Pliny, Letter 4.12

Marcellinus and the clerk's salary

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Ep. 4.12.1Amās Egnātium Mārcellīnum atque etiam mihi saepe commendās;You love Egnatius Marcellinus and often commend him to me as well; Ep. 4.12.1amābis magis commendābisque, sī cognōveris eius recēns factum.you will love and commend him more, if you learn of a recent deed of his. Ep. 4.12.2Cum in prōvinciam quaestor exīsset, scrībamque quī sorte obtigerat ante lēgitimum salāriī tempus āmīsisset, quod accēperat scrībae datūrus, intellēxit et statuit subsīdere apud sē nōn oportēre.When he had gone out to his province as quaestor, and had lost the clerk allotted to him before the salary was legally due, he understood and decided that what he had received to pay the clerk ought not to remain with him. Ep. 4.12.3Itaque reversus Caesarem, deinde Caesare auctōre senātum cōnsuluit, quid fierī dē salāriō vellet.So on his return he consulted Caesar, and then, at Caesar's prompting, the senate, as to what it wished to be done with the salary. Ep. 4.12.3Parva quaestiō sed tamen quaestiō.A small question, but still a question. Ep. 4.12.3Hērēdēs scrībae sibi, praefectī aerārī populō vindicābant.The clerk's heirs claimed it for themselves, the prefects of the treasury for the people.

Ep. 4.12.4Ācta causa est;The case was argued; Ep. 4.12.4dīxit hērēdum advocātus, deinde populī, uterque percommodē.the heirs' advocate spoke, then the people's, both very ably. Ep. 4.12.4Caecilius Strabō aerāriō cēnsuit īnferendum, Baebius Macer hērēdibus dandum: obtinuit Strabō.Caecilius Strabo proposed that it should be paid into the treasury, Baebius Macer that it should be given to the heirs: Strabo prevailed. Ep. 4.12.5Tū laudā Mārcellīnum, ut ego statim fēcī.Do you praise Marcellinus, as I did at once. Ep. 4.12.5Quamvīs enim abundē sufficiat illī quod est et ā prīncipe et ā senātū probātus, gaudēbit tamen testimōniō tuō.For although it is more than enough for him to have been approved by both the emperor and the senate, he will still rejoice in your testimony. Ep. 4.12.6Omnēs enim, quī glōriā fāmāque dūcuntur, mīrum in modum assēnsiō et laus ā minōribus etiam profecta dēlectat.For all who are led by glory and fame are wonderfully delighted by approval and praise, even when it comes from lesser men. Ep. 4.12.6Tē vērō Mārcellīnus ita verētur ut iūdiciō tuō plūrimum tribuat.But Marcellinus respects you so much that he gives the greatest weight to your judgement.

Ep. 4.12.7Accēdit hīs quod, sī cognōverit factum suum istō ūsque penetrāsse, necesse est laudis suae spatiō et cursū et peregrīnātiōne laetētur.Add to this that, if he learns that his deed has made its way all the way to where you are, he cannot help rejoicing in the range, the course and the travels of his praise. Ep. 4.12.7Etenim nesciō quō pactō vel magis hominēs iuvat glōria lāta quam magna.For somehow or other men are even more pleased by glory that is wide than by glory that is great. Ep. 4.12.7Valē.Farewell.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×1, gerunds and gerundives ×2, indirect statement ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (122 words)

