cicero full text Flashcards
(42 cards)
egreditur in Centuripina quadriremi Cleomenes e portu;
Cleomenes goes out of the harbour in a Centuripan quadrireme;
Analysis:
egreditur, sequitur (goes out, follow) - present tense, vivid present
iste praetor diligens (that hardworking governor) - sarcastic
flagitiosissimum (most disgraceful) - superlative to emphasis disgust towards the banquet and behaviour of Verres
multis diebus, paulisper (many days, for a short time) - scathing, emphasising his incompetence
sequitur Segestana navis, Tyndaritana, Herbitensis, Heracliensis, Apolloniensis, Haluntina, praeclara classis in speciem, sed inops et infirma propter dimissionem propugnatorum atque remigum.
ships from Segesta, Tyndaris, Herbita, Heraclia, Apollinia, Haluntina follow: a fleet noble in appearance but needy and weak because of the dismissal (firing) of the fighting men and rowers.
Analysis:
egreditur, sequitur (goes out, follow) - present tense, vivid present
Segestana […], Haluntina (it’s just all the places) - asyndetic list, dramatises the contrast and number
praeclara (noble) - sarcastic, at the start for emphasis
inops et infirma (needy and week) - repeated ‘in’ draws attention to what they are lacking
tam diu in imperio suo classem iste praetor diligens vidit quam diu convivium eius flagitiosissimum praetervecta est;
That hardworking governor saw the fleet under his command for as long as it sailed past his most disgraceful banquet;
Analysis:
flagitiosissimum (most disgraceful) - superlative emphasises how disgraceful the banquet and his actions are
iste (that) - the sound sounds very harsh, shows Cicero’s spite towards THAT man, Verres
ipse autem, qui visus multis diebus non esset, tum se tamen in conspectum nautis paulisper dedit.
he himself, however, who had not been seen in many days, then nevertheless showed himself to the sailors for a short time.
Analysis:
qui visus multis diebus non esset (who had not been seen in many days) - an addition that emphasises his incompetence not just here but also in the days before (and basically always)
paulisper (a short time) - highlights his lack of commitment to the fleet
stetit soleatus praetor populi Romani cum pallio purpureo tunica talari muliercula nixus in litore.
The governor of the Roman people stood wearing slippers with a purple cloak and an ankle length tunic, leaning on a prostitute on the short.
Analysis:
none
iam hoc istum vestitu Siculi civesque Romani permulti saepe viderant.
Already the Sicilian citizens and very many Romans had often seen this man in this clothing.
Analysis:
permulti (very many) - per acts as an intensifier, emphasising the number of Romans that have seen him in this clothing
hoc istum vestitu (this man in this clothing) - istum is surrounded by hoc vesititu, physically surrounding Verres in his clothing to emphasise the association
posteaquam paulum provecta classis est et Pachynum quinto die denique adpulsa, nautae coacti fame radices palmarum agrestium
After the fleet was carried forwards a little and on the fifth day finally driven to Pachynus, the sailors - compelled by hunger, started collecting the roots of wild palms
Analysis:
provecta (carried forwards) […] adpulsa (driven) - passives show the lack of control that the fleet has, making them seem more helpless
nautae coacti fame radices (the sailors, compelled by hunger) - shows that they are out of control and completely consumed by their hunger, portraying their wretched and helpless state
quarum erat in illis locis, sicuti in magna parte Sicilae multitudo, colligebant et iis miseri perditique alebantur;
of which there was a large number in those places, just as in the main part of Sicily - and the wretched and desperate men were being nourished on those;
Analysis:
miseri perditique (wretched and desperate) - tautology which emphasises their suffering
alebantur (were being nourished) - usually a word used to describe animals eating, thus dehumanising the sailors and showing the animalistic state to which they have been reduced
Cleomenes autem, qui alterum se Verrem cum luxurie ac nequita tum etiuam imperio putaret, similiter totos dies in litore tabernaculo posito perpotabat.
but Cleomenes, who thought that he was another Verres not only in excess and vice but also in power, in the same way was drinking heavily all day everyday in a tent pitched on the beach
Analysis:
autem (but) - immediately draws attention to the comparison between the desperate state of the sailors and the far better off state of Cleomenes
alterum se Verres (another Verres) - se (Cleomenes) physically surrounded by ‘alterum Verres’ showing how deeply he thinks that they are similar
perpotabat (was drinking heavily) - per acts as an intensifier which emphasises the heaviness of his drinking, and thus the level of irresponsibility
ecce autem repente ebrio Cleomene esurentibus ceteris nuntiatur piratarum esse navis in portu Odysseae;
But look! Suddenly, whilst Cleomenes was drunk and everyone else was hungry, it was announced that a ship of pirates was in the harbour of Odyssea
Analysis:
ebrio Cleomene esurentibus ceteris (whilst Cleomenes was drunk and everyone else was hungry) - alitteration of ebrio and esurentibus, drawing attention to the contrast between the states of the sailors and the state of Cleomenes, who is meant to be their leader
nuntiatur (it was announced) - vivid present which makes it more engaging and vivid
piratarum (pirates) - at the start, emphasising the fact that danger is close, showing how bad the situation is
nam ita is locus nominatur; nostra autem classis erat in portu Pachyni.
for this is what that place is called; but our fleet was in the harbour of Pachynus
Analysis:
Odysseae […] Pachyni (Odyssea […] Pachynus) - Pachynus is at the end of the sentence, mimicking how far away the fleet is from the unfolding situation
nostra (our) - inclusive pronoun which makes the audience feel a connection to the fleet
Cleomenes autem, quod erat terrestre praesidium non re sed nomine, speravit iis militibus quos ex eo loco deduxisset explere se numerum nautarum et remigium posse.
