Scribblers, Sculptors and Scribes
Page 31
QUAESTINS: What special importance does Galla attribute to the marble likeness of her husband that she set up as part of the memorial? Do we learn more from this epitaph about the deceased or about his widow?—how does this compare with other funerary inscriptions you have read in this book?
PRVERBIA ET DICTA
Vnscitque absns et novus intrat amor. (Ovid Ars Am. 2.358: vnsc, vnscere, to become insubstantial, vanish; “evanescent.”—intr [1], to walk into, enter; “entry.” Do you see the CHIASMUS?)
derint, dum metuant. (Lucius Accius, Roman tragic poet, in Cicero Phil. 1.34: derint, JUSSIVE SUBJUNCT.—dum = dummodo. A favorite saying of the emperor Caligula.)
Cuivs dolr remedium est patientia. (Publilius Sent.: quvs, quaevs, quodvs, any at all.)
Dolor anim mult gravior est quam corporis. (Publilius Sent.: mult, adv., [by] much; “multiply.”)
Habet suum vennum blanda rti. (Publilius Sent.: vennum, -, n., potent herb; poison; “venom.”—blandus, -a, -um, flattering, coaxing; “bland,” “blandishment.”)
Heu, quam miserum est ab e laed d qu nn posss quer! (Publilius Sent.: laed, laedere, laes, laesum, to hurt, injure, strike; “collide.”)
Imperre sibi maximum imperium est. (Seneca Ep. 113.30.)
Nusquam melius morimur homins quam ubi libenter vximus. (Publilius Sent.: nusquam, adv., in no place, nowhere; never.)
ra odium generat; concordia ntrit amrem. (Cato Dist. 1.36: gener [1], to beget, father; produce; “generate.”—concordia, -ae, f., agreement, harmony; “concord,” “concordance.”—ntri, ntrre, ntrv, ntrtum, to nourish, rear; “nutrient,” “nutrition.”)
Spritus quidem prmptus, car vrnfrma. (Mark 14.38: prmptus, -a, -um, readily accessible; ready, quick; “promptitude.”—car, carnis, f., flesh [of animals], meat; “carnivore.”)
Rx est qu metuet nihil; rx est qu cupiet nihil: hoc rgnum sibi quisque dat. (Seneca Th y. 388–90: rgnum, -, n., kingship, monarchy; kingdom; “reign,” “interregnum.”)
Specttum veniunt; veniunt spectentur ut ipsae. (Ovid Ars Am. 1.99: do you see the CHIASMUS?)
Vim v repellere licet. (Ulpian Dig. 1.27: repell, repellere, reppul, repulsum, to push away, drive back; fend off, repel; “repulse.”)
Ut mihi nfrmis, sc tibi magnifica est. (Tacitus Ann. 12.37: nfrmis, -e, shapeless; ugly; degrading; “deformity.”—magnificus, -a, -um, magnificent, splendid.)
Id dict quam r, ut plraque, facilius erat. (Livy Urbe Cond. 31.38: plrusque, plraque, plrumque, most of; pl., very many, here, as often, SUBSTANTIVE.)
Sunt enim qu discessum anim corpore putent esse mortem. (Cicero Tusc. 1.9.18: discessus, -s, m., separation, departure; “proceed,” “recede.”)
LITTER TRA
Do You Really Care?
Estne tib, Crinthe, tuae pia cra puellae,
quod mea nunc vexat corpora fessa calor?
, ego nn aliter trsts vincere morbs
optrim, quam t s quoque velle putem.
At mihi quid prsit morbs vincere, s t
nostra potes lent pectore ferre mala?
5
Sulpicia El. 3.17: The fever Sulpicia describes may be interpreted both literally and as a metaphor for the passion she feels for her lover Cerinthus; the motif of love as disease was common in Latin erotic poetry. For the elegies of Sulpicia, the only woman of the classical period whose formal literary works survive, see “An Unexpected Birthday Celebration,” Capvt XXVIII.
