Pliny, Letter 8.16

Grief for slaves who died

LatinLatin and EnglishEnglish onlyRead it word by word

Ep. 8.16.1Cōnfēcērunt mē īnfirmitātēs meōrum, mortēs etiam, et quidem iuvenum.I have been worn down by the illnesses of my household, and deaths too, and those of young men. Ep. 8.16.1Sōlācia duo nēquāquam paria tantō dolōrī, sōlācia tamen: ūnum facilitās manūmittendī - videor enim nōn omnīnō immātūrōs perdidisse, quōs iam līberōs perdidī -, alterum quod permittō servīs quoque quasi testāmenta facere, eaque ut lēgitima custōdiō.I have two consolations, by no means equal to so great a grief, but consolations nonetheless: one is my readiness to grant freedom — for I seem not to have lost wholly before their time those whom I lost when already free —, the other that I allow my slaves too to make what amount to wills, and I keep them as if they were legally valid. Ep. 8.16.2Mandant rogantque quod vīsum;They instruct and request as seems good to them; Ep. 8.16.2pāreō ut iussus.I obey as if under orders. Ep. 8.16.2Dīvidunt dōnant relinquunt, dumtaxat intrā domum;They divide their property, give it away, leave it, provided only it is within the household; Ep. 8.16.2nam servīs rēs pūblica quaedam et quasi cīvitās domus est.for to slaves the household is a kind of commonwealth and, as it were, a state.

Ep. 8.16.3Sed quamquam hīs sōlāciīs acquiēscam, dēbilitor et frangor eādem illā hūmānitāte, quae mē ut hoc ipsum permitterem indūxit.But although I find rest in these consolations, I am weakened and broken by that same humanity which led me to allow this very thing. Ep. 8.16.3Nōn ideō tamen velim dūrior fierī.Yet I would not for that reason wish to become harder. Ep. 8.16.3Nec ignōrō aliōs eius modī cāsūs nihil amplius vocāre quam damnum, eōque sibi magnōs hominēs et sapientēs vidērī.Nor am I unaware that others call misfortunes of this kind nothing more than a loss, and think themselves great and wise men on that account. Ep. 8.16.3Quī an magnī sapientēsque sint, nesciō;Whether they are great and wise, I do not know; Ep. 8.16.3hominēs nōn sunt.men they are not. Ep. 8.16.4Hominis est enim afficī dolōre sentīre, resistere tamen et sōlācia admittere, nōn sōlāciīs nōn egēre.For it is the mark of a man to be affected by grief, to feel it, yet to resist and to admit consolation, not to have no need of consolation. Ep. 8.16.5Vērum dē hīs plūra fortasse quam dēbuī;But on this subject I have said perhaps more than I ought; Ep. 8.16.5sed pauciōra quam voluī.but less than I wished.

Ep. 8.16.5Est enim quaedam etiam dolendī voluptās, praesertim sī in amīcī sinū dēfleās, apud quem lacrimīs tuīs vel laus sit parāta vel venia.For there is a certain pleasure even in grieving, especially if you weep on the bosom of a friend, with whom either praise or pardon is ready for your tears. Ep. 8.16.5Valē.Farewell.

Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō

Grammar in this passage: gerunds and gerundives ×2, purpose clauses ×1, indirect statement ×3

Latin vocabulary for this passage (116 words)

cōnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	make or do completely, complete, finish, accomplish, make; wear out
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
īnfirmitās, -ātis f.	weakness; fickleness
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
mors, mortīs, f.	death
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
iuvenis, -is, m.	young man, youth
sōlācium, -ī n.	comfort, consolation
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.	two
nēquāquam (adv.)	by no means, not at all
pār, paris	equal
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
dolor, -ōris, m.	pain, grief; anger
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
facilitās, -ātis f.	easiness of manner, good nature, approachability
manūmittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missus	set free (a slave)
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
enim, conj.	for
nōn, adv.	not
omnīnō, adv.	altogether, wholly, entirely
immātūrus, -a, -um	unripe; too early, untimely
perdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus	destroy, ruin; lose, waste
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
iam, adv.	now, already
līber, lībera, līberum	free
alter, -era, -erum	one or the other (of two); another, second
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
permittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum	allow, permit; entrust
servus, -ī, m.	slave, servant
quoque, adv.	also
quasi, conj.	as if
testāmentum, -ī n.	will (testament)
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
que, enclitic conj.	and
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
lēgitimus, -a, -um	lawful, legal, prescribed by law
custōdiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	guard
mandō, -dāre, -dāvī, -dātus	put in hand, intrust, commit; charge, command
rogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	ask
pāreō, -ēre, -uī	obey
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus	bid, order, command
dīvidō, -videre, -vīsī, -vīsus	divide, separate
dōnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	give; present (someone with something)
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus	leave behind, leave
dumtaxat (adv.)	only, merely; at least
intrā, prep. with acc.	within
domus, -ūs, f.	house, home
nam, conj.	for
rēs, reī, f.	thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
pūblicus, -a, -um	public, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
cīvitās, -tātis, f.	state
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
sed, conj.	but
quamquam, conj.	however much, although
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
acquiēscō, -ere, -quiēvī	rest; find peace; die
dēbilitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	weaken, cripple, unnerve
frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctus	break; dash to pieces, wreck
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
hūmānitās, -tātis f.	culture, refinement
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
indūcō, -dūcere, dūxī, -ductus	lead in or on, move, excite
ideō (adv.)	for that reason, therefore
volō, velle, voluī	wish
dūrus, -a, -um	hard; harsh; difficult
fīō, fierī, factus sum	be done or made, become, happen
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
ignōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	be ignorant of
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
modus, -ī, m.	way, manner
cāsus, -ūs, m.	fall; chance, accident
nihil, n., indecl.	nothing
amplius (adv.)	more, further
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	call, summon
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
damnum, -ī, n.	harm, injury
eō (adv.)	to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more)
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
homō, hominis, m.	man
sapiēns, -entis	wise; as noun, a wise man, a philosopher
an, conj.	or (in questions)
nesciō, -scīre, -scīvī	not know, be ignorant; nesciō quis, I know not who, some one or other (nesciō is thus used with other interrogative words also)
afficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectum	affect, afflict
sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus	perceive, feel
resistō, -sistere, -stitī	stand back, resist
admittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missus	send to, admit; allow
egeō, -ēre, eguī (+ abl. or gen.)	need, lack, be in want of
vērum (conj.)	but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
plūrēs, -a, plur. adj.	more, many, several
fortasse (adv.)	perhaps
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	owe; with infin., ought
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.	few
doleō, -ēre, doluī, dolitum	grieve, be pained
voluptās, -tātis, f.	pleasure
praesertim (adv.)	especially
sī, conj.	if
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
amīcus, -ī, m.	friend
sinus, -ūs, m.	bosom, lap
dēfleō, -ēre, -flēvī, -flētus	weep for, lament
apud, prep, with acc.	among, with
lacrima, -ae, f.	tear
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
vel	or; vel … vel: either … or
laus, laudis f.	praise, glory
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	make ready, prepare
venia, -ae f.	pardon, forgiveness
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus	be 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.