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Pliny · Epistulae VIII

Pliny, Letter 8.11

Reassurance after a miscarriage

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Ep. 8.11.1Cum affectum tuum ergā frātris fīliam cōgitō etiam māternā indulgentiā molliōrem, intellegō prius tibi quod est posterius nūntiandum, ut praesūmpta laetitia sollicitūdinī locum nōn relinquat.When I think of your affection for your brother's daughter, softer even than a mother's tenderness, I realise that I must tell you first what came last, so that joy, felt in advance, may leave no room for anxiety. Ep. 8.11.1Quamquam vereor nē post grātulātiōnem quoque in metum redeās, atque ita gaudeās perīculō līberātam, ut simul quod perīclitāta sit perhorrēscās.Though I fear that even after your rejoicing you may return to fear, and be glad that she has been freed from danger in such a way that you shudder at the same time that she was in danger. Ep. 8.11.2Iam hilaris, iam sibi iam mihi reddita incipit reficī, trānsmissumque discrīmen convalēscendō mētīrī.Now cheerful, now restored to herself and to me, she is beginning to recover, and to measure by her convalescence the crisis she has come through. Ep. 8.11.2Fuit aliōquī in summō discrīmine, - impūne dīxisse liceat - fuit nūlla sua culpa, aetātis aliqua.She was in fact in the gravest danger — may I be allowed to have said it with impunity — though through no fault of her own, but somewhat through that of her age.

Ep. 8.11.2Inde abortus et ignōrātī uterī trīste experīmentum.Hence the miscarriage and the sad experience of a pregnancy unrecognised. Ep. 8.11.3Proinde etsī nōn contigit tibi dēsīderium frātris āmissī aut nepōte eius aut nepte sōlārī, mementō tamen dīlātum magis istud quam negātum, cum salva sit ex quā spērārī potest.So although it has not fallen to you to console your longing for your lost brother with a grandson or granddaughter of his, remember nevertheless that this has been postponed rather than denied, since she from whom it can be hoped for is safe. Ep. 8.11.3Simul excūsā patrī tuō cāsum, cui parātior apud fēminās venia.At the same time excuse the mishap to your father, who is readier to pardon where women are concerned. Ep. 8.11.3Valē.Farewell.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (101 words)
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
affectus (adfectus), -ūs m.feeling, emotion, affection; disposition
tuus, -a, -umthy, thine, your
ergā, prep, with acc.toward, for
frāter, frātris, m.brother
fīlia, -ae, f.daughter
cōgitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconsider, think over
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
māternus, -a, -umof a mother, maternal
indulgentia, -ae f.kindness, indulgence, favour
mollis, -esoft, weak
intellegō, -legere, -lēxī, -lēctusperceive, understand
prius, adv.before, first
tū, tuī, pers. pron.thou, you
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
posterus, -a, -umfollowing, next
nūntiō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusreport, announce
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
praesūmō, -ere, -sūmpsī, -sūmptustake beforehand; anticipate; presume, take for granted
laetitia, -ae, f.joy
sollicitūdō, -tūdinis, f.anxiety, care, apprehension
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
nōn, adv.not
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
quamquam, conj.however much, although
vereor, -ērī, -itusfear
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
post, adv.after, later; prep. with acc., after, behind
grātulātiō, -ōnis f.rejoicing, congratulation
quoque, adv.also
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
metus, -ūs m.fear, dread
redeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo back, return
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
gaudeō, gaudēre, gāvīsusbe glad, rejoice
perīculum, -ī, n.danger, peril, risk
līberō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusset free, free, liberate, release
simul, adv.at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
quod, conj.that, in that, because
perīclitor, -ārī, -ātus sumtry, put to the test
perhorrēscō, -horrēscere, -horruīshudder at, be terrified of
iam, adv.now, already
hilaris, -echeerful, in good spirits
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
reddō, -dere, -didī, -ditusgive back, return, restore; render
incipiō, -ere, incēpī, inceptumbegin
reficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectusmake anew, renew, repair
trānsmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend across; cross over
que, enclitic conj.and
discrīmen, -crīminis, n.crisis, peril, danger
convalēscō, -ere, -valuīgrow strong, recover
mētior, -īrī, mēnsus summeasure out, distribute
aliōquī (adv.)otherwise; in other respects
summus, -a, -umuppermost, highest, greatest
impūne (adv.)without punishment
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers.is lawful or permitted
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
culpa, -ae f.fault, blame
aetās, -tātis, f.age
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.some, any
inde (adv.)from there; then
abortus, -ūs m.miscarriage
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
ignōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbe ignorant of
uterus, -ī m.belly, womb
trīstis, -esad, gloomy
experīmentum, -ī n.trial, experience, proof
proinde (adv.)therefore, accordingly; so then
etsī, conj.even if, although
contingō, -ere, -tigī, -tāctumtouch, reach
dēsīderium, -ī, n.desire, longing
āmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend away, lose
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
nepōs, nepōtis, m.grandson
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
neptis, -is f.granddaughter
sōlor, -ārī, -ātus sumcomfort, console; relieve
meminī, meminisseremember
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
differō, differre, distulī, dīlātumdiffer; scatter, put off
magis, comp. adv.more, rather
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.that of yours, that
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
negō, -āre, -āvī, -ātussay no or not, deny, refuse
salvus, -a, -umsafe, unharmed
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
spērō, -āre, -āvī, -ātushope
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
excūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusexcuse, make excuses for
pater, patris, m.father
cāsus, -ūs, m.fall; chance, accident
parātus, -a, -umprepared, equipped, ready
apud, prep, with acc.among, with
fēmina, -ae, f.woman
venia, -ae f.pardon, forgiveness
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrusbe strong or effectual, have effect, prevail
Pliny, Epistulae VIII. 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.