Scribblers, Sculptors and Scribes

by Richard A LaFleur

  asparagus, -, m., asparagus.—sicc (1), to remove moisture from, dry (out); drain; “desiccate.”—srsum, adv., upward, upright (here, in order not to damage the florets: if you’ve cooked fresh asparagus, you understand Apicius’ point).—calidus, -a, -um, hot; “scald” sc. aquam.—summitt (submitt), summittere, summs, summissum, to send down, drop, lower, dip; “submit,” “submissive.”—callsus, -a, -um, tough; firm; “callous” the point is, don’t overcook, unless you like your asparagus mushy!—redd (re + d), reddere, reddid, redditum, to give back, return; deliver, serve; “render,” “surrender.”

  Apophorta: Notrius

  Currant verba licet, manus est vlcior ills:

  nndum lingua suum, dextra pergit opus.

  Martial Epig. 14.208: The stenographer’s hand is so fast it even anticipates what the speaker will say.

  notrius, -, m., shorthand writer, stenographer.—licet + subjunct., although; “licence,” “illicit.”—vlx, gen. vlcis, fast, swift; “velocity.”—nndum, adv., not yet.—perag, peragere, perg, perctum, to drive, chase; carry out, complete, finish.—opus, operis, n., work, task; deed, accomplishment; “opus,” “magnum opus.”—suum…pergit opus: through a kind of elliptical expression common in Lat. verse, this obj.-verb phrase is to be taken with both subjects, lingua and dextra (manus).

  An Unexpected Birthday Celebration

  Scs iter ex anim subltum trste puellae?

  Ntl Rmae iam licet esse su.

  Omnibus ille dis nbs ntlis agtur,

  qu nec opnant nunc tibi forte venit.

  Sulpicia El. 3.15: Sulpicia, daughter of Servius Sulpicius Rufus (consul in 51 B.C.) and niece of the senator and literary patron Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, is the only female literary figure from ancient Rome whose work has survived; we have several of her elegiac poems, addressed to a lover she calls “Cerinthus,” which have been preserved in the manuscripts of the contemporary elegist Tibullus. In the preceding poem (numbered 14 in Tibullus’ third book) the writer complains that her uncle has invited her to celebrate her birthday at his country estate, away from Rome and thus, unhappily, away from Cerinthus. But now an unexpected change of plans makes it possible for the lovers to rendezvous.

  iter, itineris, n., journey, trip; route, road; “itinerary.”—subltum: sc. esse.—trste: remember that noun-adj. pairs are often widely separated in Lat. poetry.—puellae: the speaker refers to herself.—ntlis, -e, of or relating to birth; “pre natal,” “nativity” ntl…su: sc. di.—Rmae: LOCATIVE case, at/in Rome.—licet, impers. + dat. (here sc. e = puellae) + infin., it is permitted (to someone to do something).—Omnibus…nbs: sc. ab; prepositions usual in prose were often omitted in verse.—nec: here, as often, = not even.—opnor, opnr, opntus sum, to think, suppose; imagine, expect; “opine,” “opinion.” Though the verb is DEPONENT, having chiefly pass. forms with act. meanings, the pres. act. partic. here has the expected active sense.—forte, adv., by chance, accidentally; “fortuitous.”

  “Poetess of Pompeii,” fresco, Pompeii, Italy. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, Italy

  Scala / Art Resource, NY; photo: Fotografica Foglia

  GRAMMATICA

  Verba Subinctva (“subjunctive”): List all the present subjunctive verb forms in the chapter’s readings, and then transform them to indicatives in the same person, number, and voice; consult the Summrium Frmrum, if necessary. Identify all the purpose clauses and jussive clauses in the readings.

  CAPVT XXIX

  Gladiators, Clothes Cleaners, and the Gospel of John

  The chapter’s inscriptions include a painted advertisement for gladiatorial games and a wild animal hunt, a scribbled line from Vergil’s Aeneid, another line parodying that same verse, and an epitaph to his loving and loyal wife erected by the emperor’s personal secretary. Among the chapter’s dicta are St. Jerome’s curse on those who “said his words before him” and Vegetius’ famous maxim on preparing for war. The literary selections include Martial’s lament on a friend’s sobriety, a Catullan elegy beseeching the gods to guarantee Lesbia’s promises of love, an often quoted passage from the Gospel of Saint John, and Pliny’s touching reply to a letter from his wife Calpurnia. Remember to read each selection aloud, and read for comprehension, before translating.

  Grammatica nova: Imperfect subjunctive; present and imperfect subjunctive of sum and possum; result clauses.

  NSCRPTINS

  A Hero and…the Laundry Guys

  …]RMA VIRVMQVE CANO TROIA QVI PRIMVS AB ORIS

  [A]rma virumque can Tria qu prmus ab rs.

