Bis tant pereat quisquis amre vetat.
CIL 4.4091: This graffito, from the house of Lucius Caecilius Jucundus at Pompeii, is at once an encomium to love and a curse on the unloving. With the restoration quisquis for quis, which was clearly intended in the opening line, the text is a perfect elegiac couplet; for the opening quisquis amat, seen in a number of other Pompeian graffiti, see “Once Burned, Twice Shy,” Capvt XXXIV.
bis, adv., twice; to twice the degree, doubly; “binomial,” “bifurcate.”—tant, idiom, by as much.—vet (1), to forbid, prohibit; reject; “veto.”
Congratulations to the New Mayor!
P • AQVIVM • PROCVLVM • II VIR • I D•D•R•P•
VNIVER[…] • POMPEIANI FECERVNT
Paquium Proculum ((duum))vir(um) i(re) d(cund), d(ignum) r(e) p(blicae), niver[s] Pompein fcrunt.
Dipinto from the amphitheater, Pompeii, Italy (CIL 4.1122)
Mathew Olkovikas (from CIL)
CIL 4.1122: We’ve seen lots of campaign ads from Pompeii; here’s a dipinto actually announcing a WINNER—Publius Paquius Proculus, one of the new duumvirs and a well-connected politico. Maybe the person who painted this notice didn’t vote for the guy—in any case he seems, to judge from his use of the punctum, to have thought the new duumvir’s name was P. (Publius) Aquius, not Paquius!
ire dcund: if you do not recall the meaning of this formula, see “To a Son and Duumvir,” Capvt XXXIX.—niversus, -a, -um, the whole of, entire; as a group, united; pl., all without exception; “universality” the suggestion is that Proculus won by a landslide!—Pompeinus, -a, -um, at/ of Pompeii, Pompeian.
The Vindolanda Tablets:
A Birthday Invitation
Leaf 1, front:
CL • SEVERA LEPIDINAE
[……]L[…]TEM
III IDVS SEPTEMBR[…]S SOROR AD DIEM SOLLEMNEM NATALEM MEVM ROGO LIBENTER FACIAS VT VENIAS AD NOS IVCVNDIOREM MIHI
Leaf 2, front:
…] INTERVENTV TVO FACTVRA SI
A[…]S
CERIAL[…]VVM SALVTA AELIVS MEVS […
ET FILIOLVS SALVTANT
SPERABO TE SOROR
VALE SOROR ANIMA
MEA ITA VALEAM
KARISSIMA ET HAVE
Leaf 2, back:
SVLPICIAE LEPIDINAE
CERIALIS
A S[…]VERA
Cl(audia) Sevra Lepidnae [suae sa]l[]tem. III ds Septembr[]s, soror, ad diem sollemnem ntlem meum rog libenter facis ut venis ad ns, icundirem mihi [diem] intervent tu factra, s a[deri]s. Ceril[em t]uum salt Aelius meus [eum] et flilus saltant. Sprb t, soror. Val, soror, anima mea, ita valeam, krissima, et hav. Sulpiciae Lepidnae Cerilis S[e]vr.
Vindolanda tablet 291: Claudia Severa invites Sulpicia Lepidina, wife of Cerialis, to her birthday party on September 11th; as we know from other tablets, Lepidina’s husband was Flavius Cerialis, garrison commander, and Severa was the wife of Aelius Brocchus, prefect of a nearby fort. The letter is written on two leaves of a wooden diptych, and on the back of the second leaf (which, when folded over, would be on the outside) is the address. Most of the letter and the address are in one hand, doubtless written out by Severa’s scribe, but the closing sentences, printed above in italics, are in a second hand, almost certainly Severa’s own, as we have other letters composed by her (tablets 292–293) in which she similarly writes a personal note at the end; along with some of the graffiti we have seen from Pompeii, these letters are the earliest extant specimens of a woman’s handwriting in Latin. For other selections from the tablets, see Capita XXII, XXV, XXXII, and XXXVIII.