tib: DAT. OF POSSESSION, common with est; is there to you = do you have.—pius, -a, -um, dutiful, devoted; “pious,” “piety” piets was a foremost Roman virtue, involving devotion to one’s family, friends, and country.—vex (1), to assault, assail; afflict; “vex,” “vexatious.”—corpora: pl. for sg. (and vice-versa) was common in Lat. verse, and here suggests that her entire body is afflicted.—fessus, -a, -um, weary, tired, exhausted.—calor, calris, m., heat; fever; love, passion; “calory,” “scald.”—, interj., ah, expressing grief, distress, etc.—aliter, adv., otherwise; “alias,” “alibi.”—vinc, vincere, vc, victum, to overcome, defeat; “evince,” “evict.”—opt (1), to hope, wish; “optative” optrim, common contraction for optverim, POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT., I would….—quam: with aliter, than.—t: subj. of velle.—prsum, prdesse, prfu, to be of use (to), do good, provide help (to); be beneficial, be advantageous; prsit: POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT., would it….—lentus, -a, -um, flexible, pliant; unresponsive, unconcerned, cold.
QUAESTI: The poem is structured in three couplets, question-statement-question. What sense do the questions give us of Cerinthus’ response to Sulpicia’s “illness,” or at least of Sulpicia’s assessment of his response?—in view of this, what do you see as the point and tone of the adjective pia in the opening line? What is the relation of the third couplet to the second?—note and comment on the order and effect of the repetition in verses 3 and 5.
THREE ELEGIACS BY MARTIAL
Read Me, Don’t Sell Me!
Exigis ut nostrs dnem tibi, Tucca, libells.
Nn faciam: nam vs vndere, nn legere!
Martial Epig. 7.77: Tucca’s intent was even worse than re-gift ing!
exigis: here demand.—dn (1), to give, present; “donate,” “donation.”
Insomnia?
Mrris, qur dormtum nn eat fer?
Accumbat cum qu, Caedicine, vids?
Martial Epig. 10.84: Was Afer a somnophobe?—Caedicianus should be able to figure this out!
accumb, accumbere, accubu, accubitum, to lie down, recline; go to bed (with); “recumbent.”
Busybody
Occurris qucumque loc mihi, Postume, clms
prtinus, et prma est haec tua vx, “Quid agis?”
Hoc, s m decis n convneris hr,
dcis: habs puto t, Postume, nl quod ags!
Martial Epig. 2.67: Postumus really needs to get a life!
occurr, occurrere, occurr, occursum, to run up to, rush to meet; “occurrence.”—qucumque, quaecumque, quodcumque, indef. adj., whoever, whatever, any…that; despite the word order, which is always much freer in poetry, qucumque loc introduces occurris.—clm (1), to shout; declare plainly, proclaim; “clamorous,” “exclaim.”—quid agis, idiom, how are you (doing)?—decis, adv., 10 times; “decimal,” “decimate.”—conveni, convenre, convn, conventum, to come together, assemble; come up to, meet; “convene,” “convention.”
QUAESTINS: Comment on the word-play in quid agis…quod ags; how does Martial manipulate word order to help insure his readers don’t miss the joke?—and how does the use of the pronoun t add further punch?
So Just Say You’ve Got Nothing to Say!
C. Plnius Fabi Ist su s.
lim mihi nlls epistuls mittis. “Nihil est,” inquis, “quod scrbam.” At hoc ipsum scrbe, nihil esse quod scrbs, vel slum illud unde incipere prirs solbant: “S vals, bene est; ego vale.” Hoc mihi sufficit; est enim maximum. Ldere m puts?—sri pet! Fac sciam quid ags, quod sine sollicitdine summ nescre nn possum. Val!
Pliny Ep. 1.11: Pliny gently reprimands Fabius Justus for being delinquent in his correspondence.
s.: saltem dcit.—lim: here = di.—epistula, -ae, f., letter, epistle; “epistolary.”—vel, conj., or.—prirs: = mairs.—s…vale: for this formulaic greeting, so perfunctory that it was often merely abbreviated s. v. b. e. e. v., see “Cicero Writes to His Wife,” Capvt XXXVII.—suffici, sufficere, suff c, suff ectum, to be sufficient, suffice.—ld, ldere, ls, lsum, to play (games); “allusion,” “elusive,” “illusory.”—sri, adv., seriously, not in jest.—facere (ut), idiom, to see to it that, + JUSSIVE NOUN CLAUSE.—sollicitd, sollicitdinis, f., anxiety, worry; “solicitous,” “solicitude.”
