crdlis, -e, cruel.
Drink and Be Merry
T • CISSONIVS • Q • F • SER • VET
LEG • V • GALL • DVM • VIXI
BIBI • LIBENTER • BIBITE • VOS
QVI • VIVITIS
P • CISSONIVS • Q • F • SER • FRATER
FECIT
T(itus) Cissnius, Q(unt) f(lius), Ser(gi), vet(ernus) leg(inis) V Gall(icae):
“Dum vx, bib libenter; bibite vs, qu vvitis!”
P(blius) Cissnius, Q(unt) f(lius), Ser(gi), frter, fcit.
CIL 3.6825 (= 293): An epitaph set up for the soldier Titus Cissonius by his brother Publius; from the town of Antiochia, in Pisidia, a region in southern Asia Minor. The second line of the edited text above is a trochaic tetrameter verse.
Sergi: from Sergius, -a, -um, and sc. trib (tribus, -s, f.), of the Sergian tribe, one of the 35 tribal units into which the Roman citizenry was organized; tribal affiliation was often included among a person’s cognomina, and typically, as here, abbreviated (see notes to “An Interpreter of Lightning,” Capvt VII).—veternus, -, m., veteran (of military service).—legi, leginis, f., legion, the largest unit of the Roman army, consisting of from 4,200 to 6,000 infantry and a small cavalry force.—Gallicus, -a, -um, of Gaul, Gallic; Roman legions were typically identified by a number and the region of the empire from which they were originally levied: this legion (also called the legi Alaudae) was initially established by Julius Caesar with provincials recruited during his campaigns in Gaul.—libenter, adv., freely, gladly, with pleasure; “ad lib. (ad libitum).”
QUAESTI: Who is the imagined speaker in the trochaic line?
PRVERBIA ET DICTA
Betus hom qu invenit sapientiam. (Proverbs 3.13: betus hom, sc. est.)
Cncts potest accidere quod cuivs potest. (Publilius Sent.: cnctus, -a, -um = omnis, -e.—accid, accidere, accid, to fall down; befall, happen (to); “accident.”—cuivs = dat. of quvs, quaevs, quidvs, anyone, anything.)
Vditque Deus cncta quae fcerat, et erant vald bona. (Genesis 1.31: vald, adv., vigorously, powerfully; extremely, exceedingly.)
Lta porta et spatisa via quae dcit ad perditinem et mult sunt qu intrant per eam. (Matthew 7.13: ltus, -a, -um, wide, broad; “latitude.”—spatisus, -a, -um, wide, extensive; expansive; “spacious.”—perditi, perditinis, f., destruction, ruin; “perdition.”—intr [1], to walk into, enter; “introduce,” “entry.”)
Percla timidus etiam quae nn sunt videt. (Publilius Sent.: percla = percula, a common sort of contraction known as SYNCOPE.—timidus, -a, -um, fearful, timid.)
Nihil nn aut lnit aut domat diuturnits. (Publilius Sent.: lni, lnre, lnv, lntum, to make less violent, assuage; appease, calm, comfort; “lenient.”—dom, domre, domu, domitum, to subdue, subjugate; control, tame; “indomitable.”—diuturnits, diuturnittis, f., passage of a long period of time, lapse of time.)
Nn in pne sl vvet hom sed in omn verb quod procdit dre De. (Matthew 4.4: pnis, pnis, m., bread; “pantry,” “pannier.”—prcd, prcdere, prcess, prcessum, to go forth, advance; “proceed,” “process.”)
Amcus esse mihi coep. (Seneca Ep. 6.7.)
Rdx enim omnium malrum est cupidits. (I Timothy 6.10: rdx, rdcis, f., root; source, origin; “radical,” “radish.”)
Caec sunt ducs caecrum. (Matthew 15.14: dux, ducis, m., leader, guide; commander, general; “conductor.”)
Amcus quem dligis ut animam tuam. (Deuteronomy 13.6: amcus, sc. est.—ut, conj. + indic., as, just as.—anima, -ae, f., air, breath; life; soul, spirit; “animal,” “animation.”)
Nn omns qu habent citharam sunt citharoed. (Varro Rust. 2.1.3: cithara, -ae, f., cithara, lyre; from Greek, the source of “guitar.”—citharoedus, -, m., one who sings and plays the lyre, lyre-player, lyrist.)
Assidua e sunt tormenta qu s ipsum timet. (Publilius Sent.: assiduus, -a, -um, settled at/ on a place; constantly present, unremitting; “assiduous,” from ad + sede.—tormentum, -, n., rope made of twisted fibers; twisting; torture, torment.)
