← Latin for Soldiers, Sailors and Military Strategists
◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ ◊ᴸᵃᵗⁱⁿᵘᵐ ◊ᴸᵃᵗⁱⁿ ◊ᴸᵉˢˢᵒⁿ⁵⁹ ◊ⁱᵈᵉᵐ
Welcome to Lesson 59 of Latin for Soldiers, Sailors and Military Strategists. Today’s word is the pronoun īdem, eadem, idem, “the same.” The Dickinson Core Vocabulary ranks it 59th among all Latin words. Lesson 58 taught tamen, the word of the thing that happens in spite of everything. Īdem is the word of the thing that does not change: the same road, the same hill, the same enemy, the same watchword. An army runs on sameness. Orders must be given the same way every time, the watchword must be the same at every gate, and a commander who can show his men that today’s enemy is the same one they beat before has already half won.
What does īdem mean in Latin?
Īdem means “the same.” It can stand beside a noun as an adjective, eādem viā, “by the same road,” or stand alone as a pronoun, īdem redit, “the same man returns.” Its neuter idem means “the same thing”: idem iubet, “he gives the same order.” Its neuter plural eadem means “the same things”: eadem dīxit, “he said the same things.”
How is īdem built?
Īdem is the pronoun is, ea, id, “he, she, it, that,” with the little ending -dem, “just, exactly,” fixed to the end. So eadem is ea + dem, eiusdem is eius + dem, eōdem is eō + dem. If you know is, ea, id, you already know almost every form of īdem. Only the -dem part never changes.
Two changes to watch
First, the masculine nominative singular is īdem with a LONG ī (from is + dem), but the neuter is idem with a SHORT i (from id + dem). In writing, only the macron tells them apart. Second, where a form of is ends in -m, the m becomes n before the d: eum → eundem, eam → eandem, eōrum → eōrundem, eārum → eārundem.
How does Latin differ from English here?
English says “the same as.” Latin never says “the same than”: it uses a relative pronoun, “the same which,” or ac / atque, “and”: eadem dīxit quae lēgātus, “he said the same things as the legate”; eādem ratiōne pugnat atque septima, “it fights in the same way as the Seventh.” Latin also uses īdem where English says “also” or “at the same time,” when one person has two qualities: fortis erat et īdem prūdēns, “he was brave and at the same time prudent.”
Key Takeaways
✦ Īdem, eadem, idem means “the same”: it is is, ea, id + the unchanging ending -dem
✦ Masculine īdem has a long ī; neuter idem has a short i
✦ Before d, the m of is becomes n: eundem, eandem, eōrundem, eārundem
✦ “The same as” is īdem quī … or īdem ac / atque …, never īdem quam meaning “than”
✦ Īdem can also mean “also, at the same time”; ūnus et īdem means “one and the same”
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īdem /ˈiː.dem/: masculine nominative singular. Two syllables, the first LONG: EE-dem.
idem /ˈi.dem/: neuter. The same two syllables, but the first is SHORT, the i of “pit”: I-dem.
eadem /ˈe.a.dem/: three short syllables, stress on the first: E-a-dem. This is the feminine nominative singular and the neuter plural.
eādem /eˈaː.dem/: the feminine ablative singular. The middle ā is long, so the stress moves to it: e-AA-dem.
eundem /eˈun.dem/, eandem /eˈan.dem/, eōdem /eˈoː.dem/, eōsdem /eˈoːs.dem/, eīsdem /eˈiːs.dem/: the stress falls on the middle syllable, which is heavy.
eiusdem /ejˈjus.dem/: the i between two vowels is a consonant and is said double, as in eius /ˈej.jus/.
eōrundem /e.oːˈrun.dem/: four syllables, stress on run.
Key military vocabulary for this lesson:
tessera /ˈtes.se.ra/ — watchword (originally the tablet on which it was written); explōrātor /eks.ploːˈraː.tor/ — scout; vigil /ˈwi.ɡil/ — sentry; porta /ˈpor.ta/ — gate; fossa /ˈfos.sa/ — ditch; legiō /ˈle.ɡi.oː/ — legion; lēgātus /leːˈɡaː.tus/ — legate, a general’s deputy.
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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59.1a Īdem the-same dux general redit returns
59.1b Īdem /ˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.SG dux /duks/ general.NOM.M.SG redit /ˈre.dit/ return.3SG.PRES
59.2a Eādem by-the-same viā road īmus we-go
59.2b Eādem /eˈaː.dem/ same.ABL.F.SG viā /ˈwi.aː/ road.ABL.F.SG īmus /ˈiː.mus/ go.1PL.PRES
59.3a Idem the-same-thing iubet he-orders
59.3b Idem /ˈi.dem/ same.ACC.N.SG iubet /ˈju.bet/ order.3SG.PRES
59.4a Eundem the-same collem hill tenēmus we-hold
59.4b Eundem /eˈun.dem/ same.ACC.M.SG collem /ˈkol.lem/ hill.ACC.M.SG tenēmus /teˈneː.mus/ hold.1PL.PRES
59.5a Eōdem on-the-same diē day pugnātum fought est it-was
