Download File - Peter Cohee

Young Cicero Reading, by Vincenzo Foppa (1427 – ca. 1515)
Marcī Tullī Cicerōnis
Ōrātiōnis Prō Archiā Poētā Habitae
Capita XII-XVI
Annotationibus Instructa in Usum Discipulorum
ὃστις νέος ὦν Μουσῶν ἀμελεῖ
τόν τε παρέλθοντ᾿ ἀπόλωλε χρόνον
καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα τέθνηκε


Whoever when young neglects literature
both destroys past time
and is dead to the future.
Sophocles, Minos (fragment)
Annotated by Peter Cohee
latintutoring.biz
©2005
Background to this speech.
Marcus Tullius Cicero served as consul in the year 63 BC, when he exposed the conspiracy of Lucius
Sergius Catilina and had his chief accomplices executed. Catilina’s army was crushed in battle. Cicero’s
public esteem was at its highest when, in the following year, he was asked to defend the Greek-born poet
Aulus Licinius Archias. We don’t know much about this person, since we haven’t much information about
him outside this speech and a letter or two of Cicero’s. He was born in the Syrian city of Antioch, probably
between 130 and 120 BC. He was in Rome ca. 102 BC (Cicero was four years old), when he wrote a poem
of praise for the general C. Marius who had recently defeated Germanic invaders, the Cimbri and Teutones.
He eventually became attached to the household of the general Lucius Licinius Lucullus, for whom he also
wrote laudatory poetry. Lucullus became Archias’ patronus, and Archias took the nomen gentilicium
Licinius. Lucullus arranged for Archias to acquire limited rights of Roman citizenship as a resident of the
confederate town of Heraclea in southern Italy. Archias moved to Rome, and we know that for a time he
was a mentor or tutor to Cicero, then in his 20s and training to become an orator. During that time Archias
had obtained permanent residence in Rome and full citizenship. Some twenty years later political enemies
of Lucullus and his family, attempting to damage their dignitas or reputation, charged that Archias had been
given citizenship illegally. The suit was led by a person named Gratius, otherwise unknown, and Archias
was defended by his former student, Cicero. The part of the speech we’ll read here is called the confirmatio,
where the orator gives the foundation in law and reason for his case. Cicero took advantage of his personal
prestige and used the occasion to deliver this timeless defense of literature.
What’s the good of literature and humanistic education?
A story is told about Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). Growing up as the prince of the royal family of
Macedonia, Alexander energetically trained in both the arts of warfare and the classical literature of Greece.
It is said that he especially revered the Iliad of Homer, modelling himself after the hero Achilles; he even
kept a copy at his bedside. He believed that he was related to Heracles and Perseus and was a child of the
god Zeus. Alexander’s life was certainly epic, heroic, and tragic. Nearly three centuries after Alexander’s
time, young Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) was stationed as a military officer in Spain. There, though
Alexander had never been anywhere near the place, Caesar came upon a monument to the Macedonian
prince. Seeing it, Caesar wept; for Alexander at his same age had conquered a vast empire while he, Caesar,
had as yet done nothing. He vowed to accomplish something equally great. Such is the power of a great
book.
Human beings live by stories. Since at least the time of the Greek thinker Xenophanes (ca. 570-503 BC),
thoughtful people have been questioning the social value of literature, its proper place in education, and its
effect on our ideas and our actions. The material you are about to read will challenge some common notions
about literature and will test your ideas about what is really worthwhile in education. It will try to persuade
you that good literature is neither useless nor mere entertainment, but actually essential to any meaningful
human life. It will force you to think differently about how what you read can affect your life.
Learning expectations for and sample exam on Cic. Arch. 12-16
Learning Expectations. These passages may significantly affect your ideas about the importance of literature in your life; we
therefore want you to learn them well. Here are the standards we’ll use to evaluate your knowledge of this material.
You will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of:
the structure of sentences (i. e. the clauses and phrases of which they are made);
what part of speech any given word is;
the specific form of words (e. g. case and number, tense and mood, etc.);
the function of words in their clause or phrase (e. g. adjective modifying a noun, a pronoun’s case-function, etc.);
the meaning of words in their context (vocabulary);
features of oratorical style and literary devices (e. g. hendiadys, anaphora, etc.)
You will also be expected to:
correctly translate or accurately paraphrase selected phrases, sentences, or passages;
comment critically on a given passage, correctly citing and translating the Latin to support your view;
demonstrate understanding of the passages (chapters 12-16) as a whole;
make meaningful comparisons or applications from the reading to real experience.
Sample Exam. You should expect to find questions like these on your pro Archia exam/s:
∙ Analyze this sentence (§13b) into its separate clauses and identify the type of each: Quae si cui levior videtur, illa quidem certe,
quae summa sunt, ex quo fonte hauriam sentio.
Quae si cui levior videtur,
illa quidem certe, … ex quo fonte hauriam
quae summa sunt,
sentio.
[protasis of simple condition]
[indirect question, object of sentio ]
[relative clause, modifying illa ]
[apodosis of condition = main clause of sentence]
∙ Identify the part of speech, specific form, and function of the following (§14a): Nam nisi multorum praeceptis multisque litteris
mihi ab adulescentiā suasissem …
praeceptis
mihi
adulescentiā
suasissem
[noun, 2nd decl.; neuter, plural, ablative; means]
[personal pronoun; 1st pers. sing., dative, object of special intransitive verb suasissem ]
[noun, 1st decl.; feminine, singular, ablative; separation (as obj. of prep. ab )]
[verb, 2nd conj.; 1st person sing., pluperf. subjunctive active; verb of protasis]
∙ Identify these oratorical and literary devices:
aut otium meum abstraxerit, aut voluptas avocarit, aut denique somnus retardarit
laudem atque honestatem
naturam sine doctrina … sine natura … doctrinam
[parallel structure]
[hendiadys]
[chiasmus]
∙ Translate Sed … accederet (§14b) as precisely as possible.
∙ Accurately paraphrase Cicero’s response in §15b-16a to a hypothetical objection.
∙ What are the chief advantages in life of a good humanistic education, as Cicero asserts in §16b? Cite and accurately
translate the Latin which supports your view.
∙ Briefly, name and discuss a good book you have read that has given you, as Cicero said, examples that have changed you in
some significant way, helped you to solve a problem, or prepared you to deal with a difficult situation in life. Make specific
reference to pro Archia as you do so. If you have not had such an experience, discuss the influence of a book on specific historical
events or people (e. g. Mahatma Gandhi’s reading of Henry David Thoreau’s On Civil Disobedience ).
