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{ Category Archives } Latin

The true cure.

Pseudo-Quintilian (Declamatio Maior 14.9): Illa vera sunt remedia, quæ fugatis morbis causisque languoris postea non sentiuntur, et ea tantum innocenter dabuntur, quæ potentiæ suæ qualitate consumpta desinunt, cum profuerunt. Real cures are those which are no longer felt after the diseases and the causes of weakness have been driven out; and only those which stop […]

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On the nautical government.

Cicero, against the idea of returning to a political situation (Ad Atticum 2.7): Iam pridem gubernare me tædebat, etiam cum licebat; nunc vero cum cogar exire de navi non abiectis sed ereptis gubernaculis, cupio istorum naufragia ex terra intueri. For a long time now I’ve been tired of steering, even while I was allowed; and […]

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Rechamus.

Vitruvius (De Architectura 10.2): Alligatur in summo trochlea, quem etiam nonnulli rechamum dicunt. The pulley block, which some also call rechamus, is fastened at the top. This mysterious word rechamus appears to be very rare, and I would quite like to know its etymon. [For trochlea.]

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'Abhinc' in Horace.

Horace, against time hallowing all things (Epistulae 2.1): ScrÄ«ptŏr ăb|hÄ«nc ān|nōs cÄ“n|tÅ«m quÄ« | dÄ“cÄ­dÄ­t, | Ä«ntÄ“r pÄ“rfÄ“c|tōs vÄ•tÄ•|rÄ“squÄ• rÄ•|fÄ“rrÄ« | dÄ“bÄ•t ăn | Ä«ntÄ“r vÄ«lÄ«s | ātquÄ• nŏ|vōs? Ä’x|clÅ«dāt | jÅ«rgĭă | fÄ«nÄ«s. The author who passed away a hundred years ago—should he be placed among the perfect and the ancient, or among the […]

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A liquor never brewed.

Pliny on how pearls are formed (Naturalis Historia, 9.54): Has ubi genitalis anni stimularit hora, pandentes se quadam oscitatione impleri roscido conceptu tradunt, gravidas postea eniti, partumque concharum esse margaritas pro qualitate roris accepti. When the birthing season of the year stimulates these creatures, it is said that they, opening themselves wide with a kind […]

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Pliny on leeks.

Pliny on leeks (Naturalis Historia 19.33): insigne quod, cum fimo lætoque solo gaudeat, rigua odit. et tamen proprietate quadam soli constant It is notable that while [the leek] enjoys manure and rich soil, it despises well-watered ground—and yet they endure it, when a certain distinctive property is in the soil. This one was difficult for […]

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Pyramids at Heracleopolis.

Pliny on the Labyrinth at Heracleopolis (Naturalis Historia 36.19) praeterea templa omnium Aegypti deorum contineat superque Nemesis XL aediculis incluserit pyramides complures quadragenarum ulnarum senas radice ἀρούρας optinentes. Additionally, it would contain temples of all the gods of Egypt, and of Nemesis as well; among its forty shrines it would have included many pyramids, each […]

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Pliny on soapstone.

Pliny on the stone of Siphnos (Naturalis Historia 36.44): In Siphnos lapis est, qui cavatur tornaturque in vasa vel coquendis cibis utilia vel ad esculentorum usus, quod et in Comensi Italiæ lapide viridi accidere scimus, sed in Siphnio singulare quod excalfactus oleo nigrescit durescitque natura mollissimus; tanta qualitatum differentia est. In Siphnos there is a […]

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"Absistere" in Caesar.

Caesar, invading Britain in 54 BC (De Bello Gallico 5.17): Sed meridie, cum Caesar pabulandi causa tres legiones atque omnem equitatum cum C. Trebonio legato misisset, repente ex omnibus partibus ad pabulatores advolaverunt, sic uti ab signis legionibusque non absisterent. But at noon, when Caesar had sent three legions and the whole cavalry to forage […]

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"Abolenda ignominia" in Livy.

Livy reporting the speech of a soldier (Ab Urbe Condita 25.6): Non solum a patria procul Italiaque sed ab hoste etiam relegati sumus, ubi senescamus in exsilio ne qua spes, ne qua occasio abolendæ ignominiæ, ne qua placandæ civium iræ, ne qua denique bene moriendi sit. Not only were we sent far away from our […]

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