C



C. PLINI SECVNDI EPISTVLA PRIMA

AD CORNELIVM TACITVM

DE VESVVII ERVPTIONE

Annotationibus Instructa in Usum Discipulorum

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Annotated by Peter Cohee



© 2007

Learning expectations for and sample exam on Pliny’s letter/s to Tacitus about the eruption of Vesuvius.

Learning Expectations. These letters by Pliny the Younger about the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in Ad 79, the first about his famous uncle’s death, the second about his own and his mother’s escape, are an invaluable eye-witness account of that great calamity; we therefore want you to learn it/them well. Here are the standards we’ll use to evaluate your knowledge of this material.

You will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of:

the structure of sentences (i. e. the clauses and phrases of which they are made);

what part of speech any given word is;

the specific form of words (e. g. case and number, tense and mood, etc.);

the function of words in their clause or phrase (e. g. adjective modifying a noun, a pronoun’s case-function, etc.);

the meaning of words in their context (vocabulary);

You will also be expected to:

correctly translate or accurately paraphrase selected phrases, sentences, or passages;

comment critically on a given passage, correctly citing and translating the Latin to support your view;

demonstrate understanding of select passages or sentences.

Sample Exam. You should expect to find questions like these on your Pliny Vesuvius exam/s:

∙ Analyze this sentence (6. 16. 14) into its separate clauses and identify the type of each: Sed ārea, ex quā diaeta adibātur, ita, iam cinere mixtīsque pūmicibus opplēta, surrēxerat, ut, sī longior in cubiculō mora, exitus negārētur.

Sed area ... ita ... surrexerat main clause

ex qua diaeta adibatur relative clause

iam cinere mixtisque pumicibus oppleta participial phrase

ut ... exitus negaretur adverbial result clause/apodosis of condition

si longior in cubiculo mora (fuisset) protasis of future more vivid condition (past)

∙ Identify the part of speech, specific form, and function of the following (6. 16. 4): Erat Mīsenī classemque imperiō praesēns regēbat. Nōnum Kal. Septembrēs hōrā ferē septimā māter mea indicat eī appārēre nūbem inūsitātā et magnitūdine et speciē.

Miseni [proper noun, 2nd decl. neut. sing. locative]

regebat [verb, 3rd conj. 3rd pers. sing. imperf. indic. act.]

fere [adverb of manner; modifies septima]

ei [demonstr. pron., dat. sing. masc.; ind. obj. of indicat]

∙ Translate # 5 (6. 16. 8-10), Egrediebatur … enotaretque as precisely as possible.

∙ Accurately paraphrase or summarize how Uncle Pliny tried to encourage and comfort Pomponianus.

∙ Does Pliny the Younger express admiration for his uncle? Cite and translate the Latin which supports your view.

∙ On a map, locate Mt Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, Neapolis, and Misenum.

∙ Compare current or recent news accounts of volcanic eruptions which resulted in loss of life and property. What details of Pliny’s account are similar? Cite and translate or accurately paraphrase the Latin which supports your comparisons.

∙ You might also be asked to do research and give a slide presentation on significant ruins of Pompeii or Herculaneum.

Introduction. Who were Pliny the Elder and Younger?

C. (Gaius) Plinius Secundus “the Elder” was born at Novum Comum (present-day Como) in N. Italy in AD 23 or 24. He was from a family in the “equestrian” class, which meant chiefly that, while they met the wealth and property requirements to run for and hold the electoral offices which gave a Roman man a seat in the Senate, they chose not to. Pliny served in the military in Germany and undertook a legal “practice” in the time of the emperor Nero. He was promoted and favored by the Flavian family of emperors, especially Vespasian and his son Titus, with whom Pliny served in the army. Because of the confidence those emperors had in his abilities, he was placed in charge of the imperial navy stationed in the Bay of Naples when the volcano Mt Vesuvius erupted, during the short reign of Titus. In the process of attempting a rescue of friends, he died from inhalation of the toxic gases. He was 55 or 56 years old.

When we think of ancient literature, we tend to think of such things as poetry, drama, oratory, philosophy, history and biography. But it is important for you to know that the ancient Greco-Roman world also abounded in what we would call technical writing, and on a vast array of subjects. Pliny the Elder was among the foremost of Roman writers of this kind. For example, he wrote a manual on the cavalry javelin and its use. He also wrote a history of the wars in Germany, a collection of legal sayings, and the work which survives and for which he is most famous, a 31-volume encyclopedia called Naturalis Historia, Investigations of Nature. The Roman world did not have “scientists” in our sense, that is, people especially trained to observe physical phenomena and to test our perceptions and understanding of them through controlled experimentation. But Pliny the Elder certainly qualifies by ancient standards. The range of his interest and sheer magnitude of factual detail is amazing. It was his interest in natural events that caused his death: he sailed closer to the eruption of Vesuvius partly out of his scientific curiosity.

