Pliny, Letters 3.16

Ep. 3.16.1Adnotāsse videor facta dictaque virōrum fēminārumque alia clāriōra esse alia maiōra.

I think I have noticed that among the deeds and sayings of men and women some are more famous, others greater.

Note. Pliny writes to his friend Maecilius Nepos. Adnotāsse = adnotāvisse, a shortened perfect infinitive: 'I seem to have noticed'. alia … alia: 'some … others'. clāriōra … maiōra: 'more famous … greater', the contrast the whole letter turns on.

Ep. 3.16.1Cōnfirmāta est opīniō mea hesternō Fanniae sermōne.

My opinion was confirmed by a conversation with Fannia yesterday.

Note. hesternō … sermōne: ablative of means, 'by yesterday's conversation'. Fannia was the daughter of the younger Arria and of Thrasea; mother and grandmother were both called Arria.

Ep. 3.16.1Neptis haec Arriae illīus, quae marītō et sōlācium mortis et exemplum fuit.

She is the granddaughter of the famous Arria, who was both a comfort and an example to her husband in his death.

Note. Neptis haec: supply est, 'she is the granddaughter'. Arriae illīus: 'of the famous Arria' (ille often means 'that well-known'). marītō … et sōlācium mortis et exemplum: 'both a comfort in death and an example to her husband'.

Ep. 3.16.1Multa referēbat aviae suae nōn minōra hōc sed obscūriōra;

She told me many stories about her grandmother, no less great than this one but less well known;

Note. aviae suae: genitive with multa, 'many (deeds) of her grandmother'. hōc: ablative of comparison, 'than this' (the famous story, told later). nōn minōra … sed obscūriōra: 'not smaller but less known'.

Ep. 3.16.1quae tibi exīstimō tam mīrābilia legentī fore, quam mihi audientī fuērunt.

I think you will find them as remarkable to read as I found them to hear.

Note. quae … fore: accusative and infinitive after exīstimō; fore = futūra esse. legentī … audientī: present participles in the dative, 'to you as you read … to me as I heard'. tam … quam: 'as … as'.

Ep. 3.16.3Aegrōtābat Caecina Paetus marītus eius, aegrōtābat et fīlius, uterque mortiferē, ut vidēbātur.

Her husband Caecina Paetus was ill, and so was her son, each of them, as it seemed, fatally.

Note. Aegrōtābat is put first and repeated for effect. Caecina Paetus was consul in AD 37. uterque mortiferē: 'each of them dangerously' (literally 'fatally'). ut vidēbātur: 'as it seemed'.

Ep. 3.16.3Fīlius dēcessit eximiā pulchritūdine parī verēcundiā, et parentibus nōn minus ob alia cārus quam quod fīlius erat.

The son died; he was a boy of outstanding beauty and equal modesty, dear to his parents for other reasons no less than because he was their son.

Note. eximiā pulchritūdine parī verēcundiā: ablatives of description, 'of outstanding beauty and equal modesty'. nōn minus ob alia … quam quod fīlius erat: 'no less for other reasons than because he was their son'.

Ep. 3.16.3Huic illa ita fūnus parāvit, ita dūxit exsequiās, ut ignōrāret marītus;

She prepared his funeral and conducted the funeral procession in such a way that her husband knew nothing of it;

Note. Huic … fūnus parāvit: 'she prepared his funeral' (huic: dative, 'for him'). ita … ut ignōrāret marītus: result clause, 'in such a way that her husband did not know'.

Ep. 3.16.3quīn immō quotiēns cubiculum eius intrāret, vīvere fīlium atque etiam commodiōrem esse simulābat, ac persaepe interrogantī, quid ageret puer, respondēbat;

indeed, whenever she entered his bedroom, she pretended that their son was alive and even a little better, and when he kept asking how the boy was, she would reply:

Note. quīn immō: 'indeed, more than that'. quotiēns … intrāret: subjunctive of repeated action, 'whenever she entered'; eius is her husband. simulābat … vīvere fīlium: 'she pretended that her son was alive'. interrogantī: 'to him as he asked'. quid ageret puer: indirect question, 'how the boy was'.

Ep. 3.16.3"Bene quiēvit, libenter cibum sūmpsit."

"He has slept well and eaten his food with appetite."

Note. Her reply, in the perfect: quiēvit 'he has rested (slept)', sūmpsit 'he has taken'.

Ep. 3.16.3Deinde, cum diū cohibitae lacrimae vincerent prōrumperentque, ēgrediēbātur;

Then, when the tears she had held back so long were overcoming her and bursting out, she would leave the room;

Note. cum … vincerent prōrumperentque: cum with the imperfect subjunctive, 'when (the tears) were overcoming (her) and bursting out'. diū cohibitae: 'long held back'. ēgrediēbātur: the imperfects describe what she did each time: 'she would go out'.