1. What use are heroic myths, poetry, and literature in real life? CIC. Arch. 12a
1
2
3
4
5
Quaerēs ā nōbīs, Gratī, cūr tantō opere hōc homine dēlēctemur. Quia suppeditat nōbīs ubi et
animus ex hōc forēnsī strepitū reficiātur, et aurēs, conviciō dēfessae, conquiēscant. An tū
exīstimās aut suppetere nōbīs posse quod cotidiē dīcāmus in tantā varietāte rērum, nisi animōs
nostrōs doctrīnā excolāmus; aut ferre animōs tantam posse contentiōnem, nisi eōs doctrīnā
eādem relaxēmus?
1 quaero, -ere, quaesivi, quaesitum: ask, try to find out (+ a/ab
and abl.); Cicero uses the future tense in anticipation of an
objection his opponent might make, a rhetorical device called ante
occupatio; see §15a.
a nobis: (of, from) me.
Grati: Gratius, the ‘prosecuting attorney’ on the other side,
attempting to deprive Archias of citizenship; voc. case.
cur … delectemur: ind. question, the object of quaeres.
cur: (interr. adv.) why?
tanto opere: (abl. as demonstr. adv.) so much, so greatly.
hic haec hoc: (demonstr. adj.) this (right here); Archias was
sitting in court; at these words, Cicero points to him.
homo, hominis, c.: person.
delector, -ari: delight in, enjoy the company of (+ abl. of cause);
1st pers. pl. for singular.
Quia: (It is) because ...
suppedito, -are: supply, furnish; Archias, hic homo, is the
understood subject.
nobis: (1st pers. pron., pl. for sing.) (to) me; dat. ind. obj.
ubi et … reficiatur, et … conquiescant: an adverbial relative
clause, used as the object of suppeditat; the subjunctive is
potential. In English, we must supply an antecedent, “the means,”
ubi = quo, “whereby.”
et ... et: (coord. conj.) both ... and.
2 animus, -i, m.: intellect; nom. subj. of reficiatur.
ex: (prep. + abl. of sep.) “from” = “after” i. e. in time.
forensis-e: of the Forum. From the verb ferre, bring, comes the
noun forum, market, the place where farmers and traders would
bring their livestock and goods to sell or trade. In ancient Rome,
there were several different fora, depending on what was sold
there. So, for example, the Forum Boarium, Cattle Market (from
bos, bovis) or the Forum Holitorium, the Vegetable Market. The
Forum Romanum, being the original civic center of the ancient
city, became over time the principal religious and legal heart of the
city. Thus forensis, -e came to mean “applying in a court of law,”
as in forensic medicine, forensic rhetoric, etc.
strepitus, -ūs, m.: noise, shouting. The practice of law in Rome
was a noisy, unruly affair, with competing parties shouting at and
insulting one another.
reficio, -ere, -feci, -fectum: refresh, renew.
auris, -is, f.: ear; nom. subj. of conquiescant.
convicium, -ii, n.: verbal abuse; abl. of means/cause, “by.”
defessus-a-um: weary.
conquiesco, -ere, -quievi, -quietus: find rest, find relief.
An: (interr. adv.) Or, indeed, Or do you really …
tu: (2nd pers. pron.) you; addressed to Gratius.
NOTAE
3 existimo, -are: think, suppose; intensive: “Or do you think” etc.
aut suppetere… nisi …excolamus; aut ferre … nisi …
relaxemus: observe the parallelism of these clauses:
aut suppetere nobis posse
quod cotidie dicamus in tantā varietate rerum,
nisi animos nostros doctrinā excolamus;
aut ferre animos tantam posse contentionem,
nisi eos doctrinā eādem relaxemus?
The two acc. + inf. constructions introduced by aut serve as the
apodoses (main clauses) of two negative potential (“shouldwould”) conditions introduced by each nisi. To understand this,
omit existimas and reverse the order of clauses: “if we were not to
…, would …?” The questions are rhetorical, the understood
answer ‘No.’
aut … aut: (coord. conj.) either … or
suppeto, -ere, -peti(v)i, -petitum: suggest itself to, be readily
available for (+ dat.).
possum posse potui: be able, can (+ complem. inf.).
quod … rerum: a substantive relative clause serving as the noun
subject of suppetere posse (the subjunctive is potential). By quod
dicamus Cicero means an orator’s ready stock of ideas and words
to use on any subject at any time, thus “that what(ever) we might
say … could be available to us” = “that we would be able to speak
extemporaneously” etc.
cotidie: (adv.) daily, on a daily basis.
dico, -ere, dixi, dictum: say.
in: (prep. + abl. of circumstance) in, involving.
tantus-a-um: (demonstr. adj.) so great, such a great.
varietas, -tatis, f.: variety, wide range.
res, rei, f.: subject, topic, issue; genitive defining varietate.
nisi: (sub. conj.) if not, unless.
animus, -i, m.: intellect, mind; acc. dir. obj. of excolamus.
4 noster-nostra-nostrum: our
doctrina, -ae, f.: learning, study (of literature); abl. of means,
“by” or “with.”
excolo, -ere, -ui, -cultum: cultivate, develop, improve.
ferre animos tantam posse contentionem: in this second acc. +
inf. construction, animos is the subject of ferre posse, while
contentionem is the object of ferre.
fero, ferre, tuli, latum: endure, bear.
contentio, -onis, f.: stress (of argument in court).
eos = animos.
5 īdem-eadem-idem: (demonstr. adj.) the same.
relaxo, -are: relax, ease.
2. Is mere enjoyment the right use of great literature? CIC. Arch. 12b
1
2
3
4
Ego vērō fateor mē hīs studiīs esse dēditum: cēterōs pudeat, sī quī sē ita litterīs abdidērunt ut
nihil possint ex eīs neque ad commūnem adferre frūctum, neque in aspectum lūcemque prōferre:
mē autem quid pudeat, quī tot annōs ita vīvō, iūdicēs, ut ā nullīus umquam mē tempore aut
commodō aut ōtium meum abstrāxerit, aut voluptās āvocārit, aut dēnique somnus retardārit?
