Chapter VI: Defeat of the Minyae and Chapter VII: Murder and Madness Chapter VII:


Erginus, rex Minyarum, ob haec vehementer iratus erat, et cum omnibus copiis in fines Thebanorum contendit. Creon adventum eius per exploratores cognovit; ipse tamen pugnare noluit; nam magno timore affectus est; Thebani igitur Herculem imperatorem creaverunt. Ille nuntios in omnes partes dimisit et copias coegit. Tum proximo die cum magno exercitu profectus est. Locum idoneum delegit et aciem instruxit. Tum Thebani e superiore loco impetum in hostes fecerunt. Illi autem impetum sustinere non potuerunt, itaque acies hostium pulsa est atque in fugam conversa.

Hercules as Warrior from the Temple at Aegina E 5, Herakles of E. Ped. 2, view facing pediment

  • . cum omnibus copiis: The word copia, -ae, f., in the plural means troops, fighting force.
  • ipse: The force of this demonstrative is to add extra emphasis to whatever it's modifying. You can think of it as Latin italics marks. In this sentence, ipse contrasts Creon, who doesn't want to fight, with Hercules, who does.
  • profectus est: Your first deponent verb.
  • . in hostes: The word in the plural carries in English a singular sense. Hence we say against the enemy, even though the form in Latin is plural.
  • conversa: Supply an est. It happens often that a form of the verb sum is omitted when it's being used with a perfect participle, particularly if the context makes it unnecessary.

  • vehementer, adv., violently, very much, greatly.
  • explorator, -oris, m., scout.
  • nolo, nolle, nolui, -----, intr., be unwilling, not to want.
  • cogo, -ere, coegi, coactus, tr., drive together, bring
  • together, collect; force.
  • proximus, -a, -um, adj., nearest, next.
  • exercitus, -us, m., army: this is 4th Declension
  • proficiscor, -i, profectus sum, intr., set out: this is a Deponent verb: passive in form but active in meaning
  • idoneus, -a, -um, adj., suitable.
  • superior, -ius, adj., higher; previous, preceding; superior.
  • sustineo, -êre, -tinui, -tentus, tr., hold up, sustain, withstand.
  • acies, aciei, f., battle line.
  • pello, -ere, pepuli, pulsus, tr., beat, drive out, drive away, rout.
  • converto, -ere, verti, versus, tr., turn around, turn.

    Hercules VII: Madness and Murder:


    Farnese Hercules

    Post hoc proelium Hercules copias suas ad urbem reduxit. Omnes Thebani propter victoriam maxime gaudebant. Creon autem magnis honoribus Herculem decoravit, atque filiam suam ei in matrimonium dedit. Hercules cum uxore suâ vitam beatam agebat; sed post paucos annos subito in furorem incidit, atque liberos suos ipse suâ manû occidit. Post breve tempus ad sanitatem reductus est, et propter hoc facinus magno dolore affectus est; mox ex urbe effugit et in silvas se recepit. Nolebant enim cives sermonem cum eo habere.

  • in furorem incidit: It means became insane, but what is it saying literally?
  • facinus: What case is it? Check the context and the dictionary entry below. Don't be deceived by its -us ending.
  • se recepit: Another idiom, similar to se conferre you've seen before. Literally it means he took himself back, but we can't say that. We'd probably say he went away.

  • reduco, -ere, -duxi, -ductus tr., lead back.
  • maxime, superl. adv. in the highest degree, most , especially, exceedingly.
  • decoro (1), tr., adorn, honor.
  • furor, -oris, m., madness, fury.
  • incido, -ere, -cidi, -----, tr., fall in, fall into.
  • sanitas, -tatis, f., health, sanity.
  • facinus, facinoris, n., deed; crime.
  • effugio, -ere, -fugi, -----, intr., escape.
  • sermo, -onis, m., talk, conversation.

    Antimenes painter

    530-500 B.C.

    Terra-cotta

    The John R. Van Derlip Fund: Minneapolis Museum of Art