C. Plinius Caecilius Secundus “the Younger” was born at Comum in AD 61 and lived until around AD 112. He was adopted and raised by his uncle Pliny “the Elder.” Also born of equestrian family, Pliny the Younger served in the military in Syria, then was enrolled in the Senate while still in his 20s and eventually belonged to the most prestigious public priesthood, that of the augurs. He was well-received and promoted politically, eventually achieving the office of consul (which of course, under the emperors, did not have the same power as earlier). He had a distinguished legal career as well.

Pliny the Younger inherited his uncle’s talent for writing, which he displays in his very large collection of personal letters. These are not ordinary letters. Though they are genuine correspondence to known persons, such as Tacitus or the emperor Trajan, or any number of Pliny’s friends and family, they are also written and arranged in a highly artful style. In effect, Pliny perfected what we might call ‘epistolary’ style, the art of fine letter-writing. Apart from that, the letters themselves give us an abundance of fascinating information about Roman society and politics in the age of the high Empire. Not only do we have two letters giving us an eye-witness account of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, we also have one of the very first Roman encounters with members of the still-early Christian community in Asia Minor.

MAP OF THE BAY OF NAPLES

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|[pic] | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| |Cape Misenum, at the northwest corner of|

| |the Bay of Naples. The slopes of |

| |Vesuvius are just visible to the far |

| |left. Notice the perfect natural harbor|

| |to the left, where the Roman fleet was |

| |stationed. |

1. Pliny writes to Tacitus about his uncle’s death in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. Plin. epist. 6. 16. 1-2

|1 |c·plinivs·tacito·svo·s. Petis, ut tibi avunculī meī exitum scrībam, quō vērius trādere posterīs possīs. Grātiās agō; nam videō mortī eius, sī |

|2 |celebrētur ā tē, immortālem glōriam esse prōpositam. Quamvīs enim pulcherrimārum clāde terrārum, ut populī, ut urbēs, memorābilī cāsū quasi semper |

|3 |vīctūrus occiderit, quamvīs ipse plūrima opera et mānsūra condiderit, multum tamen perpetuitātī eius scrīptōrum tuōrum aeternitās addet. |

|4 | |

|5 | |

1 C. Plinius Tacito suo s.: a standard greeting in a letter. The sender’s name, with praenomen abbreviated, then the recipient’s name in the dative case, then s(alutem); the understood verb is dat. Thus: “Gaius Plinius (sends) greeting to his (dear friend) Tacitus.”

Tacito: Cornelius Tacitus (ca. AD 56-ca. AD 119), Rome’s greatest historian. The information received by Tacitus from his friend Pliny would have been included in Tacitus’ now-lost books of his Histories, which covered the years AD 69-96; only about a third of this work survives.

peto, -ere, peti(v)i, petitum: ask, request.

ut ... scribam: noun purpose (“indirect command”) clause, the object of petis; the original subjunctive is optative.

tibi: 2nd personal pronoun, dat. ind. obj. of scribam.

avunculus, -i, m.: uncle; subjective genitive. See intro.

meus-a-um: (possessive adj.) my.

exitus, -ūs, m.: death (lit. “out-going,” i.e. from life). This is called a “cognate accusative,” in which exitum stands for an understood epistulam de exitu, “a letter about the death,” etc. The first line of Vergil’s Aeneid has a famous example: Arma virumque cano, “I sing (a song about) war and the man,” etc.

scribo, -ere, scripsi, scriptum: write.

quo ... possis: adv. purpose clause; in Latin, whenever a purpose clause contains an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree (such as verius), quo is commonly used instead of ut, as if it were ut eo, “so that by that means” etc.

vere: (adv.) truthfully, accurately.

trado, -ere, -didi, -ditum: hand down, report, tell; comple-mentary infinitive after possis.

posteri-ae-a: the future, future generations of people; dat.

ind. obj. of tradere.

2 possum, posse, potui: can, be able (+ inf.).

gratias ago: I thank you.

nam: (coord. conj.) For you see, ...

video, -ere, visi, visum: see, understand, recognize.

morti eius ... esse propositam: acc. + inf. construction, both the object of video and the apodosis (leading or “main” clause) of a potential condition, introduced by the protasis si celebretur a te. Study this sentence’s construction:

nam video

morti eius,

si celebretur a te,

immortalem gloriam esse propositam.

mors, mortis, f.: death; dat. ind. obj. of esse propositam.

is ea id: he she it; eius is possessive genitive, “his” (i. e. the elder Pliny’s).

si: (subord. conj.) if.

celebro, -are: make famous, honor.

a: (prep. + abl.) by.

te: 2nd personal pronoun, “you,” abl. of agent, obj. of a.

immortalis, -e: deathless, immortal, everlasting (i. e. via literature, because of Tacitus’ own fame as historian).

gloria, -ae, f.: glory, fame; acc. subj. of esse propositum.