1 Ego: in Latin, the personal pronouns are used for emphasis, to
distinguish one subject from another; in such cases, an adverb such
as vero is also present: “Yes, I, … “ followed by autem, “but …”
vero: (adv.) indeed, yes.
fateor, -eri, fassus sum: admit, confess.
me … esse deditum: ind. statement, ‘object’ of fateor.
me: in Latin, when the subject of an ind. statement is the same as
that of the leading verb, the reflexive pronoun is used for the subj.
of the infin.; do NOT translate as “myself” but simply as “I.”
hic haec hoc: (demonstr. adj.) this; in pl. = these, such.
studia, -orum, n.: (liberal) studies, i. e., classical literature, esp.
myth, epic, tragic poetry, and history.
dedo, -ere, -didi, -ditum: devote, dedicate (+ dat. ind. obj.); the
tense is present-perfect: “I have been (and still am) devoted” etc.
ceteri-ae-a: (the) others, other people.
pudet: “shame, be ashamed,” an ‘impersonal’ verb, with the acc.
of person, genitive of thing causing the shame; the subjunctive
here is either jussive, “let” or potential, “it may be that ...”
si qui: lit. “if any” = “whoever;” the antecedent is ceteros.
se: (refl. pron.) themselves; acc. dir. obj. of abdiderunt.
ita: (demonstr. adv.) in such a way, so.
litterae, -arum, f.: literature; abl. of ‘location’, “in.”
abdo, -ere, -didi, -ditum: hide away, bury; the perfect tense is
‘gnomic’, expressing a general truth, hence the primary, present
tense possint; translate as either present perfect, “have hidden” or
simple present, “hide.”
ut … possint … adferre … proferre: adverbial result clauses
following ita; transl. ut with “that.”
2 nihil: nothing; acc. object of adferre and proferre.
possum posse potui: be able, can (+ complem. inf.).
ex: (prep. + abl. of source) from, out of.
eis: (demonstr. pron.) “them” = litteris.
neque ... neque: (coord. conj.) neither ... nor. Notice the parallel
structure with varied word order and the play on ferre:
neque / ad communem / adferre / fructum
neque / in aspectum lucemque / proferre
ad: (prep. + acc. of purpose) to.
communis, -e: common, belonging to all, general.
adfero, -ferre, attuli, allatum: bring to, apply (+ ad).
fructus, -ūs, m.: profit, good, benefit.
in: (prep. + acc. of direction) into.
aspectus, -ūs, m.: sight, view.
lux, lucis, f.: light, critical examination.
profero, -ferre, -tuli, -latum: bring forth, produce.
NOTAE
3 me autem quid pudeat: deliberative subjunctive in a rhetorical
question: “But why should I be ashamed?” = “I have nothing to be
ashamed of” (regarding my devotion to literature).
qui: “I, who” etc.; in English, the relative pronoun tends by far to
be used of the third person; but Latin is comfortable with its use of
the first and second persons as well.
tot: (indecl. demonstr. adj.) so many.
annus, -i, m.: year; acc of extent of time, “for.”
vivo, -ere, vixi: live, be alive; in Latin, an activity that continues
from the past into the present without interruption is expressed by
the present tense = Engl. present perfect progressive: “who have
been living;” see note on line 4.
iudex, iudicis, m.: judge, jury member; vocative case.
ut … abstraxerit, … avocarit … retardarit: adverbial result
clauses after ita; but the term ‘result’ is misleading here. The
manner of Cicero’s life is simply defined or qualified by these
three clauses: “who have been living in such a way, namely, that”
etc.
a: (prep. + abl. of sep.) “from.”
nullus, -ius: no one, nobody; the genitive nullius, “nobody’s,” is
far more common than the expected neminis.
umquam: (adv.) ever, at any time.
me: acc. direct object of the three following verbs.
aut … aut … aut … aut: the first of these disjunctive
coordinating conjunctions separates the nouns tempore and
commodo, while the others separate three parallel clauses:
aut / otium meum / abstraxerit
aut / voluptas (mea) / avocarit
aut / somnus (meus) / retardarit
tempus, -oris, n.: (time of) need (for legal counsel).
4 commodum, -i, n.: convenience, advantage.
otium, -ii, n.: leisure, free time; nom. subj. of abstraxerit.
abstraxerit … avocarit … retardarit: note the tense
relationships: present vivo, as noted above, is progressive,
extending from the past into the present, while the subjunctive
verbs are present-perfect; translate the latter verbs with “has” etc.
abstraho, -ere, -traxi, -tractum: draw away.
voluptas, -tatis, f.: pleasure, enjoyment, entertainment; nom. subj.
of avocarit.
avoco, -are: call away, distract; avocarit = a-voc-a-v-eri-t (perfect
subjunctive); the contraction of the syllable -ve- is called syncope.
denique: (adv.) finally (used to end a series or list).
somnus, -i, m.: sleep; nom. subj. of retardarit.
retardo, -are: hold back, inhibit, prevent; retardarit =
re-tard-a-v-eri-t; again, syncopation.
3. I give as much time to great literature as others do to business and pleasure. CIC. Arch. 13a
1
2
3
4
5
Quā rē quis tandem mē reprehendat, aut quis mihi iūre suscēnseat, sī, quantum cēterīs ad suās
rēs obeundās, quantum ad fēstōs diēs lūdōrum celebrandōs, quantum ad aliās voluptātēs et ad
ipsam requiem animī et corporis concēditur temporum, quantum aliī tribuunt tempestīvīs
convīviīs, quantum dēnique alveolō, quantum pilae, tantum mihi egomet ad haec studia
recolenda sūmpsero?
1 Quā rē: For that reason, Therefore.
quis: (interr. pron.) who?
tandem: (demonstr. adv.) may I ask, if I might ask.
me: (pers. pron.) me; acc. dir. obj. of reprehendat.
reprehendo, -ere, -hendi, -hensum: blame, criticize.
aut: (coord. conj.) or.
iure: (abl. as adv.) justly.
suscenseo, -ere, -ui, -sum: be angry at (+ dat.).
si: fairly often in Latin, a condition is used where we would
expect a causal or fact clause; translate by “if” but be aware that
the real sense is “because” or “that.”
quantum: as much; take together with partitive genitive
temporum.
quantum … quantum … quantum … (quantum) … quantum
… quantum … quantum: anaphora, the emphatic repetition of a
word at the same point in a clause.
ceteri-ae-a: others, the rest; the dative case expresses personal
interest and implies agent, i. e. “as much time is granted by others
for themselves” = “others grant for themselves” etc.
ad suas res obeundas: the preposition ad + noun + gerundive
expresses purpose; translate with “for” and a gerund, “...-ing.”
