Pliny letter 1 Flashcards
post aliquot annos insigne atque etiam memorabile populi Romani oculis spectaculum exhibuit publicum funus Vergini Rufi, maximi et clarissimi ciuis, perinde felicis.
After many years, the public funeral of Verginius Rufus, the most important and most famous citizen and equally fortunate, exhibited a remarkable and also memorable spectacle to the eyes of the Roman people.
Triginta annis gloriae suae supervixit; legit scripta de se carmina, legit histories et posteritati suae interfuit.
He outlived his glory by 30 years; he read poems having been written about himself, he read histories (having been written about himself), and was part of his own posterity.
supervixit +gloriae
compound verb + dative
triginta annis gloriae -by 30 years
ablative of duration of time
posteritati - dat fem sing
+ interfuit -perf act indic -3rd sing
compound verb w/dative
Perfunctus est tertio consulatu, ut summum fastigium privati hominis impleret, cum principis noluisset.
He completed the office of consul 3 times, so that he fulfilled the highest rank of a private citizen, although he did not want that of princeps
perfunctus est + consulatu
perfunctus takes abl
ut summum…
result clause
cum principis noluisset.
Although he did not want that of princeps
cum clause-concessive
3rd s. pluperf act subj
principis -genitive masc sing
mirrored construction w. privati hominis
Caesares, quibus suspectus atque etiam invisus virtutibus fuerat, evasit, reliquit incolumem optimum atque amicissimum, tamquam ad hunc ipsum honorem publici funeris reservatus.
He escaped from the Caesares, who suspected and even hated him for his virtues, he left behind the best and most friendly (one) unharmed, just as he had been reserved for this very honor of a public funeral.
quibus -dat masc sing
dative of agent
virtutibus - abl fem pl.
abl of cause
ad (hunc…)
indicates purpose
Annum tertium et octogensimum excessit in altissima tranquillitate, pari veneratione.
He exceeded his 83 year in the deepest tranquility, with equal veneration.
veneratione - abl fem s.
abl of attendant circumstance
-ie archaic abl absolute
Usus est firma valetudine, nisi quod solebant ei manus tremere, citra dolorem tamen.
He experienced a strong state of health, except that his hands were accustomed to tremble, yet without pain
ei manus
nominative masc pl
utor (usus est) + valetudine
perf act indic + abl fem sing
utor takes obj in abl
Aditus tantum mortis durior longiorque, sed hic ipse laudabilis.
Only the approach of death was rather hard and rather long, but he himself was laudable.
Nam cum vocem praepararet acturus in consulatu principi gratias, liber, quem forte acceperat grandiorem, et seni et stanti ipso pondere elapsus est.
For when he was preparing his voice in order to give thanks to the emperor on the occasion of his consulship, a book, which he had by chance taken was rather large, and for this both standing and old man it slipped by its own weight.
acturus
futur act prtcpl indicate purpose
et seni et stanti
dat of ref
(adj + pres act prtcpl)
Hunc dum consequitur colligitque, per leve et lubricum pavimentum fallente vestigio cecidit coxamque fregit, quae parum apte collocata reluctante aetate male coiit.
While he pursued and picked it up, he fell on account of the smooth and slippery floor (with) his footing deceiving him and broke his hip. Which having been placed slightly too snuggly with his old age refusing to cooperate, it healed poorly.
reluctante aetate
abl absolute
Huius viri exequiae magnum ornamentum principi, magnum saeculo, magnum etiam foro et rostris attulerunt.
the funeral procession of this man, conferred great distinction to the emperor, great distinction to the age, and even great distinction to the forum and rostra:
Laudatus est a consule Cornelio Tacito; nam hic supremus felicitati eius cumulus accessit, laudator eloquentissimus.
He was praised by the consul, Cornelius Tacitus; for this man (Tacitus) came as the greatest addition to his (that other man) good fortune, being the most eloquent eulogist.
accessit
act can be trans aspssv
supremus cumulus -greatest addition
nominative (masc) predicate
felicitati
dat cause cumulus takes dat
Et ille quidem plenus annis abiit, plenus honoribus, illis etiam, quos recusavit; nobis tamen quaerendus ac desiderandus est ut exemplar aevi prioris, mihi vero praecipue, qui illum non solum publice quantum admirabar tantum diligebam; primum quod utrique eadem regio, municipia finitima, agri etiam possessionesque coniunctae, praeterea quod ille tutor mihi relictus adfectum parentis exhibuit.