3 propono, -ere, -posui, -positum: offer (as a reward).

Quamvis ... occideret, quamvis ... condiderit, ... tamen ... addet: concessive-adversative sentence.

Quamvis: (subord. conj.) although, however much.

enim: (postpositive coord. conj.) For (you see) ...

pulcher-chra-chrum: beautiful; note superlative degree.

clades, -is, f.: fall, destruction; abl. of circumstance, “in, during.”

terra, -ae, f.: land; obj. genitive after clade.

ut ... ut: (subord. conj.) comparative phrases, “just as;” supply occiderint.

populus, -i, m.: people; nom. subj. of understood occiderint.

urbs, -is, f.: city; nom. subj. of understood occiderint.

memorabilis, -e: unforgettable.

casus, -ūs, m.: disaster; abl. of circumstance, “in.” Note the word-play casū ... oc-cid-erit, the noun and verb being related with

the sense of ‘fall’, a device called figura etymologica.

4 quasi sempter victurus: comparative participial phrase, expressing a kind of result of the disaster.

quasi: (adv. and subord. conj.) such that.

semper: (adv.) always, forever

vivo, -ere, vixi, victum: live; the fut. act. participle refers to Pliny’s memorable death, which Tacitus will record.

occido, -ere, -cidi: (< ob-cadere) fall, perish, die.

ipse: he himself, he personally; nom. subj. of condiderit.

plurimi-ae-a: very many, a great number of.

opus, -eris, n.: work (of literature = book; see intro); acc. dir. obj. of condiderit..

et: (coord. conj.) and; links plurima and mansura.

maneo, -ere, mansi, mansurum: last, remain valid; note use of fut. act. participle to express a quality, “which will remain = continue to be read” etc.

condo, -ere, -didi, -ditum: lit. put together, found, build, establish; here = scribere. Note metaphor: books as constructed works, like buildings or monuments.

multum, -i, n.: much, a great deal; acc. dir. obj. of addet.

tamen: (demonstr. adv.) nevertheless, even so.

5 perpetuitas, -tatis, f.: remembrance, honored memory; dat. ind. obj. of addet.

eius = avunculi mei; possess. gen. modifying perpetuitati.

scriptum, -i, n.: writing, written work (here, of history); the genitive is subjective, modifying and explaining aeternitas, as if scripta tua aeterna: your works (are so excellent they will) last forever.

tuus-a-um: your, of yours.

aeternitas, -tatis, f.: eternity, everlastingness; nom. subj. of addet.

addo, -ere, -didi, -ditum: add, contribute (< ad + do).

notae

2. Deeds worthy of literature, literature worthy to be read. Plin. epist. 6. 16. 3

|1 |Equidem beātōs putō, quibus deōrum mūnere datum est aut facere scrībenda aut scrībere legenda, beātissimōs vērō quibus utrumque. Hōrum in numerō |

|2 |avunculus meus et suīs librīs et tuīs erit. Quō libentius suscipiō, dēposcō etiam, quod iniungis. |

|3 | |

1 Equidem: (demonstr. adv.) For indeed, For truly ...

beatos puto: an abbreviated acc. + inf. construction; understand eos homines beatos esse puto, etc.

beatus-a-um: blessed, most fortunate.

puto, -are: think, reckon.

quibus: pl. relative pronoun, “to whom,” referring to an understood demonstrative antecedent eos (homines); dative ind. obj. of datum est.

deus, -i, m.: god; subj. genitive.

munus, -eris, n.: gift, grant; abl. of means, “by.”

do, dare, dedi, datum: give; the subject is compound, facere ... scribere. Use English impersonal “it” to translate, but remember that the infinitives are the real grammatical subjects.

aut ... aut: (coord. disjunct. conj.) either ... or.

facio, -ere, feci, factum: do, accomplish.

scribo, -ere, scripsi, scriptum: write; scribenda is a gerundive used as a noun, “things-worthy-to-be-written (about),” the acc. pl. obj. of facere.

lego, -ere, legi, lectum: read; the gerundive = “things-

worthy-to-be-read.” Cf. English ‘legend.’

2 beatissimos: again an abbreviated acc. + inf. construction; understand eos homines beatissimos esse puto.

vero: (adv.) but, but indeed; note how it emphasizes the progression from positive beatos to superlative beatissimos.

uterque utraque utrumque: both (of two) (i. e. both to do thngs that deserve to be recorded and to write things that deserve to be read). Supply datum est to complete.

hic haec hoc: (demonstr. pron.) this; pl. = these people, the kind of people just mentioned, a kind of subj. gen., since “these people” make up the very “number” to which they belong.

in: (prep. + abl. of location/circumstance) in, among.

numerus, -i, m.: number.

avunculus, -i, m.: uncle; nom. subj. of erit.

meus-a-um: my.

et ... et: both ... and.

suus-a-um: his own; see intro.

liber, libri, m.: book; abl. of cause, “because of” etc.

tuus-a-um: your, of yours.

sum, esse, fui: be.