2 res, rei, f.: (in pl.) affairs, interests, business.
obeo, -ire, -i(v)i: carry out, perform.
festus dies: holiday.
ludi, -orum, m.: (in pl.) games, esp. horse races; gen of
characteristic, “of” or “with.”
celebro, -are: celebrate, take part in.
alius-a-um: other (kind of).
voluptas, -tatis, f.: pleasure, enjoyment.
et: (coord. conj.) and; joins voluptates with requiem.
3 ipse-a-um: (demonstr. adj.) the very, even the.
requies, requietis, f.: (acc. sg. requiem) rest.
animus, -i, m.: mind, intellect; obj. gen. after requiem.
corpus, -oris, n.: body; obj. gen. after requiem.
concedo, -ere, -cessi, -cessum: grant, permit.
tempus, -oris, n.: time, attention; the genitive is partitive, taken
with each quantum and understood with tantum.
alii, -orum, m. pl.: others, other people.
tribuo, -ere, -ui, -utum: grant, allow, spend.
tempestivus-a-um: (beginning) early (in the day).
4 convivium, -ii, n.: dinner party; dat. of purpose, “for.”
denique: (adv.) finally, to conclude.
alveolum, -i, n.: dice, gambling; dat. of purpose, “for.”
pila, -ae, f.: lit. exercise ball = sports, exercise; dat. of purp.
tantum: (demonstr. pron.) as much (understand (temporum); acc.
dir. obj. of sumpsero.
mihi: (refl. pron.) for myself; dat. ind. obj.
ego: (pers. pron.) I; nom. subj. of sumpsero.
-met: an emphatic suffix added to personal pronouns.
5 recolo, -ere, -ui, -cultum: practice again, resume.
sumo, -ere, sumpsi, sumptum: take, spend; the future perfect
here and the present subjunctive in the main clauses makes this a
mixed, “future more vivid”/ potential (“should-would”) condition.
Remember that what to us would seem a very run-on sentence was
to the Romans a well-ordered expression of a single thought.
Don’t be put off by its length and complexity; instead, pay careful,
patient attention to its structure and detail. First study its structure:
Quā rē quis tandem me reprehendat,
MAIN #1
aut quis mihi iure suscenseat,
MAIN #2
si,
quantum ceteris ad suas res obeundas,
quantum ad festos dies ludorum celebrandos,
quantum ad alias voluptates
et (quantum) ad ipsam requiem animi et corporis
conceditur temporum;
quantum alii tribuunt tempestivis conviviis,
quantum denique alveolo,
quantum pilae,
tantum (temporum) mihi egomet ad haec studia recolenda
sumpsero?
The whole sentence is a hypothetical condition. The two main
clauses (apodoses) are rhetorical questions whose verbs are
potential subjunctive. The subordinate clause (protasis), si -tantum … sumpsero, is interrupted by seven clauses of
comparison, each introduced by quantum, in correlation with
demonstrative tantum. These seven clauses fall into two groups: in
the first four, quantum (temporum) is subject, their verb
conceditur; the last three have alii as subject, tribuunt as verb, and
quantum (temporum) as direct object. Finally, notice that the
protasis and the first two comparative clauses all have an ad +
gerundive construction, the next two have ad + noun object, while
the final three all have a dative of purpose. This style is called
variatio, variation.
NOTAE
4. My skill as an orator is due to my lifelong love of great literature. CIC. Arch. 13b
1
2
3
Atque id eō mihi concēdendum est magis, quod ex hīs studiīs haec quoque crēscit ōrātiō et
facultās; quae, quantacumque in mē est, numquam amīcōrum perīculīs dēfuit. Quae sī cui levior
vidētur, illa quidem certē, quae summa sunt, ex quō fonte hauriam sentiō.
1 Atque: (coord. conj.) And furthermore.
id: (demonstr. pron.) this point (i. e., the fact that Cicero spends
so much (tantum) time reading good books). In Rome of Cicero’s
day, prominent men were expected to spend all their time and
energy in public service of some kind. Otium, free time, was
regarded with suspicion, and one always had to demonstrate that
he spent his leisure time in some way that would benefit Rome and
her interests.
eo … magis: lit. “by so much ... more” = “all the more,”
explained by the following quod-clause.
mihi: (pers. pron.) to me; dat. ind. obj., not agent, as usual with
gerundive constructions.
concedo, -ere, -cessi, -cessum: yield, grant, allow.
concedendum est: remember that the passive periphrastic
gerundive construction always has a sense of obligation or worth,
thus “must be, ought to be granted” (i. e. by any hypothetical
opponent who would criticize him).
quod … crescit oratio et facultas: causal clause, “because”
“inasmuch as.”
ex: (prep. + abl. of source) from, out of.
hic haec hoc: (demonstr. adj.) this; in pl. = these.
his … haec: notice how effectively Cicero uses this
‘demonstrative of the first person’ to connect directly his reading
and his oratory: “from these (literary) interests I have grows also
this oratorical skill of mine.”
quoque: (adv.) also, as well.
cresco, -ere, crevi: grow, increase.
oratio et facultas: hendiadys (< Greek ἓν διὰ δυοῖν, “one through
two”), in which two nouns are connected to express a single
concept: oratio et facultas = “oratorical ability.”
oratio, -onis, f.: public speaking, oratory; nom. subj. of crescit.
2 facultas, -tatis, f.: ability, skill; nom. subj. of crescit.
quae ... numquam amicorum periculis defuit: rel. clause
defining oratio et facultus; the verb is singular because the two
nouns form one idea.
quantacumque in me est: indef. rel. clause defining oratio et
facultas.
quantuscumque quantacumque quantumcumque: “of
whatever size or importance,” “however small.” Cicero was not a
modest man, especially after his consular year, just before this
speech was given. This is a bit of false modesty: Cicero knew well
that he was the leading orator of his time.
numquam: (adv.) never.
periculum, -i, n.: (in pl.) legal crises, legal emergencies.
desum, -esse, -fui: be unavailable for, fail (+ dative).
NOTAE
Quae si … sentio: a short but rather complex sentence; study its
structure closely:
Quae si cui levior videtur, (protasis of condition)
illa quidem certe, (opening of indirect question)
quae summa sunt, (relative clause defining illa)
ex quo fonte hauriam (conclusion of ind. question)
sentio (apodosis of condition and main clause)
Quae: after a period, semicolon, exclamation or question mark, a
relative pronoun or adverb is used in a connective sense and is
translated with a personal or demonstrative pronoun, “it,” the nom.
subj. of videtur, again referring to oratio et facultas.
si cui: “if to anyone;” memorize this rule: “After si, nisi, num and
ne, the prefix ali- falls away,” meaning that after these four words
the indefinite pronoun aliquis, aliquid etc. is shortened to quis,
quid etc.
levis, -e: unimportant, insignificant; observe that when the
comparative is found without an object of comparison, the sense
then is “rather,” “somewhat.”
