← Latin for Soldiers, Sailors and Military Strategists
◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ ◊ᴸᵃᵗⁱⁿᵘᵐ ◊ᴸᵃᵗⁱⁿ ◊ᴸᵉˢˢᵒⁿ⁵⁸ ◊ᵗᵃᵐᵉⁿ
Welcome to Lesson 58 of Latin for Soldiers, Sailors and Military Strategists. Today’s word is the adverb tamen, “nevertheless, yet, all the same.” The Dickinson Core Vocabulary ranks it 58th among all Latin words. Lesson 57 taught enim, the word of the reason. Tamen is the word of the thing that happens in spite of the reason. The enemy were more numerous; our men, nevertheless, did not give way. The grain had run out; nevertheless no one complained. Caesar’s Commentaries are full of tamen, because war is full of things that should have gone one way and went the other.
What does tamen mean in Latin?
Tamen means “nevertheless, yet, still, however, all the same.” It tells you that what follows is true in spite of what has just been said, or in spite of a clause beginning “although”: Etsi ventus adversus erat, nāvis tamen pervēnit, “Although the wind was against her, the ship nevertheless arrived.” It never changes its form.
Where does tamen stand in the sentence?
Tamen is freer than enim. It may stand first in its clause (Tamen tot incommodīs cōnflīctātī…, “Nevertheless, buffeted by so many misfortunes…”), but very often it stands second, straight after the word that carries the contrast: nostrī tamen, “our men, however.” It is not strictly postpositive, as enim is.
How does Latin differ from English here?
English often puts “although” in one clause and nothing in the other: “Although they were tired, they fought.” Latin likes to mark both halves: quamquam fessī erant, tamen pugnābant, “although they were tired, they nevertheless fought.” In translation the tamen may be left out, or given as “still” or “even so.” English “however” has two uses, “nevertheless” and “moreover, now”; Latin tamen has only the first. For the second, Latin uses autem.
Etymology: Lewis and Short give tamen the senses “notwithstanding, nevertheless, for all that, however, yet, still”; its origin is uncertain, though it is often connected with tam, “so.” It has left no word in English. Compounds and fixed groups formed with it include attamen and sed tamen (“but still”), tametsi (“although,” from tamen + etsi) and vērumtamen (“but yet”).
Key Takeaways
✦ Tamen is an indeclinable adverb meaning “nevertheless, yet, still, all the same”: what follows is true in spite of what went before
✦ It often answers a clause of concession: etsi, quamquam, quamvīs, cum, ut … tamen (“although … nevertheless”)
✦ It stands first in its clause, or second after the word that carries the contrast: nostrī tamen, “our men, however”
✦ Sed tamen, at tamen and attamen mean “but still”; tametsi means “although”
✦ Do not confuse tamen (“nevertheless”) with tandem (“at last”) or with autem (“however, moreover,” which marks a new step, not a contrast with a concession)
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tamen /ˈta.men/: two short syllables, TA-men, with the stress on the first. The a is short, as in the first vowel of English “aha”; the e is short, as in “pet.” Do not say “TAY-men.”
attamen /atˈta.men/: the double t is held a moment; stress on the second syllable: at-TA-men.
tametsi /taˈmet.si/: stress on the heavy second syllable: ta-MET-si.
vērumtamen /weː.rumˈta.men/: stress on ta: wē-rum-TA-men.
tandem /ˈtan.dem/: “at last,” not to be confused with tamen; stress on the first syllable.
This course gives the restored classical pronunciation: c is always /k/, v is /w/, ae is /ae̯/ as in “eye,” qu is /kʷ/.
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58.1a Mīlitēs the-soldiers tamen nevertheless manent stay
58.1b Mīlitēs /ˈmiː.li.teːs/ soldier.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV manent /ˈma.nent/ remain.3PL.PRES
58.2a Fessī tired tamen nevertheless pugnant they-fight
58.2b Fessī /ˈfes.siː/ tired.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV pugnant /ˈpuɡ.nant/ fight.3PL.PRES
58.3a Paucī few sumus we-are tamen yet vincēmus we-shall-win
58.3b Paucī /ˈpau̯.kiː/ few.NOM.M.PL sumus /ˈsu.mus/ be.1PL.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV vincēmus /wiŋˈkeː.mus/ conquer.1PL.FUT
58.4a Nox night est it-is tamen still vigilāmus we-keep-watch
58.4b Nox /noks/ night.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV vigilāmus /wi.ɡiˈlaː.mus/ keep-watch.1PL.PRES
58.5a Vulnerātus wounded tamen nevertheless signum the-standard tenet he-holds
58.5b Vulnerātus /wul.neˈraː.tus/ wound.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.M.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV signum /ˈsiɡ.num/ standard.ACC.N.SG tenet /ˈte.net/ hold.3SG.PRES
58.6a Hostēs the-enemy plūrēs more-numerous erant were nostrī our-men tamen nevertheless nōn not cessērunt gave-way
58.6b Hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL plūrēs /ˈpluː.reːs/ more.COMP.NOM.M.PL erant /ˈe.rant/ be.3PL.IMPERF nostrī /ˈnos.triː/ our.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV nōn /noːn/ not.ADV cessērunt /kesˈseː.runt/ yield.3PL.PERF
58.7a Etsi although ventus the-wind adversus contrary erat was nāvis the-ship tamen nevertheless pervēnit arrived