3 Quo: (abl. as adv.) All the ...

libenter: (adv.) willingly; note comparative.

suscipio, -ere, -cepi, -ceptum: undertake.

deposco, -ere, -poposci, -poscitum: earnestly desire.

etiam: (adv.) even, also.

quod iniungis: rel. clause serving as the dir. obj. of both suscipio and deposco. In Latin, when a demonstrative antecedent and its relative pronoun would be in the same case, the antecedent is omitted. We would expect, e.g., suscipio, deposco etiam, id, quod iniungis.

iniungo, -ere, -iunxi, -iunctum: impose, require; translate the clause as “your request” or “this imposition you make.”

notae

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Above, a manuscript page of Tacitus’ work Agricola. Cn. Iulius Agricola, conqueror of Britain and Tacitus’ father-in-law, certainly did things worthy of written record. Below, a manuscript of the first page of Pliny the Younger’s letters. Both writers were very conscious of their own abilities and had every expectation that their works would remain and continue to be read.

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3. First signs of the eruption. Plin. epist. 6. 16. 4-5

|1 |Erat Mīsenī classemque imperiō praesēns regēbat. Nōnum Kal. Septembrēs hōrā ferē septimā māter mea indicat eī appārēre nūbem inūsitātā et magnitūdine et|

|2 |speciē. |

|3 |Ūsus ille sōle, mox frīgidā, gustāverat iacēns studēbatque; poscit soleās, ascendit locum, ex quō maximē mīrāculum illud cōnspicī poterat. Nūbēs, |

|4 |incertum procul intuentibus ex quō monte (Vesuvium fuisse posteā cognitum est), oriēbātur, cuius similitūdinem et fōrmam nōn alia magis arbor quam pīnus|

|5 |expresserit. |

|6 | |

1 sum esse fui: be; the understood subject is the elder Pliny, “He.”

Misenum, -i, n.: Misenum, a small town on the tip of the cape at the northwest corner of the Bay of Naples; see map ; the case is locative, “at Misenum.”

classis, -is, f.: fleet, i. e. part of the Roman imperial navy; acc. dir. obj. of regebat.

-que: (enclitic coord. conj.) and.

imperium, -i, n.: high command, official power; abl. of means or manner, “with.”

praesens, -entis, c.: in person, personally.

rego, -ere, rexi, rectum: direct, administer.

nonus-a-um: ninth (i. e. day); the acc. is due to an understood phrase diē ante diem, lit. “on the day (which is the) ninth day before (inclusive)” etc.

Kalendae, -arum, f. pl.: Kalends, the first day of a month.

September, -bris: (adj.) of September.

hora, -ae, f.: hour; abl. of time at which, “at.” At 40 degrees latitude, sunrise on 24 August would have been around 6:20 a. m.; the seventh hour (inclusive) would thus have been around noon.

fere: (adv.) about, around.

septimus-a-um: seventh.

2 mater, matris, f.: mother; nom. subj. of indicat.

meus-a-um: my.

indico, -are: indicate, point out, tell; the tense is vivid historical present: translate as a past tense.

is ea id:: (demonstr. pron.) he she it; ei is dat. sing. masc. ind. obj., “to him.”

apparere nubem: ind. statement, the ‘object’ or content of indicat.

appareo, -ere, -ui: appear; translate as past progressive, “was appearing,” “was becoming visible.”

nubes, -is, f.: cloud.

inusitatus-a-um: unusual, remarkable, strange.

et ... et: (coord. conj.) “both ... and;” note how this pair joins the nouns magnitudine and specie to each other and to their common adjective inusitata. English would omit one of these connectors: “of amazing size and appearance.”

magnitudo, -inis, f.: size; abl. of description, “of.”

species, -ei, f.: appearance; abl. of description.

3 utor, uti, usus sum: enjoy (+ abl. of means); supply erat.

ille: he, i. e. Pliny’s uncle; nom. subj. of usus, gustaverat, iacens, studebat, poscit, and ascendit.

sol, solis, m.: sun; uti sole, lit. “use/enjoy the sun,” = “take a sun bath,” “work on one’s tan.”

mox: (adv.) soon (i. e. after sunning himself).

frigida, -ae, f.: cool water; the understood verb is usus erat, “he had taken a cool-water bath” to wash off the sweat and cool down.

gusto, -are: have lunch, have a snack..

iaceo, -ere, -ui: lie down.

studeo, -ere, -ui: read and/or write; note shift in tenses.

posco, -ere, poposci, poscitum: ask for; historical present.

soleae, -arum, f. pl.: sandals; acc. dir. obj. of poscit.

ascendo, -ere, -cendi, -censum: climb up to (+ acc.).

locus, -i, m.: place, point, spot; acc. dir. obj. of ascendit.

ex quo ... conspici poterat: rel. clause, “from which,” defining locum.

ex: (prep. + abl. sep.) from.

