Horatius Odes II,13

[Katarina]

quid quisque vitet, numquam homini satis
cautum est in horas.

I am completely lost with this sentence. I understand a meaning of every single word but syntactically I am so lost that I even don't know what to ask. Perhaps other word order and some syntactical hint would help ...

 

[Laurentius]

Cautum is a past participle from caveo, and homini is the agent in dative. In horas here should mean "every hour" I think, perhaps you could rephrase it in a better way though.

 

[Katarina]

It is never enough care that must be taken by man every hour, about what everyone should avoid? - taking quid as an accusative of respect?

 

[Laurentius]

I think "Whatever anyone would avoid, that is never enough bewared by man at every time."

 

[Katarina]

But can you use quid as "whatever"?
What is the actual meaning of your sentence? That even though people would avoid something if they would be thinking of it, but they don't beware enough?

 

[Laurentius]

But can you use quid as "whatever"?
What is the actual meaning of your sentence? That even though people would avoid something if they would be thinking of it, but they don't beware enough?

Maybe better what or anything.

 

[Pacifica]

Maybe better what or anything.

It is definitely "what", starting an indirect question.

The meaning is basically that people are never cautious enough about what they should avoid.

 

[Laurentius]

It is definitely "what", starting an indirect question.

The meaning is basically that people are never cautious enough about what they should avoid.

Yes but you can certainly embellish it a bit when translating, no need to be so strict. Hell, most translation I saw for this poem except one didn't even bother with "in horas" and just left it out, while the other translated it wrong.