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Pliny · Epistulae X

Pliny, Letter 10.43

Byzantium's costly embassies

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Ep. 10.43.1Requīrentī mihi Byzantiōrum reī pūblicae impendia, quae maxima fēcit, indicātum est, domine, lēgātum ad tē salūtandum annīs omnibus cum psēphismate mittī, eīque darī nummōrum duodēna mīlia.When I was inquiring into the expenses of the commonwealth of Byzantium, which are very great, I was informed, my lord, that an envoy is sent every year with a decree to pay respects to you, and that he is given twelve thousand sesterces. Ep. 10.43.2Memor ergō prōpositī tuī lēgātum quidem retinendum, psēphisma autem mittendum putāvī, ut simul et sūmptus levārētur et implērētur pūblicum officium.Mindful, therefore, of your policy, I thought that the envoy should be kept back but the decree sent, so that at the same time the expense might be lightened and the public duty fulfilled. Ep. 10.43.3Eīdem cīvitātī imputāta sunt terna mīlia, quae viāticī nōmine annua dabantur lēgātō euntī ad eum quī Moesiae praeest pūblicē salūtandum.To the same city were charged three thousand, given annually under the name of travelling expenses to an envoy going to pay the city's official respects to the governor of Moesia. Ep. 10.43.3Haec ego in posterum circumcīdenda exīstimāvī.These I thought should be cut back for the future.

Ep. 10.43.4Tē, domine, rogō ut quid sentiās rescrībendō aut cōnsilium meum cōnfirmāre aut errōrem ēmendāre dignēris.I ask you, my lord, to deign, by writing back your opinion, either to confirm my plan or to correct my error.

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Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×6, purpose clauses ×1, indirect statement ×2

Latin vocabulary for this passage (67 words)
requīrō, -ere, -quīsīvī, -quīsītuslook for, ask after; need
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
pūblicus, -a, -umpublic, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
impendium, -ī n.expense, outlay, cost
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
indicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuspoint out, reveal, give information; inform against
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
dominus, -ī m.master, owner
lēgātus, -ī, m.ambassador
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
salūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusgreet; pay a morning call on
annus, -ī, m.year
omnis, -eall, every
cum, prep, with abl.with
psēphisma, -atis n.decree of a Greek popular assembly
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
que, enclitic conj.and
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
nummus, -ī, m.coin
duodēnī, -ae, -atwelve each, twelve at a time
mīlle, indecl. adj.a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands;
memor, -orismindful, remembering (+ gen.)
ergō (adv.)therefore, then; quid ergō? what then?
prōpositum, -ī n.plan, purpose; the point being made, theme
tuus, -a, -umthy, thine, your
quidem, adv.in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
retineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentushold or keep back, keep, restrain; hold fast
autem, conj.moreover; but, however; now
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthink
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
simul, adv.at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
sūmptus, -ūs m.expense
levō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuslift; lighten, relieve
impleō, -ēre, -plēvī, -plētumfill; fulfil, complete
officium, -ī, n.service; duty
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
cīvitās, -tātis, f.state
imputō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscharge to someone's account; claim credit for (a favour)
ternī, -ae, -athree each, three at a time
viāticum, -ī n.travel money, provisions for a journey; savings
nōmen, -minis, n.name (that by which one is known)
annuus, -a, -umfor a year, yearly
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
praesum, -esse, -fuībe before, preside over, have charge of, command
pūblicē (adv.)officially, as a state
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
posterus, -a, -umfollowing, next
circumcīdō, -ere, -cīdī, -cīsuscut around, cut out
exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconsider, believe, think
rogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusask
quis, quid, interrog. pron.who? which? what?
sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsusperceive, feel
rescrībō, -ere, -scrīpsī, -scrīptumwrite again; transfer, enrol (in another unit)
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
meus, -a, -ummy, mine
cōnfirmō, -firmāre, -firmāvī, -firmātusstrengthen, establish; declare, assert
error, -ōris m.wandering; mistake, error
ēmendō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscorrect, make good, remove faults
dignor, -ārī, -ātus sumthink worthy of (+ abl.)
Pliny, Epistulae X. Latin text: the Perseus digital text of Pliny's Letters, public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.