amō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	love
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
saepe, adv.	often, frequently
commendō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	entrust, commit; recommend
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
que, enclitic conj.	and
sī, conj.	if
cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitus	find out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
recēns, -entis	recent, fresh
factum, -ī n.	deed, act
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
prōvincia, -ae f.	province; here, the Roman Province in southern Gaul
quaestor, -ōris m.	quaestor, a Roman official in charge of an army's funds
exeō, -īre, -iī, -itus	go out
scrība, -ae m.	clerk, secretary (public clerks of the treasury)
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
sors, sortis, f.	lot
obtingō, -tingere, -tigī	fall to one's lot, happen (to)
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.	before
lēgitimus, -a, -um	lawful, legal, prescribed by law
salārium, -ī n.	salary, allowance
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send away, lose
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
dō, dare, dedī, datus	give
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctus	perceive, understand
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
statuō, statuere, statuī, statūtus	cause to stand; decide, resolve
subsīdō, -ere, -sēdī, -sessum	sit down; stay behind
apud, prep, with acc.	among, with
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
nōn, adv.	not
oportet, -ēre, oportuit (impersonal)	it is right, it is necessary
itaque, adv.	and so, accordingly, therefore
revertor, -vertī, -versus, perf. act. -vertī	turn back, return
deinde, adv.	then, next
auctor, -ōris m.	originator, instigator
senātus, -ūs m.	senate
cōnsulō, -ere, -uī, -tus	consult
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
fīō, fierī, factus sum	be done or made, become, happen
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
volō, velle, voluī	wish
parvus, -a, -um	little, small
quaestiō, -ōnis f.	inquiry, examination
sed, conj.	but
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
hērēs (haerēs), -ēdis m.	heir
praefectus, -ī m.	commander, officer
aerārium, -ī n.	treasury (the state treasury in the temple of Saturn)
populus, -ī m.	people, nation
vindicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	punish; claim
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
advocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	call, summon (contiōnem advocāre: call an assembly)
uterque, utraque, utrumque	each, either, both
percommodē (adv.)	very aptly, very well
cēnseō, cēnsēre, cēnsuī, cēnsus	think, believe, consider
īnferō, īnferre, intulī, inlātus	bring in or against, wage against; inflict
macer, -cra, -crum	lean, thin, meagre; (of soil) poor
obtineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentus	hold
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	praise
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
statim, adv.	on the spot, forthwith, at once, immediately
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
quamvīs (adv.)	however much, as … as you like
enim, conj.	for
abundē (adv.)	in plenty, more than enough
sufficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectus	be enough, hold out; supply
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
prīnceps, -ipis	first, chief; as noun: leader
probō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	prove, show; approve
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsus	be glad, rejoice
testimōnium, -ī n.	evidence, proof
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
omnis, -e	all, every
glōria, -ae, f.	glory
fāma, -ae, f.	report, rumor
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
mīrus, -a, -um	wonderful, strange
modus, -ī, m.	way, manner
assēnsiō (adsēnsiō), -ōnis f.	agreement, approval, applause
laus, laudis f.	praise, glory
proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum	set out, depart, march
dēlectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	please, delight; passive: enjoy, take pleasure in
vērō, adv.	in truth, indeed; however
ita, adv.	in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
vereor, -ērī, -itus	fear
iūdicium, -ī n.	trial, court; judgment
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
tribuō, -ere, tribuī, tribūtum	assign, attribute
accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessum	come near, approach; be added
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
istō (adv.)	there, to where you are
ūsque, adv.	all the time; ūsque ad, as far as, until; quō ūsque, see quō
penetrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	make one's way into, penetrate, reach
necesse, indecl. adj.	necessary
spatium, -ī, n.	space, interval; space of time, time
cursus, -ūs, m.	running, speed; course, route, voyage; race
peregrīnātiō, -ōnis f.	travel abroad, journey; sojourn in a foreign land
laetor, -ārī, -ātus sum	rejoice, be glad
etenim (conj.)	for indeed, and in fact
nesciō, -scīre, -scīvī	not know, be ignorant; nesciō quis, I know not who, some one or other (nesciō is thus used with other interrogative words also)
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.	what?
pactum, -ī n.	agreement; quō pactō: in what way, how
vel	or; vel … vel: either … or
homō, hominis, m.	man
iuvō, -āre, iūvī, iūtum	help
lātus, -a, -um	broad, wide
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
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.