Ep. 3.16.3tunc sē dolōrī dabat;

then she gave herself up to grief;

Note. sē dolōrī dabat: 'she gave herself up to grief'.

Ep. 3.16.3satiāta siccīs oculīs compositō vultū redībat, tamquam orbitātem forīs relīquisset.

when she had wept her fill, she came back with dry eyes and a composed face, as if she had left her bereavement outside.

Note. satiāta: 'having had her fill' (of weeping). siccīs oculīs compositō vultū: ablatives of manner. tamquam … relīquisset: 'as if she had left' — tamquam takes the subjunctive. forīs: 'outside', an adverb.

Ep. 3.16.3Praeclārum quidem illud eiusdem, ferrum stringere, perfodere pectus, extrahere pugiōnem, porrigere marītō, addere vōcem immortālem ac paene dīvīnam: "Paete, nōn dolet."

Glorious, certainly, was that famous act of hers: to draw the steel, stab her breast, pull out the dagger, hand it to her husband, and add the immortal, almost divine words: "Paetus, it does not hurt."

Note. Praeclārum … illud eiusdem: supply est, 'glorious is that (deed) of the same woman'; the infinitives that follow spell out what illud was. In AD 42 Paetus was condemned for his part in a revolt; Arria stabbed herself first and handed him the dagger. Paete: vocative.

Ep. 3.16.3Sed tamen ista facientī, ista dīcentī, glōria et aeternitās ante oculōs erant;

But when she did and said those things, glory and immortality were before her eyes;

Note. ista facientī … dīcentī: datives, 'for her as she did and said those things'. ante oculōs erant: 'were before her eyes': she knew she would win glory.

Ep. 3.16.3quō maius est sine praemiō aeternitātis, sine praemiō glōriae, abdere lacrimās operīre lūctum, āmissōque fīliō mātrem adhūc agere.

how much greater it is, with no reward of immortality, no reward of glory, to hide one's tears, conceal one's grief, and, having lost one's son, still play the mother.

Note. quō maius est: 'and greater than this is …' — quō, an ablative of comparison, refers back to the famous deed. The infinitives abdere, operīre, agere are the subjects of est. āmissō fīliō: ablative absolute. mātrem agere: 'to play the mother'.

Ep. 3.16.7Scrībōniānus arma in Illyricō contrā Claudium mōverat;

Scribonianus had taken up arms against Claudius in Illyricum;

Note. Scrībōniānus, governor of Dalmatia, rebelled against the emperor Claudius in AD 42; the revolt collapsed within days. arma movēre: 'take up arms'.

Ep. 3.16.7fuerat Paetus in partibus, et occīsō Scrībōniānō Rōmam trahēbātur.

Paetus had been on his side, and after Scribonianus was killed he was being taken to Rome.

Note. in partibus: 'on his side' (partēs, 'party, faction'). occīsō Scrībōniānō: ablative absolute. Rōmam: names of cities take the plain accusative for 'to'.

Ep. 3.16.7Erat ascēnsūrus nāvem;

He was about to board a ship;

Note. ascēnsūrus: future participle, 'about to board'.

Ep. 3.16.7Arria mīlitēs ōrābat, ut simul impōnerētur.

Arria begged the soldiers to put her on board with him.

Note. ut simul impōnerētur: indirect command after ōrābat, 'that she might be put aboard with him'.

Ep. 3.16.7"Nempe enim" inquit "datūrī estis cōnsulārī virō servolōs aliquōs, quōrum ē manū cibum capiat, ā quibus vestiātur, ā quibus calciētur;

"Surely," she said, "you are going to give a man of consular rank a few slaves to feed him from their hands, dress him and put on his shoes;

Note. Nempe … daturī estis: 'surely you are going to give' (future participle + sum). cōnsulārī virō: 'to a man of consular rank'. servolōs: diminutive, 'a few little slaves'. quōrum … capiat … vestiātur … calceētur: relative clauses of purpose, 'from whose hands he may take his food, by whom he may be dressed and shod'.

Ep. 3.16.7omnia sōla praestābō."

I will do all of that by myself."

Note. sōla: feminine, 'I alone, by myself'.

Ep. 3.16.7Nōn impetrāvit: condūxit piscātōriam nauculam, ingēnsque nāvigium minimō secūta est.

She did not get her way: she hired a little fishing boat and followed the great ship in that tiny one.

Note. Nōn impetrāvit: 'she did not get her request'. ingēns nāvigium minimō: supply nāvigiō with minimō; the huge ship and the tiny boat are set side by side.

Ep. 3.16.7Eadem apud Claudium uxōrī Scrībōniānī, cum illa profitērētur indicium, "Ego" inquit "tē audiam, cuius in gremiō Scrībōniānus occīsus est, et vīvis?"

