Ad Marcus Caesarem et invicem, liber iiI - Commentary
Epistula 3.13
ὀνοματοποιεῖν: Greek infinitive, here subjective with necessarium est. This is not onomatopoeia in the modern sense. ὀνοματοποιεῖν is a combination of ὀνομα (name/word) and ποιεῖν (make), equivalent to the Latin phrase with which Marcus Aurelius defines it: verba nova fingere. In general terms, it describes the poetic license to create new words.
ad gaudium meum expromendum: gerundive of purpose. Translate as “for the purpose of + ____ing + accusative objective”.
laetius gaudeo quam ut . . . possim: “I rejoice too joyfully to be able…” Quam ut can be used with a comparative (e.g., laetius) to create a type of result clause with a subjunctive verb (possim). For more, see Allen and Greenough §535c.
epistulas scriptas [esse] . . . conpositas [esse]: In his excitement and joy at receiving letters from Fronto, Marcus Aurelius launches into a exclamatory statement featuring the exclamatory infinitives scriptas esse and conpositas esse. Both infinitives take the subjective accusative epistulas (Allen and Greenough §462).
fraglanter: adv., “fragrantly”.
distringere: from distringo, distringere, “to distract / occupy one’s time”.
vel: “even”.
desidiae: from desidia, ae, f., “laziness”.
proposueram vel desidiae culpam a te subire: “I had resolved to approach your charge of laziness”. subire is an infinitive in substantive clause of purpose with proposueram (Allen and Greenough §563d).
scribendo: Ablative of cause.
potius quam: “rather than”.
onorarem . . . provocarem: imperfect subjunctives in an indirect command / substantive clause of purpose with proposueram (Allen and Greenough §563d).
quom = cum
ὀνοματοποιίας opus est: “There is need for onomatopoeia.” Opus est always takes an ablative in Latin. However, since Greek does not have an ablative, Fronto substitutes the Greek genitive ὀνοματοποιίας, which does syntactical work similar to the Latin ablative.
quod: accusative of specification. Translate here as “a reason for which”.
cur: “on account of which”. Although cur typically is translated as “why”, oftentimes it has the same meaning as propter quod. Cf. Cic. Fam. 2.16.10: quid ergo accidit, cur consilium mutarem?; Tacitus, Annales 6.4: consules invasit, cur silerent; Pliny, Epistle 3.5.16: me correptum ab eo, cur ambularem.
oneris: genitive of onus, oneris, n. functioning here as a Genitive of Quality / Value. Hout has it as a genitive proprietatis: “to be a question of trouble”.
quo . . . tanto: “the extent to which . . . to that extent”. Ablatives of Degree of Difference (Allen and Greenough §414a).
fructus: “delight” (Haines).
situs est: from sino, sinere, sinui, situs, “to allow, permit / be situated, located”. Here, the latter definition is preferred.
proficiscerere: 2nd, singular, imperfect, deponent, subjunctive from proficiscor, proficisci. Deponent imperfect subjunctives are formed by creating a present active infinitive form (proficiscere) and attaching deponent endings to it (-re). The –re ending is a syncopated form of the normal –ris ending.
salutantium et exosculantium: “of those greeting and kissing”. Both salutantium and exosculantium are present participles functioning as substantives.
cum profiscerere . . . cum iam pater tuus . . . moraretur: These three clauses combine to create two conditional relative clauses (cum . . . cum . . .) and the apodosis of a present contrary-to-fact condition (te . . . turba . . . moraretur). Translate them as: “whenever . . . whenever . . . a crowd would delay you”. For more, see Allen and Greenough §542.
in ceteris aliis rebus omnibus: “in all other things” (Haines). Hout remarks that Fronto is the first to use “this abundant expression”.
commoda: “convenience” (Haines).
utilitatibus: “interests” (Haines).
quin: Older translations would translate quin here as “nay verily”. The more modern “truly” works here as well.
redimam: from redimo, redimere, “to purchase/buy back”.
quom = cum
delicias suas: “his beloved”. From deliciae, arum, f. This is a typical elegiac word used to describe the object of a lover’s affection. Fronto here seems to be equating Marcus Aurelius with his beloved (cf. Fronto, Epistulae Graecae 7).
videat: subjunctive in a qui-clause of characteristic (Allen and Greenough §534-535).
simul . . . simul: “at the same time . . . as”.
histrionibus: from histrio, histrionis, m., “actor”.
