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Pliny · Epistulae X

Pliny, Letter 10.47

Apamea's ancient privilege

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Ep. 10.47.1Cum vellem, domine, Apamēae cognōscere pūblicōs dēbitōrēs et reditum et impendia, respōnsum est mihi cupere quidem ūniversōs, ut ā mē ratiōnēs colōniae legerentur, numquam tamen esse lēctās ab ūllō prōcōnsulum;When I wished, my lord, to look into the public debtors, revenue and expenditure at Apamea, I was answered that all were indeed eager for the colony's accounts to be read by me, but that they had never been read by any of the proconsuls; Ep. 10.47.1habuisse prīvilēgium et vetustissimum mōrem arbitriō suō rem pūblicam administrāre.that they had had the privilege, and a most ancient custom, of administering their commonwealth at their own discretion. Ep. 10.47.2Exēgī ut quae dīcēbant quaeque recitābant libellō complecterentur;I required them to set down in a petition what they were saying and what they were reading out; Ep. 10.47.2quem tibi quālem accēperam mīsī, quamvīs intellegerem plēraque ex illō ad id, dē quō quaeritur, nōn pertinēre.I have sent it to you just as I received it, although I understood that most of it did not bear on the matter in question. Ep. 10.47.3Tē rogō ut mihi praeīre dignēris, quid mē putēs observāre dēbēre.I ask you to deign to instruct me what you think I ought to observe.

Ep. 10.47.3Vereor enim nē aut excessisse aut nōn implēsse officiī meī partēs videar.For I fear that I may seem either to have overstepped or not to have fulfilled the duties of my office.

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Grammar in this passage: purpose clauses ×1, indirect statement ×3

Latin vocabulary for this passage (70 words)
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
volō, velle, voluīwish
dominus, -ī m.master, owner
cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitusfind out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know
pūblicus, -a, -umpublic, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
dēbitor, -ōris m.debtor
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
reditus, -ūs, m.return
impendium, -ī n.expense, outlay, cost
respondeō, -spondēre, -spondī, -spōnsusreply, answer
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
cupiō, -ere, -īvī, -ītusdesire, long for, wish
quidem, adv.in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
ūniversus, -a, -umall together, whole, entire, all
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
ratiō, -ōnis, f.plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
colōnia, -ae f.settlement, colony
legō, legere, lēgī, lēctuschoose, pick out; read
numquam, adv.never
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
ūllus, -a, -umany
prōcōnsul, -ulis m.proconsul, governor
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
prīvilēgium, -ī n.special right, privilege
vetustus, -a, -umold, ancient, long-established
mōs, mōris, m.way, manner, habit, custom
arbitrium, -ī n.judgment, will, pleasure
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
administrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātummanage, carry out
exigō, -ere, -ēgī, -āctumdrive out; finish, spend (a season)
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
recitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusread aloud
libellus, -ī m.little book; written document; libellus repudiī: certificate of divorce
complector, -plectī, -plexusembrace
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
quālis, -eof what sort? what kind of?
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
quamvīs (adv.)however much, as … as you like
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctusperceive, understand
plērīque, plēraeque, plēraquemost, very many
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītusseek; ask, inquire
nōn, adv.not
pertineō, -ēre, -uīextend, reach; tend toward, concern
rogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusask
praeeō, -īre, -iī, -itumgo before, lead the way
dignor, -ārī, -ātus sumthink worthy of (+ abl.)
quis, quid, interrog. pron.who? which? what?
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthink
observō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumwatch; keep, respect
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itusowe; with infin., ought
vereor, -ērī, -itusfear
enim, conj.for
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
excēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessusgo out or forth, depart
impleō, -ēre, -plēvī, -plētumfill; fulfil, complete
officium, -ī, n.service; duty
meus, -a, -ummy, mine
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
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.