| Diocletianus. |
parentelae: genitive vos... copulari: accusative plus infinitive, following exigit quod: relative pronoun (refers to the whole "thing" he just explained: their getting married to the nobles of the court) nostri: genitive |
| what does Dioclentian intend to do with these three women? | |
| Agapes. esto securus curarum, nec te gravet nostrum praeparatio nuptiarum, quia nec ad negationem confitendi nominis, nec ad corruptionem integritatis ullis rebus compelli poterimus. |
esto: future imperative confitendi nominis = nominis quod confitendum est |
| what does Agapes say in response to Diocletian's command that she worship idols? | |
| Diocletianus. quid sibi vult ista, quae vos agitat fatuitas? Agapes. quod signum fatuitatis nobis inesse deprehendis? Diocletianus. evidens magnumque. |
ista = ista fatuitas quod: interrogative pronoun (neuter singular accusative) signum inesse: indirect
statement, introduced by deprehendis |
| how does Diocletian react to her refusal? | |
| Agapes. in quo? Diocletianus. in hoc praecipue, quod, relicta vetustae observantia religionis, inutilem christianae novitatem sequimini superstitionis. |
relicta...observantia: ablative absolute notice the interlaced word order: relicta observantia vetustae religionis inutilem novitatem christianae superstitionis |
| why does Diocletian think that Agapes is crazy? | |
| Agapes. temere calumpniaris statum dei omnipotentis. periculum - Diocletianus. cuius? Agapes. tui reique publicae, quam gubernas. Diocletianus. ista insanit; amoveatur! |
temere: adverb calumpniaris = calumniaris (deponent verb, takes object) periculum = periculum est (it is a danger) tui: genitive quam: relative pronoun, antecedent is rei publicae ista = ista femina |
| what does Agapes finally do that provokes Diocletian to send her away? | |
| Chionia. mea germana non insanit, sed tui stultitiam iuste reprehendit. Diocletianus. ista dementius bachatur; unde nostris conspectibus aeque subtrahatur, et tertia discutiatur. Hirena. tertiam rebellem tibique penitus probabis renitentem. |
tui: genitive bachatur = bacchatur aeque: adverb (secunda, aeque prima) tertiam rebellem (esse): indirect
statement, introduced by probabis |
| what does Diocletian say about Chionia, the second sister? what does the third sister, Hirena, say about herself? | |
| Diocletianus. Hirena, cum sis minor aetate, fito maior dignitate. Hirena. ostende, quaeso, quo pacto! Diocletianus. flecte cervicem diis et esto sororibus exemplum correctionis et causa liberationis. |
cum sis: cum plus subjunctive fito: future imperative (fio, fieri) flecte: imperative cervicem: s.v. cervix exemplum... causa: predicates of esto |
| what does Diocletian say to Hirena to persuade her to obey him? | |
| Hirena. conquiniscant idolis, qui velint incurrere iram celsitonantis! ego quidem caput regali unguento delibutum non dehonestabo pedibus simulachrorum submittendo. |
conquiniscant: jussive
subjunctive dehonestabo: future tense submittendo (caput) |
| how does Hirena react to this command to worship idols? | |
| Diocletianus. cultura deorum non adducit inhonestatem, sed praecipuum honorem. Hirena. et quae inhonestas turpior, quae turpitudo maior, quam ut servus veneretur ut dominus? |
inhonestatem: accusative, s.v. inhonestas turpior... maior: comparatives of turpis, magna ut servus veneretur: ut + subjunctive ut dominus: here ut just means "like, as" |
| why does Hirena say it is undignified to worship idols? | |
| Diocletianus. non suadeo tibi venerari servos, sed dominos principumque deos. Hirena. nonne is est cuiusvis servus, qui ab artifice pretio comparatur ut empticius? |
venerari: present infinitive (deponent verb) principum: genitive plural, s.v. princeps comparatur: s.v. comparo, in the sense of "procure, get, buy" empticius: "something bought" (used in Roman comedy to describe slaves bought at market as opposed to slaves born at home) |
| how does Hirena refute Diocletian's contention that it is a noble thing to worship idols? | |
| Diocletianus. huius praesumptio verbositatis tollenda est suppliciis. Hirena. hoc optamus, hoc amplectimur, ut pro Christi amore suppliciis laceremur. |
huius...verbositatis: s.v. verbositas suppliciis: dative of means, s.v. supplicium amplectimus: s.v. amplector (deponent verb, takes object) ut...laceremur: ut + subjunctive |
| what does Diocletian decide to do with all three women? how does Hirena react? | |
| Diocletianus. istae contumaces nostrisque decretis contraluctantes catenis inretiantur et ad examen Dulcitii praesidis sub carcerali squalore serventur. |
contumaces: s.v. contumax contraluctantes: participle (this verb takes the dative) inretiantur... serventur: jussive
subjunctive |
| where is Diocletian going to send the women now? |