59.5b Eōdem /eˈoː.dem/ same.ABL.M.SG diē /ˈdi.eː/ day.ABL.M.SG pugnātum /puɡˈnaː.tum/ fight.PERF.PART.PASS.NOM.N.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES
59.6a Mīlitēs soldiers eiusdem of-the-same legiōnis legion in in eīsdem the-same castrīs camp hiemābant were-wintering
59.6b Mīlitēs /ˈmiː.li.teːs/ soldier.NOM.M.PL eiusdem /ejˈjus.dem/ same.GEN.F.SG legiōnis /le.ɡiˈoː.nis/ legion.GEN.F.SG in /in/ in.PREP+ABL eīsdem /eˈiːs.dem/ same.ABL.N.PL castrīs /ˈkas.triːs/ camp.ABL.N.PL hiemābant /hi.eˈmaː.bant/ winter.3PL.IMPERF
59.7a Hostēs the-enemy eadem the-same loca places iterum again occupāvērunt seized
59.7b Hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.ACC.N.PL loca /ˈlo.ka/ place.ACC.N.PL iterum /ˈi.te.rum/ again.ADV occupāvērunt /ok.ku.paːˈweː.runt/ seize.3PL.PERF
59.8a Centuriō the-centurion eadem the-same-things dīxit said quae as lēgātus the-legate
59.8b Centuriō /kenˈtu.ri.oː/ centurion.NOM.M.SG eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.ACC.N.PL dīxit /ˈdiːk.sit/ say.3SG.PERF quae /kʷae̯/ which.ACC.N.PL lēgātus /leːˈɡaː.tus/ legate.NOM.M.SG
59.9a Legiō the-legion decima tenth eādem in-the-same ratiōne way pugnat fights atque as septima the-seventh
59.9b Legiō /ˈle.ɡi.oː/ legion.NOM.F.SG decima /ˈde.ki.ma/ tenth.NOM.F.SG eādem /eˈaː.dem/ same.ABL.F.SG ratiōne /ra.tiˈoː.ne/ method.ABL.F.SG pugnat /ˈpuɡ.nat/ fight.3SG.PRES atque /ˈat.kʷe/ and/as.CONJ septima /ˈsep.ti.ma/ seventh.NOM.F.SG
59.10a Labiēnus Labienus fortis brave erat was et and īdem at-the-same-time prūdēns prudent
59.10b Labiēnus /la.biˈeː.nus/ Labienus.NOM.M.SG fortis /ˈfor.tis/ brave.NOM.M.SG erat /ˈe.rat/ be.3SG.IMPERF et /et/ and.CONJ īdem /ˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.SG prūdēns /ˈpruː.deːns/ prudent.NOM.M.SG
59.11a Idem the-same-thing facit does Caesar Caesar
59.11b Idem /ˈi.dem/ same.ACC.N.SG facit /ˈfa.kit/ do.3SG.PRES Caesar /ˈkae̯.sar/ Caesar.NOM.M.SG
59.12a Eadem the-same-things sēcrētō privately ab from aliīs others quaerit he-asks reperit he-finds esse to-be vēra true
59.12b Eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.ACC.N.PL sēcrētō /seːˈkreː.toː/ privately.ADV ab /ab/ from.PREP+ABL aliīs /ˈa.li.iːs/ other.ABL.M.PL quaerit /ˈkʷae̯.rit/ ask.3SG.PRES reperit /ˈre.pe.rit/ find.3SG.PRES esse /ˈes.se/ be.PRES.INF vēra /ˈweː.ra/ true.ACC.N.PL
59.13a equōs their-horses eōdem on-the-same remanēre to-remain vestīgiō spot adsuēfēcērunt they-have-trained ad to quōs which sē themselves celeriter quickly cum when ūsus need est there-is recipiunt they-fall-back
59.13b equōs /ˈe.kʷoːs/ horse.ACC.M.PL eōdem /eˈoː.dem/ same.ABL.N.SG remanēre /re.maˈneː.re/ remain.PRES.INF vestīgiō /wesˈtiː.ɡi.oː/ footprint.ABL.N.SG adsuēfēcērunt /ad.sweː.feːˈkeː.runt/ accustom.3PL.PERF ad /ad/ to.PREP+ACC quōs /kʷoːs/ which.ACC.M.PL sē /seː/ self.ACC.M.PL celeriter /ˈke.le.ri.ter/ quickly.ADV cum /kum/ when.CONJ ūsus /ˈuː.sus/ need.NOM.M.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES recipiunt /reˈki.pi.unt/ withdraw.3PL.PRES
59.14a Numquam never ingenium nature idem the-same ad for rēs things dīversissimās most-opposite pārendum obeying atque and imperandum commanding habilius better-suited fuit was
59.14b Numquam /ˈnum.kʷam/ never.ADV ingenium /inˈɡe.ni.um/ nature.NOM.N.SG idem /ˈi.dem/ same.NOM.N.SG ad /ad/ for.PREP+ACC rēs /reːs/ thing.ACC.F.PL dīversissimās /diː.werˈsis.si.maːs/ different.SUPERL.ACC.F.PL pārendum /paːˈren.dum/ obey.GERUND.ACC atque /ˈat.kʷe/ and.CONJ imperandum /im.peˈran.dum/ command.GERUND.ACC habilius /haˈbi.li.us/ suited.COMP.NOM.N.SG fuit /ˈfu.it/ be.3SG.PERF
59.15a Eādem on-the-same nocte night accidit it-happened ut that esset there-was lūna a-moon plēna full quī which diēs day maritimōs sea aestūs tides maximōs the-highest in in Ōceanō the-Ocean efficere to-cause cōnsuēvit is-accustomed
59.15b Eādem /eˈaː.dem/ same.ABL.F.SG nocte /ˈnok.te/ night.ABL.F.SG accidit /ˈak.ki.dit/ happen.3SG.PERF ut /ut/ that.CONJ esset /ˈes.set/ be.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ lūna /ˈluː.na/ moon.NOM.F.SG plēna /ˈpleː.na/ full.NOM.F.SG quī /kʷiː/ which.NOM.M.SG diēs /ˈdi.eːs/ day.NOM.M.SG maritimōs /ma.riˈti.moːs/ of-the-sea.ACC.M.PL aestūs /ˈae̯s.tuːs/ tide.ACC.M.PL maximōs /ˈmak.si.moːs/ greatest.SUPERL.ACC.M.PL in /in/ in.PREP+ABL Ōceanō /oːˈke.a.noː/ Ocean.ABL.M.SG efficere /efˈfi.ke.re/ cause.PRES.INF cōnsuēvit /koːnˈsweː.wit/ be-accustomed.3SG.PERF
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59.1 Īdem dux redit. → “The same general returns.”
