Fear Clauses in a Battle Narrative
A student is translating a fictional historical passage about a Roman general defending a town. Two sentences appear in the passage: (1) 'Veritus ne oppidum a hostibus caperetur, imperator auxilia misit.' (2) 'Veritus ut oppidum caperetur, imperator auxilia misit.' The student's draft translates both as 'Fearing that the town would be captured, the general sent reinforcements.' The teacher says one translation is correct and the other is the opposite. The student must decide which is which and explain the rule for 'ne' and 'ut' after verbs of fearing. She also remembers that 'ut' can introduce a purpose clause, and wonders whether sentence (2) could mean 'in order that the town be captured.' The passage continues with the general's reaction, which depends on whether he wanted the town saved or captured. The student has to get the nuance right to answer the comprehension question that follows: 'Why did the general send reinforcements?' The exam is tomorrow.
1. Explain the rule for 'ne' and 'ut' after verbs of fearing, and translate sentences (1) and (2) correctly.
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After verbs of fearing (timeo, vereor, metuo), 'ne' introduces the thing feared: 'that' or 'lest'. 'Ut' introduces the opposite: 'that ... not'. So (1) 'Veritus ne oppidum a hostibus caperetur' = 'Fearing that the town would be captured by the enemy.' (2) 'Veritus ut oppidum caperetur' = 'Fearing that the town would not be captured.' The student's draft is correct for (1) but wrong for (2): (2) means the general feared the town would not be captured, so he sent reinforcements to make sure it was captured (or he was on the enemy side). Context decides.
2. A classmate argues that 'ut' in sentence (2) introduces a purpose clause: 'in order that the town be captured.' Why is that impossible here?
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A purpose clause with 'ut' depends on a main verb of motion, striving, or command, e.g., 'auxilia misit ut oppidum caperetur' = 'he sent reinforcements in order that the town be captured.' But here 'ut' depends on 'veritus', a verb of fearing. Verbs of fearing take 'ut' in a fear clause meaning 'that ... not'. A purpose reading would require 'veritus' to mean something like 'having set out', which it does not. Also, 'veritus' is a participle, not a main verb of striving. The syntax is fixed by the governing verb.
3. If the general actually wanted the town to be captured, how would you express 'fearing that the town would not be captured'? How does that differ from sentence (2)?
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Sentence (2) already means 'fearing that the town would not be captured': 'Veritus ut oppidum caperetur.' If he wanted it captured, that is exactly his fear - that it would not be. To express the opposite fear (that it would be captured), use 'ne': 'Veritus ne oppidum caperetur.' So the difference is the particle: 'ne' = fear that it happens; 'ut' = fear that it does not happen. The general's action (sending reinforcements) tells you which fear makes sense: if he is defending the town, he fears 'ne' it is captured; if he is attacking, he fears 'ut' it is not captured.