Trojans and Aborigines Found the Roman State
Urbem Rmam, scut ego accp, condidre atque habure initi Trin, qu Aen duce profug sdibus incerts vagbantur, cumque is Aborgins, genus hominum agreste, sine lgibus, sine imperi, lberum atque soltum. H postquam in na moenia convnre, dispar genere, dissimil lingu, ali ali mre vvents, incrdibile memort est quam facile coaluerint: ita brev multitud, dispe
rsa atque vaga, concordi cvits facta erat. Sed postquam rs erum, cvibus, mribus, agrs aucta, satis prospera satisque pollns vidbtur, scut plraque mortlium habentur, invidia ex opulenti orta est.
Sallust Cat. 6.1–2: In his monograph on the Catilinarian conspiracy (see “The Character of Catiline,” Capvt XVII), Sallust digresses on Rome’s history and how its early virtues gradually degenerated to the immorality and political corruption of his own day. Here Sallust gives a brief account of Rome’s founding that differs somewhat from those in Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita and Vergil’s Aeneid, focusing on the peaceful amalgamation of Trojan immigrants and the indigenous population. Whatever the specific details, lost to us in prehistory, what emerged in the historic period as Roman civilization certainly was a blend of native and immigrant cultures, including Italic, Etruscan, Greek, and near eastern, and so to that extent Sallust’s account contains elements of truth.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), “Aeneas and Anchises.” Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy
Alinari / Art Resource, NY; photo: Mauro Magliani for Alinari, 1998
scut, conj., (just) as.—accp: i.e., from his own historical sources.—condidre…habure…convnre: all have the common alternate ending -re for -runt.—Trinus, -a, -um, of Troy, Trojan.—Aens, -ae, m., Aeneas, legendary prince of Troy and leader of the Trojan refugees who settled in Italy.—profugus, -a, -um, fleeing, fugitive; “refuge.”—sds, sdis, f., seat; abode, country; pl. common with sg. meaning.—incertus, a, -um, uncertain, unsure, doubtful; “incertitude.”—vagor, vagr, vagtus sum, to wander (from place to place), roam; “vague,” “vagus (nerve).”—is: = es.—Aborgins, Aborginum, m. pl., Aborigines, name given by Roman historians to Italy’s pre-Roman inhabitants.—agrestis, -e, rustic; uncivilized; “agrarian.”—soltus, -a, -um, unbound, loose; unrestrained; “dissolute.”—postquam, conj., after; “posterity,” “post mortem.”—dispr, gen. disparis, unequal; different, dissimilar; “disparate.”—ali ali: a common correlative use of alius, = some in one (way)…others in another.—incrdibilis, -e, unbelievable, incredible.—memor (1), to speak, say; relate, tell; “commemorate” here + IND. QUEST.—coalsc, coalscere, coalu, coalitum, to be joined together; unite; “coalesce,” “coalition.”—brev: sc. tempore.—multitd, multitdinis, f., multitude; population.—dispersus, -a, -um, scattered, dispersed.—vagus, -a, -um, wandering, roving; related to vagor, above.—rs: i.e., as often, rs pblica.—auctus, -a, -um, increased, expanded; “augmented.”—prosperus, -a, -um, successful, prosperous.—pollns, gen. pollentis, powerful, strong.—habentur: are managed, i.e., turn out, evolve.—opulentia, -ae, f., riches, wealth; “opulence.”—orior, orr, ortus sum, to arise, emerge; “orient,” “abort.”
GRAMMATICA
Verba: Identify each supine and its use and each relative clause of characteristic in the chapter’s readings. For supines, review the Summrium Frmrum, if necessary.
Nmina et Prnmina: List all the dative nouns and pronouns in the readings, identify the specific usage of each, and transform singulars to plural, and plurals to singular.
CAPVT XXXIX
A Time for Peace, a Time for Love, and a Time to Harvest the Day
Living, loving, dying are what this chapter’s readings concern, inter multa alia. A graffito warns us to be cautious of even the slightest evils; there are epitaphs to a son, a Pompeian duumvir, and a woman eulogized as both wife and physician. Among the chapter’s dicta is one with practical advice for the mendacious among us that a liar needs to have a good memory! The literary passages include: gift-card epigrams composed by Martial to accompany an umbrella and a set of barber’s tools; Frontinus’ opening remarks on Rome’s first aqueduct, the Aqua Appia; the passage from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes that inspired Pete Seeger’s classic anti-war anthem, “Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There Is a Season)” and Horace’s carpe diem ode.
Grammatica nova: Gerunds and gerundives.
NSCRPTINS
Protect Yourself!