  CIL 4.4832: Lines from poetry, especially Vergil, appear frequently among the graffiti at Pompeii—see the notes to “Pansa for Aedile” in Capvt XXIV; the person who scribbled this opening line from Book One of Vergil’s Aeneid on a wall near the entrance of a house (a schoolboy perhaps, as it’s written at a child’s height) misspelled Triae—hmm, should we drop his grade to “A–”?

  FVLLONES VLVLAMQVE CANO NON ARMA VIRVMQ

  Fullns ululamque can, nn arma virumq(ue).

  CIL 4.9131: Grafitto found outside the entrance to the combined house and shop of the fuller M. Fabius Ululitremulus, on the Via dell’Abbondanza. This scribbler knew the Aeneid and parodied its opening verse, in perfect dactylic hexameter rhythms, to poke fun at the local laundrymen and at Fabius’ cognomen!—near the graffito was also a drawing of Aeneas himself and his pater Anchises.

  full, fullnis, m., fuller, launderer; for the fuller Crescens, see “Hey, Sweetheart,” in Capvt XVI.—ulula, -ae, f., owl, screech owl; “ululate,” “ululation” the owl was sacred to Minerva, who seems to have been patron deity of local laundries! The shop owner’s name, “Ululitremulus,” means “owl-fearing,” presumably from reverence for the goddess.—can, canere, cecin, cantum, to sing (about); “chant,” “incantation.”

  Graffito from the shop of M. Fabius Ululitremulus, Via dell’Abbondanza, Pompeii, Italy (CIL 4.9131)

  Gladiators, Wild Animal Hunts, and…“Air Conditioning”

  Gladiatorial game announcement, Via di Nola, Pompeii, Italy (CIL 4.3884)

  Scr(psit) Celer. D(ecim) Lucrt Satr Valentis, flminis Nernis Caesaris, Aug(ust) fl, perpetu, gladitrum pria XX et D(ecim) Lucrti Valentis fl glad(itrum) pria X pug(nbunt) Pompes VI, V, IV, III, pr(di) ds Apr(ls). Vnti lgitima et vla erunt. Scr(psit) Aemilius Celer sing(ulus) ad lna.

  CIL 4.3884: A dipinto painted by Aemilius Celer among the dicta munerum dendrum (announcements of forthcoming games: see Capvt XIX) on an exterior wall of an apartment house on the Via di Nola at Pompeii, advertising gladiatorial games sponsored by Decimus Lucretius Satrius Valens and his son. The inscription (and three similar dicta also mentioning Satrius’ games) is usually assigned to A.D.. 50–54, since Nero, mentioned here as the emperor’s son, was adopted by Claudius in 50 and then succeeded him four years later; but some scholars argue for a later date, supposing the reference to the father’s priesthood under Nero was meant to enhance the family’s prestige at a time when the son was running for political office. In two of the other dipinti (CIL 4.7992 and 7995) Nero’s name was partially painted over, doubtless after his suicide in 68, an example of damnti memoriae, the Roman practice, generally by senatorial decree, of removing from inscriptions the names of disgraced emperors and other political figures. Note that Celer uses a mark called an apex in Latin, and resembling an acute accent, to indicate many of the long vowels, a device seen in other dipinti; like many a modern Latin student, the scribe fails to mark several vowels that are long, and erroneously marks one (the final -a in the second occurrence of pria ) that is in fact short.

  Scrpsit Celer: Celer wanted to insure he received proper credit for lettering the notice, so he signed it twice!—his signature appears on other such dipinti, so he was apparently a professional sign painter.—flmen, flminis, m., flamen, a high priest in charge of the cult of a particular deity or, during the imperial period, of the emperor; Satrius was flmen perpetuus to Nero.—August: here the reigning “Augustus,” i.e., Claudius,
emperor A.D.. 41–54.—fl: a common alternate for fli.—gladitor, gladitris, m., one who fought with a sword (gladius) or other weapon for public entertainment, gladiator.—pr, paris, n., set of two, pair; “parity.”—Lucrti: a scribal error—ha, Celer’s error!—for Lucrti.—Pompe(i), -rum, m. pl., Pompeii; here LOCATIVE case, used with city names, = at Pompeii.—prdi, adv., the day before.—ds, duum, f. pl., the Ides: the 12 months in the imperial Roman calendar each had three named days, the “Kalends,” which was the 1st day of the month, the “Nones,” which was the 7th in March, May, July, and October, and the 5th in the others, and the “Ides,” which was the 15th in March, May, July, and October, the 13th in the others. The remaining days were identified as so many days before the Ides, the Nones, or the Kalends; the Roman counting system was “inclusive,” meaning that III ds Apr., three days before the Ides of April = April 11 (11–12–13 = 3 days, counting inclusively): so, what was the full range of dates advertised for the games here?—Aprlis, Aprlis, m., (month of) April.—vnti, vntinis, f., hunting animals; animal hunt, a popular entertainment, featuring gladiators hunting and fighting wild beasts (see Capvt XIX).—lgitimus, -a, -um, of the law, legal; customary, usual; “legitimate,” “legitimize.”—vlum, -, n., awning; “velar,” “veil.”—vnti lgitima et vla: lgitima because audiences came to expect wild animal hunts at these shows, and awnings too: see “Apophorta: Causea” in Capvt XI and “Under the Big Top” in Capvt XIX.—singulus, -a, -um, one each; individual, single, alone.—ad lnam: by moonlight.

