quisnam esset interrogabat

English translation: he asked him who he was/his name

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Latin term or phrase:quisnam esset interrogabat
English translation:he asked him who he was/his name
Entered by: Rebecca Davis

14:22 Jan 19, 2010
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - History / Death of Archimedes Silius Italicus
Latin term or phrase: quisnam esset interrogabat
"who are you he was asked" perhaps?
Ma l’insana cupidigia di un soldato che violento irrompe nella casa dello scienziato mentre egli è intento a tracciare figure sul terreno fa sì che all’incalzante domanda sull’identità “quisnam esset interrogabat” egli non risponda se non esprimendo la volontà di proteggere il disegno, al che “in contrasto con l’ordine del vincitore”, viene ucciso.

However the crazed greed of a soldier who violently broke into the house of the scientist while he was intent on tracing figures on the ground meant that he did not reply to the summary demand to give his name “quisnam esset interrogabat”, except by expressing a desire to protect his drawing, at which point, “contrary to the orders of the victor” he was killed.
James (Jim) Davis
Seychelles
Local time: 10:07
he asked him who he was/his name
Explanation:
I think it's the soldier doing the asking here
Selected response from:

Rebecca Davis
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:07
Grading comment
Thanks again Rebecca.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2he kept asking/tried to ask who he was
Joseph Brazauskas
4 +2he asked him who he was/his name
Rebecca Davis


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
he asked him who he was/his name


Explanation:
I think it's the soldier doing the asking here

Rebecca Davis
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thanks again Rebecca.
Notes to answerer
Asker: It is definitely the soldier doing the asking. Olga, redundant or not, according to my author this is a quote from Silius Italicus.

Asker: Mistake, not Silius but Valerius Maximus.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nina Storey: definitely
2 mins
  -> Thank you

agree  Olga Cartlidge: In fact, "interrogabat" is redundant here. It should just be "demand to give his name (quisnam esset)".
6 mins
  -> Thank you
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
he kept asking/tried to ask who he was


Explanation:
The imperfect in Latin, as in Greek, is not infrequently used to express a repeated or attempted action in past time. The context seems to suggest that the soldier had difficulty in eliciting an answer. I would therefore translate conatively, 'tried to ask'.

Joseph Brazauskas
United States
Local time: 02:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 24
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Joseph


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jim Tucker (X)
7 hrs
  -> Tibi gratias ago.

agree  Armilla (X): I think so, too.
9 hrs
  -> Tibi quoque gratias ago.
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