Pliny letter 1

Question 1

post aliquot annos insigne atque etiam memorabile populi Romani oculis spectaculum exhibuit publicum funus Vergini Rufi, maximi et clarissimi ciuis, perinde felicis.

Answer 1

After many years, the public funeral of Verginius Rufus, the most important and most famous citizen and equally fortunate, exhibited a remarkable and also memorable spectacle to the eyes of the Roman people.

Question 2

Triginta annis gloriae suae supervixit; legit scripta de se carmina, legit histories et posteritati suae interfuit.

Answer 2

He outlived his glory by 30 years; he read poems having been written about himself, he read histories (having been written about himself), and was part of his own posterity.

Question 3

supervixit +gloriae

Answer 3

compound verb + dative

Question 4

triginta annis gloriae -by 30 years

Answer 4

ablative of duration of time

Question 5

posteritati - dat fem sing
+ interfuit -perf act indic -3rd sing

Answer 5

compound verb w/dative

Question 6

Perfunctus est tertio consulatu, ut summum fastigium privati hominis impleret, cum principis noluisset.

Answer 6

He completed the office of consul 3 times, so that he fulfilled the highest rank of a private citizen, although he did not want that of princeps

Question 7

perfunctus est + consulatu

Answer 7

perfunctus takes abl

Question 8

ut summum…

Answer 8

result clause

Question 9

cum principis noluisset.
Although he did not want that of princeps

Answer 9

cum clause-concessive
3rd s. pluperf act subj

Question 10

principis -genitive masc sing

Answer 10

mirrored construction w. privati hominis

Question 11

Caesares, quibus suspectus atque etiam invisus virtutibus fuerat, evasit, reliquit incolumem optimum atque amicissimum, tamquam ad hunc ipsum honorem publici funeris reservatus.

Answer 11

He escaped from the Caesares, who suspected and even hated him for his virtues, he left behind the best and most friendly (one) unharmed, just as he had been reserved for this very honor of a public funeral.

Question 12

quibus -dat masc sing

Answer 12

dative of agent

Question 13

virtutibus - abl fem pl.

Answer 13

abl of cause

Question 14

ad (hunc…)

Answer 14

indicates purpose

Question 15

Annum tertium et octogensimum excessit in altissima tranquillitate, pari veneratione.

Answer 15

He exceeded his 83 year in the deepest tranquility, with equal veneration.

Question 16

veneratione - abl fem s.

Answer 16

abl of attendant circumstance
-ie archaic abl absolute

Question 17

Usus est firma valetudine, nisi quod solebant ei manus tremere, citra dolorem tamen.

Answer 17

He experienced a strong state of health, except that his hands were accustomed to tremble, yet without pain

Question 18

ei manus

Answer 18

nominative masc pl

Question 19

utor (usus est) + valetudine

Answer 19

perf act indic + abl fem sing
utor takes obj in abl

Question 20

Aditus tantum mortis durior longiorque, sed hic ipse laudabilis.

Answer 20

Only the approach of death was rather hard and rather long, but he himself was laudable.

Question 21

Nam cum vocem praepararet acturus in consulatu principi gratias, liber, quem forte acceperat grandiorem, et seni et stanti ipso pondere elapsus est.

Answer 21

For when he was preparing his voice in order to give thanks to the emperor on the occasion of his consulship, a book, which he had by chance taken was rather large, and for this both standing and old man it slipped by its own weight.

Question 22

acturus

Answer 22

futur act prtcpl indicate purpose

Question 23

et seni et stanti

Answer 23

dat of ref
(adj + pres act prtcpl)

Question 24

Hunc dum consequitur colligitque, per leve et lubricum pavimentum fallente vestigio cecidit coxamque fregit, quae parum apte collocata reluctante aetate male coiit.

Answer 24

While he pursued and picked it up, he fell on account of the smooth and slippery floor (with) his footing deceiving him and broke his hip. Which having been placed slightly too snuggly with his old age refusing to cooperate, it healed poorly.

Question 25

reluctante aetate

Answer 25

abl absolute

Question 26

Huius viri exequiae magnum ornamentum principi, magnum saeculo, magnum etiam foro et rostris attulerunt.

Answer 26

the funeral procession of this man, conferred great distinction to the emperor, great distinction to the age, and even great distinction to the forum and rostra:

Question 27

Laudatus est a consule Cornelio Tacito; nam hic supremus felicitati eius cumulus accessit, laudator eloquentissimus.

Answer 27

He was praised by the consul, Cornelius Tacitus; for this man (Tacitus) came as the greatest addition to his (that other man) good fortune, being the most eloquent eulogist.

Question 28

accessit

Answer 28

act can be trans aspssv

Question 29

supremus cumulus -greatest addition

Answer 29

nominative (masc) predicate

Question 30

felicitati

Answer 30

dat cause cumulus takes dat

Question 31

Et ille quidem plenus annis abiit, plenus honoribus, illis etiam, quos recusavit; nobis tamen quaerendus ac desiderandus est ut exemplar aevi prioris, mihi vero praecipue, qui illum non solum publice quantum admirabar tantum diligebam; primum quod utrique eadem regio, municipia finitima, agri etiam possessionesque coniunctae, praeterea quod ille tutor mihi relictus adfectum parentis exhibuit.

Answer 31

And indeed that man departed plentiful in years, plentiful in honors, even those which he refused; however he must be missed and longed for by us as a model of a prior age, but indeed chiefly by me (he must be missed and desired), I who loved as much as I admired that man, not only publicly, 1st because each of us came from the same district, our towns were neighboring, furthermore our lands and holdings had been connected, secondly because that man having been left as a guardian to me showed the affection of a parent.

