QUESTIONS ARISING FROM 130th. MEETING – 28/12/21 (the record of earlier meetings can be downloaded from the main Circulus page as can the version of Ciceronis Filius with illustrations added. The illustrated text of Genesis is available on the Genesis page, of Kepler's Somnium on the Somnium page and of Nutting's Ad Alpes on the Ad Alpes page)
Dishes consumed included cicera arōmatica (chana masala), okrum arōmaticum (bhindi masala, `lady’s fingers’, okra with spices), caseus fervēns (sizzling paneer,), spināchia cum caseō(palak paneer, spinach with cheese), melongēna contūsa (baigan bharta, mashed aubergine/eggplant), īūs lentium (daal fry), agnīnamadrāsiāna (lamb Madras, i.e. a very strong lamb curry), agnīna cadaica, lamb kadai (lamb curry cooked in a traditional Indian pan), carō ruber ( rogan josh, Kashmiri-style lamb curry), mōmōnēs cum caseō (paneer momo, Tibetan- or Nepali--style dumplings filled with cheese), pānis Persicus (naan), parātha (paratha, a kind of flatbread ), orӯza (rice), washed down as usual with vīnum rubrum/sanguineum and, unexpectedly, cervisia alcēdinis (Kingfisher beer)
Daal fry, made with yellow Arhar daal is probably the most common lentil dish in India and regularly served with fast-food rice meals. We term this simply iūs lentium (`lentil soup’). It should be distinguished from iūs lentium butyrātum (literally `lentil soup with butter’, daal makhani),which is made from black (Urad) daal and which has been ordered more frequently at Circulus meetings. For more details on these and other varieties of daal see Adarsh Kamya’s answer on the Quora platform at https://www.quora.com/How-healthy-is-dal
Among the several varieties of lamb curry, lamb Kadai is so called from its preparation in a traditional Indian karahi or kadai, a pan rather like a wok but with a flat rather than curved bottom (see http://www.relishthebite.com/kadai-ghost-lamb-curry/ for the recipe and, for the cooking utensil, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karahi .) The disputed etymology of rogan josh was discussed in the record of our main February 2020 meeting (see https://linguae.weebly.com/conventus-feb-2020.html). The red colour is imparted by a dye from the root and flowers of arcanet and by a rather mild type of Kashmitoi chilly.
Paratha, is a flatbread, like naan but fried rather than baked and more flaky. For more details on the preparation methods see https://www.littleindiaofdenver.com/blog/paratha-vs-naan/ Etymologically, naan is simply the Persian word for bread in general, whilst paratha derives from Sanskrit पर, or परा+स्थः or स्थितः(par or parā plus stah or sthitah,` placed aside’)
We completed chapter XXXIX of Ad Alpēs and read to line 58 (in marī periērunt) in XL (see the text below). As this is the last chapter of the book, we discussed briefly what to read next.One possibility is Eutropius’s abridgement of Roman history from the city’s foundation to 364 A.D., for which John had already prepared translation and commentary, available at https://linguae.weebly.com/eutropius.html . Alternatives, all with similar support, would be extracts from Caesar’s De Bello Gallico (https://linguae.weebly.com/caesar.html ), which is Chris C.’s preference, the Cambridge Latin Anthology (https://www.cla.cambridgescp.com/home-cla), Johannes Kepler’s 17th century astronomical fantasy, Somnium (https://linguae.weebly.com/somnium.html) or Wheelock’s `Locī Immūtāti’, extracts from a number of authors collected as an appendix to his well-known textbook and, in John’s opinion, less dull than the exercises in the course itself. The Wheelock readings are not yet available on-line, but John, who is currently preparing a translation and commentary for another group, could send what is already completed to anybody wanting to see it. Finally, since we started reading Ad Alpēs in 2019 from chapter 15, we could go back first to look at the earlier chapters. However, at least one member of the Circulus has already read through these.