LITTERTRA
The Character of Catiline
L. Catilna, nbil genere ntus, fuit magn v et anim et corporis, sed ingeni mal prvque. Huic ab adulscenti bella intestna, caeds, rapnae, discordia cvlis grta fure, ibique iuventtem suam exercuit. Corpus patins inediae, algris, vigiliae supr quam cuiquam crdibile est; animus audx, subdolus, varius. Cuius re lubet simultor ac dissimultor, alin appetns, su profsus, ardns in cupidittibus; satis loquentiae, sapientiae parum. Vstus animus immoderta, incrdibilia, nimis alta semper cupibat.
Sallust Cat. 5.1–5: Lucius Sergius Catilina, “Catiline” as he is commonly called, was leader of a conspiracy in the mid-60s B.C. aimed at seizing control of the government in Rome and assassinating Cicero, one of the two consuls; in 63 B.C. Cicero escaped the assassination attempt and exposed the planned coup d’etat, and Catiline’s rebel army was defeated early the next year. Details of the conspiracy, albeit politically biased, are best known to us from four orations Cicero delivered against Catiline and from a historical monograph on the episode, the Bellum Catilinae, authored by the historian Sallust (Gaius Sallustius Crispus, ca. 86–35 B.C.), a younger contemporary of Cicero.
nbilis, -e, well-known, noble.—genus, generis, n., origin; kind, type, sort, class; “genus,” “genre,” “generic.”—ntus, -a, -um, born (from/ of); “nature,” “nativity.”—magn v…sed ingeni mal pravque: ABL. OF DESCRIPTION with fuit, he was (a man) of….—ingenium, -, n., nature, innate character; “ingenious.”—prvus, -a, -um, not straight, crooked; corrupt, debased; “depraved,” “depravity.”—intestnus, -a, -um, occurring within a country, civil, domestic, internal; “intestine.”—caeds, caedis, f., killing, slaughter; “homicide.”—rapna, -ae, f., forcible carrying off of property, plunder, kidnapping; “rapine,” “rape.”—discordia, -ae, f., disagreement, discord, dissension.—cvlis, -e, of, aff ecting (one’s fellow) citizens; civil, civic.—grtus, -a, -um, + dat., pleasing, agreeable; grateful; “grateful,” “gracious.”—fure: = furunt (for the alternate form, see note on conticure, “A Silence Fell,” Capvt XVI).—iuvents, iuventtis, f., the youth, young men; period of early manhood, youth; “juvenile.”—exerce, exercre, exercu, exercitum, to train by practice, exercise; to occupy, spend (time).—patins, gen. patientis, patient; + gen., capable of enduring, tolerant (of); with corpus patins, sc. fuit.—inedia, -ae, f., starvation, fasting; “edible.”—algor, algris, m., cold, cold weather.—vigilia, -ae, f., keeping watch; remaining awake (during normal sleeping time), wakefulness; “vigil,” “vigilant,” “vigilante.”—supr, prep. + acc., above, beyond; “supranormal.”—cuiquam: dat. of indef. pron. quisquam, = for anyone.—crdibilis, -e, believable, credible; “incredulous.”—audx, gen. audcis, daring, bold; from aude, audre; “audacious,” “audacity.” What verb must be supplied with animus audx?—subdolus, -a, -um, sly, deceitful, treacherous.—varius, -a, -um, having two or more colors, variegated; changeable, wavering; deceitful, untrustworthy.—cuius re lubet: idiom with simultor and dissimultor, = of anything at all, of anything that pleased him.—Cuius…cupidittibus: sc. Catilna fuit; Sallust’s style is highly elliptical, and yet the sense here is clear enough.—simultor, simultris, m., copier, imitator; one who maintains a pretence, pretender, feigner; “simulation.”—ac: = et.—dissimultor, dissimultris, m., one who conceals (his character, purpose, etc.), concealer, dissembler; “dissimulate.”—alinus, -a, -um, belonging to another (from alius), another person’s; “alien,” “alienate” with alin here sc. “property.”—appetns, gen. appetentis, + gen., seeking after, desirous (of), greedy (for); “appetite.”—profsus, -a, -um, extravagant, prodigal; + gen., wasteful; “profuse,” “profusion.”—ardns, gen. ardentis, flaming, burning; intense, passionate; “ardent.”—satis loquentiae, sapientiae parum: sc. habuit.—loquentia, -ae, f., articulateness, eloquence.—parum, n. indecl. noun, insufficient amount, little, too little; “parvule.”—vstus, -a, -um, desolate; huge, vast; disordered, ungainly.—immodertus, -a, -um, unlimited, immoderate, unrestrain
ed.—incrdibilis, -e, unbelievable, incredible.—altus, -a, -um, lofty, tall, high; deep; elevated, exalted; “altitude,” “altimeter.”
