Pliny, Letter 9.21

A plea for a freedman

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Ep. 9.21.1Lībertus tuus, cui suscēnsēre tē dīxerās, vēnit ad mē advolūtusque pedibus meīs tamquam tuīs haesit.Your freedman, with whom you had said you were angry, came to me and, throwing himself at my feet, clung to them as if they were yours. Ep. 9.21.1Flēvit multum, multum rogāvit, multum etiam tacuit, in summā fēcit mihi fidem paenitentiae vērae: crēdō ēmendātum quia dēlīquisse sē sentit.He wept much, begged much, was also silent much, and in short convinced me of his true repentance: I believe he is reformed, because he feels that he has done wrong. Ep. 9.21.2Īrāsceris, sciō, et īrāsceris meritō, id quoque sciō;You are angry, I know, and you are angry with good reason, that too I know; Ep. 9.21.2sed tunc praecipua mānsuētūdinis laus, cum īrae causa iūstissima est.but the praise for mildness is greatest precisely when the cause of anger is most just. Ep. 9.21.3Amāstī hominem et, spērō, amābis: interim sufficit ut exōrārī tē sinās.You loved the man and, I hope, will love him again: meanwhile it is enough that you let yourself be prevailed upon.

Ep. 9.21.3Licēbit rūrsus īrāscī, sī meruerit, quod exōrātus excūsātius faciēs.You may be angry again if he deserves it, and having once been prevailed upon you will do so with better excuse. Ep. 9.21.3Remitte aliquid adulēscentiae ipsīus, remitte lacrimīs, remitte indulgentiae tuae.Make some allowance for his youth, make allowance for his tears, make allowance for your own kindness. Ep. 9.21.3Nē torserīs illum, nē torserīs etiam tē;Do not torment him, and do not torment yourself too; Ep. 9.21.3torquēris enim cum tam lēnis īrāsceris.for you are tormented when, gentle as you are, you are angry. Ep. 9.21.4Vereor nē videar nōn rogāre sed cōgere, sī precibus eius meās iūnxerō;I fear I may seem not to ask but to compel, if I join my prayers to his; Ep. 9.21.4iungam tamen tantō plēnius et effūsius, quantō ipsum ācrius sevēriusque corripuī, dēstricte minātus numquam mē posteā rogātūrum.yet I shall join them all the more fully and lavishly, as I rebuked him the more sharply and severely, threatening sternly that I would never plead for him again. Ep. 9.21.4Hoc illī, quem terrērī oportēbat, tibi nōn idem;That I said to him, who needed to be frightened; I do not say the same to you; Ep. 9.21.4nam fortasse iterum rogābō, impetrābō iterum: sit modo tāle, ut rogāre mē, ut praestāre tē deceat.for perhaps I shall plead again, and succeed again: only let it be such that it is fitting for me to ask and for you to grant.

Ep. 9.21.4Valē.Farewell.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (104 words)

lībertus, -ī m.	freedman (a former slave, in relation to his former master)
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
suscēnseō, -ēre, -cēnsuī	be angry, be indignant (with: dat.)
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventus	come
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
advolvō, -ere, -volvī, -volūtus	roll to, roll up against
que, enclitic conj.	and
pēs, pedis, m.	foot
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
tamquam (adv., conj.)	as, just as; as if
haereō, haerēre, haesī, haesūrus	stick; hesitate
fleō, -ēre, flēvī, flētum	weep
multum, -ī, n.	much
rogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	ask
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
taceō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	be silent
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
summa, -ae f.	total, sum; supreme command
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
fidēs, -eī f.	faith, trust; pledge
paenitentia, -ae f.	repentance, change of heart
vērus, -a, -um	true; rē vērā, in truth, in fact
crēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditus	believe
ēmendō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	correct, make good, remove faults
quia (conj.)	because
dēlinquō, -ere, -līquī, -lictus	fail, do wrong, offend
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.	himself, herself, itself, themselves
sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus	perceive, feel
īrāscor, īrāscī, īrātus	be angry
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	know
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
meritō (adv.)	deservedly, rightly
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
quoque, adv.	also
sed, conj.	but
tunc (adv.)	then, at that time
praecipuus, -a, -um	special, particular, outstanding
mānsuētūdō, -inis f.	gentleness, mercy
laus, laudis f.	praise, glory
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
īra, -ae, f.	anger, wrath
causa, -ae, f.	cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
iūstus, -a, -um	just
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
amō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	love
homō, hominis, m.	man
spērō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	hope
interim (adv.)	meanwhile
sufficiō, -ere, -fēcī, -fectus	be enough, hold out; supply
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
exōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	win over by asking, beg for, obtain by entreaty
sinō, -ere, sīvī, situs	allow, permit, let
licet, -ēre, -uit or -itum est, impers.	is lawful or permitted
rūrsus, adv.	again
sī, conj.	if
mereō, -ēre, meruī, meritus	deserve, earn
excūsātē (adv.)	excusably, with good excuse
remittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum	send back; give up, remit
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
adulēscentia, -ae, f.	youth
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
lacrima, -ae, f.	tear
indulgentia, -ae f.	kindness, indulgence, favour
nē, adv.	not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
torqueō, torquēre, torsī, tortus	turn
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
enim, conj.	for
tam, adv.	so
lēnis, -e	gentle
vereor, -ērī, -itus	fear
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
nōn, adv.	not
cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus	drive together, collect; compel
prex, precis f. (usu. pl.)	prayer, entreaty
iungō, iungere, iūnxī, iūnctus	join; yoke, harness
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
tantus, -a, -um	so great or much
plēnē (adv.)	fully, completely
effūsē (adv.)	far and wide, without restraint
quantus, -a, -um	how great or much?
ācriter, adv.	sharply, fiercely
sevērē (adv.; comp. sevērius)	strictly, sternly
corripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptus	seize, snatch, snatch up
dēstringō, -ere, -strīnxī, -strictum	draw (a sword)
minor, -ārī, -ātus sum	threaten (someone: dat.; with something: abl.)
numquam, adv.	never
posteā, adv.	after this, afterwards
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
terreō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	frighten, terrify
oportet, -ēre, oportuit (impersonal)	it is right, it is necessary
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.	the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
nam, conj.	for
fortasse (adv.)	perhaps
iterum, adv.	again, a second time
impetrō, -petrāre, -petrāvī, -petrātus	gain one's end, obtain (a request)
modo, adv.	only
tālis, -e	such
praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitus	stand in front; show
decet, decēre, decuit (impers.)	it is fitting, it is proper
valeō, -ēre, -uī, -itūrus	be strong or effectual, have effect, prevail

Pliny, Epistulae IX. 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.