59.2 Eādem viā īmus. → “We are going by the same road.”
59.3 Idem iubet. → “He gives the same order.”
59.4 Eundem collem tenēmus. → “We are holding the same hill.”
59.5 Eōdem diē pugnātum est. → “On the same day there was fighting.”
59.6 Mīlitēs eiusdem legiōnis in eīsdem castrīs hiemābant. → “Soldiers of the same legion were wintering in the same camp.”
59.7 Hostēs eadem loca iterum occupāvērunt. → “The enemy seized the same positions again.”
59.8 Centuriō eadem dīxit quae lēgātus. → “The centurion said the same things as the legate.”
59.9 Legiō decima eādem ratiōne pugnat atque septima. → “The Tenth Legion fights in the same way as the Seventh.”
59.10 Labiēnus fortis erat et īdem prūdēns. → “Labienus was brave, and at the same time prudent.”
59.11 Idem facit Caesar … → “Caesar does the same …” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 1.15; the opening words of the sentence)
59.12 Eadem sēcrētō ab aliīs quaerit; reperit esse vēra. → “He asks others the same questions in private, and finds that what he had been told is true.” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 1.18)
59.13 … equōs eōdem remanēre vestīgiō adsuēfēcērunt, ad quōs sē celeriter, cum ūsus est, recipiunt. → “… they have trained their horses to stay on the same spot, and they quickly fall back to them when there is need.” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 4.2, of the Suebi; the end of the sentence)
59.14 Numquam ingenium idem ad rēs dīversissimās, pārendum atque imperandum, habilius fuit. → “Never was one and the same nature better suited to the most opposite things, obeying and commanding.” (Livy, Ab Urbe Conditā 21.4, of the young Hannibal)
59.15 Eādem nocte accidit ut esset lūna plēna, quī diēs maritimōs aestūs maximōs in Ōceanō efficere cōnsuēvit. → “It happened that on the same night there was a full moon, the day which usually brings the highest tides in the Ocean.” (Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 4.29)
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59.1 Īdem dux redit.
59.2 Eādem viā īmus.
59.3 Idem iubet.
59.4 Eundem collem tenēmus.
59.5 Eōdem diē pugnātum est.
59.6 Mīlitēs eiusdem legiōnis in eīsdem castrīs hiemābant.
59.7 Hostēs eadem loca iterum occupāvērunt.
59.8 Centuriō eadem dīxit quae lēgātus.
59.9 Legiō decima eādem ratiōne pugnat atque septima.
59.10 Labiēnus fortis erat et īdem prūdēns.
59.11 Idem facit Caesar …
59.12 Eadem sēcrētō ab aliīs quaerit; reperit esse vēra.
59.13 … equōs eōdem remanēre vestīgiō adsuēfēcērunt, ad quōs sē celeriter, cum ūsus est, recipiunt.
59.14 Numquam ingenium idem ad rēs dīversissimās, pārendum atque imperandum, habilius fuit.
59.15 Eādem nocte accidit ut esset lūna plēna, quī diēs maritimōs aestūs maximōs in Ōceanō efficere cōnsuēvit.
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These are the grammar rules for īdem in Latin:
1. Form: is, ea, id + -dem
Īdem is a demonstrative pronoun made from is, ea, id and the indeclinable ending -dem. The is part declines; the -dem never changes. Like is, īdem has a genitive singular in -ius and a dative singular in -ī for all three genders.
2. The paradigm
Singular: Nominative: īdem (m.), eadem (f.), idem (n.) Genitive: eiusdem (all genders) Dative: eīdem (all genders) Accusative: eundem (m.), eandem (f.), idem (n.) Ablative: eōdem (m.), eādem (f.), eōdem (n.)
Plural: Nominative: eīdem or īdem or iīdem (m.), eaedem (f.), eadem (n.) Genitive: eōrundem (m.), eārundem (f.), eōrundem (n.) Dative and ablative: eīsdem or īsdem or iīsdem (all genders) Accusative: eōsdem (m.), eāsdem (f.), eadem (n.)
The masculine plural and the dative-ablative plural have several spellings; editors print them differently, and all are correct. This lesson uses eīdem and eīsdem.
3. Three spelling rules
The masculine nominative singular is īdem, with a long ī; the neuter nominative and accusative singular is idem, with a short i. Compare 59.1 īdem dux, “the same general,” with 59.3 idem iubet, “he orders the same thing.”
Where is ends in -m, the m becomes n before -dem: eum → eundem (59.4), eam → eandem (59.16, 59.27), eōrum → eōrundem, eārum → eārundem. Older editions sometimes print eumdem and eamdem.
The feminine eadem has three forms that look alike: eadem, nominative singular (59.18, 59.20, 59.30); eādem, ablative singular, with a long ā (59.2, 59.9, 59.15, 59.20, 59.26); and eadem, neuter plural, “the same things” (59.7, 59.8, 59.12, 59.24, 59.25). Only the macron and the sense tell them apart.
4. Adjective and pronoun
Īdem agrees with its noun in gender, number and case, like any adjective: īdem dux (59.1), eādem viā (59.2), eundem collem (59.4), eōdem diē (59.5), eiusdem legiōnis and eīsdem castrīs (59.6), eadem loca (59.7), eādem nocte (59.15). On its own it is a pronoun: īdem, “the same man” (59.17); idem, “the same thing” (59.3, 59.11); eadem, “the same things” (59.8, 59.12, 59.24, 59.25). In 59.14 idem agrees with ingenium, a neuter noun: ingenium idem, “the same nature.”
5. “The same as”: īdem quī, īdem ac / atque
Latin does not say “the same than.” It joins the comparison with a relative pronoun or with ac / atque, “and”:
īdem + quī, quae, quod: eadem dīxit quae lēgātus (59.8), “he said the same things as the legate (said)”; īdem quī herī exiī (59.17), “the same man who went out yesterday”; eādem portā quā exiistī (59.20), “by the same gate by which you went out.” The relative takes its own case from its own clause: quae is accusative because the legate said them; quā is ablative of the way.
īdem + ac / atque: eādem ratiōne pugnat atque septima (59.9), “it fights in the same way as the Seventh”; eademne est ac tua? (59.19), “is it the same as yours?”
