pliny 3 Flashcards
Ais te adductum litteris quas exigenti tibi de morte avunculi mei scripsi, cupere cognoscere, quos ego Miseni relictus (id enim ingressus abruperam) non solum metus verum etiam casus pertulerim.
You say that you have been drawn by that letter which I wrote to you about the death of my uncle, to wish to understand that which I carried, not only the genuine fear but also the dangers, having been forsaken in Misenum (for I having begun it, broke it off)
‘Quamquam animus meminisse horret, …incipiam.’
Although my mind dreads to remember, I will begin
Profecto avunculo ipse reliquum tempus studiis (ideo enim remanseram) impendi; mox balineum cena somnus inquietus et brevis.
After uncle set out I myself spent the remaining time studying (for I had remained) and soon there was a bath, dinner, and sleep, restless and brief.
Praecesserat per multos dies tremor terrae, minus formidolosus quia Campaniae solitus; illa vero nocte ita invaluit, ut non moveri omnia sed verti crederentur.
The quaking had been happening for many days, which was less terrible because Campania was accustomed to it; It was so strengthened to such a degree that night that everything was believed to be not moving but turning
Inrupit cubiculum meum mater; surgebam invicem, si quiesceret excitaturus.
My mother burst into my bedroom at the same time I was getting up, as if I was about to rouse her from her sleep.
Resedimus in area domus, quae mare a tectis modico spatio dividebat.
We sat down in the open space of the house which was separating, by a modest distance, the sea from the buildings.
Dubito, constantiam vocare an imprudentiam debeam (agebam enim duodevicensimum annum): posco librum Titi Livi, et quasi per otium lego atque etiam ut coeperam excerpo.
I doubt whether I should call it constancy or ignorance (for I was seventeen years old): I ask for a book of Titus Livius, and I read and take notes as I had begun to, just as if I were at ease.
Ecce amicus avunculi qui nuper ad eum ex Hispania venerat, ut me et matrem sedentes, me vero etiam legentem videt, illius patientiam securitatem meam corripit.
Lo and behold, a friend of my uncle — who had recently come to him from Spain — as he sees me and mother sitting down, and even indeed me reading, he admonished her patience and my sense of security.
Nihilo segnius ego intentus in librum.
No less actively, I remain focused on my book.
Iam hora diei prima, et adhuc dubius et quasi languidus dies.
Now it was the first hour of the day, and so far the daylight is uncertain as if weakened.
Iam quassatis circumiacentibus tectis, quamquam in aperto loco, angusto tamen, magnus et certus ruinae metus.
Now with the area around the roof shaking repeatedly, although in an open, yet narrow place, there was a great and certain fear of collapse
Tum demum excedere oppido visum; sequitur vulgus attonitum, quodque in pavore simile prudentiae, alienum consilium suo praefert, ingentique agmine abeuntes premit et impellit.
Only then did it seemed best to depart the town; the astonished crowd followed and in fear it seems similar to prudence, he prefers foreign judgement to his own and in a great throng, the mob presses and pushes us forward as we are departing.
Egressi tecta consistimus.
Having left the building, we stood.
Multa ibi miranda, multas formidines patimur.
There we endured many miracles and many horrors.
Nam vehicula quae produci iusseramus, quamquam in planissimo campo, in contrarias partes agebantur ac ne lapidibus quidem fulta in eodem vestigio quiescebant.
For the vehicles that we ordered to bring forth, although on flat plains, was drove in opposite directions, and not indeed supported by stones, they were resting in the same position.
