Pliny the Younger
Book 1, Letter 10
Commentary created by Andrew Combe, Bates College. 12-10-98
| For the Latin Text of this letter without notes, click here. |
LIBER PRIMUS
EPISTULA X
C. PLINIUS ATTIO CLEMENTI SUO S.
SI quando urbs nostra liberalibus studiis floruit, nunc maxime floret. Multa claraque exempla sunt; sufficeret unum, Euphrates philosophus. Hunc ego in Syria, cum adulescentulus militarem, penitus et domi inspexi amarique ab eo laboravi; etsi non erat laborandum. Est enim obvius et expositus plenusque humanitate, quam praecipit. Atque utinam sic ipse, quam spem tunc ille de me concepit, impleverim, ut ille multum virtutibus suis addidit! aut ego nune illas magis miror, quia magis intellego; quamquam ne nunc quidem satis intellego. Ut enim de pictore, scalptore, fictore nisi artifex iudicare, ita nisi sapiens non potest perspicere sapientem. Quantum mihi tamen cernere datur, multa in Euphrate sic eminent et elucent, ut mediocriter quoque doctos advertent et adficiant. Disputat subtiliter, graviter, ornate, frequenter etiam Platonicam illam sublimitatem et latitudinem effingit. Sermo est copiosus et varius, dulcis in primis, et qui repugnantes quoque ducat, impellat. Ad hoc proceritas corporis, decora facies, demissus capillus, ingens et cana barba; quae licet fortuita et inania putentur, illi tamen plurimum venerationis adquirunt. Nullus horror in cultu, nulla tristitia, multum severitatis; reverearis occursum, non reformides. Vitae sanctitas summa, comitas par; insectatur vitia, non homines; nec castigat errantes, sed emendat. Sequaris monentem attentus et pendens et persuaderi tibi, etiam cum persuaserit, cupias.
Iam vero liberi tres, duo mares, quos diligentissime instituit. Socer Pompeius Iulanus cum cetera vita tum vel hoc uno magnus et clarus, quod ipse provinciae princeps inter altissimas condiciones generum non honoribus principem, sed sapientia elegit. Quamquam quid ego plura de viro, quo mihi frui non licet? an, ut magis anger, quod non licet? Nam distringor officio ut maximo sic molestissimo; sedeo pro tribunali, subnoto libellos, conficio tabulas, scribo plurimas, sed inliteratissimas litteras. Soleo nonnumquam (nam id ipsum quando contingit!) de his occupationibus apud Euphraten queri. Ille me consolatur, adfirmat etiam esse hanc philosophiae et quidem pulcherrimam partem, agere negotium publicum, cognoscere, iudicare, promere et exercere iustitiam, quaeque ipsi doceant, in usu habere. Mihi tamen hoc unum non persuadet, satius esse ista facere quam cum illo dies totos audiendo discendoque consumere. Quo magis te, cui vacat, hortor, cum in urbem proxime veneris (venias autem ob hoc maturius), illi te expoliendum limandumque permittas. Neque enim ego ut multi invideo aliis bonum, quo ipse careo, sed contra sensum quendam voluptatemque percipio, si ea, quae mihi denegantur, amicis video superesse. Vale.
section 1
vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary
These are all the words that I didn't know off the top of my head, so I guess that makes them difficult and/or unusual
floreo, florere, flui,----- (2nd conjugation) to
bloom, flourish
penitus-a-um, inner, intimate
expositus-a-um, open, accesable
utinam, would that (my favorite word in the whole language)
pictor, pictoris (3rd declension, masc.) painter
(hadn't seen or thought about this word since 6th grade)
sculptor, sculptoris (3rd, masc.) stone cutter (see
note to previous)
fictor, fictoris (3rd masc.) moulder, baker of sacrifical
cakes
emineo, eminere, eminui, ------- (2nd conj.) to project,
be conspicuous
subtilis-e (3rd masc.) fine, thin
copiosus-a-um well supplied, wealthy
proceritas-atis (3rd, fem) tallness, height
capillus-i (2nd. masc.) hair (2nd favorite word on
account of the ghost stories)
veneratio-onis (3rd. fem.) respect, worship
reformido (1st conj.) to dread, shun
distringo (3rd conj) to torture, occupy
subnoto (1st conj) to note down, to jot
expolio (4th conj) smooth off, polish up
invideo (2nd conj) to envy, grudge
denego (1st conj.) to deny
section 2.
This is the really fun section. The grammar section!!
cum adulescentulus militarem... this is a "straight" cum+subjunctive clause. "When I was serving in the military as an adulescent. militarem is imperfect subjunctive.
utinam ipse impleverim...optative subjunctive, "if only I might fill..." Pliny will think himself exteremly happy if, etc.
perspicere complimentary infinitive
ut mediocriter advertant et adficiant...is a result clause. Since "Euphrates' qualities are so good, he is able to etc.
monentem and pendens are both present participles
quo mihi frui non licet? bucket of trouble. liceo takes the dative forcing mihi while frui is the deponent infinitve complimenting liceo.
an, ut magis anger, quod non licet? purpose clause
audiendo and discendoque are both gerunds in ablative of means
expoliendum and limandumque are both gerundives
section 3.
The links section.
Some of these are useless, some are LOL hilarious, others are groovy.
The fact is that just about every school in the country has one of these
so the question is what are waiting for? It would be a good bragging point
for you guys at classics conventions. Hello my name is
Mr/lecturer/professor walker/hayward/imber/O'higgins and I teach at Bates
College, you know the one with the best classics web page.
So if you're curious about what other schools are doing in their classics
classes check these out!
other random stuff. I'm not sure what this next one is, but it sure is fun!
so for the piece de resistance, I discovered this link. If you have any
questions about Pliny or his letters, we can time travel to ancient Rome
and ask the man himself. To find out EXACTLY how to do this click here if you dare
Come on Mr. Walker! See if you can squeeze $1080 out of the department's
budget so that the three of us can have the best field trip ever!
My real name is