6. Īdem = “also, at the same time”
When one person has two different qualities, Latin repeats the subject with īdem, and English says “also,” “at the same time,” “too”: Labiēnus fortis erat et īdem prūdēns (59.10), “Labienus was brave, and at the same time prudent.” Livy’s Hannibal (59.14) is the same idea turned into a portrait: one nature, fit for two opposite things.
7. Ūnus et īdem
To stress identity, Latin adds ūnus, “one”: ūnus et īdem or ūnus īdemque, “one and the same.” The dialogue has ūnus et īdem labor (59.29).
8. Īdem with words of time and place
The ablative of īdem is the everyday way to say “on the same day,” “at the same time,” “on the same night,” “in the same place”: eōdem diē (59.5), eādem nocte (59.15), eōdem tempore, in eōdem locō (59.21). Military narrative is full of these phrases, because it must keep events in order. Eōdem is also an adverb, “to the same place.”
9. Other constructions in the examples
Pugnātum est (59.5) is the impersonal passive, “it was fought,” that is, “there was fighting” (Lesson 58, F.1). Castra (59.6) is plural in form and singular in meaning, so eīsdem castrīs is plural. Hiemāre (59.6) is “to spend the winter,” the word for armies in winter quarters. In 59.12, reperit esse vēra is accusative and infinitive with the subject (ea, “those things”) understood: “he finds (them) to be true.” In 59.13 adsuēfēcērunt takes an object and an infinitive: equōs remanēre, “they have accustomed their horses to stay”; vestīgium is literally a footprint, and eōdem vestīgiō is “on the very spot.” In 59.14 pārendum and imperandum are gerunds in apposition to rēs dīversissimās, “the most opposite things, (namely) obeying and commanding”; habilius is the comparative of habilis, “fit, handy.” In 59.15 quī agrees with diēs, the word inside its own clause, not with lūna: “(the full moon,) which day usually causes …”; accidit ut esset is “it happened that there was,” with ut and the subjunctive after accidit. For the constructions in the dialogue, see the Genre Section, Part D.
Common Mistakes
Writing quam after īdem to mean “than.” Eadem dīxit quam lēgātus is wrong. Use a relative or ac / atque. (Quam can follow īdem only as a relative pronoun, feminine accusative singular: eandem tesseram quam herī, “the same watchword which (we had) yesterday.”)
Losing the macron. Īdem (masculine) and idem (neuter) differ only in the length of the first vowel; eadem (nominative) and eādem (ablative) differ only in the length of the second. On a duty roster or in an order, the difference is between “the same man” and “the same thing.”
Confusing īdem with ipse. Ipse marks emphasis (“he himself, in person”); īdem marks identity (“the same man”). Ipse dux vēnit is “the general came in person”; īdem dux vēnit is “the same general came.”
Confusing īdem with item and ibidem. Item is “likewise, also,” an adverb. Ibidem is “in the same place,” built from ibi, “there.” In English footnotes, “ibid.” is ibidem and “id.” is idem.
Forgetting agreement. “The same legion” is eadem legiō, not īdem legiō, because legiō is feminine; “the same camp” is eadem castra, because castra is neuter plural.
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The word of continuity
Military writing needs a word that keeps hold of things. The same day, the same place, the same legion, the same enemy: īdem lets a narrator like Caesar move fast without losing the reader, and it lets a commander tie today’s danger to yesterday’s experience. The three uses in this lesson’s sources show three military habits: doing what the enemy does (59.11), checking a report against other witnesses (59.12), and telling frightened men that a new enemy is an old one (Section F).
Shadowing the Helvetii
In 58 BC the Helvetii left their homes in what is now Switzerland and marched west through Gaul. Caesar followed them. In Book 1, chapter 15, the Helvetii move their camp, and Caesar writes: idem facit Caesar (59.11). He did the same, sending his cavalry ahead to see which way they went. For days the two armies marched within a few miles of each other. The strategist will recognise the method: keep contact, keep the same pace, wait for the moment.
Checking the report
During the same march Caesar’s grain supply failed, and he suspected that someone among the Aedui, his allies, was holding it back. The magistrate Liscus told him, and Caesar then asked other men the same questions in private: eadem sēcrētō ab aliīs quaerit; reperit esse vēra (1.18; 59.12). The man behind it was Dumnorix, the brother of Caesar’s friend Diviciacus. Before acting on intelligence, Caesar had it confirmed by a second source. Eadem is the whole method: the same questions, put to different men.
The panic at Vesontio
Later in 58 BC, before the campaign against the German king Ariovistus, Caesar’s army stopped at Vesontio (Besançon). Traders and Gauls told the soldiers about the Germans’ huge size, their courage and the look in their eyes, and a panic spread through the camp (1.39). Caesar called a council, with the centurions of every rank, and spoke to them. His argument, given in Section F, turns on eōsdem: these are the same Germans whom the Helvetii often beat, and we have just beaten the Helvetii. He added that he would march with the Tenth Legion alone if no one else would follow. The Tenth thanked him, and the other legions, through their tribunes and senior centurions, made their apologies (1.41). Later that same summer Ariovistus was defeated.
The Suebi and their horses
At the start of Book 4 Caesar describes the Suebi, the largest and most warlike of the Germans. In cavalry battles they often jump down and fight on foot; they have trained their horses to stay on the very spot, and they fall back to them quickly when they need to (4.2; 59.13). A horse that stays where it was left is a horse that will be there when the line breaks.
Hannibal in Spain
Livy’s portrait of Hannibal (21.4) opens with the old soldiers in Spain, who thought that Hamilcar had been given back to them young: they saw eundem vigōrem in vultū vimque in oculīs, “the same vigour in his face and force in his eyes.” (The Latin Library prints voltu, the older spelling.) Then comes the line in 59.14: never was one nature better fitted for two opposite things, obeying and commanding. Livy goes on to say that it was hard to tell whether the general or the army held him dearer. For a strategist this is the oldest observation in the profession: the officer who knows how to obey is the officer men will obey.