QUAESTINS: Sallust’s writing is highly stylized and rhetorical. One example of this can be seen in the series caeds, rapnae, discordia cvlis, a TRICOLON, or series of three parallel words/ phrases, without any conjunction, a device known as ASYNDETON (= “without connector”). What other examples of asyndeton can you find in the passage? What is the effect? Comment on the parallelism in the two consecutive clauses that begin with corpus and animus. Finally, what is the technical term for the ABBA arrangement seen in satis loquentiae, sapientiae parum, and what are the intended purpose and effect of this word order?
Cesare Maccari (1840–1919), “Cicero Accusing Catiline in the Senate.” Palazzo Madama, Rome, Italy
Alinari / Art Resource, NY
GRAMMATICA
Prnmina: List all the relative pronouns in the chapter’s readings, and then identify for each the number, gender, case, case usage, and antecedent; next, change each singular to plural, and each plural to singular. If necessary, review the forms in the Summrium Frmrum appendix.
CAPVT XVIII
Winners and Losers, Rooms to Let, and Lads Who Risk “Losing” Their Butts
In this chapter you’ll read several graffiti scribbled by Pompeians both loved and unloved, by an innkeeper with dining and beds for rent, and by studious aficionados of the local gladiatorial games. The selection of proverbs contains a useful reminder that things are not always as they seem. Two Martial epigrams conclude the chapter, one wittily repaying an insult from a rival poet, and the other a note accompanying a gift of nuts, with a warning that little boys who gamble, even with just such modest treats and other trifles as their stake, still risk their backsides to their parents’ wrath.
Grammatica nova: Present system passive voice of 1st/ 2nd-conjugation verbs; ablative of agent.
NSCRPTINS
She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not…
CORNELIA • HELE[…AMATVR AB • RVFO Cornlia Hele[na] amtur ab Rf.
CIL 4.4637: Graffito from the House of A. Caesius Valens and N. Herennius Nardus, Pompeii. Both Helena and Rfus were common cognomina: the lady’s name is Greek and likely indicates a freedwoman; the man’s name means “red” and was often given to boys with red hair.
GAVIVM • AED MARCELLVS PRAENESTINAM • AMAT ET • NON • CVRATVR Gavium aed(lem). Marcellus Praenestnam amat et nn crtur.
CIL 4.7679: The lover’s lament from the house of Aulus Trebius Valens was written beneath an election notice supporting Gavius for aedile—a rare combination of subjects, though seen in a few other inscriptions from Pompeii.
Gavium aedlem: sc. r vs facitis; for this standard formula, see “Lollius for Aedile,” Capvt VIII.—Praenestna, -ae, f., Praenestina, like “Marcellus” a cognomen, lit. = “woman from Praeneste” (a town in Latium about 20 miles southeast of Rome).—cr (1), to care for, attend to, pay attention to; heal, cure; take care; “curator,” “curious” cf. our expression, “she couldn’t care less.”
Dining Room for Rent
HOSPITIVM • HIC • LOCATVR TRICLINIVM • CVM • TRIBVS • LECTIS ET • COMM[… Hospitium hc loctur—trclnium cum tribus lects et comm[ods].
CIL 4.807: Dipinto on the front of a taberna owned by Sittius and located on the Vico del Lupanare in a precinct of Pompeii where there were several hotels and restaurants, as well as a neighboring brothel; also on the front of Sittius’ establishment was a painting of an elephant in the grips of a huge snake and led by a pygmy, together with the inscription Sittius restituit elep
hospitium, -, n., entertainment of guests, hospitality; guest accommodation, lodging, inn; “hospital,” “hospice.”—hc, adv., in this place, here.—loc (1), to put in position, place; hire out, lease, rent; “locate,” “location.”—trclnium, -, n., dining room, triclinium, typically arranged with three couches on which diners reclined around a table (hence, “tri-clinium”).—lectus, -, m., bed, couch.—commodum, -, n., usually pl., advantage, benefit; convenience; “commodious,” “accommodation.”
Victory and Loss in the Arena
OCEANVS • L XIII V ARACINTVS L […] IIII
ceanus l(bertus) XIII v(cit). Aracintus l(bertus) […] IIII.
CIL 4.8055a-b: Crudely illustrated graffiti celebrating favorite gladiators, and often listing the number of their wins and losses, were commonplace at Pompeii. The graffito to the right is damaged and some text is missing, possibly an abbreviation for the word “victories” but the shield on the ground suggests that Aracintus (properly “Aracynthus”) in this instance lost and perhaps, as suggested by the editors of CIL, perished.
