Pliny, Letter 4.1

Plans to visit and a temple

LatinLatin and EnglishEnglish onlyRead it word by word

Ep. 4.1.1Cupis post longum tempus neptem tuam mēque ūnā vidēre.You want to see your granddaughter and me together after a long time. Ep. 4.1.1Grātum est utrīque nostrum quod cupis, mūtuō mehercule.That you want it is welcome to us both, and the feeling, I swear, is mutual. Ep. 4.1.2Nam invicem nōs incrēdibilī quōdam dēsīderiō vestrī tenēmur, quod nōn ultrā differēmus.For we in turn are gripped by an incredible longing for you both, which we shall put off no longer. Ep. 4.1.2Atque adeō iam sarcinulās alligāmus, festīnātūrī quantum itineris ratiō permīserit.Indeed we are already tying up our bags, meaning to hurry as fast as the conditions of the journey allow. Ep. 4.1.3Erit ūna sed brevis mora: dēflectēmus in Tuscōs, nōn ut agrōs remque familiārem oculīs subiciāmus - id enim postpōnī potest -, sed ut fungāmur necessāriō officiō.There will be one delay, but a short one: we shall turn aside into Tuscany, not to cast an eye over the land and the estate — for that can be put off — but to perform a necessary duty. Ep. 4.1.4Oppidum est praediīs nostrīs vīcīnum - nōmen Tifernī Tiberīnī -, quod mē paene adhūc puerum patrōnum cooptāvit, tantō maiōre studiō quantō minōre iūdiciō.There is a town near our estates — its name is Tifernum on the Tiber — which chose me as its patron when I was still almost a boy, with all the greater enthusiasm for the less judgement.

Ep. 4.1.4Adventūs meōs celebrat, profectiōnibus angitur, honōribus gaudet.It celebrates my arrivals, is distressed at my departures, rejoices in my honours. Ep. 4.1.5In hoc ego, ut referrem grātiam - nam vincī in amōre turpissimum est -, templum pecūniā meā exstrūxī, cuius dēdicātiōnem, cum sit parātum, differre longius irreligiōsum est.In this town, to return the favour — for to be outdone in affection is most shameful — I have built a temple at my own expense, and now that it is ready, to put off its dedication any longer would be impious. Ep. 4.1.6Erimus ergō ibi dēdicātiōnis diē, quem epulō celebrāre cōnstituī.So we shall be there on the day of the dedication, which I have decided to celebrate with a public feast. Ep. 4.1.6Subsistēmus fortasse et sequentī, sed tantō magis viam ipsam corripiēmus.Perhaps we shall stay on the following day as well, but we shall make all the more haste on the road itself. Ep. 4.1.7Contingat modo tē fīliamque tuam fortēs invenīre!Only may it be our good fortune to find you and your daughter well!

Ep. 4.1.7nam continget hilarēs, sī nōs incolumēs recēperitis.for we shall certainly find you cheerful, if you receive us safe and sound. Ep. 4.1.7Valē.Farewell.

Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (118 words)

cupiō, -ere, -īvī, -ītus	desire, long for, wish
post, adv.	after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
longus, -a, -um	long; tedious
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
neptis, -is f.	granddaughter
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
que, enclitic conj.	and
ūnā	together, along
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
grātus, -a, -um	pleasing, grateful
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
uterque, utraque, utrumque	each, either, both
nōs	plur. of ego
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
mūtuō, adv.	in turn, mutually, reciprocally
mehercule, mehercle (interj.)	by Hercules!, so help me, truly
nam, conj.	for
invicem (adv.)	in turn, mutually; ad invicem: to one another
incrēdibilis, e	incredible
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
dēsīderium, -ī, n.	desire, longing
vōs	plur. of tū
teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tus	hold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
nōn, adv.	not
ultrā (prep. + acc.)	beyond
differō, differre, distulī, dīlātum	differ; scatter, put off
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
adeō (adv.)	so far, to such a degree; so
iam, adv.	now, already
sarcinula, -ae f.	small bundle, baggage
alligō (adligō), -āre, -āvī, -ātus	bind, tie up; (fig.) bind, entangle
festīnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	hurry, make haste
quantus, -a, -um	how great or much?
iter, itineris, n.	a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
ratiō, -ōnis, f.	plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
permittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum	allow, permit; entrust
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
sed, conj.	but
brevis, -e	short
mora, -ae, f.	delay
dēflectō, -ere, -flexī, -flexus	bend aside, turn off (the road)
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
ager, agri, m.	field, land
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
familiāris, -e; as noun, -is m.	of the household (rēs familiāris: private property); friend
oculus, -ī, m.	eye
subiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus	throw or place under
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
enim, conj.	for
postpōnō, -ere, -posuī, -positum	put aside, put after
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
fungor, fungī, fūnctus sum (+ abl.)	perform, carry out, discharge
necessārius, -a, -um; as noun, -ī m.	necessary, critical; (noun) close friend, relative
officium, -ī, n.	service; duty
oppidum, -ī, n.	town
praedium, -ī n.	estate, farm
noster, -tra, -trum	our
vīcīnus, -ī m.	neighbor
nōmen, -minis, n.	name (that by which one is known)
Tiberīnus, -a, -um	of the Tiber
paene, adv.	almost, nearly
adhūc, adv.	to this point, up to this time, yet, still
puer, puerī, m.	boy
patrōnus, -ī m.	patron, protector
cooptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	elect, co-opt (as a member)
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
studium, -ī, n.	eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
parvus, -a, -um	little, small
iūdicium, -ī n.	trial, court; judgment
adventus, -ūs, m.	approach, arrival
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
celebrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	throng; keep (a festival), celebrate
profectiō, -ōnis, f.	departure, start
angō, -ere, ānxī	choke; (pass.) be vexed, be distressed
honor, -ōris, m.	honor
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsus	be glad, rejoice
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
referō, referre, rettulī, relātus	bring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia
grātia, -ae, f.	favor; gratitude, thanks; plur., thanks; grātiās agere, to give thanks, thank; grātiam referre, to return a favor, show gratitude, requite
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victum	conquer, defeat
amor, -ōris, m.	love
turpis, -e	disgraceful
templum, -ī, n.	sanctuary, temple
pecūnia, -ae, f.	money (the possession of cattle constituting wealth in early times)
exstruō, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctus	pile or heap up, build, erect
dēdicātiō, -ōnis f.	dedication, consecration
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	make ready, prepare
longē, adv.	far
irreligiōsus, -a, -um	impious, irreverent
ergō (adv.)	therefore, then; quid ergō? what then?
ibi, adv.	in that place, there
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.	day
epulum, -ī n.	public banquet, feast
cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtus	set together or up; appoint; determine
subsistō, -ere, -stitī	halt, make a stand
fortasse (adv.)	perhaps
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
sequor, sequī, secūtus	follow
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
via, -ae, f.	road, way
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
corripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptus	seize, snatch, snatch up
contingō, -ere, -tigī, -tāctum	touch, reach
modo, adv.	only
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
fīlia, -ae, f.	daughter
fortis, -e	brave
inveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus	come upon, find
hilaris, -e	cheerful, in good spirits
sī, conj.	if
incolumis, -e	unhurt, safe
recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus	be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail

Pliny, Epistulae IV. 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.