The night of the full moon
In 55 BC, a few days after Caesar’s first landing in Britain (Lessons 57 and 58), the transports carrying his cavalry were driven back by a storm. Eādem nocte, on that same night, there was a full moon, which brings the highest tides in the Ocean, and the Romans did not know it (4.29; 59.15). The tide filled the warships drawn up on the beach, and the storm battered the transports at anchor. Mediterranean sailors knew little of large tides. The lesson for any sailor is that the moon is the same everywhere, but the sea it moves is not.
The watchword
The dialogue in the Genre Section turns on the tessera, the watchword. The word first meant a small square tablet or die, from the Greek for “four”; in the army it was the tablet on which the watchword was written and passed round, and then the watchword itself. The dictionaries quote Livy for tesseram dare, “to give out the watchword.” The whole value of a watchword lies in its being the same for every friend and unknown to every enemy.
Modern traces
English “identity” and “identical” come, through late Latin, from īdem. Scholars still write “id.” (idem, “the same author”) and “ibid.” (ibidem, “in the same place”) in their footnotes; military histories are full of them.
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Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 1.40 (written in the 50s BC). Caesar is addressing his officers at Vesontio in 58 BC, when the army has panicked at the thought of fighting the Germans of Ariovistus. The speech is reported in indirect speech. Just before this passage he has reminded them of the Cimbri and Teutones, beaten by Gaius Marius, and of the slave revolt in Italy, whose men, he says, had some training and discipline learned from the Romans. The two sentences below are consecutive. The text is from the Latin Library, checked against Wikisource; the macrons are editorial.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Ex from quō which iūdicārī to-be-judged posse could quantum how-much habēret had in in sē itself bonī of-good cōnstantia steadfastness
F.1b Ex /eks/ from.PREP+ABL quō /kʷoː/ which.ABL.N.SG iūdicārī /juː.diˈkaː.riː/ judge.PRES.INF.PASS posse /ˈpos.se/ be-able.PRES.INF quantum /ˈkʷan.tum/ how-much.NOM.N.SG habēret /haˈbeː.ret/ have.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ in /in/ in.PREP+ABL sē /seː/ self.ABL.F.SG bonī /ˈbo.niː/ good.GEN.N.SG cōnstantia /koːnˈstan.ti.a/ steadfastness.NOM.F.SG
F.2a proptereā because quod that quōs whom aliquamdiū for-some-time inermēs unarmed sine without causā cause timuissent they-had-feared hōs these posteā afterwards armātōs armed ac and victōrēs victorious superāssent they-had-overcome
F.2b proptereā /propˈte.re.aː/ for-this-reason.ADV quod /kʷod/ that.CONJ quōs /kʷoːs/ whom.ACC.M.PL aliquamdiū /a.liˈkʷam.di.uː/ for-some-time.ADV inermēs /iˈner.meːs/ unarmed.ACC.M.PL sine /ˈsi.ne/ without.PREP+ABL causā /ˈkau̯.saː/ cause.ABL.F.SG timuissent /ti.muˈis.sent/ fear.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ hōs /hoːs/ this.ACC.M.PL posteā /ˈpos.te.aː/ afterwards.ADV armātōs /arˈmaː.toːs/ armed.ACC.M.PL ac /ak/ and.CONJ victōrēs /wikˈtoː.reːs/ victor.ACC.M.PL superāssent /su.peˈraːs.sent/ overcome.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ
F.3a Dēnique finally hōs these esse were eōsdem the-same Germānōs Germans quibuscum with-whom saepe often numerō in-number Helvētiī the-Helvetii congressī having-engaged nōn not sōlum only in in suīs their-own sed but etiam also in in illōrum their fīnibus territories plērumque generally superārint had-won
F.3b Dēnique /ˈdeː.ni.kʷe/ finally.ADV hōs /hoːs/ this.ACC.M.PL esse /ˈes.se/ be.PRES.INF eōsdem /eˈoːs.dem/ same.ACC.M.PL Germānōs /ɡerˈmaː.noːs/ German.ACC.M.PL quibuscum /kʷiˈbus.kum/ whom.ABL.M.PL+with saepe /ˈsae̯.pe/ often.ADV numerō /ˈnu.me.roː/ number.ABL.M.SG Helvētiī /helˈweː.ti.iː/ Helvetian.NOM.M.PL congressī /konˈɡres.siː/ engage.PERF.PART.DEP.NOM.M.PL nōn /noːn/ not.ADV sōlum /ˈsoː.lum/ only.ADV in /in/ in.PREP+ABL suīs /ˈsu.iːs/ their-own.ABL.M.PL sed /sed/ but.CONJ etiam /ˈe.ti.am/ also.ADV in /in/ in.PREP+ABL illōrum /ilˈloː.rum/ that.GEN.M.PL fīnibus /ˈfiː.ni.bus/ territory.ABL.M.PL plērumque /pleːˈrum.kʷe/ generally.ADV superārint /su.peˈraː.rint/ overcome.3PL.PERF.SUBJ
F.4a quī who tamen nevertheless parēs equal esse to-be nostrō to-our exercituī army nōn not potuerint had-been-able
F.4b quī /kʷiː/ who.NOM.M.PL tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV parēs /ˈpa.reːs/ equal.NOM.M.PL esse /ˈes.se/ be.PRES.INF nostrō /ˈnos.troː/ our.DAT.M.SG exercituī /ek.serˈki.tu.iː/ army.DAT.M.SG nōn /noːn/ not.ADV potuerint /poˈtu.e.rint/ be-able.3PL.PERF.SUBJ
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Ex quō iūdicārī posse quantum habēret in sē bonī cōnstantia, proptereā quod quōs aliquamdiū inermēs sine causā timuissent hōs posteā armātōs ac victōrēs superāssent. Dēnique hōs esse eōsdem Germānōs quibuscum saepe numerō Helvētiī congressī nōn sōlum in suīs sed etiam in illōrum fīnibus plērumque superārint, quī tamen parēs esse nostrō exercituī nōn potuerint.
