence 1 (Part 3/7)

Answer 3

she declared that it was indeed unusual for the Britons to fight under the leadership of women,

Sentence 1 (Part 3/7)

Question 4

sed tunc non ut tantis maioribus ortam regnum et opes,

Sentence 1 (Part 4/7)

Answer 4

but then, having not been born in a kingdom of such great ancestors and wealth,

Sentence 1 (Part 4/7)

Question 5

verum ut unam e vulgo libertatem amissam,

Sentence 1 (Part 5/7)

Answer 5

but as a woman of the common people who has lost her liberty

Sentence 1 (Part 5/7)

Question 6

confectum verberibus corpus,

Sentence 1 (Part 6/7)

Answer 6

her body having been exhausted by scourging,

Sentence 1 (Part 6/7)

Question 7

contrectatam filiarum pudicitiam ulcisci.

Sentence 1 (Part 7/7)

Answer 7

and to avenge the manhandling of her daughters’ chastity.

Sentence 1 (Part 7/7)

Question 8

eo provectas Romanorum cupidines,

Sentence 2 (Part 1/2)

Answer 8

The lusts of the Romans advanced so much

Sentence 2 (Part 1/2)

Question 9

ut non corpora, ne senectam quidem aut virginitatem impollutam relinquant.

Sentence 2 (Part 2/2)

Answer 9

that not a body, nor even old age or virginity was left unpolluted

Sentence 2 (Part 2/2)

Question 10

adesse tamen deos iustae vindictae;

Sentence 3 (Part 1/3)

Answer 10

However, the Gods are here for just vengeance;

Sentence 3 (Part 1/3)

Question 11

cecidisse legionem, quae proelium ausa sit;

Sentence 3 (Part 2/3)

Answer 11

a legion has been slain, which had dared to go into battle;

Sentence 3 (Part 2/3)

Question 12

ceteros castris occultari aut fugam circumspicere.

Sentence 3 (Part 3/3)

Answer 12

the others were concealed in the camp or looking around for an escape.

Sentence 3 (Part 3/3)

Question 13

ne strepitum quidem clamorem tot milium, nedum impetus et manus perlaturos:

Sentence 4 (Part 1/3)

Answer 13

Indeed they could not have beared the din and noise of so many soldiers, still less the attack and a band of men:

Sentence 4 (Part 1/3)

Question 14

si copias armatorum, si causas belli secum expenderent,

Sentence 4 (Part 2/3)

Answer 14

if they considered for themselves the forces of armed men, and if they considered the reasons of the war,

Sentence 4 (Part 2/3)

Question 15

vincendum illa acie vel cadendum esse.

Sentence 4 (Part 3/3)

Answer 15

on that battlefield they must be victorious or die.

Sentence 4 (Part 3/3)

Question 16

id mulieri destinatum: viverent viri et servirent.

Sentence 5 (Part 1/1)

Answer 16

This was the resolve of a woman: that the men might die and be slaves.

Sentence 5 (Part 1/1)

Question 17

ne Suetonius quidem in tanto discrimine silebat.

Sentence 6 (Part 1/1)

Answer 17

Nor indeed was Suetonius silent in such a great crisis.

Sentence 6 (Part 1/1)

Question 18

quamquam confideret virtuti,

Sentence 7 (Part 1/4)

Answer 18

However although he was trusting in the courage of his men,

Sentence 7 (Part 1/4)

Question 19

tamen exhortationes et preces miscebat,

Sentence 7 (Part 2/4)

Answer 19

he was mixing his encouragements and prayers,

Sentence 7 (Part 2/4)

Question 20

ut spernerent sonores barbarorum et inanes minas:

Sentence 7 (Part 3/4)

Answer 20

so that they treated with disdain the noises and empty threats of the barbarians:

Sentence 7 (Part 3/4)

Question 21

plus illic feminarum quam iuventutis aspici.

Sentence 7 (Part 4/4)

Answer 21

there were more women than men to be seen.

Sentence 7 (Part 4/4)

Question 22

imbelles inermes cessuros statim ubi

Sentence 8 (Part 1/2)

Answer 22

Unwarlike and unarmed they immediately gave way when they

Sentence 8 (Part 1/2)

Question 23

ferrum virtutemque vincentium totiens fusi adgnovissent.

Sentence 8 (Part 2/2)

Answer 23

had recognised the swords and valour of their conquerers and had been routed so often.