Rome’s legendary beginnings
The reading occasioned a discussion of the Equites (`Knights’), the Roman social class or `order’ just below the senators. As their name suggests, ther were originally the cavalry of the Roman state and had to be wealthy enough to pay for their own horse and equipment. They evolved later, however, into a class of financiers and traders who, under the late Republic, bid for contracts to collect taxes in the provinces. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equites) estimates the total combined strength of the senatorial and equestrian orders in the first century A.D. as under 10,000 out of the empire’s total population of around 60 million. It is unclear whether these figures include women and children, but John though the larger total did but that the 10,000 were probably males only. The senators could be seen to some extent as originally a sub-set of the Equites and uder the republic a senator’s children were probably counted as Equites, but the differentiation of the orders strengthened under Augustus’ principate (27 B.C. – 14 A.D.) and children and grandchildren may have remained part of the senatorial order so long as the most senior member of the family remained a senatos and the individuals themselves met the property qualification
The Wikipedia analysis seems reliable, since it is in line with what Mary Beard says and aslo with what John vaguely remembers from studying their status in detail fifty years ago! It also includes a useful table demonstrating how the wealthiest citizens, both senators and Equites, dominated the centuriate assembly which elected the most senior magistrates. However, the most authoritative recent survety may be Caillan Davenport’s A history of the Roman equestrian order(2018), which John has not yet seen and which is not mentioned in the Wikipedia article. A limited preview is available on Amazon, including the information that Pliny the Elder, who himself was an Eques, gave some details of the order’s history when discussing in his Naturalis Historia the gold ring which members more.
Ad Alpes also relates how the encyclopediast’s nephew, Pliny, on finding that citizens of his native Comum had to send their sons for education to a neighbouring town, asked Cūīr nōn hīc? (Why not here?) and offered to share with them the expense of establishing their own local school. Chris C. thought the question apposite for the many Hong Kong parents sending their children to schools in other countries and laso that it would be a good phrase to put on a T-shirt. Tanya was actually making a shirt with a slogan originally conceived in English by Ollie: Omnēs sumus saccī carnis sed aliqui nostrum linguam Latinam scīmus (`We’re all meat bags but some of us know Latin’). This has now been completed:
We mused over other possible slogans, including Nōn sum peregrinator, hīc habitō (perhaps not so relevant now the pandemic keeps the tourists away!) and Quō rēs mutantur, eō eaedem manent (the more things change, the more they remain the same). Widening the discussion slightly, John recalled the shirt mentioned in our December 2017 meeting, which combined the words鬼佬 with the equivalents in (South American) Spanish, Japanese (gaijin), Swahili and Thai (farang). He was, of course, outraged by the omission of Nepali कुईरे (kuire).
There was discussion of the distinction between nōn and haud, which has a similar menaing but is much less common and it was suggested that the latter perhaps showed surprise or exasperation. From the Lewis & Short entry, it appears haud had an emphatic quality (`not at all’, `by no means’) and in classical times used mostly with adverbs and infrequently with adjectives, pronouns or verbs. Cicero did, however, use it in two formulaic phrases haud dubitō (`I have no doubt’) and haud sciō an (I don’t know whether’.
It was also asked whether the use of ita and minimē to mean `yes’ and `no’ was post-classical. In fact ita was used this way both by Plautus and Terence at the start of the 2nd, century B.C. and by classicla aithous, though often paired with another word (e.g ita vērō, ita est etc.). similarly minimē as `not in the least’ is found both in the early dramatist. But again mainly with an accompanying word, e,g, minimē vērō in Cicero
We touched again on the subject of obscenity in Latin, both intended and unintended. Chris C frequently gets round the problem with Catullus 16 (Pedicābō et irrumabō...) by sternly telling students not to read it, thereby ensuring both that they do read it and that parenets have no grounds for complaint. There are also intra-lingual and interlingual pitfalls, such as `cunning linguist’ and Latin diū which, if the first vowel is a glide, can be confused with the Cantonese díu (`fuck’). Chris also mentioned confusion in Beijing in 2001 between words for `chicken meat’ and `prostitute’. This can also cause embarrassment in cantonese as the word `chicken’ (gaī) is slang for the latter word.