58.7b Etsi /ˈet.si/ although.CONJ ventus /ˈwen.tus/ wind.NOM.M.SG adversus /adˈwer.sus/ contrary.NOM.M.SG erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF nāvis /ˈnaː.wis/ ship.NOM.F.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV pervēnit /perˈweː.nit/ arrive.3SG.PERF
58.8a Quamquam although frūmentum grain dēerat was-lacking mīlitēs the-soldiers tamen nevertheless labōrābant went-on-working
58.8b Quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ although.CONJ frūmentum /fruːˈmen.tum/ grain.NOM.N.SG dēerat /ˈdeː.e.rat/ be-lacking.3SG.IMPERF mīlitēs /ˈmiː.li.teːs/ soldier.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV labōrābant /la.boːˈraː.bant/ work.3PL.IMPERF
58.9a Dux the-general saucius wounded erat was sed but tamen nevertheless aciem the-battle-line īnstrūxit he-drew-up
58.9b Dux /duks/ general.NOM.M.SG saucius /ˈsau̯.ki.us/ wounded.NOM.M.SG erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF sed /sed/ but.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV aciem /ˈa.ki.em/ battle-line.ACC.F.SG īnstrūxit /iːnˈstruːk.sit/ draw-up.3SG.PERF
58.10a Castra the-camp parva small sunt is tamen yet facile easily dēfendī to-be-defended possunt it-can
58.10b Castra /ˈkas.tra/ camp.NOM.N.PL parva /ˈpar.wa/ small.NOM.N.PL sunt /sunt/ be.3PL.PRES tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV facile /ˈfa.ki.le/ easily.ADV dēfendī /deːˈfen.diː/ defend.PRES.INF.PASS possunt /ˈpos.sunt/ be-able.3PL.PRES
58.11a Ut granted-that dēsint be-lacking vīrēs the-strength tamen yet est is laudanda to-be-praised voluntās the-will
58.11b Ut /ut/ granted-that.CONJ dēsint /ˈdeː.sint/ be-lacking.3PL.PRES.SUBJ vīrēs /ˈwiː.reːs/ strength.NOM.F.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV est /est/ be.3SG.PRES laudanda /lau̯ˈdan.da/ praise.GERUNDIVE.NOM.F.SG voluntās /wo.lunˈtaːs/ will.NOM.F.SG
58.12a Id this tamen however sē himself celeriter quickly maiōribus with-greater commodīs advantages sānātūrum to-be-going-to-heal
58.12b Id /id/ it.ACC.N.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV sē /seː/ self.ACC.M.SG celeriter /ˈke.le.ri.ter/ quickly.ADV maiōribus /majˈjoː.ri.bus/ greater.COMP.ABL.N.PL commodīs /ˈkom.mo.diːs/ advantage.ABL.N.PL sānātūrum /saː.naːˈtuː.rum/ heal.FUT.ACT.PART.ACC.M.SG(+esse)
58.13a Tamen nevertheless tot by-so-many incommodīs misfortunes cōnflīctātī buffeted multīs many vulneribus wounds acceptīs having-been-received resistēbant they-kept-resisting
58.13b Tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV tot /tot/ so-many.INDECL incommodīs /iŋˈkom.mo.diːs/ misfortune.ABL.N.PL cōnflīctātī /koːn.fliːkˈtaː.tiː/ buffet.PERF.PART.NOM.M.PL multīs /ˈmul.tiːs/ many.ABL.N.PL vulneribus /wulˈne.ri.bus/ wound.ABL.N.PL acceptīs /akˈkep.tiːs/ receive.PERF.PART.PASS.ABL.N.PL resistēbant /re.sisˈteː.bant/ resist.3PL.IMPERF
58.14a Nūlla no tamen nevertheless vōx word est was ab by eīs them audīta heard populī of-the-people Rōmānī Roman maiestāte of-the-majesty et and superiōribus of-former victōriīs victories indigna unworthy
58.14b Nūlla /ˈnuːl.la/ no.NOM.F.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV vōx /woːks/ voice.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES ab /ab/ by.PREP+ABL eīs /ˈe.iːs/ they.ABL.M.PL audīta /au̯ˈdiː.ta/ hear.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.F.SG populī /ˈpo.pu.liː/ people.GEN.M.SG Rōmānī /roːˈmaː.niː/ Roman.GEN.M.SG maiestāte /maj.jesˈtaː.te/ majesty.ABL.F.SG et /et/ and.CONJ superiōribus /su.pe.riˈoː.ri.bus/ former.COMP.ABL.F.PL victōriīs /wikˈtoː.ri.iːs/ victory.ABL.F.PL indigna /inˈdiɡ.na/ unworthy.NOM.F.SG
58.15a Caesar Caesar cōnsiliō the-plan eius his probātō having-been-approved etsi although opīniōne in-the-expectation trium of-three legiōnum legions dēiectus disappointed ad to duās two redierat he-had-come-back tamen nevertheless ūnum the-one commūnis of-common salūtis safety auxilium help in in celeritāte speed pōnēbat placed
58.15b Caesar /ˈkae̯.sar/ Caesar.NOM.M.SG cōnsiliō /koːnˈsi.li.oː/ plan.ABL.N.SG eius /ˈej.jus/ he.GEN.M.SG probātō /proˈbaː.toː/ approve.PERF.PART.PASS.ABL.N.SG etsi /ˈet.si/ although.CONJ opīniōne /o.piː.niˈoː.ne/ expectation.ABL.F.SG trium /ˈtri.um/ three.GEN.F.PL legiōnum /le.ɡiˈoː.num/ legion.GEN.F.PL dēiectus /deːˈjek.tus/ cast-down.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.M.SG ad /ad/ to.PREP+ACC duās /ˈdu.aːs/ two.ACC.F.PL redierat /reˈdi.e.rat/ return.3SG.PLUPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV ūnum /ˈuː.num/ one.ACC.N.SG commūnis /komˈmuː.nis/ common.GEN.F.SG salūtis /saˈluː.tis/ safety.GEN.F.SG auxilium /au̯kˈsi.li.um/ help.ACC.N.SG in /in/ in.PREP+ABL celeritāte /ke.le.riˈtaː.te/ speed.ABL.F.SG pōnēbat /poːˈneː.bat/ place.3SG.IMPERF
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58.1 Mīlitēs tamen manent. → “Yet the soldiers stay.”
58.2 Fessī tamen pugnant. → “Tired as they are, they fight all the same.”
58.3 Paucī sumus, tamen vincēmus. → “We are few, yet we shall win.”
58.4 Nox est; tamen vigilāmus. → “It is night; still we keep watch.”
58.5 Vulnerātus tamen signum tenet. → “Though wounded, he still holds the standard.”
58.6 Hostēs plūrēs erant; nostrī tamen nōn cessērunt. → “The enemy were more numerous; our men, however, did not give way.”
58.7 Etsi ventus adversus erat, nāvis tamen pervēnit. → “Although the wind was against her, the ship nevertheless arrived.”