4 maxime: (adv.) best, most fully.

miraculum, -i, n.: strange phenomenon (i. e. the cloud).

ille illa illud: (demonstr. adj.) that.

conspicio, -ere, -spexi, -spectum: view, watch.

possum posse potui: be able (+ complem. inf.).

incertum ... ex quo monte ... oriebatur: in classical Latin of Cicero’s day we would expect a subjunctive verb, oriretur, in this indirect question; but Pliny only uses the subjunctive after forms of incertus when there is an expressed or implied disjunctive (double) indirect question, involving (utrum) ... an.

incertus-a-um: uncertain; note how the neuter makes the expression impersonal: “it (was) uncertain)” etc.

procul: (adv.) from afar; modifies intuentibus.

intueor, -eri: watch, observe; the participle is used as a substantive, and the dative is due to the adj. incertum: “to people watching from a distance.”

qui quae quod: (interrog. adj.) which ...?

mons, montis, m.: (peak of the) mountain. Vesuvius dominates the

Naples landscape, but has several flanking hills.

5 Vesuvius, -ii, m.: Mt Vesuvius.

Vesuvium fuisse: acc. + inf. constr., subject of the passive cognitum est.

postea: (adv.) afterward, later.

cognosco, -ere, -novi, -nitum: learn, find out.

orior, oriri, ortus sum: arise, rise up; note inceptive imperfect: “was beginning to rise” etc.

cuius ... expresserit: rel. clause, “whose,” “of which,” defining Nubes.

similitudo, -tudinis, f. likeness; acc. dir. obj. of expresserit.

forma, -ae, f.: shape; acc. dir. obj. of expresserit.

non alia magis arbor quam pinus: in English word order, non alia arbor magis quam pinus.

non: (adv.) no.

alius-a-um: other.

magis ... quam: (adv.) more ... than.

6 arbor, -oris, f.: tree.

pinus, -us, f.: pine, i. e. the Italian pine (see below); nom. subj. of expresserit.

exprimo, -ere, -pressi, -pressum: express, reproduce, depict; the perfect subjunctive is potential: “would depict” (if one were to compare the cloud to a tree).

|[pic] | |

| | |

| |The “umbrella” pine, |

| |common in Italy, |

| |gives a better idea |

| |of the shape of the |

| |volcanic cloud of |

| |Vesuvius as Pliny |

| |describes it. |

4. Reasons for the cloud’s peculiar shape; Pliny has some homework to do. Plin. epist. 6. 16. 6-7

|1 |Nam, longissimō velut truncō ēlāta in altum, quibusdam rāmīs diffundēbātur, crēdō, quia, recentī spiritū ēvecta, dein, senēscente eō, dēstitūta aut |

|2 |etiam pondere suō victa, in lātitūdinem vānēscēbat, candida interdum, interdum sordida et maculōsa, prout terram cineremve sustulerat. Magnum propiusque|

|3 |nōscendum, ut ērudītissimō virō, vīsum. Iubet liburnicam aptārī; mihi, sī venīre ūnā vellem, facit cōpiam; respondī studēre mē mālle, et forte ipse quod|

|4 |scrīberem dederat. |

|5 | |

1 Nam: (coord. conj.) For (you see, ...).

longus-a-um: long; note superlative degree.

velut: (adv.) sort of, rather like.

truncus, -i, m.: trunk (of a tree); abl. of means, “by.”

effero, -ferre, extuli, elatum: carry up, raise up; the feminine participle, as evecta below, refers to the earlier noun nubes, in #3.

in: (prep. + acc. of destination) unto, into.

altum, -i, n.: sky; in altum = “on high.”

quidam quaedam quoddam: certain, definite; translate adverbially: “so to speak,” “rather like.”

ramus, -i, m.: branch; abl. of manner, “in” or “on.”

diffundo, -ere, -fudi, -fusum: spread out in diff. directions.

credo: “I believe,” “I think;” here almost an interjection.

quia ... vanescebat: a causal clause, “because.”

recens, -entis: first

2 spiritus, -ūs, m.: blast; abl. of means or cause, “by,” “as a result of.”

evehor, evehi, evectus sum: rise up, ascend.

dein: (adv.) then, next.

senescente eo: abl. absolute; the pronoun eo refers to spiritus; translate as circumstantial clause: “as it began to lose force” etc.

destituo, -ere, -stitui, -stitutum: deprive of support.

aut etiam: (coord. conj. + adv.) or even.

pondus, -eris, n.: weight; abl. of cause, “by, because of.”

suus-a-um: (refl. poss. adj.) its own.

vinco, -ere, vici, victum: overcome.

in latitudinem: lit. “into width” = “widthwise” or “as it

spread laterally.”