3 videor, -eri, visus sum: seem, appear; you can also translate
this clause actively: “If anyone thinks that it is” etc.
illa: (demonstr. pron.) neut. pl. as substantive “those ideas,” acc.
dir. obj. of hauriam.
quidem: (adv.) indeed, at least (modifying illa).
certe: (adv.) certainly, at any rate.
quae summa sunt: rel. clause defining illa.
summus-a-um: most important (in contrast to levior); nom. pred.
adj. to quae.
sum esse fui: be; the verb of a rel. clause which is itself
subordinate to another subordinate clause with a subjunctive verb
(illa … ex quo fonte hauriam) is usually “attracted” into the
subjunctive mood. But when the rel. clause expresses a simple
statement of fact, it keeps the indicative.
qui quae quod: (interrog. adj.) which, what.
fons, fontis, m.: spring, well, source.
haurio, -ire, hausi, haustum: draw, drain; the metaphor is that
great poetry is like an inexhaustible fountain, a source for the ideas
and words that make his oratory so effective and make him such a
valuable public servant. This metaphor goes back at least to the
Greek poet Hesiod (ca. 700-650 BC) who claimed to get his
inspiration from the Muses who came to him near Hippocrene, the
spring on Mt Helicon created where Pegasus the winged horse
stamped his hoof.
5. Good books and stories give us examples to live by and inspire us to greatness. CIC. Arch. 14a
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5
Nam nisi multōrum praeceptīs multīsque litterīs mihi ab adulescentiā suāsissem, nihil esse in vītā
magnō opere expetendum nisi laudem atque honestātem, in eā autem persequendā omnēs
cruciātūs corporis, omnia perīcula mortis atque exsilī parvī esse dūcenda, numquam mē prō
salūte vestrā in tot ac tantās dīmicātiōnēs atque in hōs prōflīgātōrum hominum cotīdiānōs
impetūs obiēcissem.
1 Nam: (coord. conj.) For you see, …, explaining fons and
summa in the previous sentence.
nisi … mihi … suasissem, … numquam me … obiecissem: a
past contrary-to-fact condition, both verbs pluperfect subjunctive.
nisi: (subord. conj.) if ... not
multi, -orum: many, i. e. writers generally, but esp. poets and
philosophers; possess. gen. defining praeceptis.
praeceptum, i, n.: precept, teaching; abl. of means or cause, “by,”
“as a result of.”
litterae, -arum, f.: literature; multis litteris = by reading a great
deal of literature.
ab: (prep. + abl. of sep.) from, since.
adulescentia, -ae, f.: boyhood.
suadeo, -ere, suasi: convince (+ dative).
nihil esse … expetendum: acc. + inf. construction, object of
suasissem.
nihil … nisi: lit. “nothing … if not,” a kind of litotes = “the only
thing.”
sum esse fui: be.
in: (prep. + abl. of circumstance) in.
vita, -ae, f.: (human) life.
duco, -ere, duxi, ductum: consider, regard; omnia pericula …
esse ducenda is a second acc. + inf. construction containing a
passive periphrastic following suasissem. Again, note the special
sense of the gerundive in this construction: “must be, have to be”
etc.
numquam (adv.): never.
me: (refl. pron.) me; acc. dir. obj. of obiecissem.
pro: (prep. + abl. of respect) for, on behalf of.
2 magno opere: lit. “with great effort” = greatly, very much (cf.
tanto opere in 12a, line 1).
expeto, -ere, -ivi, -itum: seek out, strive to attain; remember that
the gerundive with esse, the passive periphrastic construction,
always expresses some idea of obligation, merit, etc., thus: “worth
seeking out, striving for” etc.
laus, laudis, f.: praise
honestas, -tatis, f.: honor; laudem atque honestatem are to be
taken together as one concept (a literary device called hendiadys) =
“praise honorably won.” The acc. is due to the fact that laus and
honestatem stand in apposition to nihil.
eā: (demonstr. pron.) it = laude atque honestate as a single
concept.
autem: (coord. conj.) however.
persequor, -sequi, -secutus sum: pursue, achieve; in ea
persequenda = in the pursuit of this, in achieving it.
omnis, -e: all, every.
5 impetus, -ūs, m.: attack, assault.
obicio, -ere, -ieci, -iectum: expose, subject.
3 cruciatus, -ūs, m.: torment, torture, exertion; acc. subj. of
infinitive esse ducenda.
corpus, -oris, n.: body; the genitive is objective, i. e. torments
inflicted on, suffered by the body.
periculum, -i, n.: danger, risk; acc. subj. of esse ducenda.
mors, mortis, f.: death; this genitive of the ‘rubric’ specifies the
pericula: “dangers, especially death and exile.”
exsilium, -ii, n.: exile; Cicero is here prophetic. In the previous
year, 63 BC, as consul, Cicero used a controversial special power
to have citizens put to death for conspiring with L. Sergius Catilina
to overthrow the government. Four years after the present speech,
a law was passed by P. Clodius Pulcher, a personal enemy of his,
exiling him to Greece for over a year. But Cicero might also have
later added this phrase to the published version of this speech to
glorify his own personal sacrifices.
parvus-a-um: small, little. Almost always, a word in the genitive
is a kind of adjective, defining some other word. This idiom is an
example of an (apparently) independent genitive, called predicative
genitive of quality. To understand and translate, you must supply
the pred. noun res, thus “things,” “matters of small (worth)” = “of
little significance.”
4 salus, salutis f.: safety.
vester-vestra-vestrum: your (pl.)
in: (prep. + acc. of direction) to, unto.
tot: (indecl. demonstr. adj.) so many.
ac = atque.
tantus-a-um: (demonstr. adj.) so great, such great.
dimicatio, -onis, f.: struggle, fight.
hos: the recent, i. e. of the previous year.
profligatus-a-um: corrupt, bankrupt
homo, -inis, c.: person; subjective gen., “of,” since these persons
made the attacks on Cicero.
cotidianus-a-um: daily
Sentence style to study:
Nam,
nisi
multorum praeceptis multisque litteris
mihi ab adulescentiā suasissem,
nihil esse in vitā magno opere expetendum
nisi laudem atque honestatem,
in eā autem persequendā
omnes cruciatūs corporis,
omnia pericula mortis atque exsili parvi esse ducenda,
numquam me
pro salute vestra
in tot ac tantas dimicationes
atque in hos profligatorum hominum cotidianos impetūs
obiecissem.
