Pliny, Letter 6.17

Rude listeners at a recitation

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Ep. 6.17.1Indignātiunculam, quam in cuiusdam amīcī audītōriō cēpī, nōn possum mihi temperāre quō minus apud tē, quia nōn contigit cōram, per epistulam effundam.A little fit of indignation, which I fell into at the reading of a certain friend, I cannot keep myself from pouring out to you in a letter, since I could not do so face to face. Ep. 6.17.1Recitābātur liber absolūtissimus.A most finished book was being read. Ep. 6.17.2Hunc duo aut trēs, ut sibi et paucīs videntur, disertī surdīs mūtīsque similēs audiēbant.Two or three people, eloquent in their own eyes and in the eyes of a few, were listening to it like deaf and dumb men. Ep. 6.17.2Nōn labra dīdūxērunt, nōn mōvērunt manum, nōn dēnique assurrēxērunt saltem lassitūdine sedendī.They did not open their lips, they did not move a hand, they did not even rise to their feet, if only from weariness of sitting. Ep. 6.17.3Quae tanta gravitās?What is this great dignity? Ep. 6.17.3quae tanta sapientia?what this great wisdom? Ep. 6.17.3quae immō pigritia arrogantia sinisteritās ac potius āmentia, in hōc tōtum diem impendere ut offendās, ut inimīcum relinquās ad quem tamquam amīcissimum vēnerīs?Or rather, what is this laziness, arrogance, perversity, or rather madness, to spend a whole day on giving offence, on leaving as an enemy the man you came to as a dearest friend?

Ep. 6.17.3Disertior ipse es?Are you more eloquent yourself? Ep. 6.17.4Tantō magis nē invīderīs;So much the more should you not be envious; Ep. 6.17.4nam quī invidet minor est.for he who envies is the lesser man. Ep. 6.17.4Dēnique sīve plūs sīve minus sīve idem praestās, laudā vel īnferiōrem vel superiōrem vel parem: superiōrem quia nisi laudandus ille nōn potes ipse laudārī, īnferiōrem aut parem quia pertinet ad tuam glōriam quam maximum vidērī, quem praecēdis vel exaequās.In short, whether you achieve more or less or the same, praise him whether inferior or superior or equal: the superior, because unless he is to be praised you cannot be praised yourself; the inferior or equal, because it belongs to your glory that the man you surpass or equal should seem as great as possible. Ep. 6.17.5Equidem omnēs quī aliquid in studiīs faciunt venerārī etiam mīrārīque soleō;For my part I am accustomed to revere and even admire all who achieve anything in literature; Ep. 6.17.5est enim rēs difficilis ardua fastīdiōsa, et quae eōs ā quibus contemnitur invicem contemnat.for it is a difficult, arduous, exacting pursuit, and one that scorns in return those by whom it is scorned.

Ep. 6.17.5Nisi forte aliud iūdicās tū.Unless perhaps you judge otherwise. Ep. 6.17.5Quamquam quis ūnō tē reverentior huius operis, quis benignior aestimātor?And yet who is more reverent towards this work than you alone, who a kinder judge of it? Ep. 6.17.6Quā ratiōne ductus tibi potissimum indignātiōnem meam prōdidī, quem habēre socium maximē poteram.Led by this reasoning, I have revealed my indignation to you above all, since I could have you most fully as my partner in it. Ep. 6.17.6Valē.Farewell.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (131 words)

indignātiuncula, -ae f.	slight annoyance, twinge of indignation
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
amīcus, -ī, m.	friend
audītōrium, -ī n.	audience hall, lecture room; audience
capiō, capere, cēpī, captus	take, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
nōn, adv.	not
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
temperō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum (ab + abl.)	refrain (from)
quō, adv.	to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
minus, comp. adv.	less
apud, prep, with acc.	among, with
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
quia (conj.)	because
contingō, -ere, -tigī, -tāctum	touch, reach
cōram (adv.)	face to face, in person
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
epistula, -ae f.	letter
effundō, -fundere, -fūdī, -fūsus	pour out
recitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	read aloud
liber, librī m.	book; record
absolūtus, -a, -um	finished, complete, perfect
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.	two
aut, conj.	or; aut ... aut, either ... or
trēs, tria, plur. adj.	three
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.	few
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
disertus, -a, -um	eloquent, skilled in speaking
surdus, -a, -um	deaf
mūtus, -a, -um	dumb, silent, speechless
que, enclitic conj.	and
similis, -e	like, similar (vērī similis: likely)
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	hear; listen or attend to
labrum, -ī n.	lip
dīdūcō, -ere, -dūxī, -ductum	spread out, divide
moveō, movēre, mōvī, mōtus	move
manus, -ūs, f.	hand
dēnique, adv.	lastly, finally
assurgō (adsurgō), -ere, -surrēxī, -surrēctum	rise up
saltem (adv.)	at least
lassitūdō, -inis, f.	weariness
sedeō, sedēre, sēdī, sessus	sit
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.	what?
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
gravitās, -ātis f.	weight, heaviness; dignity, seriousness
sapientia, -ae f.	wisdom, good sense
immō (adv.)	no rather, on the contrary; immō vērō: no, indeed, even
pigritia, -ae f.	sluggishness, reluctance
arrogantia, -ae f.	arrogance
sinisteritās, -ātis f.	awkwardness, ungraciousness
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
potius (adv.)	rather
āmentia, -ae, f.	madness
tōtus, -a, -um	all the, the whole or entire
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.	day
impendō, -ere, -pendī, -pēnsus	spend, devote (time, money, effort)
offendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus	offend
inimīcus, -a, -um	unfriendly, hostile
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus	leave behind, leave
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
tamquam (adv., conj.)	as, just as; as if
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
invideō, -ēre, invīdī, invīsum (+ dat.)	envy, be jealous of
nam, conj.	for
parvus, -a, -um	little, small
sīve or seu, conj.	or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
plūs (adv.)	more
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitus	stand in front; show
laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	praise
vel	or; vel … vel: either … or
īnferior, -ius	lower
superior, -ius, adj.	higher; former, previous, preceding
pār, paris	equal
nisi, conj.	if not, unless
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
pertineō, -ēre, -uī	extend, reach; tend toward, concern
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
glōria, -ae, f.	glory
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
praecēdō, -ere, -cessī, -cessum	go before; surpass
exaequō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	make equal, level
equidem (adv.)	indeed, truly; for my part
omnis, -e	all, every
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
studium, -ī, n.	eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
veneror, -ārī, -ātus sum	worship, revere
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
mīror, -ārī, -ātus	wonder, wonder at
soleō, -ēre, solitus sum	be accustomed, usually do
enim, conj.	for
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
difficilis, -e	not easy, difficult
arduus, -a, -um	steep, difficult
fastīdiōsus, -a, -um	squeamish, fastidious, disdainful
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
contemnō, -ere, -tempsī, -temptus	despise, scorn, think little of
invicem (adv.)	in turn, mutually; ad invicem: to one another
forte, adv.	by chance, accidentally
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
iūdicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	judge, decide
quamquam, conj.	however much, although
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
reverēns, -entis	respectful, reverent
opus, operis, n.	work, task
benignus, -a, -um	kind, friendly, generous
aestimātor, -ōris m.	valuer, appraiser, judge
ratiō, -ōnis, f.	plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
potissimum (adv.)	above all, in preference to all others
indignātiō, -ōnis f.	indignation, resentment
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
prōdō, -ere, -didī, -ditum	hand down; betray
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
socius, -ī, m.	companion, comrade, ally
maximē, adv.	very greatly, exceedingly, especially
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus	be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail

Pliny, Epistulae VI. 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.