#any latin scholars rattling around on tumblr feel free to correct me!!

[zazzander]

Translating the Prophecy of Seven into Latin:

In light of the fact that the current version of the prophecy isn't done very well at all. I decided to try and translate it myself! This is bringing me back to Latin 101 lol, but it's pretty fun.

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

Septem filii deorum curam respondebunt

The Latin word for "demigod" is literally heros, however, the translation is "halfbloods". This is tricky. A literal version of this would probably be semisanguines, however, I believe the intent is to refer to children of gods (rather than legacies). So I've made this filii deorum, "children of the gods".

I used the word "curam" for "the call". It can mean that they are answering a command / charge (I think). But it also means they might be answering/reacting to:

an attendant, guardian, observer.

anxiety, grief, sorrow

trouble, solicitude

So basically they're responding to this Big Concern or to Hera herself (the "guardian"). I like the ambiguity of it. And the English phrase "the call" is a decent translation of such an ambigious phrase.

To storm or fire, the world must fall.

Aut ab procellae aut ab igni, Terram cadenda est

I had some fun with grammar in this one and learned what a gerundive is - wow! Anyway, this version is less ambigious on what is falling exactly. Because "Terra" = "Gaea", the personification of the earth.

The verb comes from cado, which has several meanings related to "fall" such as "fall in battle", "fail", "loose strength", or "die". This fit nicely :)

I used the term procellae rather than tempestas for storm because the latter is more general and can refer to any type of weather, as well as seasons etc.

So this reads more like: To storm or fire, the Earth must fall. But it's close enough.

An oath to keep with the final breath,

Fidem ad ultimam animam praestabitur

Okay, so I think in the context of the story, this phrase is closer to the concept of keeping one's word. Like "Leo kept his word to Calypso" / "Leo fulfilled his promise to Calypso". And in that case, in Latin", fides is the best term. Rather than the straight-forward sacramentum, which I believe is used in more formal contexts only.

I put this phrase in the passive tense because it doesn't actually say who's keeping the oath. In Riordan's original Latin the sentence adds a mysterious "we" - this doesn't work for obvious reasons.

The translation of "breath" was kind of tricky. In Riordan's version it's spiritu which I think is okay, but on the face of it, anima is better. Anima refers to both "breath" and one's "life / soul". So if I'm right, to give the indication this is a death, anima works better.

Another translation of this is: An oath will be kept with a final breath

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death

Et inimici arma ad Ianuam Leti ferent

So this really depends on what Riordan meant by "bear arms". There are two meanings:

carry firearms

wear or display a coat of arms

Neither of these really match what I think Riordan was going for. I think his intention was that a battle would take place. The second meaning fits this in a way, armies traditionally "bear arms" when they are about to fit. In which case, it would be signa ... ferent.

However if the idea is simply that they're carrying weapons, then it's arma ferent. I think, based on how it's presented, the second option makes more sense.

I have made a couple other changes compared to the original Latin in the books as well:

It's inimici "enemy, rival" rather than hostes "enemy if the state, hostile".

And Leti not necem. This is because the Doors of Death are named after Letum, the god of Death. It's also in the genitive case now (yay!).

A fun part of this version is that it can also mean both: And foes carry arms to the Doors of Death & And foes endure war at the Doors of Death.

So together:

Septem filii deorum curam respondebunt.

Aut ab procellae aut ab igni, Terram cadenda est.

Fidem ad ultimam animam praestabitur,

Et inimici arma ad Ianuam Leti ferent.

What do y'all reckon??