Arria part 1 Flashcards
C. Plinius Nepoti suo S.
Gaius Plinius sends greetings to his friend (Maecilius) Nepos.
aegrotabat Caecina Paetus, maritus Arriae; aegrotabat et filius, uterque gravissime, ut videbatur.
Caecina Paetus, the husband of Arria, was ill; their son was also ill,both very seriously, as it seemed.
filius mortuus est, iuvenis pulcherrimus et verecundus et parentibus carus.
The son died, a young man who was very handsome and modest and dear to his parents.
huic Arria ita funus paravit, ita duxit exsequias, ut ignarus esset maritus; quin immo quotiens cubiculum eius intraret, vivere filium atque etiam commodiorem esse simulabat, ac persaepe marito roganti, quid ageret puer, respondebat: ‘bene dormivit, libenter cibum consumpsit’.
Arria prepared the funeral for this son in such a way, she led the funeral procession in such way that her husband should be unaware of it; indeed whenever she entered his bedroom, she would pretend that her son was alive and even getting stronger, and as her husband would ask very often, how the boy was getting on, she would reply:“He slept well and ate his food willingly”.
deinde, cum lacrimae diu cohibitae eam vincerent prorumperentque, egrediebatur; tum se dolori dabat; satiate siccis oculis composito vultu in cubiculum redibat, tamquam orbitatem foris reliquisset.
Then, when the tears which had been held back for a long time were overcoming her and breaking out, she would go out; then she would give herself over to her grief; having had her fill, with her eyes
dried her face composed, she would return to the bedroom, as if she had left the bereavement outside (the door).
praeclarum quidem illud factum eiusdem, ferrum stringere perfodere pectus, extrahere pugionem, porrigere marito, addere vocem immortalem ac paene divinam: ‘Paete, non dolet.’
Remarkable indeed was that action of that same woman, to draw a blade, to stab her breast, to withdraw the dagger, to offer it to her husband, to add in an immortal and almost divine voice: “Paetus, it does not hurt.”