58.8 Quamquam frūmentum dēerat, mīlitēs tamen labōrābant. → “Although grain was short, the soldiers kept on working.”
58.9 Dux saucius erat, sed tamen aciem īnstrūxit. → “The general was wounded, but even so he drew up the battle line.”
58.10 Castra parva sunt, tamen facile dēfendī possunt. → “The camp is small, yet it can easily be defended.”
58.11 Ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās. → “Though the strength be lacking, yet the will deserves praise.” (Ovid, Epistulae ex Pontō 3.4.79)
58.12 Id tamen sē celeriter maiōribus commodīs sānātūrum. → “This loss, however, he said, he would quickly make good with greater gains.” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 7.29)
58.13 Tamen tot incommodīs cōnflīctātī, multīs vulneribus acceptīs resistēbant … → “Nevertheless, though buffeted by so many misfortunes and with many wounds received, they kept on resisting …” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 5.35; the first part of the sentence)
58.14 Nūlla tamen vōx est ab eīs audīta populī Rōmānī maiestāte et superiōribus victōriīs indigna. → “Yet not one word was heard from them unworthy of the majesty of the Roman people and of their former victories.” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 7.17; the main clause of the sentence)
58.15 Caesar, cōnsiliō eius probātō, etsi opīniōne trium legiōnum dēiectus ad duās redierat, tamen ūnum commūnis salūtis auxilium in celeritāte pōnēbat. → “Caesar approved Labienus’ decision; and although, disappointed in his hope of three legions, he was reduced to two, he nevertheless placed the one hope of saving them all in speed.” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 5.48)
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58.1 Mīlitēs tamen manent.
58.2 Fessī tamen pugnant.
58.3 Paucī sumus, tamen vincēmus.
58.4 Nox est; tamen vigilāmus.
58.5 Vulnerātus tamen signum tenet.
58.6 Hostēs plūrēs erant; nostrī tamen nōn cessērunt.
58.7 Etsi ventus adversus erat, nāvis tamen pervēnit.
58.8 Quamquam frūmentum dēerat, mīlitēs tamen labōrābant.
58.9 Dux saucius erat, sed tamen aciem īnstrūxit.
58.10 Castra parva sunt, tamen facile dēfendī possunt.
58.11 Ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās.
58.12 Id tamen sē celeriter maiōribus commodīs sānātūrum.
58.13 Tamen tot incommodīs cōnflīctātī, multīs vulneribus acceptīs resistēbant …
58.14 Nūlla tamen vōx est ab eīs audīta populī Rōmānī maiestāte et superiōribus victōriīs indigna.
58.15 Caesar, cōnsiliō eius probātō, etsi opīniōne trium legiōnum dēiectus ad duās redierat, tamen ūnum commūnis salūtis auxilium in celeritāte pōnēbat.
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These are the grammar rules for tamen in Latin:
1. An adverb of contrast
Tamen is an adverb. It does not change its form. It says that what follows holds good in spite of what has been said: hostēs plūrēs erant; nostrī tamen nōn cessērunt (58.6). The “in spite of” may be a whole sentence before (58.4, 58.6, F.2), a clause beginning “although” (58.7, 58.8, 58.15, F.3), or a single word, an adjective or participle, that has the force of “although” (58.2, 58.5, 58.13).
2. Position in the clause
Tamen may stand first in its clause: Tamen tot incommodīs cōnflīctātī … resistēbant (58.13), tamen vigilāmus (58.4). Very often it stands second, straight after the word that is being contrasted with what went before: nostrī tamen (58.6, F.2), nāvis tamen (58.7), nūlla tamen vōx (58.14), id tamen (58.12). In that position it throws weight on the first word: “our men, for their part, did not give way.” Unlike enim, it is not bound to the second place.
3. Concession and tamen: “although … nevertheless”
Latin regularly answers a clause of concession with tamen in the main clause. The concessive conjunctions are:
etsi, tametsi, “although, even if,” with the indicative for a fact: etsi ventus adversus erat, nāvis tamen pervēnit (58.7); etsi … redierat, tamen … pōnēbat (58.15); etsi nōndum … cognōverat, tamen … suspicābātur (F.3)
quamquam, “although,” with the indicative in classical prose: quamquam frūmentum dēerat, mīlitēs tamen labōrābant (58.8; also 58.18, 58.29)
quamvīs, “however much, although,” with the subjunctive: quamvīs fessī essent, mīlitēs tamen fossam fodiēbant (58.26)
ut, “granted that, even if,” with the subjunctive: ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās (58.11)
cum, “although,” with the subjunctive (cum concessive), often answered by tamen
English normally marks only one half (“although … ,” or “… , but …”); Latin marks both. In translation, keep one: “although the wind was against her, the ship arrived” or “the wind was against her, but the ship still arrived.”
4. Sed tamen, at tamen, attamen, vērumtamen
After sed, at or vērum, tamen strengthens the “but”: “but still, but even so.” Dux saucius erat, sed tamen aciem īnstrūxit (58.9); centuriō … sed tamen ōrdinēs hortārī nōn dēstitit (58.21). Attamen is written as one word; vērumtamen (vēruntamen) likewise.
5. Participles and adjectives with tamen
A participle or adjective can carry the sense of “although” on its own, and tamen makes it clear: fessī tamen pugnant, “tired, they fight all the same” (58.2); vulnerātus tamen signum tenet (58.5); tot incommodīs cōnflīctātī … resistēbant (58.13), where tamen comes first and the participle follows.
6. Tamen does not change the mood
The verb after tamen is in whatever mood the sentence needs without it. In 58.12 Caesar is reporting Vercingetorix’s speech in indirect statement, so the verb is an infinitive, sānātūrum (esse), the future infinitive with esse left out, agreeing with sē. The subjunctives in 58.11 and 58.26 come from ut and quamvīs, not from tamen.
7. Other constructions in the examples
Est … audīta (58.14) is the perfect passive, split by the words between; indigna takes the ablative of the thing one is unworthy of: maiestāte et superiōribus victōriīs indigna, “unworthy of the majesty and of the former victories.” Multīs vulneribus acceptīs (58.13) and cōnsiliō eius probātō (58.15) are ablatives absolute. Opīniōne … dēiectus (58.15) is “thrown down from his expectation,” that is, “disappointed in his hope.” Dēfendī (58.10) is the present passive infinitive, “to be defended.” Castra is plural in form and singular in meaning, so the verb is plural: castra parva sunt, “the camp is small.” For the constructions in the Genre Section, see its Part D.