saltem: sc. dcit.—III ds Septembrs: for the Roman dating system, see “Gladiators, Wild Animal Hunts, and…‘Air Conditioning’,” Capvt XXIX.—soror: a term commonly used for a close female friend.—sollemnis, -e, solemn, ceremonial; celebratory, festive.—ntlis, -e, of/ relating to birth; “post-natal,” “native.”—libenter: more logically with rog than facis.—rog…facis: ut sometimes introduces the subjunct., sometimes not.—facere (ut), idiom, to see to it that, + subjunct. in a NOUN CLAUSE OF RESULT (for the construction, cf. “Cicero Writes to His Wife,” Capvt XXXVII.—interventus, -s, m., arrival; “intervention.”—factra: here, as often, the fut. act. partic. is used to indicate purpose.—adsum, adesse, adfu, adfutrum, to be near, be present.—salt (1), to greet; “salute,” “salutation.”—flilus: DIMINUTIVE of flius, = little….—anima: a common term of endearment.—ita valeam: an idiomatic usage qualifying the truthfulness of Severa’s declaration that Lepidina is her very dear friend, so may I be well, something like our idiom “so help me, God.”—krissima: = crissima.—av (hav), interj., greetings, hail; seemingly unusual at the end of a letter, but here of course Severa is appending a personal “p.s.” to what her scribe has written, so a closing “hey” is quite in order.—Cerilis: i.e., uxr Cerilis; a common gen. case usage.
Vindolanda tablet 291, second century A.D.., Vindolanda (near modern Chesterholm), Great Britain
© The Vindolanda Trust
QUAESTI: What numerous insights into life at a Roman frontier outpost does this letter provide?
PRVERBIA ET DICTA
Hicine vir, patriae ntus, usquam nisi in patri moritur? (Cicero Mil. 38.104: hicine = hicne; -i- was regularly added to hic when -ne was suffixed.—usquam, adv., in any place, anywhere.)
Vereor n, dum minuere velim labrem, augeam. (Cicero Leg. 1.4.12: auge, augre, aux, auctum, to increase, expand; strengthen; “augmentation,” “auction.”)
“Num cn comess,” inquit, “vnimus?” (Varro Rust. 1.2.11: comed, comesse, comd, comes[s]um, to eat up completely, finish eating; “comestible” i.e., “Yikes—are we too late for dinner?”)
Nnne is genersissimus qu optimus? (Quintilian Inst. 5.11.4: genersus, -a, -um, of noble birth; noble-spirited; “generosity,” “generous.” What verb is to be understood in each clause?)
Quid magis est sax drum, quid mollius und? Dra tamen moll saxa cavantur aqu. (Ovid Ars Am. 1.475–76: mollis, -e, soft; easy, gentle; “emollient.”—unda, -ae, f., wave [of the sea]; stream, river; “undulation,” “redound.”—cav [1], to make concave, hollow out; cut through; “cavern,” “cavity.”)
Vermur n parum hic liber mellis et absinthi multum habre videtur (Quintilian Inst. 3.1.5: parum = parvum.—mel, mellis, n., honey; “mellisonant.”—absinthium, -, n., wormwood, or its bitter-tasting extract absinthe, which was used, like honey, in flavoring wine. Can you identify the CHIASMUS, and its purpose?)
Num tibi cum faucs rit sitis, aurea quaeris pcula? (Horace Sat. 1.2.114–115: faucs, faucium, f. pl., throat, gullet; “faucal.”—r, rere, uss, ustum, to destroy by fire, burn; “combustible.”—sitis, sitis, f., thirst.—aureus, -a, -um, golden; “auriferous.”—pculum, -, n., drinking vessel, cup; “potable,” “potion.”)
