[MR] Fwd: [MEDIEV-L:60581] Anglo-Saxon hoard and Latin inscription

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Ah, the sweet odor of erudition!
Nancy/Ingvild
 
 
 
  
____________________________________
 From: r.w.smythe.99 at cantab.net
Reply-to: MEDIEV-L at listproc.cc.ku.edu
To:  ANSAX-L at listserv.wvu.edu, MEDIEV-L at listproc.cc.ku.edu
CC:  pmg38 at cam.ac.uk
Sent: 9/25/2009 5:02:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj:  [MEDIEV-L:60581] Anglo-Saxon hoard and Latin inscription


Apologies for cross-posting.  


A colleague of mine read the inscription on one of the objects and noted  
the faulty Latin, which had been widely ignored in the press.  He sent a  
correction to the London Times, which apparently will appear tomorrow.  I  
append his entertaining letter below.
Ross Smythe
Darwin College, Cambridge



 
 
Letter to the Times (submitted  24.09.09)
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SIR:
If you examine the  pictures published of the Anglo-Saxon horde from 
Staffordshire, you will note  that the Latin inscription on one of the objects 
reads 'surge domine  disepentur inimici tui et fugent qui oderunt te a facie 
tua', which should  read 'surge domine et dissipentur inimici tui et fugiant 
qui oderunt te a  facie tua'. This is of course taken from Numbers 10:35, 
'may they who hate  thee flee from thy face', fugiant being the third person 
plural present active  subjunctive of fugio, 'flee'. 'Fugent', however, is 
third person plural  present active subjunctive of fugo, 'put to flight, rout, 
cause to flee', thus  altering the meaning of the phrase considerably, to 
'let they who hate thee  rout' -- the object is lacking, so we might fill in 
'thee' or 'us' or 'thine  army' or what have you -- 'from thy face'. Thus the 
Christians from whom this  was putatively plundered by pagans were, through 
their incorrect grammar,  asking for it! This only goes to show the danger 
posed by poor Latinity, as  King Alfred recognised only too well. As our 
Government threatens further cuts  in education and the elimination of 
so-called 'pointless' studies, this small  piece of bent metal should stand in our 
minds as a grim warning.

Yours  faithfully &c.
Paul Gazzoli
University of Cambridge
Dept. of  Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and  Celtic


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