Common Mistakes
Confusing tamen with tandem. Tandem is “at last, finally.” Nōndum cēdēbant … tandem fūgērunt would be “they were not yet giving ground … at last they fled”; tamen is “nevertheless.” The words differ by one letter: read carefully.
Confusing tamen with autem. Autem (“however, moreover”) stands second and marks a new step or a mild contrast (Lesson 57, F.1). Tamen marks a real contradiction: something that happens against expectation.
Reading tamen as “therefore.” Tamen never gives a result; for “therefore” Latin uses igitur, itaque or ergō.
Leaving the concession unanswered in Latin composition. “Although they were tired, they fought” is best written quamquam fessī erant, tamen pugnābant.
Using quamquam with the subjunctive in classical prose. Quamquam takes the indicative; quamvīs takes the subjunctive.
Pronouncing tamen as “TAY-men.” Both vowels are short: TA-men.
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The word of endurance
In military narrative tamen marks the moment when men do what the circumstances say they cannot. Caesar uses it constantly, and almost always for the same purpose: to show discipline holding against hunger, wounds, numbers or bad luck. A reader can follow the Gallic War by its tamen-clauses, and they show what Caesar wanted his readers in Rome to admire in his army.
Hunger at Avaricum
In 52 BC Caesar besieged Avaricum (Bourges), the stronghold of the Bituriges. Vercingetorix had burned the farms and villages round about, the Boii were too poor to supply much grain and the Aedui did not try hard. For several days the soldiers had no grain at all and kept off starvation with cattle driven in from distant villages. Caesar then writes: nūlla tamen vōx est ab eīs audīta populī Rōmānī maiestāte et superiōribus victōriīs indigna (7.17; 58.14). When he went round the legions and offered to raise the siege if the hardship was too great, they begged him not to. Here the tamen carries the whole point: hunger had come, and discipline still held. (Compare Vegetius in Lesson 57: “hunger is crueller than the sword.”)
The disaster of Sabinus and Cotta
In the winter of 54 BC the legates Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta commanded a legion and five cohorts in winter quarters among the Eburones, at the place Caesar later names Atuatuca. The Eburonian chief Ambiorix persuaded Sabinus that the whole of Gaul had risen, and the force left its camp on the march. In a valley it was ambushed. Caesar describes how the cohorts, every time they charged, were cut off and surrounded, and then writes: tamen tot incommodīs cōnflīctātī, multīs vulneribus acceptīs resistēbant (5.35; 58.13), and they fought from first light to the eighth hour without doing anything unworthy of themselves. Then Sabinus went to parley with Ambiorix and was killed, Cotta died fighting, and the force was destroyed. The tamen is Caesar’s tribute to the men, given before he tells how they were lost.
Speed with two legions
Shortly afterwards the Nervii and their allies besieged the winter camp of Quintus Cicero, the orator’s brother. Caesar hoped to march to his relief with three legions, but Titus Labienus wrote that he could not leave his own camp, because the Treveri were close by in force. Caesar approved his decision and, though reduced to two legions, tamen ūnum commūnis salūtis auxilium in celeritāte pōnēbat (5.48; 58.15): he put the only hope in speed. He came with about seven thousand men against a force he puts at sixty thousand (5.49), drew the Gauls on to ground of his own choosing, routed them and relieved the camp. For a strategist the sentence is a lesson in itself: when you cannot add strength, add speed.
Vercingetorix after Avaricum
When Avaricum fell, Vercingetorix called a council. He had never wanted to defend the town, he said; the loss was the fault of the Bituriges and of those who gave way to them. Id tamen sē celeriter maiōribus commodīs sānātūrum (7.29; 58.12): he would soon make good the loss with greater gains, by bringing the rest of Gaul into one alliance. Caesar, his enemy, records that the speech worked: where defeat usually lessens a commander’s authority, Vercingetorix’s grew day by day (7.30).
A will without strength
Ovid was banished by Augustus in AD 8 to Tomis on the Black Sea, a frontier town exposed to raids from across the Danube. In the fourth poem of the third book of his Letters from the Black Sea, he sends his friend Rufinus a poem on a Roman triumph which he could not see for himself, and apologises for its weakness: ut dēsint vīrēs, tamen est laudanda voluntās (58.11), “though the strength be lacking, the will still deserves praise.” The line has been quoted ever since by anyone who has done his best with too little.
The landing in Britain
Section F returns to Caesar’s first landing in Britain, in 55 BC (see Lesson 57). The soldiers had to jump from the ships into deep water under fire; Caesar tells how the eagle-bearer of the Tenth Legion leaped down first and called on the rest to follow him (4.25). Even then, tamen: on the beach the men could not form up, and they fell into confusion.
Modern traces
Tamen has left no word in English. Its most famous line outside military writing is Horace’s naturam expellēs furcā, tamen usque recurret, “you may drive out nature with a pitchfork, yet she will always come running back” (Epistles 1.10.24). The English word that does its work, “nevertheless,” is itself a soldier’s word: it states the obstacle and refuses it.