Nnne id flagitium’st t alis cnsilium dare, fors sapere, tibi nn posse t auxilirier? (Terence Heaut. 922–923: flagitium, -, n., disgrace; outrageous conduct; flagitium’st = flagitium est, a type of contraction common in spoken Lat. called PRODELISION.—fors: i.e., in one’s public life.—auxilior, auxilir, auxilitus sum, + dat., to be helpful [to], help; “auxiliary” the infin. ending -rier was an older, alternate form for -r.)
Saepe tacns vcem verbaque vultus habet. (Ovid Ars Am. 1.574.)
Domina omnium et rgna rati. (Cicero Tusc. Disp. 2.47.)
Famultur dominus, ubi timet quibus imperat. (Publilius Sent.: famulor, famulr, famultus sum, to be a servant/ slave; “family,” “familiar.”)
Qulis dominus, tlis et servus. (Petronius Sat. 58: qulis, -e, [of] what kind, what sort; correlative with tlis, [of] whatever sort…of such sort; “quality,” “qualify.”)
Ltore quot conchae, tot sunt in amre dolrs. (Ovid Ars Am. 2.519: concha, -ae, f., mollusc, shellfish; seashell; “conch.”)
Nihil enim est tam angust anim tamque parv quam amre dvitis. (Cicero Off. 1.68: tam: i.e., so characteristic of.—angustus, -a, -um, narrow, limited.)
it Dominus ad Cain, “Ubi est Abel, frter tuus?” qu respon
dit, “Nesci—num custs frtris me sum?” (Genesis 4.9: Cain…Abel: Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, according to the account in Genesis 4.1–16.—custs, custdis, m., guardian, protector; guard, watchman; “custody,” “custodial.”)
Tantaene anims caelestibus rae? (Vergil Aen. 1.11: caelestis, -e, of/ in/ from the sky; dwelling in heaven, of the gods, divine; “celestial,” “Celeste.”)
LITTERTRA
The Dangers of Writing Satire
“nse velut strict quotins Lclius ardns
nfremuit, rubet audtor cui frgida mns est
165
crminibus, tacit sdant praecordia culp:
inde ra et lacrimae. Tcum prius ergo volt
haec anim ante tubs: galetum sro duell
paenitet.” Experiar quid concdtur in ills
qurum Flmini tegitur cinis atque Latn.
170
Juvenal Sat. 1.165–171: Juvenal (Decimus Junius Juvenalis, ca. A.D.. 60–130) is one of the most widely read and influential of Roman writers. The author of 16 satires in six volumes, all in dactylic hexameter, Juvenal assumed in his earliest work a tone of ra and indignti that represented a counter balance to the more genial satires of his Augustan predecessor Horace. In this passage from the conclusion of his programmatic first satire, an imaginary interlocutor warns him against the dangers of satirizing persons alive, powerful, and proud, as the early republican satirist Lucilius (ca. 180–101 B.C.) was credited with having done. Juvenal responds in a deliberately “unheroic” manner typical of his handling of satire as anti-epic. nsis, nsis, m., sword.—velut, conj., as if, like.—string, stringere, strnx, strictum, to bind fast, secure; bare, unsheathe; “stringent,” “strict.”—quotins, adv., as often (as), whenever; “quotient.”—ardns, gen. ardentis, flaming, burning; intense, passionate; “ardent.”—nfrem, nfremere, nfremu, to cry out angrily, roar, bellow.—rube, rubre, to be red, turn red (as a sign of shame or modesty); “rubescent,” “ruby.”—audtor: a reminder that Roman poetry was composed to be read aloud to a listening audience.—frgidus, -a, -um, cold, chilly; lacking in passion, unresponsive; “refrigerant.”—crmen, crminis, n., charge, accusation; misdeed, crime; “incriminating.”—tacitus, -a, -um, silent; unspoken; secret, hidden; “tacit,” “taciturn.”—sd (1), to sweat; “exude,” “exudate.”—praecordia, -rum, n. pl., vital organs; heart, breast (as seat of emotions); “coronary,” “discord.”