3 vanesco, -ere, -ui: dissipate, thin out.

candidus-a-um: gleaming white.

interdum: (adv.) at times, sometimes.

sordidus-a-um: sooty.

et: (coord. conj.) and.

maculosus-a-um: spotted.

prout ... –ve: depending on whether ... or.

terra, -ae, f.: dirt, earth.

cinis, cineris, f.: dust, ash.

tollo, -ere, sustuli, sublatum: lift up.

4 magnus-a-um: important, significant.

propius: (adv.) closer.

nosco, -ere, novi, notum: investigate; the neuter gerundive construction propius noscendum is to be taken as a noun phrase, “something worthy of closer examination.”

ut: (subord. conj.) as is natural, as you would expect.

viro eruditissimo: dat. of reference, “for, of a very learned man.”

videor, -eri, visus sum: seem; supply est to finish the verb.

iubeo, -ere, iussi, iussum: order, command; Uncle Pliny is the understood subject, “he.”

liburnicam aptari: acc. + infin. phrase, obj. of iubet.

liburnica, -ae, f.: a small, swift galley ship, a cutter (see right).

apto, -are: equip, rig up, make ready.

mihi: (pers. pron.) dat. ind. obj. of facit.

si venire una vellem: protasis (“if” clause) of a potential

condition, “if I should wish” etc.

5 venio, -ire, veni: come, go.

unā: (adv.) together, along (with him).

volo, velle, volui: wish, want; note the secondary imperfect subj. depending on facit, which is historical present.

facio copiam: give (an, the) opportunity.

respondeo, -ere, -spondi, -sponsum: answer.

studere me malle: ind. statement, the ‘object’ or content of respondi.

studeo, -ere, studui: study, read. As we find in the other letter about Vesuvius’ eruption, this reading was from the Roman historian Livy.

malo, malle, malui: (< magis volo, “want more”) prefer (+ obj. inf.).

forte: (adv.) by chance, as it happened (not ‘bravely’!).

ipse: he himself (i. e. Uncle Pliny).

quod scriberem: rel. clause of purpose used as a noun object of dederat, lit. “which I was to write” = “a writing exercise to do.” Pliny’s uncle, as most aristocratic men, was largely and personally (ipse) responsible for the education of young men in their custody. This was particularly true of Pliny the Elder, a famous scholar and natural scientist even in his own time.

do, dare, dedi, datum: give, assign.

[pic]

A liburnica galley such as Uncle Pliny would have sailed in.

users.skynet.be/fa273982/My_Pictures/schepen.gif

consideranda

Pliny is writing this eyewitness account many years later. Consider the interesting detail, that he chose not to accompany his uncle. Could he be boasting about himself in some way? Or blaming himself, perhaps? What might have happened if he had gone along that day instead of doing his homework?

5. Pliny the Elder attempts an evacuation, as admiral and scientist. Plin. epist. 6. 16. 8-10

|1 |Ēgrediēbātur domō: accipit cōdicillōs Rēctīnae Tascī imminentī perīculō exterritae (nam vīlla eius subiacēbat, nec ūlla nisi nāvibus fuga); ut sē tantō |

|2 |discrīminī ēriperet, ōrābat. Vertit ille cōnsilium et, quod studiōsō animō incohāverat, obit maximō. Dēdūcit quadrirēmēs, ascendit ipse nōn Rēctīnae |

|3 |modo, sed multīs (erat enim frequēns amoenitās ōrae) lātūrus auxilium. Properat illūc, unde aliī fugiunt, rēctumque cursum, rēcta gubernācula in |

|4 |perīculum tenet adeō solūtus metū, ut omnīs illīus malī mōtūs, omnīs figūrās, ut dēprenderat oculīs, dictāret ēnotāretque. |

|5 | |

|6 | |

1 egredior, -gredi, -gresssus sum: go out of, leave; the subject is the elder Pliny, “he.” Note imperfect: “He was just going out” etc.

domus, -ūs, f. (abl. domō): house, home; abl. of separation.

accipio, -ere, -cepi, -ceptum: get, receive; note vivid present.

codicilli, -orum, m. pl.: note, message; acc. dir. obj. of accipit.

Rectina, -ae, f.: a woman’s proper name, Rectina; subj. gen.

Tascius, -i, m.: a man’s proper name, Tascius; note the case: a woman was typically identified by her own name and the name, in the genitive, of the man in whose legal power she was, whether father or, as here, husband. Translate “Rectina, wife of Tascius.”

imminens, -entis: looming, threatening, impending.

periculum, -i, n.: danger, calamity; abl. of cause, “by.”

exterreo, -ere, -ui, -itum: thoroughly terrify, panic.

nam: (explanatory coord. conj.) for (you see ...)

villa, -ae, f.: country house, farm, estate; nom. subj. of subiacebat.

eius: “his” or, more likely, “her.”