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Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 4.26.1 and 4.31.1–2 (written in the 50s BC). The first passage is the fight on the beach at Caesar’s first landing in Britain in 55 BC; the second comes a few days later, after the storm and the high tides had wrecked many of his ships (4.28–29, Lesson 57) and the Britons had begun to plot a new war (4.30). Each passage turns on tamen. F.1–F.2 are consecutive; F.3–F.4 are consecutive. The text is from the Latin Library, checked against Wikisource; the macrons are editorial.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Pugnātum fought est it-was ab by utrīsque both-sides ācriter fiercely
F.1b Pugnātum /puɡˈnaː.tum/ fight.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES ab /ab/ by.PREP+ABL utrīsque /uˈtriːs.kʷe/ each-of-two.ABL.M.PL ācriter /ˈaː.kri.ter/ fiercely.ADV
F.2a Nostrī our-men tamen however quod because neque neither ōrdinēs the-ranks servāre to-keep neque nor firmiter firmly īnsistere to-stand neque nor signa the-standards subsequī to-follow poterant they-were-able atque and alius one aliā another ex from nāvī ship quibuscumque to-whatever signīs standards occurrerat he-had-met sē himself adgregābat attached magnopere greatly perturbābantur were-thrown-into-confusion
F.2b Nostrī /ˈnos.triː/ our.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV quod /kʷod/ because.CONJ neque /ˈne.kʷe/ neither.CONJ ōrdinēs /ˈoːr.di.neːs/ rank.ACC.M.PL servāre /serˈwaː.re/ keep.PRES.INF neque /ˈne.kʷe/ nor.CONJ firmiter /ˈfir.mi.ter/ firmly.ADV īnsistere /iːnˈsis.te.re/ stand.PRES.INF neque /ˈne.kʷe/ nor.CONJ signa /ˈsiɡ.na/ standard.ACC.N.PL subsequī /ˈsub.se.kʷiː/ follow.PRES.INF.DEP poterant /ˈpo.te.rant/ be-able.3PL.IMPERF atque /ˈat.kʷe/ and.CONJ alius /ˈa.li.us/ one.NOM.M.SG aliā /ˈa.li.aː/ other.ABL.F.SG ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL nāvī /ˈnaː.wiː/ ship.ABL.F.SG quibuscumque /kʷi.busˈkum.kʷe/ whatever.DAT.N.PL signīs /ˈsiɡ.niːs/ standard.DAT.N.PL occurrerat /okˈkur.re.rat/ meet.3SG.PLUPERF sē /seː/ self.ACC.M.SG adgregābat /ad.ɡreˈɡaː.bat/ attach.3SG.IMPERF magnopere /maɡˈno.pe.re/ greatly.ADV perturbābantur /per.tur.baːˈban.tur/ confuse.3PL.IMPERF.PASS
F.3a At but Caesar Caesar etsi although nōndum not-yet eōrum their cōnsilia plans cognōverat he-had-learned tamen nevertheless et both ex from ēventū the-fate nāvium of-the-ships suārum his-own et and ex from eō this quod that obsidēs hostages dare to-give intermīserant they-had-stopped fore to-be-going-to-be id that quod which accidit happened suspicābātur suspected
F.3b At /at/ but.CONJ Caesar /ˈkae̯.sar/ Caesar.NOM.M.SG etsi /ˈet.si/ although.CONJ nōndum /ˈnoːn.dum/ not-yet.ADV eōrum /eˈoː.rum/ they.GEN.M.PL cōnsilia /koːnˈsi.li.a/ plan.ACC.N.PL cognōverat /koɡˈnoː.we.rat/ learn.3SG.PLUPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV et /et/ both.CONJ ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL ēventū /eːˈwen.tuː/ outcome.ABL.M.SG nāvium /ˈnaː.wi.um/ ship.GEN.F.PL suārum /suˈaː.rum/ his-own.GEN.F.PL et /et/ and.CONJ ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL eō /ˈe.oː/ that.ABL.N.SG quod /kʷod/ that.CONJ obsidēs /ˈob.si.deːs/ hostage.ACC.M.PL dare /ˈda.re/ give.PRES.INF intermīserant /in.terˈmiː.se.rant/ stop.3PL.PLUPERF fore /ˈfo.re/ be.FUT.INF id /id/ that.ACC.N.SG quod /kʷod/ which.NOM.N.SG accidit /ˈak.ki.dit/ happen.3SG.PERF suspicābātur /sus.pi.kaːˈbaː.tur/ suspect.3SG.IMPERF.DEP
F.4a Itaque and-so ad for omnēs all cāsūs eventualities subsidia reserves comparābat he-was-preparing
F.4b Itaque /ˈi.ta.kʷe/ and-so.ADV ad /ad/ for.PREP+ACC omnēs /ˈom.neːs/ all.ACC.M.PL cāsūs /ˈkaː.suːs/ chance.ACC.M.PL subsidia /subˈsi.di.a/ reserve.ACC.N.PL comparābat /kom.paˈraː.bat/ prepare.3SG.IMPERF
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Pugnātum est ab utrīsque ācriter. Nostrī tamen, quod neque ōrdinēs servāre neque firmiter īnsistere neque signa subsequī poterant atque alius aliā ex nāvī quibuscumque signīs occurrerat sē adgregābat, magnopere perturbābantur. … At Caesar, etsi nōndum eōrum cōnsilia cognōverat, tamen et ex ēventū nāvium suārum et ex eō quod obsidēs dare intermīserant fore id quod accidit suspicābātur. Itaque ad omnēs cāsūs subsidia comparābat.
“Both sides fought fiercely. Our men, however, were thrown into great confusion, because they could neither keep their ranks nor stand firm nor follow their standards, and men from different ships were attaching themselves to whatever standards they happened upon. … Caesar, although he had not yet learned their plans, nevertheless suspected, both from what had happened to his ships and from the fact that they had stopped sending hostages, that what did in fact happen would happen. And so he made preparations against every eventuality.”
— Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 4.26.1, 4.31.1–2
F-C: Latin Text Only
Pugnātum est ab utrīsque ācriter. Nostrī tamen, quod neque ōrdinēs servāre neque firmiter īnsistere neque signa subsequī poterant atque alius aliā ex nāvī quibuscumque signīs occurrerat sē adgregābat, magnopere perturbābantur. … At Caesar, etsi nōndum eōrum cōnsilia cognōverat, tamen et ex ēventū nāvium suārum et ex eō quod obsidēs dare intermīserant fore id quod accidit suspicābātur. Itaque ad omnēs cāsūs subsidia comparābat.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The two passages show the two chief uses of tamen. In F.2 it stands second, after nostrī, and answers a whole sentence: “both sides fought fiercely; our men, however, were in confusion.” The reason is given in a long quod-clause with three infinitives after poterant, linked by neque … neque … neque, “neither … nor … nor.” Alius aliā ex nāvī is a favourite Latin idiom: alius repeated in another case means “one … one, another … another,” so “one man from one ship, another from another,” that is, “men from different ships.” Quibuscumque signīs occurrerat, “whatever standards he had run into,” is dative after occurrere. Pugnātum est (F.1) is the impersonal passive: literally “it was fought,” that is, “there was fighting.”
In F.3 tamen answers an etsi-clause: “although he did not yet know … nevertheless he suspected.” The object of suspicābātur is an accusative-and-infinitive, id fore, “that that would be,” and quod accidit, “which (in fact) happened,” is Caesar’s quiet way of telling the reader the outcome in advance. Fore is the future infinitive of sum, the same as futūrum esse. F.4 begins with itaque, “and so,” which draws the practical conclusion.