Question 32

plennus + annis

Answer 32

abl pl. plennus take abl

Question 33

exemplar

Answer 33

nom masc predicate

Question 34

ut

Answer 34

relative adverb of manner -comparative clause of manner

Question 35

nobis

Answer 35

dative of agent

Question 36

mihi

Answer 36

parallel structure mirroring nobis

Question 37

qui illum... (I) who

Answer 37

nominative masc sing -substantive?

Question 38

dative of possession? somewhere btwn primum-coniunctae

Question 39

(municipia) finitima

Answer 39

predicate nominative

Question 40

Sic candidatum me suffragio ornavit, sic ad omnes honores meos ex secessibus accucurrit, cum iam pridem eiusmodi officiis renuntiasset, sic illo die, quo sacerdotes solent nominare, quos dignissimos sacerdotio iudicant, me semper nominabat.

Answer 40

to such an extent he honored me when I was a candidate with his support, so thus to all my honors he hastened from his retirement, although now he had long ago renounced duties of this manner, so thus on the day which priests used to nominate those whom they deem most worthy for priesthood, he was always nominating me.

Question 41

suffragio

Answer 41

abl neut sing. - abl of means

Question 42

cum iam pridem eiusmodi officiis renuntiasset

Answer 42

concessive cum clause -renuntiasset- pluperf act subj, 3rd s.

Question 43

renuntiasset + officiis

Answer 43

takes dative officiis - neut dat pl.

Question 44

quo (sacerdotes)

Answer 44

abl of time when

Question 45

dignissimos sacerdotio most worthy for priesthood

Answer 45

dignus takes abl dignissimos -acc masc pl-superlative sacerdotio - abl neut sing.

Question 46

Quin etiam in hac novissima valetudine veritus, ne forte inter quinqueviros crearetur, qui minuendis publicis sumptibus iudicio senatus constituebantur, cum illi tot amici senes consularesque superessent, me huius aetatis, per quem excusaretur, elegit his quidem verbis: "Etiam si filium haberem, tibi mandarem."

Answer 46

What is more in this most recent illness having fear that w/ luck he might be appointed among the board of 5 that was being established by the verdict of the senate for diminishing public expenses, although for that man so many of his friends who were older and consular in rank were alive, he chose me, at my age, through whom he might be excused, with these very words, "even if I were to have a son, I would be consigning this to you."

Question 47

ne (forte inter..)

Answer 47

introduce fear clause

Question 48

minuendis

Answer 48

gerund -dative of purpose futr pssv partcpl -dat neut pl.

Question 49

minuendis + constituebantur

Answer 49

dative gerundive of purpose

Question 50

cum illi...superessent"

Answer 50

concessive cum clause superessent -imper subj act -3rd pl.

Question 51

per quem...excusaretur

Answer 51

rel clause of purpose

Question 52

huius aetatis at my age

Answer 52

gen sing fem - genitive of description

Question 53

excusaretur

Answer 53

3rd sing. imperf pssv subj cause inside rel purp clause

Question 54

"etiam..mandarem" haberem/mandarem

Answer 54

present contrary to fact

Question 55

verbis

Answer 55

ablative of means abl neut pl.

Question 56

Quibus ex causis necesse est tamquam immaturam mortem eius in sinu tuo defleam, si tamen fas est aut flere aut omnino mortem vocare, qua tanti viri mortalitas magis finita quam vita est.

Answer 56

For these reasons it is necessary that I lament the death of this man on your bosom as if it was premature, if that is what is divinely right is either to cry or to invoke death at all, by which the mortality of so great a man rather than his life has been finished.

Question 57

quibus

Answer 57

false relative pronoun act as demonstrative

Question 58

in sinu tuo in your bosom

Answer 58

abl place where sinu -abl masc s.

Question 59

tamquam...defleam

Answer 59

object clause thus subjunctive defleam defleam -pres act subj -1st s.

Question 60

qua (tanti...) by which

Answer 60

abl of means - abl fem sing?

Question 61

Vivit enim vivetque semper atque etiam latius in memoria hominum et sermone versabitur, postquam ab oculis recessit.

Answer 61

Indeed he lives and will live always, and even now he will dwell everywhere in the memory of men and in conversation after he has receded from our eyes.

Question 62

ab oculis

Answer 62

abl place from where abl masc pl

Question 63

Volui tibi multa alia scribere, sed totus animus in hac una contemplatione defixus est.

Answer 63

I wanted to write many other things to you, but my whole mind was being focused on this one contemplation.

Question 64

tibi

Answer 64

indirect object

Question 65

Verginium cogito, Verginium video, Verginium iam vanis imaginibus, recentibus tamen, audio, adloquor, teneo; cui fortasse cives aliquos virtutibus pares et habemus et habebimus, gloria neminem. Vale.

Answer 65

I think of Virginius, I see Virginius, I hear, speak, and hold now to empty images of Virginius, yet fresh; perhaps we have and will have other citizens equal t o him in excellence, but none equal in honor. Farewell.

Question 66

imaginibus

Answer 66

abl of means abl fem pl.

Question 67

virtutibus

Answer 67

abl of respect abl pl. fem

Question 68

cui (fortasse...)

Answer 68

fasle relative -trans as demonstrative

Question 69

Pares + cui

Answer 69

equal to him