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Pliny · Epistulae VI

Pliny, Letter 6.32

A dowry gift for a bride

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Ep. 6.32.1Quamvīs et ipse sīs continentissimus, et fīliam tuam ita īnstituerīs ut decēbat tuam fīliam, Tutilī neptem, cum tamen sit nūptūra honestissimō virō Nōniō Celerī, cui ratiō cīvīlium officiōrum necessitātem quandam nitōris impōnit, dēbet secundum condiciōnem marītī ūtī veste comitātū, quibus nōn quidem augētur dignitās, ōrnātur tamen et īnstruitur.Although you are yourself most self-restrained, and have brought up your daughter as befitted your daughter, the granddaughter of Tutilius, yet since she is about to marry a most honourable man, Nonius Celer, on whom the demands of his public duties impose a certain need for elegance, she ought, in keeping with her husband's position, to have clothes and attendants, by which her dignity is not indeed increased, yet is adorned and equipped. Ep. 6.32.2Tē porrō animō beātissimum, modicum facultātibus sciō.Moreover I know that you are very rich in spirit, modest in means. Ep. 6.32.2Itaque partem oneris tuī mihi vindicō, et tamquam parēns alter puellae nostrae cōnferō quīnquāgintā mīlia nummum plūs collātūrus, nisi ā verēcundiā tuā sōlā mediocritāte mūnusculī impetrārī posse cōnfīderem, nē recūsārēs.So I claim part of your burden for myself, and, as a second parent to our girl, I contribute fifty thousand sesterces, and should contribute more, were I not confident that only by the smallness of the little gift could your modesty be prevailed upon not to refuse it.

Ep. 6.32.2Valē.Farewell.

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Latin vocabulary for this passage (72 words)
quamvīs (adv.)however much, as … as you like
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
continēns, -entis, f.'mainland, continent
fīlia, -ae, f.daughter
tuus, -a, -umthy, thine, your
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
īnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtusdecide upon, determine
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
decet, decēre, decuit (impers.)it is fitting, it is proper
neptis, -is f.granddaughter
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
nūbō, -ere, nūpsī, nūptum (+ dat.)marry (said of a woman)
honestus, -a, -umrespected, honourable
vir, virī, m.man
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
ratiō, -ōnis, f.plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
cīvīlis, -eof citizens; bellum cīvīle: civil war
officium, -ī, n.service; duty
necessitās, -ātis f.necessity, compulsion
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.a certain, certain
nitor, -ōris m.brightness, sheen, beauty
impōnō, -pōnere, -posuī, -positusplace or lay upon, impose; embark
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itusowe; with infin., ought
secundum (prep. + acc.)after, besides; along
condiciō, -ōnis f.terms; condition, status
marītus, -ī, m.husband
ūtor, ūtī, ūsususe
vestis, -is, f.clothing, dress, robe
comitātus, -ūs m.escort, retinue, company
nōn, adv.not
quidem, adv.in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
augeō, -ēre, auxī, auctumincrease, enlarge
dignitās, -ātis f.rank, standing, prestige
ōrnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusequip, adorn
īnstruo, -struere, -strūxī, -strūctusbuild in or into; draw up; equip, furnish,
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
porrō (adv.)further on; moreover
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
beātus, -a, -umhappy, blessed
modicus, -a, -ummoderate, small; modicum: a little
facultās, -tātis, f.possibility, opportunity, chance, means
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusknow
itaque, adv.and so, accordingly, therefore
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
onus, oneris n.load, weight
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
vindicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumpunish; claim
tamquam (adv., conj.)as, just as; as if
parēns, -entis m./f.parent
alter, -era, -erumone or the other (of two); another, second
puella, -ae, f.girl, maiden
noster, -tra, -trumour
cōnferō, cōnferre, contulī, conlātusbring together; grant, confer; sē cōnferre, to betake oneself, make one's way
quīnquāgintā, indecl. adj.fifty
mīlle, indecl. adj.a thousand; mīlia, -ium, n. plur., thousands;
nummus, -ī, m.coin
plūs (adv.)more
nisi, conj.if not, unless
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
verēcundia, -ae f.modesty, respect, deference
sōlus, -a, -umalone
mediocritās, -ātis f.the middle course, moderation, the mean
mūnusculum, -ī n.small gift, little present
impetrō, -petrāre, -petrāvī, -petrātusgain one's end, obtain (a request)
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
cōnfīdō, -ere, cōnfīsus sumtrust, be confident
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
recūsō, -cūsāre, -cūsāvī, -cūsātusgive a reason against, refuse
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrusbe 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.