For a strategist the second passage is the more instructive. Caesar did not know; he suspected, from two signs, the state of his own fleet and the halt in the hostages. Etsi nōndum cognōverat, tamen suspicābātur: a commander who waits for certainty waits too long. He put in reserves for every case, brought grain into camp every day and used the timber and bronze of the worst-wrecked ships to repair the rest (4.31.2–3). When the Britons attacked the Seventh Legion while it was harvesting grain (4.32), he was ready.
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A pedagogical composition, written for this lesson and not a quotation. A cohort is sent out to forage and is caught on a hill by a far larger enemy force. The story is told in the manner of Caesar’s battle narratives, and each sentence turns on tamen: at every point something goes wrong, and the cohort holds all the same.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
58.16a Cohors a-cohort in onto collem the-hill pābulātum to-forage missa sent est was hostēs the-enemy tamen however in in silvīs the-woods latēbant were-lying-hidden
58.16b Cohors /ˈko.hors/ cohort.NOM.F.SG in /in/ onto.PREP+ACC collem /ˈkol.lem/ hill.ACC.M.SG pābulātum /paː.buˈlaː.tum/ forage.SUPINE.ACC missa /ˈmis.sa/ send.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV in /in/ in.PREP+ABL silvīs /ˈsil.wiːs/ wood.ABL.F.PL latēbant /laˈteː.bant/ lie-hidden.3PL.IMPERF
58.17a Subitō suddenly hostēs the-enemy ērūpērunt burst-out nostrī our-men tamen however nōn not fūgērunt fled
58.17b Subitō /ˈsu.bi.toː/ suddenly.ADV hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL ērūpērunt /eː.ruːˈpeː.runt/ burst-out.3PL.PERF nostrī /ˈnos.triː/ our.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV nōn /noːn/ not.ADV fūgērunt /fuːˈɡeː.runt/ flee.3PL.PERF
58.18a Centuriō the-centurion signum the-signal dedit gave et and mīlitēs the-soldiers quamquam although dispersī scattered erant they-were tamen nevertheless celeriter quickly convēnērunt assembled
58.18b Centuriō /kenˈtu.ri.oː/ centurion.NOM.M.SG signum /ˈsiɡ.num/ signal.ACC.N.SG dedit /ˈde.dit/ give.3SG.PERF et /et/ and.CONJ mīlitēs /ˈmiː.li.teːs/ soldier.NOM.M.PL quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ although.CONJ dispersī /disˈper.siː/ scatter.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.M.PL erant /ˈe.rant/ be.3PL.IMPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV celeriter /ˈke.le.ri.ter/ quickly.ADV convēnērunt /kon.weːˈneː.runt/ assemble.3PL.PERF
58.19a Hostium of-the-enemy multitūdō the-number ingēns huge erat was tamen yet cohors the-cohort orbem a-circle fēcit made
58.19b Hostium /ˈhos.ti.um/ enemy.GEN.M.PL multitūdō /mul.tiˈtuː.doː/ multitude.NOM.F.SG ingēns /ˈin.ɡeːns/ huge.NOM.F.SG erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV cohors /ˈko.hors/ cohort.NOM.F.SG orbem /ˈor.bem/ circle.ACC.M.SG fēcit /ˈfeː.kit/ make.3SG.PERF
58.20a Tēla missiles undique from-all-sides volābant were-flying scūta the-shields tamen nevertheless firma firm manēbant remained
58.20b Tēla /ˈteː.la/ missile.NOM.N.PL undique /ˈun.di.kʷe/ from-everywhere.ADV volābant /woˈlaː.bant/ fly.3PL.IMPERF scūta /ˈskuː.ta/ shield.NOM.N.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV firma /ˈfir.ma/ firm.NOM.N.PL manēbant /maˈneː.bant/ remain.3PL.IMPERF
58.21a Centuriō the-centurion sagittā by-an-arrow vulnerātus wounded est was sed but tamen nevertheless ōrdinēs the-ranks hortārī to-encourage nōn not dēstitit he-ceased
58.21b Centuriō /kenˈtu.ri.oː/ centurion.NOM.M.SG sagittā /saˈɡit.taː/ arrow.ABL.F.SG vulnerātus /wul.neˈraː.tus/ wound.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES sed /sed/ but.CONJ tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV ōrdinēs /ˈoːr.di.neːs/ rank.ACC.M.PL hortārī /horˈtaː.riː/ encourage.PRES.INF.DEP nōn /noːn/ not.ADV dēstitit /ˈdeː.sti.tit/ cease.3SG.PERF
58.22a Aqua water dēficiēbat was-running-out et and sōl the-sun ūrēbat was-scorching nēmō no-one tamen nevertheless querēbātur complained
58.22b Aqua /ˈa.kʷa/ water.NOM.F.SG dēficiēbat /deː.fi.kiˈeː.bat/ run-short.3SG.IMPERF et /et/ and.CONJ sōl /soːl/ sun.NOM.M.SG ūrēbat /uːˈreː.bat/ burn.3SG.IMPERF nēmō /ˈneː.moː/ no-one.NOM.M.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV querēbātur /kʷe.reːˈbaː.tur/ complain.3SG.IMPERF.DEP
58.23a Hostēs the-enemy vītam life prōmittēbant were-promising sī if arma their-arms trāderent they-handed-over nostrī our-men tamen however arma their-arms retinuērunt kept
58.23b Hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL vītam /ˈwiː.tam/ life.ACC.F.SG prōmittēbant /proː.mitˈteː.bant/ promise.3PL.IMPERF sī /siː/ if.CONJ arma /ˈar.ma/ arms.ACC.N.PL trāderent /ˈtraː.de.rent/ hand-over.3PL.IMPERF.SUBJ nostrī /ˈnos.triː/ our.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV arma /ˈar.ma/ arms.ACC.N.PL retinuērunt /re.ti.nuˈeː.runt/ keep.3PL.PERF
58.24a Paucī few sumus we-are inquit said centuriō the-centurion tamen yet Rōmānī Romans sumus we-are
