"Fabulae Ab Urbe Condita" 4a

iamrian

Member

Location:
California
Any help with this translation would be appreciated. I am working through an intermediate commentary "Fabulae Ab Urbe Condita" by Geoffrey Steadman.

"But because the affair could not be decided in time by the twins, they used divination"

Uterque iuvenis nōmen novae urbī dare eamque regere cupiēbat. Sed quod geminī erant nec rēs aetāte dēcernī poterat, auguriīs ūsī sunt. Ā Remō prius vīsī sunt sex vulturēs. Rōmulō posteā duodecim sēsē ostendērunt. Uterque ab amīcīs rēx appellātus est atque rēgnum postulābat. Cum īrātī arma rapuissent, in pugnā Remus cecidit.

Note: I cannot find a "place" for erant in the sentence, so I know there is something wrong with my translation.
 
B

Bitmap

Guest

It says more literally "but because they were twins and the affair could not be decided in time".
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
could not be decided in time
No, it's "could not be decided by (i.e. based on) age". The eldest would usually have been favored, but since they were twins, they were the same age.
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
The translator is iamrian, who wasn't sure of himself. "But because the affair could not be decided in time by the twins, they used divination" is wrong on more than one count.
 

iamrian

Member

Location:
California
Here is my second attempt at the translation:

"But the affair could not be decided by age because they were twins, so they used divination".
 

Pacifica

grammaticissima

  • Aedilis

Location:
Belgium
You've got the essential meaning right. However, it isn't a literal translation. If you're aware of that, it's fine. If you're not, it's not fine.
 
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