6. Great examples and deeds are remembered only because of great literature. CIC. Arch. 14b
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Sed plēnī omnēs sunt librī, plēnae sapientium vōcēs, plēna exemplōrum vetustās; quae iacērent
in tenebrīs omnia, nisi litterārum lūmen accēderet. Quam multās nōbīs imāginēs—nōn sōlum ad
intuendum, vērum etiam ad imitandum—fortissimōrum virōrum expressās scrīptōrēs et Graecī et
Latīnī relīquērunt? Quās ego mihi semper in administrandā rē pūblicā prōpōnēns animum et
mentem meam ipsā cōgitātiōne hominum excellentium cōnfōrmābam.
1 Sed: (coord. conj.) But
plenus-a-um: full (+ gen.); pleni … plenae … plena a kind of
anaphora, esp. in phrases that are parallel and not joined by a
conjunction (asyndeton). All three phrases are modified by
exemplorum.
omnis, -e: every, each; in pl. = all.
sum esse fui: be
liber, libri, m.: book; nom. pl. subj. of sunt.
sapiens, -entis, m.: wise person, philosopher; possessive genitive
with voces.
vox, vocis, f.: voice, word; nom. subj. of sunt.
exemplum, -i, n.: example (of right action).
vetustas, -atis, f.: antiquity, history; supply est.
quae iacerent … nisi … accederet: a contrary-to-fact condition
in present time, both verbs imperfect subjunctive.
quae: a connective relative, neut. pl. nomin., subject of the
protasis (main clause); translate as a demonstrative: “these
(examples)” etc.
iaceo, -ere, -ui: lie, remain hidden.
2 in: (prep. + abl. of location) in.
tenebrae, -arum, f. pl.: shadows, darkness.
omnia: notice the emphatic position at the end of the clause: “they
would lie in the shadows (of forgetting), all of them.”
nisi: (subord. conj.) if not, unless.
litterae, -arum, f.: literature; subjective gen.
lumen, luminis, n.: lamp; nom. subj. of accederet.
accedo, -ere, -cessi: be at hand, be applied.
Quam (exclamatory-interrogative adverb, used with adjectives
and adverbs): How ... ?
multi-ae-a: many.
nobis: (pers. pron.) to us; dative, ind. obj. of reliquerunt.
imago, -inis, f.: image, example; acc. dir. obj. of reliquerunt.
non solum … verum etiam: (advs.) not only … but even.
4 Latinus-a-um: Latin.
relinquo, -ere, -liqui, -lictum: leave behind.
Quas: as in line 3, a connective relative, referring to the multas
imagines, object of the participle proponens; translate with a
demonstrative, “these” or “them.”
ego mihi: notice the juxtaposition of these two personal pronouns;
Cicero emphasizes the importance of examples from literature to
himself personally during the crisis of his consular year; dative
mihi is indirect object of proponens.
semper: (adv.) always, at all times.
in: (prep. + abl. of circumstance) in, in the midst of.
administro, -are, -avi, -atum: administer, lead (as consul).
res publica, rei publicae, f.: government.
propono, -ere, -posui, -positum: hold up (as an example); the
present active participle is modal; translate with a gerund: “by
holding these ever before me,” etc.
animus, -i, m.: intellect, reason; acc. dir. obj. of
conformabam.
5 mens, mentis, f.: mind; acc. dir. obj. of conformabam.
ipse-a-um: (intensive adj.) (the) very.
cogitatio, -onis, f.: thought, reflection; abl.of means, “by.”
homo, hominis, c.: person; obj. gen.after cogitatione.
excellens, -entis: excellent, outstanding.
conformo, -are: shape, mold.
3 intueor, -eri, -tutus sum: look at, admire, observe closely; ad
+ gerund = purpose and follows expressas: “created for admiring.”
imitor, -ari, -atus sum: imitate, follow.
fortis vir: lit. “brave man” = hero (of myth or history); subjective
genitive.
exprimo, -ere, -pressi, -pressum: give shape (to), create; the
participle modifies imagines; translate as a finite verb and join with
a conjunction to reliquerunt: “have created and left behind for us”
etc.
scriptor, -oris, m.: writer, author; nom. subj. of reliquerunt.
et … et: both … and.
Graecus-a-um: Greek..
NOTAE
A student’s tabula and stili. The tabula is a notebook, a thin
wooden case whose recesses are filled with a dark wax. The
pointed ends of the stili are used to inscribe in the wax, the flat
end used as an eraser, to smooth the wax back out to make
corrections or write something new.
7. A possible objection: those heroes themselves didn’t have a literary education. CIC. Arch. 15a
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Quaeret quispiam: "Quid? Illī ipsī summī virī, quōrum virtūtēs litterīs prōditae sunt, istāne
doctrīnā, quam tū effers laudibus, ērudītī fuērunt?" Difficile est hoc dē omnibus cōnfīrmāre, sed
tamen est certum quid respondeam. Ego multōs hominēs excellentī animō ac virtūte fuisse et
sine doctrīnā, nātūrae ipsīus habitū prope dīvīnō per sē ipsōs et moderātōs et gravīs exstitisse
fateor; etiam illud adiungō: saepius ad laudem atque virtūtem nātūram sine doctrīnā quam sine
nātūrā valuisse doctrīnam.
1 quaero, -ere, -sivi, -situm: ask, inquire; note fut. tense.
quispiam: (indef. pron.) someone; in Quaeret quispiam, Cicero
employs the rhetorical device ante occupatio, whereby the speaker
tries to anticipate an objection the opponent might raise.
Quid?: “(Well then, if what you say is true,) what (do you say
about …)?” The anticipated objection is that, if literary humanistic
education produces people who accomplish great things, how did it
happen that the heroes whom we now revere and admire in
literature existed before there was any such education?
illi ipsi: (demonstr. and intensive adj.) those very (same).
summus vir: hero, of Greek myth or, more importantly here,
Roman history; nom. subj. of fuerunt.
quorum ... proditae sunt: rel. clause, “whose” (NOT “of whom”),
defining summi viri.
virtus, virtutis, f.: virtue, heroism; nom. subj. of proditae sunt.
litterae, -arum, f.: literature; abl. of means, “by,” “in.”
prodo, -ere, -didi, -ditum: hand down, transmit.
iste-a-ud: (demonstr. adj.) that (which you mention).
