Seneca Letter 7 Flashcards
Quid tibi vitandum praecipue existimes, quaeris? Turbam. Nondum illi tuto committeris. Ego certe confitebor inbecillitatem meam; numquam mores, quos extuli, refero. Aliquid ex eo, quod conposui, turbatur; aliquid ex iis, quae fugavi, redit.
Do you ask what you should judge to be especially avoided? The crowd.
You are not yet trusted to it, safely.
I will certainly admit my own weaknesses, I never bring back the character/morals I left with. Something of it, which I set in order, is disturbed, something returns from which I had chased away.
tibi- dat. of advantage
tuto- working as an adverb.
Quod aegris evenit, quos longa inbecillitas usque eo adfecit, ut nusquam sine offensa proferantur, hoc accidit nobis, quorum animi ex longo morbo reficiuntur. Inimica est multorum conversatio; nemo non aliquod nobis vitium aut commendat aut inprimit aut nescientibus adlinit.
What happens to the sick, who long illness weakens up to this point, that they cannot be brought out anywhere without ill effects. So this happens to us, of whose minds are restored after a long illness. Conversation of many is hostile. No one does not make wrongdoings attractive to us or impress on us, or besmear us being ignorant.
quod evenit- general statement
usque eo- up to this point
nusquam- nowhere/never. but the pro of verb + nusquam (as the target of the pro) = to nowhere
nescientibus- present part.
Utique quo maior est populus, cui miscemur, hoc periculi plus est. Nihil vero tam damnosum bonis moribus quam in aliquo spectaculo desidere. Tunc enim per voluptatem facilius vitia subrepunt.
For sure, the greater the group, in which we mingle, the greater the danger is. Truly nothing is so destructive to good morals, than to sit ideally at some games. For then, through pleasure, sins sneak in more easily.
quo- with comparative.
periculi- partitive gen.
hoc…est- lit. ‘this is more of danger’
nihil…desidere- result clause with inf?
Quid me existimas dicere? Avarior redeo, ambitiosior, luxuriosior, immo vero crudelior et inhumanior, quia inter homines fui. Casu in meridianum spectaculum incidi lusus expectans et sales et aliquid laxamenti, quo hominum oculi ab humano cruore adquiescant; contra est.
What do you think I am saying? I return more greedy, more ambitious, more self-indulgent, truly more cruel and inhumane, because I was among men. By chance, I happened at an afternoon show, expecting fun and jokes and something relaxing, from which men’s eyes seek rest from the blood of men. But it was the opposite.
‘immo vero’- when together mean ‘truly’
casu- abl of casus (used as adverb)
sales- ‘sal’ trans. salt, and fig. as wit. as it is in pl could be ‘funny things’ etc.
contra est- English needs a more explicit contrast than the letter provides, hence ‘but’.
Quicquid ante pugnatum est, misericordia fuit. Nunc omissis nugis mera homicidia sunt.
Whatever had been fought before, was compassion. Now, jests put to the side, it is the plain murder of men.
pug…est- impersonal.
omissis nugis- abl. abs.
nugis- jests, or even trinkets (as in armour)
Nihil habent quo tegantur, ad ictum totis corporibus expositi numquam frustra manum mittunt. Hoc plerique ordinariis paribus et postulaticiis (battles by request) praeferunt. Quidni praeferant? Non galea, non scuto repellitur ferrum.
They have nothing by which they are protected, their whole bodies exposed to blows, and no one aimed their hand in vain. Many prefer this to ordinary fights and battles by requests.
Why should they not prefer it? The sword is repelled by no helmet and no shield.
tero- potential subj, idea of possibility
postulaticiis- encores, fights having been requested.
non galea…non scuto- instrumental abl.
Quo munimenta? Quo artes? Omnia ista mortis morae sunt. Mane leonibus et ursis homines, meridie spectatoribus suis obiciuntur. Interfectores interfecturis iubent obici et victorem in aliam detinent caedem.
what is the use of armour? What is the use of skill? All these things delay death. In the morning, men are thrown to lions and bears, in the afternoon they are thrown to their audience. They order the killers to be thrown to those about to kill them, and they keep back the victor for another slaughter.
quo- lit. for what
iubent…detinent- the ‘spectores’ from the line before act as the subject.
Exitus pugnantium mors est; ferro et igne res geritur. Haec fiunt, dum vacat harena. “Sed latrocinium fecit aliquis, occidit hominem.” Quid ergo? Quia occidit ille, meruit ut hoc pateretur; tu quid meruisti miser, ut hoc spectes? “Occide, verbera, ure! Quare tam timide incurrit in ferrum? Quare parum audacter occidit? Quare parum libenter moritur? Plagis agatur in vulnera, mutuos ictus nudis et obviis pectoribus excipiant.”
The outcome for the fighters is death, the act is carried out by sword and fire. These things happen while the arena is empty. ‘But he was a robber, and he killed a man.’
What of it then? Because he killed a man, he deserved suffering like this. What did you deserve, wretched man, that you watch this?
‘Kill, beat, burn! Why does he run into the fray so timidly? Why does he fall with so little bravery? Why does he die with so little enthusiasm?’
Let him be driven into his wounds by blows, let him receive blow for blow with his bare chest exposed.’
pugnantium- for the fighters
quid ergo- lit. what therefore
ad ferrum- lit. towards the sword
mutuos- lit. shared