Eugene’s Hesiod text with linked recordings is now at https://linguae.weebly.com/hesiod.html (see the accont of the November meeting) and he suggested that the vocabulary for the extract which he compiled should be added, which has now been done. John also discussed with him the strange problem he has encountered with the Greek grave accent. Both on his PC and on his Surface lap top, this appears displaced to the right rather than vertically above the vowel it belongs to, However, it is correctly displayed John’s Android phone and on Eugene’s phone and office computer!on on grave accents rightly place on my site on his office computer and his phone!
Hilary expressed an interest in learning classical Greek and John showed her his own Greek resources page: https://linguae.weebly.com/res-graecae.html this includes links to videos and other resources on the internet and also PowerPoints covering the grammar required for the Intermediate Attic level in the National Classical League’s National Greek Exam. John has himself taught elementary Greek to a couple of students but Valerie Weston is the Circulus member with the most experience of teaching that language. She is unfortunately now staying in Singapore because of the obstacles to travel between the UK and Hong Kong but, depending on her schedule, is still able to offer tutition on-line. Her company website is
Chris C. can get by in around ten languages but gets confused between the weaker ones, though not with his strongest second languages, English and German. Growing up in South Africa, he was taught in his Afrikaans mother tongue at primary school, then had extensive exposure to English at lower secondary school before a renewed focus on Afrikaans at higher secondary level. John regularly confuses all his second languages, finding, for example, that Nepali words slip in from time to time when he is trying to speak Latin. He also mentioned his own experience in Beijing in 1990, when knowledge of English there was much less widespread than now, he was only able to order at one reatuaran near Tian An Men Square by writing the simplified character for `chicken’ (鸡). The one time he was sure he understood everything was when listening to an old man doing exercises on the hill behind the Forbidden City whilst counting in Putonghua up to 100.
We focussed briefly on words connected with spices. Cantonese has, in addition to辣m (laaht) for `(spicy) hot’ the word 麻辣 (maàh laaht) for `spicy and numbing’. Joe also introduced John top the Nepali word टिमुर (timura), a kind of pepper slightly different from the commoner मरिच (marich)
There was mention of the legendary French singer, Edith Piaff, and Lily quickly located a recording of `Non, je ne regettte rien’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88&feature=related). Lyrics for this and a number of her other songs, plus one or two by other French singers, and all accompanied by translations and video links are available at https://linguae.weebly.com/french.html The page was set up when John was still at Baptist Lui Ming Chois Secondary School and responsible, among other things, for organising brief introductions to French for the Europe Club.
Edith Piaff (1916-1963
With the new omicron Covid variant, there was a query on the pronunciation in Greek and English, Users of English are generally stressing the first syllable, as is done in Greek, and then naturally use as short `I’ in the secondysllable, again approximately correct, instead of substitutin the `ai/ dipgthong as in microscope tso, The Greek oword means simply `little o’, in contrast to omega (`big o’).
Like everybody else we noted that the Greek letter xi (actually pronounced `ksi’) had been skipped when WHO named omicron, so as to avoid embarrassment to Xi That Must Be Obeyed’. He could therefore also be nicknamed ` Xi That Must Be Avoided.’