—inde, adv., thence, from that place; therefore; then.—erg, adv. and conj., therefore.—volut (1), to roll, turn; turn over in one’s mind, consider; “volute,” “involve.”—tuba, -ae, f., trumpet (used for giving military signals).—galetus, -a, -um, wearing a (military) helmet, helmeted.—sr, adv., at a late time; too late.—duell: archaic for bell.—paenitet, impers. verb, it is a source of regret (for someone, acc.) because of (something, gen.), = (someone) regrets (something); “penitent,” “penance.”—concd, concdere, concess, concessum, to yield, grant, concede; permit, allow; “concession.”—Flminius, -a, -um, of Flaminius, Flaminian; here sc. vi, i.e., the great northern highway leading out of Rome to Ariminum (modern Rimini), built by Gaius Flaminius during his censorship in 220 B.C.—teg, tegere, tx, tctum, to cover, hide, protect; “protection.”—cinis, cineris, m./ f., residue from a fire, ashes; “incinerate.”—Latnus, -a, -um, of Latium, Latin; sc. vi, a major highway leading south from Rome, ultimately merging with the Via Appia; both the Latin and Flaminian highways were lined with tombs of the once rich and powerful just outside Rome’s city walls.
QUAESTINS: Discuss the physiological imagery employed in describing the response of the audtor to Lucilius’ satire. Comment in specific detail on the epic, and anti-epic, imagery in the passage; consider more generally similarities and diff erences in the purposes of epic poets and satiric poets.
Tombs along the Via Latina
Giorgio Clementi
To an Utterly Unlovely Lady
Salv, nec minim puella ns nec bell pede
nec nigrs ocells nec longs digits
nec re sicc nec sn nimis legante lingu,
dcoctris amca Frmin.
Tn prvincia nrrat esse bellam?
5
Tcum Lesbia nostra compartur?
saeclum nsapins et nfactum!
Catullus Carm. 43: Some folks are comparing this lady’s charms with those of Catullus’ girlfriend Lesbia—no way, says he! Meter: hendecasyllable.
niger, -gra, -grum, black, dark; “negritude.”—ocellus: DIMINUTIVE of oculus.—siccus, -a, -um, free from moisture, dry; “dessicated.”—sn, adv., certainly, truly.—legns, gen. legantis, refined, cultivated; graceful, elegant.—dcoctor, dcoctris, m., debtor, bankrupt; “concoct.”—Frminus, -a, -um, of/ from Formiae, a city on the coast of Latium; the prodigal alluded to here was most likely Mamurra, Julius Caesar’s chief engineer in Gaul and a man whose profligacy Catullus satirized in several other poems, and his “inelegant” amca was the woman called Ameana in poem 41.—tn: = tne; the final -e was often dropped from the suffix -ne, in speech and in spelling.—prvincia, -ae, f., province, here probably Gaul.—compar (1), to place together, pair (with); compare; “comparable.”—saec(u)lum, -, n., generation, age; present time, modern generation; “secular.”—nsapins (nsipins), gen. nsapientis, lacking taste; not wise, foolish; “insipid.”—nfactus, -a, -um, lacking wit/ intelligence, humorless; “facetious.”
QUAESTINS: Discuss the poem’s structure—how do the first five lines differ in design and function from the last three? Comment on the poet’s use of ANAPHORA, and how he employs word order to intensify its effect, in both the the opening sentence and in verses 6–7. In view of re sicc in 3, what rather unlovely double entendre may be intended by lingu in 4? Catullus chooses to describe the nameless woman by describing the qualities she does not have rather than those she does; what are the purposes and effects of this strategy?—how does this compare with his characterization of the saeclum in the poem’s closing verse?