The same woman, in Claudius' presence, said to the wife of Scribonianus when she was offering to give evidence: "Am I to listen to you, in whose arms Scribonianus was killed, while you are still alive?"

Note. Eadem: 'the same woman' (Arria). profiterētur indicium: 'was offering to give evidence' against the conspirators. Ego … tē audiam?: deliberative subjunctive, indignant: 'Am I to listen to you?' cuius in gremiō: 'in whose arms'.

Ep. 3.16.7Ex quō manifestum est eī cōnsilium pulcherrimae mortis nōn subitum fuisse.

From this it is clear that her plan for a most glorious death was not a sudden one.

Note. Ex quō: 'from which'. manifēstum est … fuisse: 'it is clear that … was', accusative and infinitive. eī: dative of possession with cōnsilium, 'her plan'.

Ep. 3.16.7Quīn etiam, cum Thrasea gener eius dēprecārētur, nē morī pergeret, interque alia dīxisset: "Vīs ergō fīliam tuam, sī mihi pereundum fuerit, morī mēcum?", respondit: "Sī tam diū tantāque concordiā vīxerit tēcum quam ego cum Paetō, volō."

What is more, when her son-in-law Thrasea was begging her not to persist in her wish to die, and among other things had said, "Then if I have to die, would you want your daughter to die with me?", she replied: "If she has lived with you as long and in as much harmony as I have lived with Paetus, I would."

Note. Quīn etiam: 'what is more'. Thrasea Paetus was married to Arria's daughter; under Nero he too was forced to die (AD 66), and his wife wished to follow him. nē morī pergeret: indirect command. sī mihi pereundum fuerit: 'if I have to die' — gerundive of obligation with the dative of the person. vīxerit: future perfect. volō: 'I do want it'.

Ep. 3.16.7Auxerat hōc respōnsō cūram suōrum;

By this answer she had increased her family's anxiety;

Note. Auxerat … cūram suōrum: 'she had increased her family's anxiety' — they now feared she would kill herself.

Ep. 3.16.7attentius custōdiēbātur;

she was watched more closely;

Note. attentius: comparative adverb, 'more closely'.

Ep. 3.16.7sēnsit et "Nihil agitis" inquit;

she noticed, and said, "You are achieving nothing;

Note. Nihil agitis: 'you are achieving nothing'.

Ep. 3.16.7"potestis enim efficere ut male moriar, ut nōn moriar nōn potestis."

you can make me die a hard death, but you cannot stop me dying."

Note. efficere ut male moriar: 'bring it about that I die badly'; ut nōn moriar nōn potestis: 'that I do not die you cannot (bring about)'. The two halves mirror each other (chiasmus).

Ep. 3.16.7Dum haec dīcit, exsiluit cathedrā adversōque parietī caput ingentī impetū impēgit et corruit.

As she said this, she leapt from her chair, dashed her head against the wall opposite with tremendous force, and collapsed.

Note. Dum haec dīcit: dum with the present, 'while she was saying this'. cathedrā: ablative of separation, 'from her chair'. adversō … parietī: dative after impēgit, 'against the opposite wall'.

Ep. 3.16.7Focilāta "Dīxeram" inquit "vōbīs inventūram mē quamlibet dūram ad mortem viam, sī vōs facilem negāssētis."

When she had been brought round, she said, "I told you that I would find some way to die, however hard, if you refused me an easy one."

Note. Focilāta: 'revived', a rare word. Dīxeram … inventūram mē: 'I told you that I would find' — inventūram (esse), future infinitive in indirect statement. negāssētis = negāvissētis.

Ep. 3.16.7Videnturne haec tibi maiōra illō "Paete, nōn dolet", ad quod per haec perventum est?

Do these things not seem to you greater than that "Paetus, it does not hurt", which they led up to?

Note. Videnturne: -ne asks the question. illō 'Paete, nōn dolet': ablative of comparison. ad quod per haec perventum est: impersonal passive, 'to which these things led up' (literally 'to which it was arrived through these').

Ep. 3.16.7cum interim illud quidem ingēns fāma, haec nūlla circumfert.

And yet great fame spreads that saying everywhere, while these are spread by none.

Note. cum interim: 'whereas'. illud … ingēns fāma … circumfert: 'great fame carries that (saying) about'; haec nūlla (fāma circumfert): 'these, no fame'.

Ep. 3.16.7Unde colligitur, quod initiō dīxī, alia esse clāriōra alia maiōra.

From this we may infer what I said at the beginning, that some deeds are more famous, others greater.

Note. colligitur: 'it is inferred'. quod initiō dīxī: 'what I said at the start'. The letter ends with its opening thought.

Ep. 3.16.7Valē.

Farewell.

Note. Valē: 'farewell', the regular close of a Roman letter.