“From this, he said, one could judge how much good there is in steadfastness: for the men whom they had feared for some time without reason while they were unarmed, they had later overcome when they were armed and victorious. Finally, these were the same Germans whom the Helvetii had often met in battle, not only in their own territory but in the Germans’ too, and had generally beaten; and the Helvetii, nevertheless, had not been able to stand against our army.”
— Caesar, Dē Bellō Gallicō 1.40
F-C: Latin Text Only
Ex quō iūdicārī posse quantum habēret in sē bonī cōnstantia, proptereā quod quōs aliquamdiū inermēs sine causā timuissent hōs posteā armātōs ac victōrēs superāssent. Dēnique hōs esse eōsdem Germānōs quibuscum saepe numerō Helvētiī congressī nōn sōlum in suīs sed etiam in illōrum fīnibus plērumque superārint, quī tamen parēs esse nostrō exercituī nōn potuerint.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The whole passage is indirect speech (ōrātiō oblīqua): Caesar reports what he said without quoting it. The main verbs become infinitives (posse, esse) and the verbs of the subordinate clauses become subjunctives (habēret, timuissent, superāssent, superārint, potuerint). The verb of saying is understood from earlier in the chapter. Caesar mixes the tenses of the subjunctive: timuissent and superāssent are pluperfect, following the past tense of the narrative, while superārint and potuerint are perfect, as though he were speaking now. Ancient historians often switch like this in long speeches to make them vivid.
Superāssent is a shortened form of superāvissent, and superārint of superāverint: Latin often drops -vi- or -ve- in perfect forms. Quibuscum is cum quibus, “with whom”: cum is attached to the end of a relative or personal pronoun (quibuscum, mēcum, nōbīscum). Saepe numerō, “often in number,” that is, “many a time,” is often written as one word, saepenumerō. Congressī is the perfect participle of the deponent congredior, “meet in battle,” active in meaning: “having met (them) in battle.” Parēs … exercituī: pār, “equal,” takes the dative.
In F.2 the pronouns are arranged with care: quōs … hōs, “those whom … these.” The relative clause comes first and the pronoun hōs picks it up again. In F.3, hōs is picked up by eōsdem: “these were the same.” The argument is a chain of identities. The slaves of the revolt were the same men whom the Romans had feared without cause. The Germans are the same men whom the Helvetii had beaten. The Helvetii are the same men whom this army has just beaten. Īdem carries the logic.
In F.4 tamen (Lesson 58) answers the whole of the sentence before it: the Helvetii had often beaten the Germans, and nevertheless had not been a match for us. It stands second, after the relative quī, as it so often does.
For a strategist the speech is a model of how to deal with fear. Caesar does not tell his men that the enemy is weak. He tells them that the enemy is known: the same Germans, already measured against an army they have beaten. Fear grows from the unknown; eōsdem makes the unknown familiar.
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A pedagogical composition, written for this lesson and not a quotation. At night, at the gate of a Roman camp, the sentry Gaius challenges a scout, Titus, who is coming back from watching the enemy. Their centurion joins them. Every line uses a form of īdem. The speakers’ names are given in brackets in Part A and before each line in Parts B and C; they are not part of the construed text.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
59.16a [Gāius] Quis who venit comes Sī if amīcus a-friend es you-are eandem the-same tesseram watchword dīc say
59.16b [Gāius] Quis /kʷis/ who.NOM.M.SG venit /ˈwe.nit/ come.3SG.PRES Sī /siː/ if.CONJ amīcus /aˈmiː.kus/ friend.NOM.M.SG es /es/ be.2SG.PRES eandem /eˈan.dem/ same.ACC.F.SG tesseram /ˈtes.se.ram/ watchword.ACC.F.SG dīc /diːk/ say.2SG.IMPER
59.17a [Titus] Ego I sum am Titus Titus īdem the-same-man quī who herī yesterday exiī went-out
59.17b [Titus] Ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG sum /sum/ be.1SG.PRES Titus /ˈti.tus/ Titus.NOM.M.SG īdem /ˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.SG quī /kʷiː/ who.NOM.M.SG herī /ˈhe.riː/ yesterday.ADV exiī /ˈek.si.iː/ go-out.1SG.PERF
59.18a [Gāius] Tessera the-watchword tamen all-the-same eadem the-same esse to-be dēbet must
59.18b [Gāius] Tessera /ˈtes.se.ra/ watchword.NOM.F.SG tamen /ˈta.men/ nevertheless.ADV eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.NOM.F.SG esse /ˈes.se/ be.PRES.INF dēbet /ˈdeː.bet/ must.3SG.PRES
59.19a [Titus] Victōria Victory Eademne the-same est is-it ac as tua yours
59.19b [Titus] Victōria /wikˈtoː.ri.a/ victory.NOM.F.SG Eademne /e.aˈdem.ne/ same.NOM.F.SG+QUESTION est /est/ be.3SG.PRES ac /ak/ as.CONJ tua /ˈtu.a/ your.NOM.F.SG
