There's this one clause I just don't get. "tūra sanctīs flammīs dant."
I've figured out that "dant" contains the subject "we", so "tūra" is the accusative, "They give...". But what is "sanctīs flammīs"? Both words can be either abl. or dat., and it seems sanctīs can be either an adjective or noun (or verb, but that's not it), and what's worse, my sources for the meaning of it differs. This one says sanctus, sancti is "saint"; sanctus, sancta is "holy"; Perseus only lists a noun, but the definition of that noun is that of an adjective :| ; Sanctum, sancta is the only "sancta" on this site (no sanctus, sancta); and on the same site, the sanctus listed is "saint", unlike perseus.
I made a table of possible case combinations and got this, and that's all I can figure out. No idea which is right or if they make sense.
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc dat dat): they gave incense to the sacred fire (if apposition)
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc dat abl)" they give incense to the holy place by fire
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc abl dat): they give incense to the flame in/by/at the holy place
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc abl abl): they give incense in/by/at the sacred fire
Thanks very much for your help!
For your reference:
Poeta Ovidius fabulam de dea Latona et de femina Niobe narrat. Niobe, regina Thebarum, erat superba. Erat superba quod septem filios et septem filias habebat. Se et liberos suos laudabat. “Causa superbiae meae non est potentia familiae et amicorum, sed fama liberorum meorum."
Dea Latdna quoque liberos claros habebat. Filius erat deus Phoebus Apollo et filia erat dea Diana.
Manto erat femina oppidi Thebarum. Manto multam sapientiam1 habebat. In viis oppidi ambulabat et monebat feminas ita: “Date dona Latonae et liberis quoque Latonae, Phoebo et Dianae. Latona est dea feminarum.” Itaque feminae Thebarum aram deae in templo ornant; ibi dona deis deabusque* 2 dant et tura3 sanctis flammis dant.
Ecce Niobe pulchra et superba cum feminis in via oppidi ambulabat. Stat et oculis superbis4 circumspectat; feminas Thebarum vocat et clamat: “Cur Latonam oratis? Nemo me orat. Sum filia avorum clarorum.5 Sum regina regiae Cadmi.6 Pulchra sum, digna deae. Sed maxime beata sum quod septem pueros et septem filias habeo. Rogate nunc causam superbiae meae. Cur Latdna mihi praestat? Latona unum filium et unam filiam solum habet. Fortuna mihi septem dat. Feminae, orate me, non Latonam. Date dona mihi, non Latonae.”
Itaque feminae Thebarum dona reginae superbae, non Latonae dabant.
'Classical Latin normally uses the partitive genitive, multum sapientiae, much (of) wisdom (see Sec. 68).
1And to the goddesses. Fllia and dea have irregular forms in the dative and ablative plural: flli&bus and defibus, to differentiate them from fllils and dels, the masculine equivalents.
Vncense, frankincense.
4With proud eyes.
3Of famous grandfathers. Niobe’s grandfathers were Atlas and Jupiter.
6Cadmus was the founder of Thebes, capital of Boeotia in Greece. Thus he was the builder of the palace.
I've figured out that "dant" contains the subject "we", so "tūra" is the accusative, "They give...". But what is "sanctīs flammīs"? Both words can be either abl. or dat., and it seems sanctīs can be either an adjective or noun (or verb, but that's not it), and what's worse, my sources for the meaning of it differs. This one says sanctus, sancti is "saint"; sanctus, sancta is "holy"; Perseus only lists a noun, but the definition of that noun is that of an adjective :| ; Sanctum, sancta is the only "sancta" on this site (no sanctus, sancta); and on the same site, the sanctus listed is "saint", unlike perseus.
I made a table of possible case combinations and got this, and that's all I can figure out. No idea which is right or if they make sense.
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc dat dat): they gave incense to the sacred fire (if apposition)
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc dat abl)" they give incense to the holy place by fire
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc abl dat): they give incense to the flame in/by/at the holy place
tūra sanctīs flammīs dant (acc abl abl): they give incense in/by/at the sacred fire
Thanks very much for your help!
For your reference:
Poeta Ovidius fabulam de dea Latona et de femina Niobe narrat. Niobe, regina Thebarum, erat superba. Erat superba quod septem filios et septem filias habebat. Se et liberos suos laudabat. “Causa superbiae meae non est potentia familiae et amicorum, sed fama liberorum meorum."
Dea Latdna quoque liberos claros habebat. Filius erat deus Phoebus Apollo et filia erat dea Diana.
Manto erat femina oppidi Thebarum. Manto multam sapientiam1 habebat. In viis oppidi ambulabat et monebat feminas ita: “Date dona Latonae et liberis quoque Latonae, Phoebo et Dianae. Latona est dea feminarum.” Itaque feminae Thebarum aram deae in templo ornant; ibi dona deis deabusque* 2 dant et tura3 sanctis flammis dant.
Ecce Niobe pulchra et superba cum feminis in via oppidi ambulabat. Stat et oculis superbis4 circumspectat; feminas Thebarum vocat et clamat: “Cur Latonam oratis? Nemo me orat. Sum filia avorum clarorum.5 Sum regina regiae Cadmi.6 Pulchra sum, digna deae. Sed maxime beata sum quod septem pueros et septem filias habeo. Rogate nunc causam superbiae meae. Cur Latdna mihi praestat? Latona unum filium et unam filiam solum habet. Fortuna mihi septem dat. Feminae, orate me, non Latonam. Date dona mihi, non Latonae.”
Itaque feminae Thebarum dona reginae superbae, non Latonae dabant.
'Classical Latin normally uses the partitive genitive, multum sapientiae, much (of) wisdom (see Sec. 68).
1And to the goddesses. Fllia and dea have irregular forms in the dative and ablative plural: flli&bus and defibus, to differentiate them from fllils and dels, the masculine equivalents.
Vncense, frankincense.
4With proud eyes.
3Of famous grandfathers. Niobe’s grandfathers were Atlas and Jupiter.
6Cadmus was the founder of Thebes, capital of Boeotia in Greece. Thus he was the builder of the palace.
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