And indeed that man departed plentiful in years, plentiful in honors, even those which he refused; however he must be missed and longed for by us as a model of a prior age, but indeed chiefly by me (he must be missed and desired), I who loved as much as I admired that man, not only publicly, 1st because each of us came from the same district, our towns were neighboring, furthermore our lands and holdings had been connected, secondly because that man having been left as a guardian to me showed the affection of a parent.
plennus + annis
abl pl. plennus take abl
exemplar
nom masc predicate
ut
relative adverb of manner -comparative clause of manner
nobis
dative of agent
mihi
parallel structure mirroring nobis
qui illum…
(I) who
nominative masc sing -substantive?
dative of possession? somewhere btwn primum-coniunctae
(municipia) finitima
predicate nominative
Sic candidatum me suffragio ornavit, sic ad omnes honores meos ex secessibus accucurrit, cum iam pridem eiusmodi officiis renuntiasset, sic illo die, quo sacerdotes solent nominare, quos dignissimos sacerdotio iudicant, me semper nominabat.
to such an extent he honored me when I was a candidate with his support, so thus to all my honors he hastened from his retirement, although now he had long ago renounced duties of this manner, so thus on the day which priests used to nominate those whom they deem most worthy for priesthood, he was always nominating me.
suffragio
abl neut sing. - abl of means
cum iam pridem eiusmodi officiis renuntiasset
concessive cum clause
-renuntiasset- pluperf act subj, 3rd s.
renuntiasset + officiis
takes dative
officiis - neut dat pl.
quo (sacerdotes)
abl of time when
dignissimos sacerdotio
most worthy for priesthood
dignus takes abl
dignissimos -acc masc pl-superlative
sacerdotio - abl neut sing.
Quin etiam in hac novissima valetudine veritus, ne forte inter quinqueviros crearetur, qui minuendis publicis sumptibus iudicio senatus constituebantur, cum illi tot amici senes consularesque superessent, me huius aetatis, per quem excusaretur, elegit his quidem verbis: “Etiam si filium haberem, tibi mandarem.”
What is more in this most recent illness having fear that w/ luck he might be appointed among the board of 5 that was being established by the verdict of the senate for diminishing public expenses, although for that man so many of his friends who were older and consular in rank were alive, he chose me, at my age, through whom he might be excused, with these very words, “even if I were to have a son, I would be consigning this to you.”
ne (forte inter..)
introduce fear clause
minuendis
gerund -dative of purpose
futr pssv partcpl -dat neut pl.
minuendis + constituebantur
dative gerundive of purpose
cum illi…superessent”
concessive cum clause
superessent -imper subj act -3rd pl.
per quem…excusaretur
rel clause of purpose
huius aetatis
at my age
gen sing fem - genitive of description
excusaretur
3rd sing. imperf pssv subj
cause inside rel purp clause
“etiam..mandarem”
haberem/mandarem
present contrary to fact
verbis
ablative of means
abl neut pl.
Quibus ex causis necesse est tamquam immaturam mortem eius in sinu tuo defleam, si tamen fas est aut flere aut omnino mortem vocare, qua tanti viri mortalitas magis finita quam vita est.
For these reasons it is necessary that I lament the death of this man on your bosom as if it was premature, if that is what is divinely right is either to cry or to invoke death at all, by which the mortality of so great a man rather than his life has been finished.
quibus
false relative pronoun
act as demonstrative
in sinu tuo
in your bosom
abl place where
sinu -abl masc s.
tamquam…defleam
object clause thus subjunctive defleam
defleam -pres act subj -1st s.
qua (tanti…)
by which
abl of means -
abl fem sing?
Vivit enim vivetque semper atque etiam latius in memoria hominum et sermone versabitur, postquam ab oculis recessit.
Indeed he lives and will live always, and even now he will dwell everywhere in the memory of men and in conversation after he has receded from our eyes.
ab oculis
abl place from where
abl masc pl
Volui tibi multa alia scribere, sed totus animus in hac una contemplatione defixus est.
I wanted to write many other things to you, but my whole mind was being focused on this one contemplation.
tibi
indirect object
Verginium cogito, Verginium video, Verginium iam vanis imaginibus, recentibus tamen, audio, adloquor, teneo; cui fortasse cives aliquos virtutibus pares et habemus et habebimus, gloria neminem. Vale.
I think of Virginius, I see Virginius, I hear, speak, and hold now to empty images of Virginius, yet fresh; perhaps we have and will have other citizens equal t o him in excellence, but none equal in honor. Farewell.
imaginibus
abl of means
abl fem pl.
virtutibus
abl of respect
abl pl. fem
cui (fortasse…)
fasle relative -trans as demonstrative
Pares + cui
equal to him
