Quadrigae praecipites currunt.

to run

Breakdown of Quadrigae praecipites currunt.

• quadrigae: the four-horse chariot; team of four horses
• praeceps: headlong; at full speed

Questions & Answers about Quadrigae praecipites currunt.

What does quadrigae mean exactly?

Quadrigae is the plural of quadriga, a noun meaning a four-horse chariot or sometimes the team of four horses that pulls it.

So in this sentence, quadrigae refers to chariots or four-horse teams, depending on the context.

Why is quadrigae plural here?

Because the verb is currunt, which is third person plural: they run.

That tells you the subject must be plural, so quadrigae here is understood as nominative plural: the chariots / the teams.

This is helpful because quadrigae could have more than one possible form in isolation, but the verb makes the function clear here.

Could quadrigae mean something other than nominative plural?

Yes, by itself quadrigae could be:

• nominative plural = chariots
• genitive singular = of a four-horse chariot
• dative singular = to/for a four-horse chariot

But in Quadrigae praecipites currunt, it must be nominative plural, because it is the subject of currunt.