“Happy Birthday” to the Emperor,
and His Majesty’s Reply
C. Plnius Trin impertr
Opt, domine, et hunc ntlem et plrims alis quam flicissims ags; aeternque laude flrentem virttis tuae glriam, et incolumis et fortis, alis super alia operibus augbis.
Trinus Plni
Agnsc vta tua, m Secunde crissime, quibus precris ut plrims et flicissims ntls flrente stat re pblicae nostrae agam.
Pliny Ep. 10.88–89: In this brief exchange the younger Pliny sends birthday greetings to Trajan (Marcus Ul-pius Traianus, born Sep. 18, A.D.. 53, emperor 98–117), who in turn dispatched a brief and perfunctory acknowledgment. Pliny could be quite effusive, whereas the emperor, as we see here, was a man of few words. These two letters, like most of the correspondence with Trajan, collected in book 10 of the Epistles and published posthumously, date to the period of Pliny’s governorship in the province of Bithynia, ca. 110–112.
opt (1), to wish, hope; “opt,” “option,” “optative” here governing the JUSSIVE NOUN CLAUSE, (ut) ags.—aeternus, -a, -um, through the ages, eternal; “eternity.”—flrns, gen. flrentis, flowering; prospering, flourishing; “floret,” “florist.”—incolumis, -e, unharmed, safe.—super, prep. + acc., above, over; beyond; upon; “superiority,” “superfluous” alis super alia, i.e., with new added to old.—agnsc, agnscere, agnv, agnitum, to recognize; acknowledge.—vtum, -, n., vow; hope, wish; “votary,” “vote,” “votive.”—Secunde: Pliny’s cognomen was Secundus.—precor, precr, prectus sum, to ask (for), pray; “prayer,” “imprecation.”—status, -s, m., standing (position); (physical) state, condition; “status.”
The Achievements of the Emperor Augustus
Anns ndvgint ntus, exercitum prvt cnsili et prvt impns comparv, per quem rem pblicam domintine factinis oppressam in lberttem vindicv. Propter quae sentus dcrts honrifics in rdinem suum m adlgit, Gi Pns et Aul Hirti cnsulibus, cnsulrem locum sententiae dcendae tribuns, et imperium mihi dedit. Rs pblica n quid dtrment caperet, m propraetre simul cum cnsulibus, providre iussit. Populus autem edem ann m cnsulem, cum
cnsul uterque bell cecidisset, et triumvirum re pblicae cnstituendae crevit. Qu parentem meum trucdvrunt, es in exilium expul, idicis lgitims ultus erum facinus, et poste bellum nferents re pblicae vc bis aci. Bella terr et mar cvlia externaque tt in orbe terrrum saepe gess, victorque omnibus veniam petentibus cvibus peperc. Externs gents, quibus tt ignsc potuit, cnservre quam excdere mlu.
Augustus Res Gestae 1–3: Among several documents Augustus left in the care of the Vestal Virgins to be read in the Senate after his death was a selective, but historically important account of his achievements as Rome’s first emperor (31 B.C.–A.D.. 14); although the chronicle, known from its ancient title as the Rs Gestae Dv August (“Accomplishments of the Divine Augustus”), survives only in inscriptional copies, not in the manuscript tradition, it is nevertheless included here among our concluding literary selections because of its substantial nature (the full text runs to more than 2,500 words) and the fact that it was indeed written by Augustus for copying and wide distribution in much the same way as more conventional texts. We can reconstruct the document from three of the doubtless many inscribed copies that were set up throughout the empire; the most substantial copy included a Greek translation and was posted on the Temple of Rome and Augustus in Ancyra (modern Ankara), in the province of Galatia. The excerpt presented here is from the opening three paragraphs (based chiefly on the text as restored and edited by P.A. Brunt and J.M. Moore); the emperor concluded his chronicle with an indication of its date of composition: cum scrps haec, annum agbam septuagnsumum (70th) sextum. For more on Augustus’ reign, see “The Augustan Peace,” Capvt XXXI.
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