Reverting to the Latin front, Chris C.kindly offered the services of his own school to tutors wanting to enter their own students for the National Latin Exam. John has in the past made use of various schools to accommodate his own students but this year has just two candidates, whose parents can act as home schoolers and register their sons for the on-line examination. Details of the NLE are available on their own site at https://www.nle.org/ John’s own NLE page (https://linguae.weebly.com/nle.html) needs revising to take account in the recent changes in the names of the various levels but the resources available there to assist in preparation remain useful
It transpired that Hilary and Sam were both keen debaters, with Sam being involved in organising debates for his own school. Many schools participate in debating competitions and Stan Dyer, who is, like John, a former NET, runs the Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debating Competition (details at https://www.hkssdebating.com/) as well as the Hong Kong Anthropological Society
Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) There was a brief discussion on famous last words. The league is perhaps topped by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, who heard a friend near his bedside whisper that he seemed to be recovering and replied `On the contrary’ before immediately expiring. See https://www.phrases.org.uk/famous-last-words/henrik-ibsen.html
Finally, Tanya mentioned a Russian functionary under Stalin who kept safe by lying low, and doing as little as possible. On Stalin’s death he drank champagne in private on Stalin’s death, he drank champagne in private. In contrast, emigrés in the USA were able to celebrate openly as shown in the photo below. Ukrainians abroad and nationalists in the Ukraine itself generally hold Stalin to blame specifically for the massive loss of life during foced collectivisation of agriculture in the 1930s.:
"Hahahae!" inquit Cornēlia. "Vēnātiōnem sānē facilem!" Ha-ha-ha said Cornelia hunting to-be-sure easy "Ipse, ut suspicor," inquit Pūblius, "litterīs magis quam vēnātiōnī studēbat. Dīcit saltem He-himself as I-suspect said Publius literature more than hunting was-keen-on he-says at-least sē prō lanceā stilum attulisse, ut, sī manūs vacuās, plēnōs tamen pugillārēs domum self in-place-of lance stylus to-have-brought so-that if hands empty full however tablets home reportāret. Addit quoque animum mīrābiliter mōtū corporis excitārī, ac 100 silvās et he-would-bring-back he-adds also mind remarkably by-movment of-body to-be-aroused and woods and sōlitūdinem vēnātiōnī datam magna cōgitātiōnis incitāmenta esse. Quārē adfirmat nōn isolation to-hunting incidental great of-thought encouragements to-be so he-claims not Diānam magis in montibus quam Minervam errāre." Diana more in mountains than Minerva to-wander "Hoc haud intellegō," inquit Cornēlia. "Cēnsēbatne hodiē deās ipsās in montibus This not I-understand said Cornelia did-he-think today goddesses themselves in mountains vagārī?" 105 to-roam "Nūllō modō," inquit māter. "Diāna vēnātiōnī studet, Minerva autem artium In-no way said mother Diana on-hunting is-keen Minerva however of-arts litterārumque est cultrīx. Plīnius igitur vult dīcere nōn modo vēnātōrēs sed etiam scrīptōrēs in and-literature is cultivator Pliny therefore means to-say not only hunters but also writers in montibus loca ad operam suam ēdendam apta invenīre posse." 110 hills places for work there carrying-out suitable to-find to-be-able "Ego quidem metuō," inquit Pūblius, "nē ille interdum ostentātiōnis causā nōnnūlla I indeed fear said Publius that he sometimes of-showing-off for-sake-of some-things fēcerit. Nam fortasse meministis eum, cum adulēscēns Mīsēnī cum mātre relictus esset, did for perhaps you-remember him when youngster at-Misenum with mother left had-been librum Titī Līvī in āreā lēgisse, cum cēterī, ignibus ē Vesuviō relūcentibus perterritī, ex book of-Titus Livius [Livy] in yard to-have-read while others by-fires from Vesuvius shining terrified from oppidō undique fugerent.