Graffiti from regio I, insula VI, Pompeii, Italy (CIL 4.8055a–b)
Mathew Olkovikas and Kay Stanton (from CIL)
lbertus, -, m., freedman, i.e., a former slave; “libertine,” “liberate.”—IIII: common variant for the Roman numeral IV.
M ATT M • ATTILIVS I C I V M(rcus) Att(ilius). M(rcus) Attilius I, c(ornae) I, v(cit).
CIL 4.10236: Graffito from the necropolis at Porta di Nocera, on the Via di Nocera, Pompeii; the gladiator’s nomen was first abbreviated, then spelled out.
I: sc. pugnvit, from pugn (1), to fight; typically the first numeral in such inscriptions indicates the number of contests the gladiator fought.—corna, -ae, f., crown, awarded for a distinguished victory in a gladiatorial fight; in such “scorecards,” the noun usually appears in the gen., with the accompanying numeral indicating the number of wins; “corona,” “coronation.”
Graffito from the Porta di Nocera necropolis, Pompeii, Italy (CIL 4.10236)
Mathew Olkovikas (from CIL)
SEVERV[…] L XIII • ALBANVS • SC • L • XIX V
Sevru[s], l(bertus), XIII; Albnus sc(aevus), l(bertus), XIX, v(cit).
CIL 4.8056: Graffito from the Domus Ceiorum on the Via del Tempio d’Iside, Pompeii; the numerals indicate the number of each gladiator’s victories.
scaeva, -ae, m., left-handed person; (of gladiators) one who strikes with the left hand.
QUAESTI: What does the shield on the ground likely indicate about the outcome of this contest?
Graffito from the Domus Ceiorum, Pompeii, Italy (CIL 4.8056)
PRVERBIA ET DICTA
Stultum est timre quod vtr nn potest. (Publilius Sent.).
cane nn magn saepe tentur aper. (Ovid Rem. Am. 422: canis, canis, m., dog; “canine.”—aper, apr, m., wild boar.)
Nn semper ea sunt quae videntur. (Phaedrus Fab. 4.2.5–6.) 4. Nn quia difficilia sunt nn audmus, sed quia nn audmus difficilia sunt. (Seneca Ep. 104.26: quia, conj., since, because.)
Adversus hosts necessria est ra. (Seneca Ir. 1.11: adversus, prep. + acc., toward, facing; against; “adversity.”—necessrius, -a, -um, necessary.)
Nn est ad astra mollis terrs via. (Seneca Herc. Fur. 437: astrum, -, n., star, constellation; “astral.”—mollis, -e, soft; easy, gentle; “emollient.”)
cta des numquam mortlia fallunt. (Ovid Tr. 1.2.95: ctum, -, n., deed, action, act.—fall, fallere, fefell, falsum, to deceive, trick, mislead; “falsify,” “infallible.”)
Numquam snantur dfrmis vulnera fmae. (Cato Dist. Appendix 5: sn [1], to heal; “sanitary,” “sanitation.”—dfrmis, -e, misshapen, ugly; disgraceful, shameful; “deformity.”)
cttum fortnae solent mtr varia vtast. (Plautus Truc. 219: cttum, adv., immediately, without delay, suddenly; “action.”—sole, solre, solitus sum, to be accustomed; “obsolete,” “insolent.”—varius, -a, -um, various, varied, different.—vtast or vta’st = vta est, a type of contraction common in spoken Lat. and regularly employed by Plautus in his comedies.)
Date et dabitur vbs. (Luke 6.38.)
LITTERTRA
If a Tree Falls in the Wood…
Versiculs in m nrrtur scrbere Cinna:
Nn scrbit, cuius carmina nmo legit.
Martial
Epig. 3.9: Cinna (a pseudonym?) apparently attacked Martial in his verse, but Martial has the last laugh: “If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” is a proverbial puzzler. Here’s a humorous spin on that: “If a fellow writes poetry and nobody reads it, is the fellow a poet?”
versiculus, -, m., little verse; here, as often, the DIMINUTIVE (from versus, line of verse) has contemptuous effect.—nrr (1), to tell, say, narrate, report; “narration,” “narrator.”—nmo: ordinarily nm, but final long vowels were often shortened in poetry, for metrical reasons but also as a reflection of ordinary speech.
Apophorta: Nucs
lea parva, nucs, et nn damnsa vidtur;
saepe tamen puers abstulit illa nats.
Martial Epig. 14.19: Boys will be boys, and many Roman lads liked playing games of chance, even if they were just gambling for trinkets and toys; it’s no surprise, however, that parents and teachers often disapproved, as we see here (OUCH!). Another “party-favor” poem from Martial’s Apophoreta (see above, Capvt VII); meter: elegiac couplet.
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