58.24b Paucī /ˈpau̯.kiː/ few.NOM.M.PL sumus /ˈsu.mus/ be.1PL.PRES inquit /ˈin.kʷit/ say.3SG.PRES centuriō /kenˈtu.ri.oː/ centurion.NOM.M.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV Rōmānī /roːˈmaː.niː/ Roman.NOM.M.PL sumus /ˈsu.mus/ be.1PL.PRES
58.25a Diēs the-day longus long erat was et and hostēs the-enemy identidem again-and-again impetum an-attack faciēbant were-making tamen nevertheless collis the-hill tenēbātur was-held
58.25b Diēs /ˈdi.eːs/ day.NOM.M.SG longus /ˈlon.ɡus/ long.NOM.M.SG erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF et /et/ and.CONJ hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL identidem /iˈden.ti.dem/ repeatedly.ADV impetum /ˈim.pe.tum/ attack.ACC.M.SG faciēbant /fa.kiˈeː.bant/ make.3PL.IMPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV collis /ˈkol.lis/ hill.NOM.M.SG tenēbātur /te.neːˈbaː.tur/ hold.3SG.IMPERF.PASS
58.26a Quamvīs although fessī exhausted essent they-were mīlitēs the-soldiers tamen nevertheless fossam a-ditch fodiēbant were-digging
58.26b Quamvīs /ˈkʷam.wiːs/ although.CONJ fessī /ˈfes.siː/ tired.NOM.M.PL essent /ˈes.sent/ be.3PL.IMPERF.SUBJ mīlitēs /ˈmiː.li.teːs/ soldier.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV fossam /ˈfos.sam/ ditch.ACC.F.SG fodiēbant /fo.diˈeː.bant/ dig.3PL.IMPERF
58.27a Sub towards vesperum evening equitēs the-horsemen nostrī our appāruērunt appeared hostēs the-enemy tamen nevertheless nōndum not-yet cēdēbant were-giving-ground
58.27b Sub /sub/ towards.PREP+ACC vesperum /ˈwes.pe.rum/ evening.ACC.M.SG equitēs /ˈe.kʷi.teːs/ horseman.NOM.M.PL nostrī /ˈnos.triː/ our.NOM.M.PL appāruērunt /ap.paː.ruˈeː.runt/ appear.3PL.PERF hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV nōndum /ˈnoːn.dum/ not-yet.ADV cēdēbant /keːˈdeː.bant/ yield.3PL.IMPERF
58.28a Lēgātus the-legate paucās few cohortēs cohorts habēbat had tamen nevertheless statim at-once in against hostēs the-enemy impetum an-attack fēcit made
58.28b Lēgātus /leːˈɡaː.tus/ legate.NOM.M.SG paucās /ˈpau̯.kaːs/ few.ACC.F.PL cohortēs /koˈhor.teːs/ cohort.ACC.F.PL habēbat /haˈbeː.bat/ have.3SG.IMPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV statim /ˈsta.tim/ at-once.ADV in /in/ against.PREP+ACC hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.ACC.M.PL impetum /ˈim.pe.tum/ attack.ACC.M.SG fēcit /ˈfeː.kit/ make.3SG.PERF
58.29a Hostēs the-enemy quamquam although plūrēs more-numerous erant they-were tamen nevertheless terga their-backs vertērunt turned et and in into silvās the-woods fūgērunt fled
58.29b Hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL quamquam /ˈkʷam.kʷam/ although.CONJ plūrēs /ˈpluː.reːs/ more.COMP.NOM.M.PL erant /ˈe.rant/ be.3PL.IMPERF tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV terga /ˈter.ɡa/ back.ACC.N.PL vertērunt /werˈteː.runt/ turn.3PL.PERF et /et/ and.CONJ in /in/ into.PREP+ACC silvās /ˈsil.waːs/ wood.ACC.F.PL fūgērunt /fuːˈɡeː.runt/ flee.3PL.PERF
58.30a Multī many nostrī of-our-men vulnerātī wounded erant had-been nēmō no-one tamen nevertheless ōrdinem his-place-in-the-ranks relīquerat had-left
58.30b Multī /ˈmul.tiː/ many.NOM.M.PL nostrī /ˈnos.triː/ our.NOM.M.PL vulnerātī /wul.neˈraː.tiː/ wound.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.M.PL erant /ˈe.rant/ be.3PL.IMPERF nēmō /ˈneː.moː/ no-one.NOM.M.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV ōrdinem /ˈoːr.di.nem/ rank.ACC.M.SG relīquerat /reˈliː.kʷe.rat/ leave.3SG.PLUPERF
Part B: Natural Sentences
58.16 Cohors in collem pābulātum missa est; hostēs tamen in silvīs latēbant. → “A cohort was sent up the hill to forage; but the enemy were lying hidden in the woods.”
58.17 Subitō hostēs ērūpērunt; nostrī tamen nōn fūgērunt. → “Suddenly the enemy burst out; our men, however, did not run.”
58.18 Centuriō signum dedit, et mīlitēs, quamquam dispersī erant, tamen celeriter convēnērunt. → “The centurion gave the signal, and the soldiers, though they were scattered, quickly came together.”
58.19 Hostium multitūdō ingēns erat; tamen cohors orbem fēcit. → “The enemy were a huge host; even so, the cohort formed a circle.”
58.20 Tēla undique volābant; scūta tamen firma manēbant. → “Missiles were flying from every side; but the shields held firm.”
58.21 Centuriō sagittā vulnerātus est, sed tamen ōrdinēs hortārī nōn dēstitit. → “The centurion was wounded by an arrow, but even so he did not stop encouraging the ranks.”
58.22 Aqua dēficiēbat et sōl ūrēbat; nēmō tamen querēbātur. → “The water was running out and the sun was scorching; yet no one complained.”
58.23 Hostēs vītam prōmittēbant, sī arma trāderent; nostrī tamen arma retinuērunt. → “The enemy promised to spare their lives if they would hand over their arms; our men, however, kept their arms.”
58.24 “Paucī sumus,” inquit centuriō, “tamen Rōmānī sumus.” → “‘We are few,’ said the centurion, ‘but we are Romans.’”
58.25 Diēs longus erat, et hostēs identidem impetum faciēbant; tamen collis tenēbātur. → “The day was long, and again and again the enemy attacked; but the hill was held.”
58.26 Quamvīs fessī essent, mīlitēs tamen fossam fodiēbant. → “Exhausted though they were, the soldiers kept on digging a ditch.”