[1] 115 town on-all-sides were-fleeing "Quaedam autem perūtilia certē ab illō excōgitāta sunt. Velut eō auctōre Cōmēnsēs Certain-things however very-useful certainly by-him thought=up were For-example on-his initiative Comians lūdum aperuērunt. Nam ōlim Comī, cum ad eum salūtātum vēnisset cuiusdam vīcīnī fīlius school opened for once at-Comum when to him for-greeting had-come of-a-certain neighbour son praetextātus,[2] puerum rogāvit ubi studēret. Ille autem respondit: 'Mediolānī.' 120 wearing-toga-of-childhood boy he-asked where he-studied he then answered in-Mediolanum [Milan]
" 'Cūr nōn hīc?' inquit Plīnius. Why not here asked Pliny "Tum pater puerī, quī forte aderat: 'Quod nūllōs hīc praeceptōrēs habēmus.' Then father of-boy who by-chance was-there because no here teachers we-have "Opportūnē accidit ut complūrēs patrēs audīrent, et Plīnius: 'Quārē nūllōs?' inquit. Luckily it-happened that several fathers were-listening and Pliny why none asked 'Quantō melius sit līberōs vestrōs hīc 125 potissimum discere! Quid sī ad praeceptōrēs How-much better it-would-be children your here of-all-places to-learn what if for teachers condūcendōs pecūniam cōnferātis omnem, quam nunc in habitātiōnēs, in viātica, in ea quae being-hired money you-put-together all which now on lodgings on-travel-expenses on things which peregrē emuntur, impenditis?' out-of-town are-bought you-spend "Nē longum sit,[1] Plīnius pollicitus est sē ipsum datūrum tertiam partem eius, quod Lest long it-be Pliny promised himself going-to-give third part of-that which cēterīs placēret. Tōtum enim ipse 130 dare nōluit, quod exīstimābat parentēs, sī partem to-the-others pleased whole for himself to-give he-did-not-want because he-reckoned parents if part mūneris sustinērent, maiōre cūrā praeceptōrēs ēlēctūrōs esse."[2] of-burden bore with-greater care teachers going-to-choose to-be Viātōrēs, cum haec et tālia inter sē loquerentur, celeriter prōgrediēbantur; ac sub Traveller while these and such-things among-themselves were-discussing quickly were-making-progress and towards vesperum Cōmum tandem perventum est, ubi Cornēlī frāter grātissimō hospitiō eōs accēpit. evening to Comum at-last reached it-was where Cornelius’s brother with-most-pleasing hospitality them receive
CAPUT XL
Dum Placentiā Pūblius cum cēterīs Cōmum versus iter facit, Cornēlius et Onēsimus ad While from-Placentia Publius with the-rest Comum towards journey makes Cornelius and Onesimus towards saltum Penīnum[3] contendēbant. pass Pennine were-hurrying Prīmō diē, ut Drūsilla vērē coniēcerat, Tīcīnum sub vesperum pervēnērunt, ac postrīdiē On-first day as Drusilla rightly had-guessed Ticunum towards evening they-reaached and next-day
NOTES [1] `to cut a long story short’. [2] Pliny describes this incident in Letters IV.13. William Harris, in his Ancient Literacy ( pg.42 ) cites the story as showing how sporadic the provision of education was at this time. Harris’ s estimate that only 5-10% of the population were literate is regarded by many scholars as too low. [3] The Pennine Alps is a section of the Alpine range between Valais in Switzerland and Piedmont in Italy. It includes the Matterhorn, Mt. Blanc and the Great St Bernard Pass through which ran the road Cornelius was following. His route has been largely superseded by the opening of the Great St Bernard tunnel in 1964. The name Pen(n)īnus, like that of the Pennine hills in Britain, derives from the Celtic pen(n), `summit’