2 subiaceo, -ere, -ui: lie beneath (i. e. at the foot of Vesuvius and thus directly under the ash-cloud).

nec: (disjunctive coord. conj.) nor.

ullus-a-um: any.

nisi: except; nec ulla ... nisi = “and the only ...”

navis, -is, f.: boat, ship; abl. of means, “by.”

fuga, -ae, f.: escape; supply erat.

ut ... eriperet: noun purpose (“indirect command”) clause, the ‘object’ or content of orabat; translate ut as “to.”

se: indirect reflexive. Normally the reflexive pronoun refers to the subject of the verb of its clause; but in this case the elder Pliny is the understood subject of eriperet, which would make no sense. Rectina’s original request to Uncle Pliny would have been Te oro ut me tanto discrimini eripias.

tantus-a-um: so great a, such a great.

discrimen, -minis, n.: crisis, disaster; dat. of separation, as always with eripere.

eripio, -ere, -ui, -reptum: rescue, save; Uncle Pliny, “he,” is the understood subj.

oro, -are: beg, plead; Rectina, “she,” is the understood subject.

Vertit ... obit ... Deducit ... ascendit ... Properat ... tenet: note vivid historical present tense.

verto, -ere, verti, versum: change, alter.

ille: (demonstr. pron.) he (Uncle Pliny); nom. subj. of vertit.

consilium, -ii, n.: plan; acc. dir. obj. of vertit.

3 et: (coord. conj.) and.

quod ... incohaverat: rel. clause which serves as the dir. obj. of obit; in Latin, when a demonstrative pronoun antecedent, id, if expressed, would be in the same case as its relative pronoun, it is omitted. Use “what” or “that which” to translate quod.

studiosus-a-um: scientifically curious, "of a scientist."

animus, -i, m.: mind, intent; abl. of manner or cause, “with” or “out of.”

incoho, -are: begin, undertake.

obeo, -ire, -ii, -itum: go to meet, confront.

maximus-a-um: heroic, "of a hero"; understand animo.

deduco, -ere, -duxi, -ductum: launch.

quadriremis, -is, f.: quadrireme, a Roman warship; the plural means “the fleet,” i. e. no longer one small galley.

ascendo, -ere, -scendi, -scensum: board, go on ship.

ipse: himself, i. e. he didn’t merely delegate this duty.

non ... modo sed: (adv.) not only ... but (indeed) ...

4 Rectinae ... multis: dat. of reference or interest, “for,” “on behalf of,” “to save.” Pliny’s point is that his uncle didn’t use resources of the state--ships and sailors and his own authority--just to rescue a few of his personal friends, but intended to carry out a much larger evacuation.

multi, -orum, m. pl.: many (people).

sum esse fui: be

enim: (explanatory coord. conj.) for you see, because.

frequens, -entis: crowded, heavily-populated.

amoenitas, -tatis, f.: natural beauty; nom. subj. of erat.

ora, -ae, f.: beach, shoreline. Pliny is using a kind of personification to explain frequens: the beaches in the Bay of Naples are so attractive that many people go to visit and live there. We would expect ora erat frequens amoenitate, the last word being causal, “owing to.”

ferro ferre tuli latum: bring, deliver; the fut. act. participle expresses intention.

auxilium, -ii, n.: help, assistance; acc. obj. of laturus.

propero, -are: hurry, rush.

illuc: (demonstr. adv.) to that place.

5 unde alii fugiunt: rel. clause in correlation to illuc.

unde: (rel. adv.) from where.

alius-a-ud: other; in pl. = other people.

fugio, -ere, fugi: flee; again, note vivid present tense.

rectus-a-um: straight, direct.

cursus, -ūs, m.: course; acc. dir. obj. of tenet.

gubernacula, -orum, n. pl.: rudder, helm; acc. dir. obj. of tenet.

in: (prep. + acc. of destination) toward.

teneo, -ere, -ui, tentum: hold, maintain.

adeo: (adv.) so.

solutus-a-um: free.

metus, -ūs, m.: fear; abl. of sep., “from,” after solutus.

ut ... dictaret enotaretque: adv. result clauses after adeo; the imperfect tense is due both to the leading verbs, esp. tenet, being historical present and to the perfective sense of the participle

solutus.

6 omnis, -e: all; omnīs is accus. plural.

ille illa illud: that.

malum, -i, n.: disaster, evil; subj. gen. after motus and figuras.

motus, -ūs, m.: movement; acc. dir. obj. of dictaret and enotaret.

figura, -ae, f.: shape, form, i. e. of the cloud; acc. dir. obj. of dictaret and enotaret.

ut deprenderat oculis: temporal clause, “as” or “when.”

deprehendo, -ere, -di, -sum: catch (sight of); note syncopated pluperfect form de-pre-(he)nd-era-t.

oculus, -i, m.: eye; abl. of means, “with.”

dicto, -are: dictate (to a note-taker, scribe).

enoto, -are: take note of, observe closely.

consideranda. What evidence do you see in this passage that the younger Pliny admired his uncle? What qualities of his does he reveal here?