  Do Not Desecrate

  ITA • TIBI • CONTINGANT QVAE • VIS • VT • TV • HOC SACRVM • NON • VIOLES Ita tibi contingant quae vs ut t hoc sacrum nn viols.

  CIL 5.7475: Inscription from the small town of Industria, near Turin in northern Italy. The prohibition nl violre, do not violate, was common in epitaphs.

  conting, contingere, contig, contctum, to touch, border on; + dat., fall to one’s lot, happen (to); “contingency,” “contiguous,” “contact.”—vs, you want, from irreg. verb vol.—sacer, -cra, -crum, consecrated to a deity, sacred (to); sc. locum.—viol (1), to desecrate, violate, profane; treat violently, injure; “violation,” “inviolate.”

  Epitaph to a Devoted Wife

  VERNASIAE CYCLADI CONIVGI • OPTIMAE VIX • ANN • XXVII VITALIS • AVG • L SCRIB • CVB F A P Vernasiae Cyclad, coniug optimae; vx(it) ann(s) XXVII; Vtlis, Aug(ust) l(bertus), scrb(a) cub(iculris). F(dlissimae), a(mantissimae), p(iissimae).

  CIL 6.8769: Funerary inscription to Vernasia Cyclas, set up by her husband Vitalis, a former slave working in the imperial household; from a covered marble cinerary urn (ca. 2’ high) found in Rome and dating to the 1st cent. A.D.. Husband and wife are depicted on the urn hand in hand, and with a variety of architectural and other motifs, including laurel garlands and wedding torches, emblematic of their marriage and domestic life. Both cremation and inhumation were practiced in Rome, though inhumation became increasingly more widespread from the 3rd cent. A.D.. onward.

  Funerary monument for Vernasia Cyclas, Rome, Italy, first century A.D.. (CIL 6.8769). British Museum, London, Great Britain

  © The Trustees of the British Museum

  Cyclas, Cycladis, f., Cyclas, here a cognomen suggesting the woman was Greek and from the Aegean island group known as the Cyclades.—coninx, coniugis, m. or f., spouse; “conjugal.”—Augustus, -, m., Augustus, honorific cognomen (= “venerable,” “august”) of Rome’s first emperor, the nephew and adoptive son of Julius Caesar, and of subsequent emperors.—lbertus, -, m., former slave, freedman; “liberty.”—scrba, -ae, m., writer, author; clerk, secretary, scribe.—cubiculris, -e, of or proper to a bedroom; “cubicle” with scrba here = private, personal.—piissimus, -a, -um, superl. of pius, -a, -um, dutiful, devoted; “pious,” “piety.”

  PRVERBIA ET DICTA

  N musca quidem. (Erasmus Ad. 2.1.84: musca, -ae, f., fly.)

  Alit lcti ingenium. (Seneca Ep. 84.1: lcti, lctinis, f., reading; “lectern,” “lecture.”)

  Dum ns fta sinunt, oculs satimus amre: nox tibi longa venit, nec reditra dis. (Propertius El. 2.15.23–24: sin, sinere, sv, situm, to allow, permit.—rede, redre, redi, reditum, to go back, return.)

  Crs amet qu numquam amvit quque amvit crs amet. (Pervigilium Veneris 1.)

  Dligere parents prma ntrae lx. (Valerius Maximus Fact. et Dict. 5.4.7: parents: -s was a common alternate ending for acc. -s.)

  Fraus est accipere, quod nn posss reddere. (Publilius Sent.: fraus, fraudis, f., detriment, harm; wrongdoing, crime; dishonest conduct, deceit; “fraudulent.”—accipere: i.e., as a loan.—redd, reddere, reddid, redditum, to give back, return; deliver, serve; “render,” “rendition.”—posss: POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT, may be able.

  Ex igne ut fmus, sc fma ex crmine surgit. (Cato Dist. Appendix 14: fmus, -, m., smoke, fumes.—crmen, crminis, n., charge, accusation; misdeed, crime; “incriminate.”)