Vercellās[1] usque prōgressī sunt, cuius oppidī fāma semper vigēbit propter proelium haud Vercellae as-far-as advanced of-which town fame always will-be-undimmed because-of battle not procul inde 5 commissum, quō Cimbrī ā Mariō et Catulō[2] dēvictī sunt et Ītalia dēmum far from-there fought at-which Cimbri by Marius and Catulus defeated were and Italy finally vastātiōnis metū līberāta est. of-devastation from-fear freed was Ibi eīs occurrit M. Celsus, eques Rōmānus, ē Galliā domum rediēns; quem Cornēlius There them ran-into Marcus Celsus knight Roman from Gaul home returning whom Cornelius summō gaudiō aspexit. Nam ōlim fuerat familiāris grātissimus, ac iam erat idōneus, cui 10 ad with-greatest joy saw for once he-had-been friend very-dear and now was suitable to-whom to Drūsillam litterae darentur. Drusilla letter might-be-given Libenter ambō ad eundem caupōnem dēvertērunt. Ubi cum multa dē temporibus prīstīnīs Gladly both at same inn went-to-stay there when many-things about times former inter sē locūtī essent, Cornēlius paulisper sēcessit, ut litterās ad Drūsillam cōnficeret; between themselves spoken they-had Cornelius a-short-while withdrew so-that letter to Drusilla he-could-finish tum, cēnā adpositā, ad amīcum sē rettulit.15 then withdinner served to friend self he-took-back Interim ad caupōnem eundem dēverterat viātor alius, homō rūsticō cultū[3], quī suā Meanwhile at inn same had-come-to-stay traveller other man with-country dress who of-own sponte omnēs certiōrēs faciēbat sē modo rūre prōfectum ad oppidum Placentiam accord all aware was-making self just-before from-countryside having-set-out to town Placentia tendere, neque anteā domō tam longē umquam iter fēcisse. to-be-heading and-not before from-home so far ever journey had-made Quō audītō, familiārī suō Cornēlius: "Crēdō hercle," inquit, 20 "nōn sine comite tē With-which heard to-friend his Cornelius I-believe by-heaven said not without companion you crās iter factūrum." tomorrow journey going-to-make "Vereor nē vēra loquāris," inquit Celsus; "et vellem fortūna mihi comitem aliquantō I-fear lest truth you-speak said Cesus and I-would-wish fortune to-me comrade a-little
NOTES [1] Vercellae (modern Vercelli) was founded around 600 B.C. by a Ligurian tribe. It lies on the river Sesia, a left-bank tributary of the Po and is the centre of a rice-growing area. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vercelli [2] Between 113 and 101 B.C. Italy was threatened by the Cimbri and Teutones, Germanic tribes migrating from northern Europe. After a succession of Roman defeats, Marius, victor of the war against Jugurtha in North Africa was given command, holding successive consulships from 104 B.C. onwards and defeating the Teutones and their recently-acquired allies the Ambrones at Aquae Sextae in southern Gaul in 102 and the Cimbri at Vercellae in 101. Marius’s co-consusl, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, played a subsidiary role (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimbrian_War for further details).To meet the emergency Marius had made major reforms to the army, including opening up recruitment to landless citizens. [3]cultus, -ūs m can mean `culture’ or `civilisation’ as well as `dress’.
hūmāniōrem dedisset. Sed hominem adeāmus, sī forte nōbīscum colloquī velit." more-civilised had-given but the-man let-us-approach in case with-us to-converse he-may-wish Quae cum dīxisset, ad rūsticum accessit, et : "Audiō," inquit 25 "tē crās Placentiam Which when he-had-said to countryman he-went-up and I-hear said you tomorrow Placentia versus iter factūrum esse. Ego quoque eōdem tendō, ac fortasse ūnā iter facere towards journey going-to-make to-be I also to-same-place am-heading and perhaps together journey to-make poterimus." we-will-be-able "Benignē facis," inquit rūsticus, "cum ita loqueris; ac tibi grātiam maximam habeō. Nam Kindly you-do said countryman when thus you-speak and to-you gratitude greatest I-have