Pliny on mirrors (Naturalis Historia 33.45): Plurimum refert concava sint et poculi modo an parmae Threcidicae, media depressa an elata, transversa an obliqua, supina an recta, qualitate excipientis figurae torquente venientes umbras. It matters greatly whether they are concave like a cup or like the Threx’s parma shield, whether they are lowered or raised in […]
Tagged 1st century, mirrors, Pliny, qualitas, translationPliny on kinds of oak trees (Naturalis Historia 16.6): Distinguemus ergo proprietate naturaque et, ubi res coget, etiam Graecis nominibus. Therefore we will distinguish them by their properties, their natures, and, when the occasion requires, also by their Greek names. Well, I’m not too happy with this rendition; it’s clunky. Not sure how to tidy […]
Tagged 1st century, Pliny, proprietas, translationCicero, In Verrem Secunda (1.28): Dionem HS deciens centena milia numerasse ut causam certissimam obtineret; praeterea greges equarum eius istum abigendos curasse, argenti, vestis stragulae quod fuerit curasse auferendum. Dio paid a million sesterces to win a case that should have been absolutely certain; furthermore, that man [Verres] made sure his herds of mares were […]
Tagged 1st century BC, abigo, Cicero, translationPliny on dangerous water (Naturalis Historia 31.19): Et haec insidiosa condicio est, quod quaedam etiam blandiuntur aspectu, ut ad Nonacrim Arcadiae, omnino nulla deterrent qualitate. There is also this treacherous circumstance, that some [poisonous waters] may even be enticing in appearance, as at Nonacris in Arcadia; they do not deter with any distinctive quality at […]
Tagged 1st century, Pliny, qualitas, translationPliny on pyramids again (Naturalis Historia 36.17): In pyramide maxima est intus puteus LXXXVI cubitorum; flumen illo admissum arbitrantur. In the largest pyramid, there is an eighty-six cubit well inside; it is thought the river is let in by it. There appears to be doubt as to how much the ancients knew of the interior […]
Tagged 1st century, Pliny, pyramis, translationCicero on Caesar (Ad Atticum 10.8): Duarum rerum simulationem tam cito amiserit, mansuetudinis in Metello, divitiarum in aerario. He had lost, so quickly, his claim to two things—to gentleness because of Metellus, and to riches because of the treasury. Julius Caesar, on returning to Rome in 49 BC, had promised large amounts of money to […]
Tagged 1913ese, 1st century BC, Cicero, translationCicero to Atticus (Ad Atticum 13.31): Obsecro, abiciamus ista et semiliberi saltem simus, quod adsequemur et tacendo et latendo. Please, let’s put these things aside, and be at least half free, which we can achieve by keeping quiet and lying low. I couldn’t reproduce the alliteration in semiliberi saltem simus ‘let us be at least […]
Tagged 1st century BC, abicio, alliteration, Cicero, translationPliny on alexanders (Naturalis Historia 27.109): Odor murrae habet qualitatem, unde et nomen. The smell has a myrrhy quality, whence also its name. The name of the plant is smyrnion ‘alexanders‘, which is a Greek diminutive from σμÏÏνα smyrna ‘myrrh’. The scientific name of the plant is the same (Smyrnium). The English name appears to […]
Tagged 1st century, alexanders, Pliny, qualitas, translationPliny is speaking of different kinds of fruit, their coverings, and the best parts of them (Naturalis Historia 15.34): In siliquis vero quod manditur quid nisi lignum est? non omittenda seminis earum proprietate: nam neque corpus nec lignum nec cartilago dici potest neque aliud nomen inveniat. In carob, indeed, what is eaten, except for the […]
Tagged 1st century, carob, Pliny, proprietas, translationPliny on earthquakes (Naturalis Historia 2.82): praecedit vero comitaturque terribilis sonus, alias murmuri similis, alias mugitibus aut clamori humano armorumve pulsantium fragori, pro qualitate materiae excipientis formaque vel cavernarum vel cuniculi, per quem meet Indeed, a terrifying noise goes before and along with it, sometimes a rumbling, sometimes like bellowing or human shouting or the […]
Tagged Pliny, qualitas, translation