Summer Latin Revival #3
(From Short Latin Stories by Philip Dunlop, Cambridge, 1987)
Atalanta and the Golden Apples
When Iasus had a daughter instead of the son he wanted, in his anger he had the baby exposed on the mountain to die;
but she was found and brought up by a she-bear, and learned to wrestle and fight and run faster than the wild animals
themselves. Eventually Iasius claimed her back in the hope that she might at least bring him a son-in-lw. Milanion
had fallen in love with the girl, now called Atalanta, and determined to win her for his bride; and Venus, the goddess of
love decided to help him…
Iasius Atalantam in matrimonium dare voluit, sed Atalana nubere noluit. Tandem 'vir' inquit, 'qui
celerius quam eto currit, me in matrimonium ducere potest.'
Multi iuvenes igitur com Atalanta certaverunt, sed Atalanta omnes superavit. Venus tamen
puellis, quae amorem spernunt, non favet. Itaque, ubi Milanion venit, Venus ei auxilium dedit; tria poma
aurea ei commodavit.
Tuba sonuit. Milanion et Atalanta celeriter currebant. Atalanta tamen mox praecedebant.
Milanion pomum aureum deiecti. Atalanta, postquam pomum aureum vidit, constitit et pomum sustulit.
Item, ubi Milanion alterum pomum deiecit, Atalanta pulchrum pomum conspexit et statim in minibus
tenere voluit. Itaque Milanion praecedebat. Atalanta, ubi hoc vidit, quam celerrime cucurrit et tandem
praeteribat. Tum Milanion tertium pomum pro pedibus deiecit. Postquam Atalanta iterum constitit et
pomum sustulit, Milanion ad finem primus advenit.
In matrimonium dare/ducere: give/take in marriage, marry
Nubere: be married, marry
Spernere: scorn
Pomum: apple
Commodore: lend
Consisto: stop
Praeterire: pass
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Translation: peek only after completing translation above.
Iasus wanted to give Atalanta in marriage, but Atalanta didn't want to marry. Nevertheless, she
said, "a man, who can run faster than I, can marry me.
Therefore, many young men raced with Atalana, but Atalanta beat them all. Nevertheless, Venus
does not favor those who spurn love. Therefore, when Milanion came, Venus gave him help: she lent him
three golden apples. The horn sounded. Milanion and Atalanta were racing swiftly. Atalanta, nevertheless,
was soon in the lead. Milanion threw down a golden apple. Atalanta, then saw the golden apple, stopped
and picked up the apple. Likewise, he threw down another apple, Atalanta looked at the beautiful apple
and immediately wanted to hold it in her hands. And so, Milanion was taking the lead. Atalanta, when she
saw this, raced more swiftly and finally pulled ahead. Then Milanion threw the third apple at her feet.
Then when Atalanta stopped and picked up the apple, Milanion came first to the finish line.