6. Uncle Pliny changes course to help his friend Pomponianus. Plin. epist. 6. 16. 11-12a

|1 |Iam nāvibus cinis incidēbat, quō propius accēderent, calidior et dēnsior, iam pūmicēs etiam nigrīque et ambustī et frāctī igne lapidēs, iam vadum |

|2 |subitum ruīnāque montis lītora obstantia. Cunctātus paulum, an retrō flecteret, mox gubernātōrī, ut ita faceret, monentī 'Fortēs' inquit, 'Fortūna |

|3 |iuvat: Pompōniānum pete!' Stabiīs erat, dirēmptus sinū mediō (nam sēnsim circumāctīs curvātīsque lītoribus mare īnfunditur); ibi, quamquam nōndum |

|4 |perīculō appropinquante, cōnspicuō tamen et, cum crēsceret, proximō, sarcinās contulerat in nāvēs, certus fugae sī contrārius ventus resēdisset. |

|5 | |

|6 | |

|7 | |

1 Iam: (adv.) Now; note the repetition, anaphora, for vivid effect: Iam ... iam ... iam.

navis, navis, f.: ship; dat. obj. with compound verb.

cinis, cineris, m. or f.: ash; nom. subj. of incidebat.

incido, -ere, -cidi: fall on; note the ‘inceptive’ imperfect, “was beginning to fall.”

quo propius accederent: clause of comparison; supply eo magis with the leading clause to understand the correlative arrangement: “Now the ash was beginning to fall on the ships (more to-the-extent), as (lit. “by-which”) they (i. e. the ships) were approaching nearer.”

prope: (adv.) near; note comparative form.

accedo, -ere, -cessi: approach, come near.

calidus-a-um: hot.

et: (coord. conj.) and.

densus-a-um: thick.

pumex, -icis, m.: pumice, a light, porous volcanic rock (see picture at #9); supply incidebant.

etiam: (adv.) also.

2 niger nigra nigrum: black.

-que: (enclitic coord. conj.) and; joins pumices to lapides.

et ... et: both ... and.

amburo, -ere, -ussi, -ustum: scorch, char.

frango, -ere, fregi, fractum: break, crack..

ignis, -is, m.: fire; abl. of cause and means, “by.”

lapis, lapidis, m.: stone; supply incidebant. Pliny is probably describing obsidian, a sharp, black, glass-like volcanic rock..

vadum, -i, n.: shallows, shallow waters; supply erat. Seismic activity was sucking the water out of the Bay of Naples, preventing deeper-bottomed ships from coming closer to shore.

subitus-a-um: sudden, unexpected.

ruina, -ae, f.: debris; abl. of cause, “because of, owing to.”

mons, -tis, m.: mountain; gen. of source, , “from,” defining ruina.

litus, -oris, n.: shore, beach; supply erant.

obsto, -are, -stiti, -stitum: block the way.

3 cunctor, -ari: hesitate, be in doubt; remember that perfect participles of deponent verbs can often be translated as present, “doubting.” Understand Uncle Pliny as the subject.

paulum: (acc. as adv.) for a little while.

an retro flecteret: ind. question, object of Cunctatus.

an: (subord. conj.) whether (or not).

retro: (adv.) back, backward.

flecto, -ere, flexi, flectum: turn; understand Pliny, “he,” as subject and the ships as object.

mox: (adv.) soon.

gubernator, -oris, m.: helmsman, pilot; dat. ind. obj. of inquit.

ut ita faceret: noun purpose clause (“ind. command”), the ‘object’ of monenti: “that he (Pliny) should do so (i. e. turn back.)”

moneo, -ere, -ui, -itum: advise, recommend; translate the participle as a relative clause: “who was advising” etc.

fortis, -is, c.: (the) brave (people); acc. dir. obj. of iuvat.

4 Fortuna, -ae, f.: Fortune, Good Luck; nom. subj. of iuvat. To be thought of as a deity, a goddess.

iuvo, -are, iuvi, -iutum: help, assist.

Pomponianus, -i, m.: Pomponianus, a friend of Pliny the Elder; acc. dir. obj. of pete.

peto, -ere, petivi, petitum: head for, go to [not “seek”].

Stabiae, -arum, f. pl.: Stabiae, a town just south of Pompeii and Vesuvius [map]; locative case, “at Stabiae.”

sum esse fui: be, live.

dirimo, -ere, rempsi, -remptum: cut off, separate (i. e. from the open water of the bay).

sinus, -ūs, m.: bay; abl. of cause, “by.”

medius-a-um: middle (of the), the width (of the).

nam: (explanatory coord. conj.) for (you see)

sensim: (adv.) little by little, gradually.

circumactus-a-um ( ................
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