But Cleomenes, because there was a land garrison (not in reality but in name only) hoped that he could make up the number of sailors and rowers from these soldiers whom he’d brought down from that place.
Analysis:
none
reperta est eadem istius hominis avarissimi ratio in praesidiis quae in classibus; nam erat perpauci reliqui, ceteri dimissi.
The same reasoning of that very greedy man was found in the garrisons as the fleets: for there were very few left, the rest [had been] dismissed.
Analysis:
istius hominis avarissimi (that very greedy man) - superlative of greedy expresses how bad Verres is; doesn’t refer to him by name, instead opting to call him ‘that man’, which reduces him
perpauci (very few) - per acts as an intensifier which emphasises how dire the situation is
procedit iste repente e praetorio inflammatus scelere furore crudelitate;
That man suddenly proceeded from the headquarters, inflamed by wickedness, madness and cruelty;
Analysis:
procedit (proceeded) - present tense which makes it more immersive and vivid
inflammatus scelere furore crudelitate (inflamed by wickedness, madness, (and) cruelty) - asyndetic tricolon of his emotions emphasises his erratic behaviour; the fact he is inflamed shows his lack of control over his own behaviour
in forum venit, nauarchos vocari iubet.
He came into the forum, ordered the ships’ captains to be summoned.
Analysis:
in forum (into the forum) - the forum is usually a place of order, which contrasts his own rage
(throughout this section, the sentences are much shorter compared to previous sections)
qui nihil meuerent, nihil suspicarentur, statim accurrunt.
They feared nothing, suspected nothing; at once they ran along.
nihil x2 (nothing) - emphasises their innocence and unsuspecting nature, they wrongfully trusted him
iste hominibus miseris innocentibus inici catenas imperat.
That man ordered chains to be thrown on the wretched, innocent men.
Analysis:
iste hominibus (that man) - derogatory
implorare illi fidem praetoris, et quare id faceret rogare.
Those men called upon the faith/loyalty of the governor, and they asked why he was doing this.
Analysis:
none
tum iste hoc causae dicit, quod classem praedonibus prodidissent.
That man gave this as the reason: that they had betrayed/handed over the fleet to the pirates.
Analysis:
none
fit clamor et admiratio populi tantam esse in homine impudentiam atque adaciam ut aut aliis causam calamitatis attribueret quae omnis propter avaritiam ipsius accidisset,
The people shouted in shock/amazement that there was so much shamelessness and audacity in the man that he should attribute the cause of the disaster to others, which had entirely happened on account of his greed,
Analysis:
fit clamor (shouted) - promoted to the start (hyperbaton) to emphasise their shock
impudentiam atque adauciam (shamelessness and audacity) - tautology emphasises his negative traits
tricolon of reasons people were shocked
aut, cum ipse praedonum socius arbitraretur, aliis prodtionis crimen inferret; deinde hoc quinto decimo die crimen esse natum postquam classis est amissa.
or - since he was thought to be in league with the pirates himself, that he should bring the charge of treason upon others. Moreover, [they said that] this charge had originated on the fifteenth day after the fleet was lost.
Analysis:
praedonum socius (pirates, ally) - juxtaposed to show the contrast
includuntur in carcarem condemnati; supplicium constituuntur in illos, sumitur de miseris parentibus nauarchorum;
The condemned men were shut up in prison, punishments were decided against them; these were extracted from the wretched parents of this ships’ captains.
Analysis:
includuntur […] constituuntur […] sumur (shut up […] decided […] extracted from) - passives show their helplessness
carcerem condemnati - harsh alliteration
tricolon
prohibentur adire ad filios, prohibentur liberis suis cibum vestitumque ferre.
They were prohibited from going to their sons; they were prohibited from bringing food and clothes to their children.
Analysis:
prohibentur x2 (they were prohibited) - repeated to emphasise the forbidden nature, passives to show lack of control, hyperbaton for emphasis
filios […] liberis (sons […] children) - builds audience empathy for the sailors
suis (their) - emphasis on the close bond
patres hi quod videtis iacebant in limine, matresque miserae pernoctabant ad ostium carceris ab extremo conspectu liberum exclusae;
These fathers whom you see were lying on the threshold, and the miserable mothers were spending the night at the entrance to the prison, excluded from a final glimpse of their children.
Analysis:
at the time the fathers would have actually been present which causes us to empathise with them
matresque miserae (miserable mothers) - repeated ‘m’ sound for emphasis, soft sounding (almost sad?)
extremo (final) - emphasises the sense of finality
liberum (children) - builds empathy for the sailors by referring to them as innocent children
