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Pliny · Epistulae VI

Pliny, Letter 6.34

A gladiatorial show at Verona

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Ep. 6.34.1Rēctē fēcistī quod gladiātōrium mūnus Vērōnēnsibus nostrīs prōmīsistī, ā quibus ōlim amāris suspiceris ōrnāris.You did right to promise a gladiatorial show to our people of Verona, by whom you have long been loved, looked up to and honoured. Ep. 6.34.1Inde etiam uxōrem cārissimam tibi et probātissimam habuistī, cuius memoriae aut opus aliquod aut spectāculum atque hoc potissimum, quod maximē fūnerī, dēbēbātur.From there too you took your dearest and most excellent wife, to whose memory some public work or show was owed, and this above all, which is most fitting for a funeral. Ep. 6.34.2Praetereā tantō cōnsēnsū rogābāris, ut negāre nōn cōnstāns, sed dūrum vidērētur.Besides, you were asked with such unanimity that to refuse would have seemed not firm but harsh. Ep. 6.34.2Illud quoque ēgregiē, quod tam facilis tam līberālis in ēdendō fuistī;This too was excellent, that you were so ready and so generous in giving the show; Ep. 6.34.2nam per haec etiam magnus animus ostenditur.for by such things too a great spirit is shown. Ep. 6.34.3Vellem Āfricānae, quās coēmerās plūrimās, ad praefīnītum diem occurrissent: sed licet cessāverint illae tempestāte dētentae, tū tamen meruistī ut acceptum tibi fieret, quod quō minus exhibērēs, nōn per tē stetit.I could wish that the African beasts, which you had bought in great numbers, had arrived on the appointed day: but though they failed to come, held back by a storm, you have still deserved to be given credit for what it was not your fault that you could not display.

Ep. 6.34.3Valē.Farewell.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (78 words)
rēctē (adv.)rightly, properly; safely
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
quod, conj.that, in that, because
gladiātōrius, -a, -umof gladiators; lūdus gladiātōrius: gladiator school
mūnus, mūneris, n.service, office, duty; present, gift
noster, -tra, -trumour
prōmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend or put forth, promise
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
ōlim, adv.once upon a time, once, formerly, of old
amō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuslove
suspiciō, -ere, -spexī, -spectuslook up (at); admire
ōrnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusequip, adorn
inde (adv.)from there; then
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
uxor, -ōris, f.wife
cārus, -a, -umdear, precious
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
probātus, -a, -umapproved, esteemed, of proven worth
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
memoria, -ae, f.memory
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
opus, operis, n.work, task
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.some, any
spectāculum, -ī n.sight, spectacle, show
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
potissimum (adv.)above all, in preference to all others
maximē, adv.very greatly, exceedingly, especially
fūnus, -eris n.funeral
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itusowe; with infin., ought
praetereā, adv.besides this, besides, moreover
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
cōnsēnsus, -ūs, m.agreement, consent
rogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusask
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
negō, -āre, -āvī, -ātussay no or not, deny, refuse
nōn, adv.not
cōnstāns, -antissteadfast, firm, resolute; consistent
sed, conj.but
dūrus, -a, -umhard; harsh; difficult
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
quoque, adv.also
ēgregiē, adv.excellently, splendidly, admirably
tam, adv.so
facilis, -e (comp. facilior)easy
līberālis, -ebefitting a free man; generous (with: gen.)
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
ēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusput forth, give out, utter
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
nam, conj.for
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
ostendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentusstretch out before, show, explain
volō, velle, voluīwish
Āfricānus, -a, -umof Africa, African (bellum Āfricānum: Caesar's war in Africa against the Pompeians, 46 BC)
coemō, -ere, -ēmī, -ēmptumbuy up
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
praefīniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusfix beforehand, limit in advance
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
occurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursusrun against, meet
licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers.is lawful or permitted
cessō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumstop, cease, rest; be idle
tempestās, -tātis, f.weather; storm, tempest
dētineō, -ēre, -tinuī, -tentumhold back, detain
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
mereō, -ēre, meruī, meritusdeserve, earn
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
fīō, fierī, factus sumbe done or made, become, happen
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
exhibeō, -ēre, -uī, -itusshow, display, present
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
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.