-ne: enclitic interrogative particle.
2 doctrina, -ae, f.: system of humanistic literary education;
ablative of means, “with,” after eruditi fuerunt.
quam ... laudibus: rel. clause, “which,” defining doctrina.
tu: (pers. pron.) you, i. e. Cicero; nom. subj. of effers.
effero, -ferre, extuli, elatum: raise up, glorify.
laus, laudis, f.: praise; in pl. = terms of praise; abl. of means or
manner, “by” or “with.”
eruditus-a-um: reared, raised, educated.
sum, esse, fui: be
difficilis, -e: difficult; nom. pred. adj. to confirmare.
hoc: this fact (i. e., that they weren’t formally educated); acc. obj.
of confirmare.
de: (prep. + abl. of respect) in the case of
omnis, -e: every, each; in pl. = all, i. e. summi viri.
confirmo, -are: confirm, verify, prove; nom. subj. of est.
sed: (coord. conj.) but.
3 tamen: (demonstr. adv.) still, nevertheless, even so.
certus-a-um: certain, sure
quid respondeam: a kind of indirect question, the subject of
certum est: (if someone were to raise that question,) “I know
exactly what response I’d make.”
respondeo, -ere, -pondi, -ponsum: answer, reply; potential
subjunctive.
Ego: (pers. pron.) I; nom. subj. of fateor. This wide separation of
subject and verb is called hyperbaton.
multos … fuisse … exstitisse: two indirect statements, ‘objects’
of fateor; the lack of a conjunction between them is called
asyndeton.
multi-ae-a: many
homo, hominis, c.: human being, person; pl. = people.
excellens, -entis: outstanding
animus, -i, m.: intellect; excellenti animo ac virtute is ablative of
description, “of.”
ac: (coord. conj.) and; joins animo with virtute.
et: (adverb here) even.
4 sine: (prep. + abl. of sep.) without.
natura, ae, f.: natural ability; subj. gen. defining habitu.
habitus, -ūs, m.: character, quality; abl. of cause, “due to.”
prope: (adv.) nearly
divinus-a-um: divine, god-like.
per se ipsos: lit. “by themselves personally = “all on their own (i.
e. without education).”
et … et: (coord. conj.) both … and
moderatus-a-um: self-controlled, self-restrained.
gravis, -e: serious; gravīs = gravēs (acc. pl).
exsisto, -ere, stiti: exist, arise, come into being.
5 fateor, -eri, fassus sum: admit, confess.
etiam: (adv.) also, as well
illud: “this fact (namely),” introducing and in apposition to the
comparative indirect statement which follows.
adiungo, -ere, -iunxi, -iunctum: add, state in addition.
saepe (adv.): often; note comparative degree, followed by quam.
laudem atque virtutem: lit. “praise and virtue,” but the two
nouns form one concept by hendiadys = “praise for (or won by)
virtuous action.”
naturam sine doctrinā … sine naturā … doctrinam: note the
effective chiasmus (A:B :: B:A).
quam: (comparative adv. after saepius) than
6 valeo, -ere, valui: (+ ad + acc. of purpose) have power to win;
valuisse is present perfect: “has had power,” etc.
NOTAE:
8. What’s more important: natural ability and character--or education? CIC. Arch. 15b-16a
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Atque īdem ego contendō: cum ad nātūram eximiam atque inlūstrem accesserit ratiō quaedam
cōnfōrmātiōque doctrīnae, tum illud nesciōquid praeclārum ac singulāre solēre exsistere. Ex hōc
esse hunc numerō, quem patrēs nostrī vīdērunt, dīvīnum hominem, Āfricānum, ex hōc C.
Laelium, L. Furium, moderātissimōs hominēs et continentissimōs, ex hōc fortissimum virum et
illīs temporibus doctissimum, M. Catōnem illum senem: quī profectō sī nihil ad percipiendam
colendamque virtūtem litterīs adiuvārentur, numquam sē ad eārum studium contulissent.
1 Atque: (coord. conj.) And also, Furthermore.
īdeam eadem idem: the same; idem ego = “and again I.”
contendo, -ere, -tendi, -tentum: argue, maintain.
cum … tum: relative cum and demonstrative tum stand together
in correlation, “when ... then;” cum introduces a temporal clause
with a future perfect indicative verb, to which the tum- phrase, the
main clause expressed as an indirect statement, corresponds.
ad: (prep. + acc. of direction) to.
eximius-a-um: extraordinary.
inlustris, -e: brilliant.
accedo, -ere, -cessi: be added to, joined to (+ ad + acc.); translate
the future perfect as present.
ratio quaedam conformatioque doctrinae: lit. “a certain logical
method and training of teaching” = “a particular systematic
educational method.”
2 illud nescioquid: lit. “that-thing I-don’t-know-what” = “a
particular quality,” “a special characteristic.”
praeclarus-a-um: illustrious.
singularis, -e: unique, extraordinary.
soleo, -ere, solitus sum: be accustomed (+ inf.).
exsisto, -ere, -stiti: come into existence, occur, arise; translate
solere as an adverb, “usually” and exsistere as a finite verb.
Ex hoc esse hunc numero ... Africanum, ex hoc C. Laelium, L.
Furium, ... ex hoc ... M. Catonem: continues the indirect
statement earlier introduced by contendo, which you must supply
here, adding a conjunction: “And I also maintain that” etc. Note
the rhetorically emphatic repetition, or anaphora, of ex hoc
(numero).
Ex hoc ... numero: lit. “Of this number,” i. e., from among
Rome’s many great historical figures in whom a rare natural
talent or ability and a fine education were combined.
3 sum esse fui: be
hic haec hoc: (demonstr. pron.) this man (right here by me); it’s
possible that Cicero here gestured to a statue or dedication of
Scipio Africanus.
quem ... viderunt: rel. clause defining hunc Africanum.
patres nostri: the previous generation; nom. subj. of viderunt.
Cicero thus means P. Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus
Numantinus (185-129 BC) who destroyed Carthage in the third
Punic War (146 BC).
video, -ere, vidi, visum: see, know personally.
divinum hominem, Africanum: “a man like a god, Africanus,”
acc. in apposition to the pronoun hunc.
hominem … homines … virum: again, a kind of anaphora, but
with a slight alteration (variatio).
Sculpture relief: the grammaticus, second from left, scolds a
boy, far right, who is arriving late to school. The other two
students have their scrolls out and are ready to study.