59.20a [Gāius] Eadem the-same est it-is intrā come-in eādem by-the-same portā gate quā by-which exiistī you-went-out
59.20b [Gāius] Eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.NOM.F.SG est /est/ be.3SG.PRES intrā /ˈin.traː/ enter.2SG.IMPER eādem /eˈaː.dem/ same.ABL.F.SG portā /ˈpor.taː/ gate.ABL.F.SG quā /kʷaː/ which.ABL.F.SG exiistī /ek.siˈiːs.tiː/ go-out.2SG.PERF
59.21a [Titus] Hostēs the-enemy in in eōdem the-same locō place manent are-staying in in quō which herī yesterday erant they-were
59.21b [Titus] Hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL in /in/ in.PREP+ABL eōdem /eˈoː.dem/ same.ABL.M.SG locō /ˈlo.koː/ place.ABL.M.SG manent /ˈma.nent/ remain.3PL.PRES in /in/ in.PREP+ABL quō /kʷoː/ which.ABL.M.SG herī /ˈhe.riː/ yesterday.ADV erant /ˈe.rant/ be.3PL.IMPERF
59.22a [Gāius] Eōsdemne the-same ignēs fires vīdistī did-you-see
59.22b [Gāius] Eōsdemne /e.oːsˈdem.ne/ same.ACC.M.PL+QUESTION ignēs /ˈiɡ.neːs/ fire.ACC.M.PL vīdistī /wiːˈdis.tiː/ see.2SG.PERF
59.23a [Titus] Eōsdem the-same sed but plūrēs more eīdem the-same enim for ducēs chiefs novōs new mīlitēs soldiers addūxērunt have-brought-up
59.23b [Titus] Eōsdem /eˈoːs.dem/ same.ACC.M.PL sed /sed/ but.CONJ plūrēs /ˈpluː.reːs/ more.COMP.ACC.M.PL eīdem /eˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.PL enim /ˈe.nim/ for.CONJ ducēs /ˈdu.keːs/ leader.NOM.M.PL novōs /ˈno.woːs/ new.ACC.M.PL mīlitēs /ˈmiː.li.teːs/ soldier.ACC.M.PL addūxērunt /ad.duːkˈseː.runt/ bring-up.3PL.PERF
59.24a [Gāius] Eadem the-same-things centuriōnī to-the-centurion statim at-once nūntiā report
59.24b [Gāius] Eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.ACC.N.PL centuriōnī /ken.tu.riˈoː.niː/ centurion.DAT.M.SG statim /ˈsta.tim/ at-once.ADV nūntiā /ˈnuːn.ti.aː/ report.2SG.IMPER
59.25a [Centuriō] Eadem the-same-things ab from aliō another explōrātōre scout audīvī I-have-heard
59.25b [Centuriō] Eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.ACC.N.PL ab /ab/ from.PREP+ABL aliō /ˈa.li.oː/ other.ABL.M.SG explōrātōre /eks.ploː.raːˈtoː.re/ scout.ABL.M.SG audīvī /au̯ˈdiː.wiː/ hear.1SG.PERF
59.26a [Centuriō] Crās tomorrow hostēs the-enemy eādem by-the-same viā road ad to castra the-camp venient will-come
59.26b [Centuriō] Crās /kraːs/ tomorrow.ADV hostēs /ˈhos.teːs/ enemy.NOM.M.PL eādem /eˈaː.dem/ same.ABL.F.SG viā /ˈwi.aː/ road.ABL.F.SG ad /ad/ to.PREP+ACC castra /ˈkas.tra/ camp.ACC.N.PL venient /ˈwe.ni.ent/ come.3PL.FUT
59.27a [Centuriō] Eandem the-same viam road hāc this nocte night fossā with-a-ditch claudēmus we-shall-close
59.27b [Centuriō] Eandem /eˈan.dem/ same.ACC.F.SG viam /ˈwi.am/ road.ACC.F.SG hāc /haːk/ this.ABL.F.SG nocte /ˈnok.te/ night.ABL.F.SG fossā /ˈfos.saː/ ditch.ABL.F.SG claudēmus /klau̯ˈdeː.mus/ close.1PL.FUT
59.28a [Gāius] Ego I et and Titus Titus eīdem the-same-men sumus are quī who fossam the-ditch herī yesterday fōdimus dug
59.28b [Gāius] Ego /ˈe.ɡo/ I.NOM.SG et /et/ and.CONJ Titus /ˈti.tus/ Titus.NOM.M.SG eīdem /eˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.PL sumus /ˈsu.mus/ be.1PL.PRES quī /kʷiː/ who.NOM.M.PL fossam /ˈfos.sam/ ditch.ACC.F.SG herī /ˈhe.riː/ yesterday.ADV fōdimus /ˈfoː.di.mus/ dig.1PL.PERF
59.29a [Centuriō] Ūnus one et and īdem the-same labor task vōs you manet awaits tessera the-watchword quoque also eadem the-same manēbit will-remain
59.29b [Centuriō] Ūnus /ˈuː.nus/ one.NOM.M.SG et /et/ and.CONJ īdem /ˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.SG labor /ˈla.bor/ labour.NOM.M.SG vōs /woːs/ you.ACC.PL manet /ˈma.net/ await.3SG.PRES tessera /ˈtes.se.ra/ watchword.NOM.F.SG quoque /ˈkʷo.kʷe/ also.ADV eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.NOM.F.SG manēbit /maˈneː.bit/ remain.3SG.FUT
59.30a [Gāius] Eadem the-same tessera watchword eadem the-same fossa ditch īdem the-same animus courage crās tomorrow vincēmus we-shall-win
59.30b [Gāius] Eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.NOM.F.SG tessera /ˈtes.se.ra/ watchword.NOM.F.SG eadem /ˈe.a.dem/ same.NOM.F.SG fossa /ˈfos.sa/ ditch.NOM.F.SG īdem /ˈiː.dem/ same.NOM.M.SG animus /ˈa.ni.mus/ spirit.NOM.M.SG crās /kraːs/ tomorrow.ADV vincēmus /wiŋˈkeː.mus/ conquer.1PL.FUT
Part B: Natural Sentences
59.16 Gāius: Quis venit? Sī amīcus es, eandem tesseram dīc. → Gaius: “Who goes there? If you are a friend, give the same watchword.”
59.17 Titus: Ego sum, Titus, īdem quī herī exiī. → Titus: “It’s me, Titus, the same man who went out yesterday.”
59.18 Gāius: Tessera tamen eadem esse dēbet. → Gaius: “Even so, the watchword has to be the same.”
59.19 Titus: “Victōria.” Eademne est ac tua? → Titus: “‘Victory.’ Is it the same as yours?”
59.20 Gāius: Eadem est; intrā eādem portā quā exiistī. → Gaius: “It’s the same. Come in by the same gate you went out by.”
59.21 Titus: Hostēs in eōdem locō manent in quō herī erant. → Titus: “The enemy are staying in the same place where they were yesterday.”
