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{ Tag Archives } Pliny

The bovine sound of earthquakes.

Pliny 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 […]

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2008 02 25 Muke Latin Comments (0)

Lapicidinae and lapidicinae.

Pliny on pyramids again (Naturalis Historia 36.17) Pyramis amplissima ex Arabicis lapicidinis constat. The largest pyramid is made from the Arabian quarries. This is just about short enough to go without much comment except on the word lapicidinae ‘quarry/quarries’. This word is also found spelled lapidicinae, as indeed some copies of this text have it. […]

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2008 02 20 Muke Latin Comments (0)