58.27 Sub vesperum equitēs nostrī appāruērunt; hostēs tamen nōndum cēdēbant. → “Towards evening our cavalry appeared; even so, the enemy were not yet giving ground.”
58.28 Lēgātus paucās cohortēs habēbat; tamen statim in hostēs impetum fēcit. → “The legate had only a few cohorts; nevertheless he charged the enemy at once.”
58.29 Hostēs, quamquam plūrēs erant, tamen terga vertērunt et in silvās fūgērunt. → “The enemy, although they were more numerous, turned and fled into the woods.”
58.30 Multī nostrī vulnerātī erant; nēmō tamen ōrdinem relīquerat. → “Many of our men had been wounded; yet not one had left his place in the line.”
Part C: Latin Text Only
58.16 Cohors in collem pābulātum missa est; hostēs tamen in silvīs latēbant.
58.17 Subitō hostēs ērūpērunt; nostrī tamen nōn fūgērunt.
58.18 Centuriō signum dedit, et mīlitēs, quamquam dispersī erant, tamen celeriter convēnērunt.
58.19 Hostium multitūdō ingēns erat; tamen cohors orbem fēcit.
58.20 Tēla undique volābant; scūta tamen firma manēbant.
58.21 Centuriō sagittā vulnerātus est, sed tamen ōrdinēs hortārī nōn dēstitit.
58.22 Aqua dēficiēbat et sōl ūrēbat; nēmō tamen querēbātur.
58.23 Hostēs vītam prōmittēbant, sī arma trāderent; nostrī tamen arma retinuērunt.
58.24 “Paucī sumus,” inquit centuriō, “tamen Rōmānī sumus.”
58.25 Diēs longus erat, et hostēs identidem impetum faciēbant; tamen collis tenēbātur.
58.26 Quamvīs fessī essent, mīlitēs tamen fossam fodiēbant.
58.27 Sub vesperum equitēs nostrī appāruērunt; hostēs tamen nōndum cēdēbant.
58.28 Lēgātus paucās cohortēs habēbat; tamen statim in hostēs impetum fēcit.
58.29 Hostēs, quamquam plūrēs erant, tamen terga vertērunt et in silvās fūgērunt.
58.30 Multī nostrī vulnerātī erant; nēmō tamen ōrdinem relīquerat.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Every sentence of the narrative has tamen, and every tamen answers an obstacle. The obstacle is a whole clause before it in 58.16, 58.17, 58.19, 58.20, 58.22, 58.23, 58.25, 58.27, 58.28 and 58.30; a concessive clause in 58.18 and 58.29 (quamquam with the indicative) and in 58.26 (quamvīs with the subjunctive); a participle and sed in 58.21; and a short spoken clause in 58.24. Tamen stands first in its clause in 58.19, 58.24, 58.25 and 58.28; elsewhere it follows the word that carries the contrast: nostrī tamen, scūta tamen, nēmō tamen, hostēs tamen.
Other points. Pābulātum (58.16) is the supine in -um, used after a verb of motion to express purpose: missa est pābulātum, “was sent to forage.” Orbem facere (58.19), “to form a circle,” is said of a force that faces outwards on every side when it is surrounded: Caesar writes orbe factō, “a circle having been formed,” of a party of three hundred caught by the Morini on their way back from Britain (Dē Bellō Gallicō 4.37), and in orbem cōnsistere, “to take position in a circle,” of the cohorts of Sabinus and Cotta (5.33). Hortārī (58.21) is a deponent infinitive, passive in form and active in meaning; dēsistō takes an infinitive: hortārī nōn dēstitit, “did not stop encouraging.” Caesar writes of Vercingetorix nōn dēstitit tamen, “he did not give up, nevertheless” (7.4). Querēbātur (58.22) is likewise deponent. In 58.23 trāderent is subjunctive because the condition belongs to the enemy’s promise, reported in the narrative. In 58.24 inquit, “he said,” stands inside the quotation, after the first words, as it always does in Latin. Collis tenēbātur (58.25), “the hill was being held,” is the imperfect passive: the holding went on all day. Sub vesperum (58.27), “towards evening,” is sub with the accusative of time approaching. Terga vertere (58.29), “to turn the backs,” is the usual Latin for “to run away.” In 58.30 the pluperfects vulnerātī erant and relīquerat look back from the end of the day over everything that had happened.
Watch tandem. A Roman writer could have ended 58.29 with tandem, “at last”: hostēs tandem terga vertērunt. That would be correct Latin with a different meaning. Tamen says the enemy fled although they were more numerous; tandem would say that they fled after a long time.
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Two short vowels. Tamen is TA-men: both vowels short, stress on the first. It is never written with a macron. Its neighbour tandem is TAN-dem; the n before d makes the first syllable heavy, but the a is still short.
Tametsi and attamen. Tametsi is one word, ta-MET-si. Attamen is one word, at-TA-men, with the double t held. Vērumtamen is also printed vēruntamen, with n for m before t; both spellings are found.
I between vowels. In maiōribus (58.12) and maiestāte (58.14) the i is a consonant, and it is doubled in pronunciation: /majˈjoː.ri.bus/, /maj.jesˈtaː.te/. That is why the first syllable is heavy, though its a is short. The same is true of eius (58.15): /ˈej.jus/. Some books print these words with a macron on the a (māiōribus, māiestāte); this course does not.
Dēerat and dēsint. In dēerat (58.8) the two e’s belong to different parts of the word (dē + erat) and are both pronounced: DĒ-e-rat. In verse the two are sometimes run together into one syllable.
Ad- and adg-. Caesar’s manuscripts and the Latin Library print adgregābat (F.2), keeping the prefix ad- unassimilated; other editions print aggregābat. Both spellings are correct; the pronunciation in either case is /aɡ.ɡreˈɡaː.bat/ or /ad.ɡreˈɡaː.bat/.
Consonantal u. Editions of Ovid often print u for v: Vt desint uires, tamen est laudanda uoluntas. This course writes v for the consonant: ut dēsint vīrēs … voluntās. The sound is /w/ in either spelling.
Capitalisation. Peoples and places are capitalised (Rōmānī, Britannia, Avaricum); tamen is capitalised only when it begins a sentence (58.13).
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