Sentence 8 (Part 2/2)

Question 24

etiam in multis legionibus paucos, qui proelia profligarent;

Sentence 9 (Part 1/3)

Answer 24

Even in a number of legions it was only a few who decided the outcome of a battle;

Sentence 9 (Part 1/3)

Question 25

gloriaque eorum accessurum | Sentence 9 (Part 2/3)

Answer 25

it will be more to their glory | Sentence 9 (Part 2/3)

Question 26

quod modica manus universi exercitus famam adipiscerentur. | Sentence 9 (Part 3/3)

Answer 26

that a small band of men were obtaining the fame of a whole army. | Sentence 9 (Part 3/3)

Question 27

conferti tantum et pilis emissis post, | Sentence 10 (Part 1/4)

Answer 27

Only, being densely packed and when their javelins had been thrown | Sentence 10 (Part 1/4)

Question 28

umbonibus et gladiis stragem caedemque continuarent, | Sentence 10 (Part 2/4)

Answer 28

did they continue afterwards with their shields and swords towards destruction and slaughter, | Sentence 10 (Part 2/4)

Question 29

praedae immemores: | Sentence 10 (Part 3/4)

Answer 29

and without thinking of their booty: | Sentence 10 (Part 3/4)

Question 30

parta victoria cuncta ipsis cessura. | Sentence 10 (Part 4/4)

Answer 30

victory had been procured once all had yielded to them. | Sentence 10 (Part 4/4)

Question 31

is ardor verba ducis sequebatur, | Sentence 11 (Part 1/3)

Answer 31

Such desired enthusiasm followed on after the words of their leader, | Sentence 11 (Part 1/3)

Question 32

ita se ad intorquenda pila expedierat vetus miles et multa proeliorum experientia | Sentence 11 (Part 2/3)

Answer 32

in this way he had prepared his veteran soldiers with so much experience of battle to hurl their javelins | Sentence 11 (Part 2/3)

Question 33

ut certus eventus Suetonius daret pugnae signum. | Sentence 11 (Part 3/3)

Answer 33

that Suetonius confident in the outcome gave the signal for battle. | Sentence 11 (Part 3/3)

Question 34

ac primum legio gradu immota | Sentence 12 (Part 1/4)

Answer 34

And at first the legion stood motionless, | Sentence 12 (Part 1/4)

Question 35

et angustias loci pro munimento retinens, | Sentence 12 (Part 2/4)

Answer 35

keeping the narrow places as defence, | Sentence 12 (Part 2/4)

Question 36

postquam in propius suggressos hostes certo iactu tela exhauserat, | Sentence 12 (Part 3/4)

Answer 36

then after the approaching enemies got closer it discharged its weapons with more certainty, | Sentence 12 (Part 3/4)

Question 37

velut cuneo erupit. | Sentence 12 (Part 4/4)

Answer 37

breaking out in a wedge formation. | Sentence 12 (Part 4/4)

Question 38

idem auxiliarium impetus; | Sentence 13 (Part 1/2)

Answer 38

The attack of the auxillaries was done in the same way | Sentence 13 (Part 1/2)

Question 39

et eques protentis hastis perfringit quod obvium et validum erat. | Sentence 13 (Part 2/2)

Answer 39

and the cavalry with lances stretched out smashes through those who were strong and in the same way. | Sentence 13 (Part 2/2)

Question 40

ceteri terga praebuere, difficili effugio, | Sentence 14 (Part 1/2)

Answer 40

The rest showed their backs in flight, though escape was difficult, | Sentence 14 (Part 1/2)

Question 41

quia circumiecta vehicula saepserant abitus. | Sentence 14 (Part 2/2)

Answer 41

because wagons having been placed all around had blocked their retreat. | Sentence 14 (Part 2/2)

Question 42

et miles ne mulierum quidem neci temperabat, | Sentence 15 (Part 1/2)

Answer 42

And the soldiers exercised no restraint even murdering women, | Sentence 15 (Part 1/2)

Question 43

confixaque telis etiam iumenta corporum cumulum auxerant. | Sentence 15 (Part 2/2)

Answer 43

and also piercing through the beasts of burden with spears, they had increased the pile of bodies. | Sentence 15 (Part 2/2)

Question 44

clara et antiquis victoriis par ea die laus parta: | Sentence 16 (Part 1/3)

Answer 44

That part of the day was famous and equal in glory to the victories of old: | Sentence 16 (Part 1/3)

Question 45

quippe sunt qui paulo minus quam octoginta milia Britannorum cecidisse tradant, | Sentence 16 (Part 2/3)

Answer 45

for there are those who say that a little less than eighty-thousand of the Britons had died, | Sentence 16 (Part 2/3)

Question 46

militum quadringentis ferme interfectis nec multo amplius vulneratis. | Sentence 16 (Part 3/3)

Answer 46

having killed about four-hundred soldiers and a not much greater number having been wounded. | Sentence 16 (Part 3/3)

Question 47

Boudicca vitam veneno finivit. | Sentence 17 (Part 1/1)

Answer 47

Boudicca ended her life with poison. | Sentence 17 (Part 1/1)