Latin Language | GRADED TRANSLATION A1

Ulysses

Ulysses tries to get out of going to the Trojan War

Agamemnon et Menelaus Atrei filii cum ad Troiam oppugnandam coniuratos duces ducerent, in insu
1
-
lam Ithacam ad Ulixem Laertis filium venerunt, quem propter sapientiam eius insignem ad Troiam se-
cum ducere volebant. sed Ulixi erat responsum, si Troiam iisset, solum post vicensimum annum sociis
2 3
perditis eum domum rediturum esse. itaque cum sciret filios Atrei ad se venturos esse, insaniam simu-
lans, pileum sumpsit et equum cum bove iunxit ad aratrum. quem Palamedes ubi vidit, sensit Ulixem
4 5 6 7
simulare atque Telemachum filium eius, cunis sublatum, aratro subiecit et simulatione deposita inquit
8
inter coniuratos veni. tum Ulixes promisit se venturum esse; ex eo tempore Palamedis hostis fuit.

Hyginus 95 (adapted)

Names
Ulixes, -is, m. Ulysses
Agamemnon, -onis, m. Agamemnon
Menelaus, -i, m. Menelaus
Atreus, -ei, m. Atreus
Troia, -ae, f. Troy
Laertes, -is, m. Laertes
Palamedes, -is, m. Palamedes
Telemachus, -i, m. Telemachus
Ithaca-ae f. Ithaca

1
OCR AS Latin OxBox CD-ROM Oxford University Press 2008
Vocabulary
coniuratus, -a, -um (who had) joined in taking an oath
1
responsum i.e. by an oracle
2
vicensimus, -a, -um twentieth
3
simulo (1) I pretend, put on an act of
4
pileum, -i, n. a felt cap
5
bos, bovis, m. ox
6
aratrum, -i, n. plough
7
cunis from his cradle
8

Additional words
insania, -ae, f. insanity
simulatio, -onis, f. pretence

Latin Language | GRADED TRANSLATION A1

Ulysses

Ulysses tries to get out of going to the Trojan War

When Agamemnon and Menelaus, the sons of Atreus, were leading the leaders who had joined in tak-
ing an oath, in order to attack Troy, they came to the island of Ithaca to Ulysses, the son of Laertes,
whom they wanted to take with them to Troy on account of his outstanding wisdom. But an oracle had
replied to Ulysses that, if he went to Troy, he would return home only after the twentieth year, having
lost his companions. And so, when he knew that the sons of Atreus were going to come to him, pretend-
ing to be mad, he put on a felt cap and yoked to the plough a horse with a bull. When Palamedes saw
him, he realized that Ulysses was pretending and, after taking his son Telemachus from the cradle, he
flung him in front of the plough and said, Lay aside your pretence and join those who have sworn the
oath together. Then Ulysses promised that he would come; from that time on he was the enemy of
Palamedes.

Hyginus 95 (adapted)
2
OCR AS Latin OxBox CD-ROM Oxford University Press 2008