Pliny, Letter 4.25

Scandal of the secret ballot

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Ep. 4.25.1Scrīpseram tibi verendum esse, nē ex tacitīs suffrāgiīs vitium aliquod exsisteret.I had written to you that we must fear some abuse might arise from the secret ballot. Ep. 4.25.1Factum est.It has happened. Ep. 4.25.1Proximīs comitiīs in quibusdam tabellīs multa ioculāria atque etiam foeda dictū, in ūnā vērō prō candidātōrum nōminibus suffrāgātōrum nōmina inventa sunt.At the last elections, on some of the voting tablets were found many jokes and even things foul to mention, and on one, in place of the candidates' names, the names of their supporters. Ep. 4.25.2Excanduit senātus magnōque clamōre eī quī scrīpsisset īrātum prīncipem est comprecātus.The senate blazed up, and with a great outcry called down the emperor's anger on the man who had written it. Ep. 4.25.2Ille tamen fefellit et latuit, fortasse etiam inter indignantēs fuit.He, however, escaped notice and lay hidden, and perhaps was even among the indignant. Ep. 4.25.3Quid hunc putāmus domī facere, quī in tantā rē tam sēriō tempore tam scurriliter lūdat, quī dēnique omnīnō in senātū dicāx et urbānus et bellus est?What do we think such a man does at home, who in so great a matter, at so serious a time, plays the buffoon like this, who in short in the senate is altogether witty and smart and charming?

Ep. 4.25.4Tantum licentiae prāvīs ingeniīs adicit illa fīdūcia: "quis enim sciet?"So much licence does that reassuring thought give to depraved characters: 'For who will know?' Ep. 4.25.4Poposcit tabellās, stilum accēpit, dēmīsit caput, nēminem verētur, sē contemnit.He asked for a tablet, took the stylus, bent his head, fears no one, despises himself. Ep. 4.25.5Inde ista lūdibria scaenā et pulpitō digna.Hence those jests, worthy of the stage and the boards. Ep. 4.25.5Quō tē vertās?Where are you to turn? Ep. 4.25.5quae remedia conquīrās?what remedies are you to seek? Ep. 4.25.5Ubīque vitia remediīs fortiōra.Everywhere the vices are stronger than the remedies. Ep. 4.25.5cui multum cōtīdiē vigiliārum multum labōris, adicit haec nostra iners, et tamen effrēnāta petulantia nostra iners et tamen effrenata petulantia.'But these things will be the concern of the one above us', to whom this idle and yet unbridled wantonness of ours adds many sleepless nights, much labour, every day. Ep. 4.25.5Valē.Farewell.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (101 words)

scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptus	write
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
vereor, -ērī, -itus	fear
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
tacitus, -a, -um	silent
suffrāgium, -ī n.	vote
vitium, -ī n.	fault, vice
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.	some, any
exsistō, -ere, -stitī	come forth, arise; appear
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
proximus, -a, -um	nearest, next
comitia, -ōrum n. pl.	the assembly of the Roman people for voting; elections
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
tabella, -ae f.	writing tablet; letter (tablets tied with a thread and sealed)
multus, -a, -um	much, great; plur., many
ioculāris, -e	jesting, comic, laughable
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
foedus, -a, -um	foul, loathsome, hideous
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
vērō, adv.	in truth, indeed; however
prō, prep. with abl.	before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
candidātus, -ī m.	candidate for office
nōmen, -minis, n.	name (that by which one is known)
suffrāgor, -ārī, -ātus sum	vote for; support, favour
inveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventus	come upon, find
excandēscō, -candēscere, -canduī	grow hot; flare up, blaze with anger
senātus, -ūs m.	senate
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
que, enclitic conj.	and
clāmor, -ōris, m.	shout, cry
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
īrātus, -a, -um	angered, enraged, angry, furious
prīnceps, -ipis	first, chief; as noun: leader
comprecor, -ārī, -ātus sum	pray to, invoke; pray for
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
fallō, fallere, fefellī, falsus	deceive
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
lateō, -ēre, -uī	lie hid, be concealed
fortasse (adv.)	perhaps
inter, prep, with acc.	among, between
indignor, -ārī, -ātus sum	be indignant, resent
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
domus, -ūs, f.	house, home
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
tam, adv.	so
sērius, -a, -um	serious; (n. pl. as noun) serious matters
tempus, temporis, n.	time, season
scurriliter (adv.)	like a buffoon, facetiously
lūdō, -ere, lūsī, lūsum	play; mock, deceive
dēnique, adv.	lastly, finally
omnīnō, adv.	altogether, wholly, entirely
dicāx, -ācis	witty, sharp-tongued, sarcastic
urbānus, -a, -um	of the city (Rome), urban
bellus, -a, -um	pretty, charming, nice
tantum, adv.	so much or far, only
licentia, -ae f.	freedom; lack of restraint, lawlessness
prāvus, -a, -um	crooked; bad, wrong
ingenium, -ī n.	natural ability, talent, cleverness; character
adiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectus	throw to, throw, hurl
fīdūcia, -ae f.	confidence, trust, reliance
enim, conj.	for
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	know
poscō, poscere, poposcī	ask, demand
stilus, -ī m.	a pointed stake, a caltrop set in the ground against attackers
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus	take to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
dēmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send down, let fall; animōs dēmittere, to lose courage
caput, capitis, n.	head
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.	no one, nobody
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
contemnō, -ere, -tempsī, -temptus	despise, scorn, think little of
inde (adv.)	from there; then
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.	that of yours, that
lūdibrium, -ī n.	mockery; a plaything, laughing-stock
scaena, -ae f.	stage, theatre
pulpitum, -ī n.	platform, stage; lecturer's dais
dignus, -a, -um (+ abl.)	worthy (of), deserving
quō, adv.	to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
vertō, vertere, vertī, versus	turn
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.	what?
remedium, -ī, n.	remedy
conquīrō, -ere, -quīsīvī, -quīsītum	search out, hunt down
ubīque (adv.)	everywhere
fortis, -e	brave
cottīdiē, adv.	daily, every day
vigilia, -ae, f.	watch
labor, -ōris, m.	labor, toil
noster, -tra, -trum	our
iners, -ertis	sluggish, idle, unmanly
effrēnātus, -a, -um	unbridled, unrestrained
petulantia, -ae f.	insolence, wantonness
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.