QVI • SE TVTARI • NESCIT • NESCIT • VIVERE
MINIMVM • MALV • FIT CONTEMNENDO • MAXIMVM
Qu s ttr nescit, nescit vvere:
minimum malu
CIL 4.10634: Graffito from Herculaneum, with good counsel for us all; the second of these two iambic senarii, which seems to have been proverbial, appears in nearly identical form in a graffito in the basilica at Pompeii (CIL 4.1811).
ttor, ttr, tttus sum, to protect, watch over; “tutor,” “tutelary.”
QUAESTI: Comment on features of diction, word order, and sound effects that make this an especially artful graffito.
REQUISCANT IN PCE
To a Son
CADIO
CARIANO
ANN • XXI
ALLEICEA
AVITA • MATER
FILIO • F • C
DIC • ROGO • QVI • TRANSIS • SIT • TIBI
TERRA • LEVIS
Cadi Crin, ann(rum) XXI. Alleicea Avta mter fli f(aciendum) c(rvit).
Dc, rogo, qu trnss: “Sit tibi terra levis.”
CIL 2.5241 Epitaph from a tombstone unearthed during a demolition project in 1878; set up by Alleicea (a form of the name “Alicia/ Alice”) Avita for her son Cadius Carianus; from Conimbriga, an important Roman city in Portugal. The final line, dc…levis, is an elegiac pentameter.
faciendum (sometimes faciundum) crvit: sc. id, i.e., the funerary monument; formulaic on such monuments, and frequently abbreviated F C, as here.—sit…levis: often abbreviated s. t. t. l., this formula too was common in epitaphs; cf. “For Egnatia Florentina,” Capvt XXVIII.
QUAESTINS: To whom is the closing pentameter addressed, and what is the addressee asked to do?
To a Son and Duumvir
A • VMBRICIO • A • F • MEN
SCAVRO
II • VIR • I • D
HVIC • DECVRIONES • LOCVM • MONVM
ET • HS • ∞ ∞ • IN • FVNERE • ET • STATVAM • EQVESTR
…]ORO • PONENDAM • CENSVERVNT
SCAVRVS • PATER • FILIO
A(ul) Umbrici, A(ul) f(li), Men(ni), Scaur, ((duum))vir() i(re) d(cund). Huic decurins locum monum(ent) et (sestertia) ((duo mlia)) in fnere et statuam equestr(em) [in f]or pnendam cnsurunt. Scaurus pater fli.
CIL 10.1024: Epitaph from a tomb at Pompeii, located outside the gate to Herculaneum. The inscription, set up by Aulus Umbricius Scaurus to his son, was engraved on a marble slab affixed to a superstructure atop the tomb; the stuccoed front of the tomb was decorated with scenes of gladiatorial combat and a vnti. The elder Scaurus is well known as a manufacturer of the fish sauces garum and liquamen; see notes to the epitaph for Umbricia Iusta, likely a family member, in Capvt XXII.
Menni: from Mennius, -a, -um, and sc. trib (tribus, -s, f.), of the Menenian tribe, one of Rome’s 35 tribes (see notes to “An Interpreter of Lightning,” Capvt VII, and “Drink and Be Merry,” Capvt XVII).—duumvir (duovir), -, m, duumvir; usually abbreviated II VIR or II V; for the office, see “Balbus for Mayor,” Capvt V.—ire dcund: for interpreting the law; a phrase you have seen before referring to the official’s judiciary authority.—decuri, decurinis, m., decurion, officer in charge of a squadron of 10 cavalrymen; or, here, member of a municipal senate or “city council.”—monumentum, -, n., memorial, monument; here DAT. OF PURPOSE.—sestertius, -a, -um, from semi + tertius, two and a half times (any unit); as m. SUBSTANTIVE, sestertius, sesterce, a small silver coin originally of two and a half “asses,” later of four, an “as” being the lowest denomination, copper coin; a sesterce was equivalent to one-quarter of a silver denarius, and a gold aureus was equivalent to 25 denarii. The adj. sestertia, often abbreviated HS, was usually employed with mlia.—MM: 2,000; as seen in the above transcription, the sculptor actually used the common symbol ∞, which, like M, stood for mlle.—fnus, fneris, n., funeral.—statua, -ae, f., statue.—equester, -tris, -tre, mounted on a horse, equestrian; (of a) cavalryman.—cnse, cnsre, cnsu, cnsum, to give an opinion
; think; vote (for), decree; “census.”