4 C. Laelius, L. Furius: C. Laelius was consul in 140 BC; his
lifelong friendship with Scipio was legendary; L. Furius, also a
close friend of Scipio, was consul in 136 BC.
moderatus-a-um: self-restrained, moderate.
continens, -entis: temperate, self-controlled.
fortis, -e: brave, courageous.
et: (coord. conj.) and; joins fortissimum with doctissimum.
5 illis temporibus: “for those times,” abl. of circumstance
modifying doctissimum, i. e., given that education was not very
good or systematic in Cato’s day.
doctus-a-um: learned, educated; translate the superlative as “very
learned.”
M. Cato: M. Porcius Cato the Censor, consul of 195 BC, known
for his tough conservatism and strict ways.
illum senem: “that well-known old man;” senex is often used to
distinguish Cato the Elder from Cato the Younger, a 1 st cent. BC
contemporary of Cicero.
qui: connective relative = “and these men” etc.
profecto: (adv.) lit. “for a fact” = to be sure.
si nihil … adiuvarentur, numquam se … contulissent: a past
potential condition, though superficially similar to a contrary-tofact condition. The distinction lies in the relationship between
pluperfect contulissent and imperfect adiuvarentur. If the sentence
were contrary-to-fact, the imperfect would represent action in
present time, which it clearly doesn’t do. Instead, it represents a
possible future outcome from a past (pluperfect) point of view: “if
they weren’t going to be aided at all” etc.
nihil: (neut. acc. as adv.) not at all, in no way.
ad percipiendam colendamque virtutem: a gerundive
construction: “to the acquisition and cultivation of virtue.”
6 litterae, -arum, f. pl.: literature, esp. heroic-tragic poetry and
history; abl. of means, “by” or “through.”
adiuvo, -are, adiuvi, adiutum: help, assist.
numquam: (adv.) never (in the first place).
earum = litterarum; obj. genitive after studium.
confero, -ferre, -tuli, collatum: (+ refl. pron. + ad + acc.) betake
oneself to, apply oneself to.
9. Learning from good books is suitable at all times, in all of life’s circumstances. CIC. Arch. 16b
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Quod sī nōn hic tantus frūctus ostenderētur, et sī ex hīs studiīs dēlectātiō sōla peterētur, tamen,
ut opīnor, hanc animī remissiōnem hūmānissimam ac līberālissimam iūdicārētis. Nam cēterae
neque temporum sunt neque aetātum omnium neque locōrum; at haec studia adulēscentiam
acuunt, senectūtem oblectant, secundās rēs ōrnant, adversīs perfugium ac sōlācium praebent,
dēlectant domī, nōn impediunt forīs, pernoctant nōbīscum, peregrīnantur, rūsticantur.
1 Quod si … et si … tamen: a mixed sentence type, partly
contrary-to-fact (present) condition with a two-part protasis, partly
concessive. Translate Quod si … et si ... tamen as “But if … and
even if, … nevertheless,” etc.
non: (adv.) not.
hic haec hoc: (demonstr. adj.) this.
tantus-a-um: (demonstr. adj.) so great, such a great.
fructus, -ūs, m.: (useful) advantage; nom. subj. of ostenderetur.
hic tantus fructus = “such great advantage as this.”
ostendo, -ere, -tendi, -tentum: (in pass.) be evident.
delectatio, -onis, f.: delight, pleasure; nom. subj. of peteretur.
solus-a-um: alone, only; note the position of sola, and take it as
predicative: “and even if (intellectual) pleasure were the only thing
being sought” etc.
peto, -ere, -i(v)i, -itum: seek out, search for.
tamen (demonstr. adv.): nevertheless, still.
2 ut opinor: “as I suppose”; technically a comparative clause, but
really more of an interjectory parenthesis.
hanc: this (about which I’ve been speaking, namely, of literature),
in contrast to the following ceterae.
animus, -i, m.: mind, intellect; the genitive is objective after
remissionem = “mental relaxation.”
remissio, -onis, f.: relaxation, refreshment.
humanus-a-um: humane, civilized.
liberalis, -e: ennobling; a liberal education is both worthy of a
free person and that which makes such a person free, in mind and
spirit.
hanc … humanissimam ac liberalissimam: the adjectives are
predicative in an indirect statement; the infinitive esse is
understood (“in ellipsis”).
iudico, -are: judge.
Nam: (coord. conj.) For you see, ...
ceteri-ae-a: other, the rest (of); supply animi remissiones; Cicero
means here the other kinds of amusement and entertainments he
mentioned in §13.
neque … neque … neque: (disjunctive coord. conj.) neither ...
nor ... nor; polysyndeton, the use of frequent conjunctions.
3 temporum … aetatum omnium … locorum: understand
omnium with temporum and locorum; the genitives are predicative
to ceterae (animi remissiones) and, with sunt, express quality: “are
not appropriate to,” “are not found in” etc.
tempus, -oris, n.: time, circumstance.
aetas, -tatis, f.: phase of life.
locus, -i, m.: (neut. in pl.) place.
at: but (on the other hand); don’t confuse with ac!
haec studia: these studies (i. e. of excellent literature); nom. subj.
of the following nine verbs.
adulescentia, -ae, f.: (us in our time of) youth; acc. dir. obj. of
acuunt.
4 acuo, -ere, acui, acutus: sharpen, whet; incite, motivate.
senectus, -tutis, f: old age; acc. dir. obj. of oblectant.
oblecto, -are: delight, please.
secundae res: lit. favorable things = success, prosperity; acc. dir.
obj. of ornant.
orno, -are: crown, decorate, adorn.
adversae (res): adversity, hardship; dative ind. obj., as if = nobis
cum in rebus adversis sumus.
perfugium, -ii, n.: refuge, escape; acc. dir. obj. of praebent.
ac: (coord. conj.) and also; joins perfugium with solacium.
solacium, -ii, n.: comfort, solace; acc. dir. obj. of praebent.
praebeo,-ere, -ui, -itum: furnish, offer, provide.
5 delecto, -are: delight; understand nos as dir. obj.
domi: locative of domus, “at home.”
impedio, -ire, -ivi, -itum: hinder, obstruct; understand nos.
foris (adv.): away from home.
pernocto, -are: spend the night.
nobiscum = cum nobis.
peregrinor, -ari, -atus sum: wander, travel.
rusticor, -ari: live or stay in the country.
On the upper shelf, volumina, or rolled-up scrolls. Below are
scrolls in individual carrying cases and a collection of them in a
capsa, a portable book case. An older student might take a
capsa with him to school.
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