Pliny, Letter 9.30

True and false generosity

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Ep. 9.30.1Laudās mihi et frequenter praesēns et nunc per epistulās Nōnium tuum, quod sit līberālis in quōsdam: et ipse laudō, sī tamen nōn in hōs sōlōs.You praise to me your friend Nonius, often in person and now by letter, for being generous towards certain people: I too praise him, provided it is not towards these alone. Ep. 9.30.1Volō enim eum, quī sit vērē līberālis, tribuere patriae propinquīs, affīnibus amīcīs, sed amīcīs dīcō pauperibus, nōn ut istī quī iīs potissimum dōnant, quī dōnāre maximē possunt.For I want the man who is truly generous to give to his country, his relatives, his connections by marriage, his friends — but I mean poor friends — not like those who give above all to those who are best able to give. Ep. 9.30.2Hōs ego viscātīs hāmātīsque mūneribus nōn sua prōmere putō sed aliēna corripere.These men, I think, with their limed and hooked gifts, are not bringing out their own property but snatching that of others. Ep. 9.30.2Sunt ingeniō similī quī quod huic dōnant auferunt illī, fāmamque līberālitātis avāritiā petunt.Of a similar character are those who take from one what they give to another, and seek a reputation for generosity through greed.

Ep. 9.30.3Prīmum est autem suō esse contentum, deinde, quōs praecipuē sciās indigēre, sustentantem foventemque orbe quōdam sociālitātis ambīre.The first thing is to be content with one's own, and the next, supporting and cherishing those whom you know to be especially in need, to embrace them in a kind of circle of fellowship. Ep. 9.30.3Quae cūncta sī facit iste, usquequāque laudandus est;If that man of yours does all this, he is to be praised in every respect; Ep. 9.30.3sī ūnum aliquid, minus quidem, laudandus tamen: tam rārum est etiam imperfectae līberālitātis exemplar.if just one thing, less indeed, but to be praised all the same: so rare is an example even of imperfect generosity. Ep. 9.30.4Ea invāsit hominēs habendī cupīdō, ut possidērī magis quam possidēre videantur.Such a lust for having has seized mankind that men seem to be possessed rather than to possess. Ep. 9.30.4Valē.Farewell.

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

Latin vocabulary for this passage (89 words)

laudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	praise
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
frequenter (adv.)	often, frequently
praesēns, -sentis, adj.	present, immediate, imminent
nunc, adv.	now
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
epistula, -ae f.	letter
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
quod, conj.	that, in that, because
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
līberālis, -e	befitting a free man; generous (with: gen.)
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.	a certain, certain
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.	self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
sī, conj.	if
tamen, adv.	however, yet, nevertheless
nōn, adv.	not
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
sōlus, -a, -um	alone
volō, velle, voluī	wish
enim, conj.	for
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.	who, which
vērē (adv.)	truly, really
tribuō, -ere, tribuī, tribūtum	assign, attribute
patria, -ae, f.	fatherland, country
propinquus, -a, -um; as noun, -ī m./-a f.	near; (noun) relative
affīnis, -e	neighbouring; connected (with), implicated (in) (+ dat.)
amīcus, -ī, m.	friend
sed, conj.	but
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus	say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
pauper, -eris	poor; as a noun, a poor person
ut, conj.	as; when; that; ita ut, as
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.	that of yours, that
potissimum (adv.)	above all, in preference to all others
dōnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	give; present (someone with something)
maximē, adv.	very greatly, exceedingly, especially
possum, posse, potuī	be able, have power, can
viscātus, -a, -um	smeared with birdlime
hāmātus, -a, -um	hooked, barbed
que, enclitic conj.	and
mūnus, mūneris, n.	service, office, duty; present, gift
suus, -a, -um	his, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
prōmō, prōmere, prōmpsī, prōmptus	take or bring out, produce
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	think
aliēnus, -a, -um	belonging to another, out of place
corripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptus	seize, snatch, snatch up
ingenium, -ī n.	natural ability, talent, cleverness; character
similis, -e	like, similar (vērī similis: likely)
auferō, auferre, abstulī, ablātus	bear away, carry off
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
fāma, -ae, f.	report, rumor
līberālitās, -ātis f.	generosity
avāritia, -ae f.	greed
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus	seek, ask; attack
prīmum, adv.	first, in the first place
autem, conj.	moreover; but, however; now
contentus, -a, -um	content, satisfied (+ abl.)
deinde, adv.	then, next
praecipuē, adv.	especially
sciō, -īre, -īvī, -ītus	know
indigeō, -ēre, -uī	need, be in want of (+ gen. or abl.); nōn indiget nisi ut: needs only to
sustentō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	hold out, endure
foveō, -ēre, fōvī, fōtus	keep warm; cherish, favour
orbis, -is, m.	circle; orbis terrae or terrārum, circle of the earth or lands, earth, world
sociālitās, -ātis f.	fellowship, sociability, companionship
ambiō, -īre, -iī, -itus	go round; approach, court, win over
cūnctus, -a, -um	all, the whole
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
usquequāque (adv.)	everywhere, in every way, on every occasion
ūnus, -a, -um	one; only, alone
aliquis, -quid, indef. pron.	someone, any one, something, anything, some, any
minus, comp. adv.	less
quidem, adv.	in fact, indeed, certainly; nē ... quidem, not ... even
tam, adv.	so
rārus, -a, -um	scattered, few
etiam, adv.	and now, also, too, even
imperfectus, -a, -um	unfinished, not done
exemplar, -āris n.	model, pattern, example; copy, likeness
invādō, -ere, -vāsī, -vāsus	go into, attack, seize; come upon
homō, hominis, m.	man
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itus	have, hold; consider
cupīdō, -inis f. (in Sallust also m.)	desire, longing, greed
possideō, -sidēre, -sēdī, -sessus	hold, possess
magis, comp. adv.	more, rather
quam, adv.	how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus	see; pass., seem
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.