59.22 Gāius: Eōsdemne ignēs vīdistī? → Gaius: “Did you see the same fires?”
59.23 Titus: Eōsdem, sed plūrēs; eīdem enim ducēs novōs mīlitēs addūxērunt. → Titus: “The same ones, but more of them; for the same chiefs have brought up fresh soldiers.”
59.24 Gāius: Eadem centuriōnī statim nūntiā. → Gaius: “Report the same to the centurion at once.”
59.25 Centuriō: Eadem ab aliō explōrātōre audīvī. → Centurion: “I have heard the same from another scout.”
59.26 Centuriō: Crās hostēs eādem viā ad castra venient. → Centurion: “Tomorrow the enemy will come to the camp by the same road.”
59.27 Centuriō: Eandem viam hāc nocte fossā claudēmus. → Centurion: “Tonight we shall close that same road with a ditch.”
59.28 Gāius: Ego et Titus eīdem sumus quī fossam herī fōdimus. → Gaius: “Titus and I are the same men who dug the ditch yesterday.”
59.29 Centuriō: Ūnus et īdem labor vōs manet; tessera quoque eadem manēbit. → Centurion: “One and the same job is waiting for you; and the watchword will stay the same too.”
59.30 Gāius: Eadem tessera, eadem fossa, īdem animus: crās vincēmus. → Gaius: “The same watchword, the same ditch, the same spirit: tomorrow we shall win.”
Part C: Latin Text Only
59.16 Gāius: Quis venit? Sī amīcus es, eandem tesseram dīc.
59.17 Titus: Ego sum, Titus, īdem quī herī exiī.
59.18 Gāius: Tessera tamen eadem esse dēbet.
59.19 Titus: “Victōria.” Eademne est ac tua?
59.20 Gāius: Eadem est; intrā eādem portā quā exiistī.
59.21 Titus: Hostēs in eōdem locō manent in quō herī erant.
59.22 Gāius: Eōsdemne ignēs vīdistī?
59.23 Titus: Eōsdem, sed plūrēs; eīdem enim ducēs novōs mīlitēs addūxērunt.
59.24 Gāius: Eadem centuriōnī statim nūntiā.
59.25 Centuriō: Eadem ab aliō explōrātōre audīvī.
59.26 Centuriō: Crās hostēs eādem viā ad castra venient.
59.27 Centuriō: Eandem viam hāc nocte fossā claudēmus.
59.28 Gāius: Ego et Titus eīdem sumus quī fossam herī fōdimus.
59.29 Centuriō: Ūnus et īdem labor vōs manet; tessera quoque eadem manēbit.
59.30 Gāius: Eadem tessera, eadem fossa, īdem animus: crās vincēmus.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Every line has a form of īdem, and between them the fifteen lines use most of the paradigm: īdem (59.17, 59.29, 59.30), eadem nominative (59.18, 59.20, 59.29, 59.30), eadem neuter plural (59.24, 59.25), eādem (59.20, 59.26), eandem (59.16, 59.27), eōdem (59.21), eōsdem (59.22, 59.23), eīdem plural (59.23, 59.28).
The comparisons. Īdem quī (59.17, 59.28), eādem portā quā (59.20) and in eōdem locō in quō (59.21) use the relative; eademne … ac tua (59.19) uses ac. In 59.28 the relative quī takes its person from its antecedent: ego et Titus … sumus quī … fōdimus, “we are the men who dug,” with fōdimus in the first person plural, as in English “we who dug.”
Questions with -ne. The enclitic -ne is added to the first word of a yes-or-no question: eademne est? (59.19), eōsdemne ignēs vīdistī? (59.22). With -ne the stress moves to the syllable before it: e-a-DEM-ne, e-ōs-DEM-ne.
Verbs. Dīc (59.16) is one of the four short imperatives (dīc, dūc, fac, fer). Exiī (59.17) and exiistī (59.20) are perfects of exeō, “go out”; the shorter form exīstī is also found. Fōdimus (59.28), with a long ō, is the perfect of fodiō, “dig”; the present is fodimus, with a short o: the vowel length alone tells “we dug” from “we dig.” Manet with an accusative (59.29), vōs manet, is “awaits you,” a regular sense of maneō. Claudēmus and vincēmus are futures of the third conjugation, in -ēmus.
Ablatives. Eādem portā and eādem viā (59.20, 59.26) are ablatives of the way by which, without a preposition; hāc nocte (59.27) is the ablative of time when; fossā (59.27) is the ablative of means, “with a ditch.”
Callbacks. Tamen in 59.18 answers Titus’ claim (“I am the same man”) as in Lesson 58: even so, the rule holds. Enim in 59.23 gives the reason, standing second, as in Lesson 57.
The watchword. Victōria, Victory, is a pedagogical choice: the lesson makes no claim about any real Roman watchword.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
One letter, two words. Īdem (masculine) and idem (neuter) are spelled alike without macrons. Say EE-dem for the man, I-dem for the thing. In the same way, eadem (E-a-dem) is nominative and eādem (e-AA-dem) is ablative.
N before d. Eundem, eandem, eōrundem, eārundem: the m of eum, eam, eōrum, eārum becomes n before the d. Some older editions print eumdem, eamdem; read them, but write the n forms.
The plural variants. The masculine plural nominative appears as eīdem, īdem or iīdem, and the dative-ablative as eīsdem, īsdem or iīsdem. Caesar’s manuscripts and modern editions differ. All are correct.
I between vowels. In eius and eiusdem the i is a consonant, doubled in sound: /ˈej.jus/, /ejˈjus.dem/. The first syllable is therefore heavy.
Old and new spellings. The Latin Library prints Livy’s voltu, the older spelling of vultū; this course writes vultū when it quotes it in Section E. The prefix in adsuēfēcērunt (59.13) is printed adsue- in Caesar’s editions and assue- in others; both are correct.
Vowel length that changes the meaning. Eādem and eadem, īdem and idem, fōdimus and fodimus: in each pair, the macron is the difference between two grammatical forms. Write it.
Capitalisation. Peoples and places are capitalised (Germānī, Helvētiī, Ōceanus, Vesontiō); īdem is capitalised only at the start of a sentence.
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