for illa loca longinqua mihi omnīnō 30 ignōta sunt, neque adhūc tam longē domō umquam abīre those places distant to-me altogether unknown are and-not till-now so far from-home ever to-be-away ausus sum." dared I-have "Nōlī timēre," inquit Celsus. "Omnia tibi fēlīciter ēvenient. Ac nunc, cum lūmina Don’t be-afraid said Celsus all-things for-you happily will-turn-out and now since lights accēnsa sint, fortasse nōbīscum sedēbis, ut sermōne variō noctem prōdūcāmus." lit have-been perhaps with-us you-will-sit so-that with-conversation various night we-may-prolong 35 "Fīat," inquit ille. "Nam rūrī sermōnibus maximē dēlectāmur, ubi opus diurnum So-let-it -be-done said he for in-the-country by-conversations very-greatly we-are-delighted when work daily cōnfectum est." finished has-been "Nūlla est causā," inquit Cornēlius, "cūr tē vītae rūsticōrum pudeat. Nam, ut aiunt, No there-is reason said Cornelius why you of-life of-country-folk shame- should-affect for as they-say 'Saepe est etiam sub palliolō sordidō sapientia.' "[1] 40 Often is also under cloak dirty wisdom "Nihil hōc vērius est," inquit Celsus. "Quam ob rem, nisi molestum est, aliquam Nothing than-this truer is said Celsus which for reason unless troublesome it-is some quaestiōnem ad philosophiam pertinentem nunc tractēmus." " question to philosophy pertaining now let-us-discuss Quantum ad mē attinet," inquit rūsticus, "nihil acceptius esse potest." 45 As-far-as to me it-relates said countryman nothing more-acceptable to-be can "Saepe sermōnibus interful," inquit Cornēlius, "cum dē somniīs disputābātur, utrum Often in-conversations I-have-been said Cornelius when about dreams there was-discussion whether eīs fidēs habenda esset necne. Dē hōc, sī vultis, disceptēmus." in-them faith to-be-had was or-not about this if you—wish let-us-have-a-discussion "Mē lubente fīet," inquit Celsus; "nam etsī multōs dē hōc disputantēs audīvī, adhūc rēs With-me willing it-will-be-done said Celsus for although many about this arguing I-have-heard still matter
NOTES [1] Proverb quoted by Cicero, Tusulan Disputations, 3.23.56
mihi in ambiguō esse vidētur. Sed tū incipe, Cornēlī, sī vīs." 50 to-me in unsettled-condition to-be it-seems but you begin Cormelius if you-will At ille: "Nōtissimum est Simōnidīs[1] somnium. Memoriae enim trāditum est eum ōlim And he very-well-known is of-Simonides dream to-memory for handed-down it-has-been him once ignōtum quendam prōiectum mortuum vīdisse; cumque corpus sepelīvisset atque nāvem unknown-person a-certain thrown-down dead to-have-seen and-when body he-had-buried and ship cōnscendere ipse in animō habēret, ab eō, quem sepultūrā adfēcerat, in somnīs monērī vīsum to-board himself in mind had by him whom with-burial he-had-provided in dream tobe-warned seemed- esse, nē id faceret; nam sī illō tempore 55 nāvigāsset, naufragiō eum esse peritūrum. to-have that-not it he-should-do for if at-that time he-sailed in-shipwreck him to-be going-to-perish "Hōc somniō dēterritus, Simōnidēs diem profectiōnis distulit; cēterī autem, quī tum By-this dream deterred Simonides day of-departure postponed others however who then nāvigāverant, in marī periērunt." had-sailed in sea perished
NOTES [1] Simonides of Ceos, c. 556-468 B.C., a lyric poet best-known for his epitaph on the Spartan dead at Thermopylae (see chapter 30). The story of his dream is told by Valerius Maximus in his Facta et Dicta Memorabilia (`Memorable Deeds and Sayings’), 1.7.ext.3, written during the reign of Teberius (14-37 A.D.) The text and translation are given on the Sententiae Antiquae site. Simonides epigram thanking the man he buried may be this one in the Greek Anthology (7.77): Οὗτος ὁ τοῦ Κείοιο Σιμωνίδεω ἐστὶ σαωτήρ, ὃς καὶ τεθνηὼς ζῶντ᾿ ἀπέδωκε χάριν. (“This is the savior of Keian Simonides, A man who although dead paid thanks to the living.”)