  Pr capt lectris habent sua fta libell. (Terentianus Maurus Lit. 1.1286: pr: here, in accordance with, depending upon.—captus, -s, m., capacity, ability.—lctor, lctris, m., reader.)

  Lge dr vvunt muliers. (Plautus Merc. 817: mulier, mulieris, f., woman.)

  Nl est amre vrittis celsius. (Prudentius Perist. 10.388: nl = nihil.—celsus, -a, -um, high, lofty, tall; “excelsior.”)

  Pereant qu ante ns nostra dxrunt. (Jerome Ec. 1.9: pereant: pres. subjunct. of irreg. pere, perre, peri, peritum, to perish, be destroyed.)

  Igitur qu dsderat pcem, praeparet bellum; qu victriam cupit, mlits imbuat dligenter. (Vegetius Mil. 3, Prologue: praepar [1], to furnish beforehand; prepare [for]; “preparation.”—imbu, imbuere, imbu, imbtum, to drench, steep; instruct, train; “imbue.”—dligenter, adv., diligently.)

  LITTERTRA

  Pliny Replies to a Letter from His Wife

  C. Plnius Calpurniae suae s.

  Scrbis t absenti me nn mediocriter adficnumque habre slcium, quod pr m libells mes tenes, saepe etiam in vstgi me collocs. Grtum est quod ns requris, grtum quod hs fments acquiscis; invicem ego epistuls tus lctit atque identidem in mans quasi novs sm. Sed e magis ad dsderium tu accendor: nam cuius litterae tantum habent suvittis, huius sermnibus quantum dulcdinis inest! T tamen quam frequentissim scrbe, licet hoc ita m dlectet ut torqueat. Val.

  Pliny Ep. 6.7: Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (ca. A.D.. 61–112), or “Pliny the Younger” as he is usually called, was an important political and literary figure during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan. His surviving works include 10 volumes of letters, both personal and political, most of them highly polished and intended ultimately for publication; this letter, the first of several presented in the remaining chapters of this book, is addressed to his third wife, Calpurnia, who had written saying how much she missed him in his absence.

  C.: = Gius; see notes to “To the Nephew of Augustus,” Capvt IX.—s.: = saltem (dcit), a standard formula in the “salutation” of Roman letters, with the sender’s name in the nom. case and the recipient’s in the dat. case.—absentia, -ae, f., being away, absence.—mediocriter, adv., moderately, tolerably; with a negative, to no small extent, exceedingly.—adfici, adficere, adfc, adfectum, to aff ect; afflict, weaken; “aff ection.”—quod: here, as often, (the fact) that, in APPOSITION with slcium.—vstgium, -, n., footprint, track; position, place (where one is or used to be); “vestige.”—colloc (1), to place (together), put, arrange; “collocation.”—tenes…collocs: the verb in a subordinate clause within IND. STATE. is typically in the subjunct. mood.—requr, requrere, requsv, requstum, to seek, ask for; miss, need, require; “requisite,” “prerequisite.”—fmentum, -, n., medical, usually pl., soothing application, compress, dressing; remedy, solace; “foment.”—acquisc, acquiscere, acquiv, to rest, relax; find comfort or relief (in); “acquiesce.”—invicem, adv., in turn; reciprocally, likewise.—lctit (1), to read repeatedly.—identidem, adv., repeatedly, again and again.—quasi, adv. or conj., as if, as it were; “quasi.”—sm, smere, smps, smptum, to take (up), assume; “assumption,” “consumption.�
�—e, adv. (abl. of id), for that reason, therefore; with comparatives, by that degree, so much.—magis, adv., more, rather; “magisterial.”—dsderium, -, n., desire, longing; “desiderata,” “desiderative.”—accend, accendere, accend, accnsum, to set on fire, ignite; stir up, arouse; “censer,” “incense.”—suvits, suvittis, f., pleasantness, sweetness; charm; “suave,” “suavity.”—serm, sermnis, m., conversation, talk; “sermon.”—quantus, -a, -um, how large, how great, how much; “quantum,” “quantity,” “quantify.”—cuius litterae tantum…huius sermnis quantum: this sort of perfect ABC—ABC parallelism is a common feature of formal Lat. prose, and awareness of it can be a real aid to reading comprehension and translation.—dulcd, dulcdinis, f., sweetness; pleasantness, charm; “dulcimer,” “dulcet.”—nsum, inesse, nfu, to be in.—frequenter, adv., in crowds, densely; often, frequently.—licet + subjunct., although.—torque, torqure, tors, tortum, to twist tightly; wind, wrap; torture; “torque,” “torsion,” “contort.”

  What Good’s a Sober Friend?

  Siccus, sbrius est Aper; quid ad m?

  Servum sc ego laud, nn amcum.