ubi amans . . . opperitur: A highly poetic line filled with synchesis and hyperbaton. A more straightforward word order would be: ubi amans puella, stans in turri, amantem iuvenem, natantem in mare, nocte [et] lumine accenso opperitur. Most editors argue that this line refers to the famous story of Hero and Leander. Cf. Ovid, Heroides 18 and 19.
opperitur: from opperior, i, “to wait”.
tametsi: “and yet”.
ad hoc noctis: “at this moment of night” (Hout).
tantum profundi: “such an expanse of sea”. Fronto here uses the poetic meaning of ‘the depths [of the sea]’ for profundum. Ovid, Heroides 18.89 also uses this metaphor in his handling of the Hero and Leander story.
interemat: archaic spelling of interimo, interimere, “to destroy”.
quid: Hout has this as an adverbial accusative. Translate as “somehow”.
inpliciscare: from inplicisco, inpliciscare, “to become entangled”. Here, the infinitive is operating in an accusative-infinitive construction with an understood te.
vadus: archaic 4th declension form of the classical vadum, i, n., “shallows”.
noxsit: archaic perfect subjunctive from noceo, nocere, “to injure, hurt”.
alieno capitali periculo: “at another’s capital punishment / death”. Ablative of Price or Exchange (Allen and Greenough §417b). The phrase periculum capitale is only found twice in extant Latin literature: Plautus, Rudens 349 (capitalique ex periculo) and Trinummus 1088 (captali periclo). Cf. also Plautus, Mostellaria 475: capitale scelu’ factumst.
usuram: from usura, ae, f., “an enjoyment”.
paenitendam: gerundive of paeniteo. Translate as “regrettable” or “ought to be regretted”.
id: Hout identifies this as an adverbial accusative. However, it can be translated more simply as the object of anxius eram: “this thing [in particular] I was not a little anxious about, namely that…”. Anxius then introduces a substantive clause started by ne.
insuper: adv., “in addition, moreover”.
munere: from munus, muneris, n., “duty, office”.
ne . . . quidem: tmesis of nequidem. Translate with minimum as: “even the smallest”.
voluptatis meae gratia: gratia + ablative = “for the sake of”.
ὀνοματοποιεῖν: Greek infinitive, here subjective with necessarium est. This is not onomatopoeia in the modern sense. ὀνοματοποιεῖν is a combination of ὀνομα (name/word) and ποιεῖν (make), equivalent to the Latin phrase with which Marcus Aurelius defines it: verba nova fingere. In general terms, it describes the poetic license to create new words.
ad gaudium meum expromendum: gerundive of purpose. Translate as “for the purpose of + ____ing + accusative objective”.
laetius gaudeo quam ut . . . possim: “I rejoice too joyfully to be able…” Quam ut can be used with a comparative (e.g., laetius) to create a type of result clause with a subjunctive verb (possim). For more, see Allen and Greenough §535c.
epistulas scriptas [esse] . . . conpositas [esse]: In his excitement and joy at receiving letters from Fronto, Marcus Aurelius launches into a exclamatory statement featuring the exclamatory infinitives scriptas esse and conpositas esse. Both infinitives take the subjective accusative epistulas (Allen and Greenough §462).
fraglanter: adv., “fragrantly”.
distringere: from distringo, distringere, “to distract / occupy one’s time”.
vel: “even”.
desidiae: from desidia, ae, f., “laziness”.
proposueram vel desidiae culpam a te subire: “I had resolved to approach your charge of laziness”. subire is an infinitive in substantive clause of purpose with proposueram (Allen and Greenough §563d).
scribendo: Ablative of cause.
potius quam: “rather than”.
onorarem . . . provocarem: imperfect subjunctives in an indirect command / substantive clause of purpose with proposueram (Allen and Greenough §563d).
quom = cum
ὀνοματοποιίας opus est: “There is need for onomatopoeia.” Opus est always takes an ablative in Latin. However, since Greek does not have an ablative, Fronto substitutes the Greek genitive ὀνοματοποιίας, which does syntactical work similar to the Latin ablative.
quod: accusative of specification. Translate here as “a reason for which”.
cur: “on account of which”. Although cur typically is translated as “why”, oftentimes it has the same meaning as propter quod. Cf. Cic. Fam. 2.16.10: quid ergo accidit, cur consilium mutarem?; Tacitus, Annales 6.4: consules invasit, cur silerent; Pliny, Epistle 3.5.16: me correptum ab eo, cur ambularem.
oneris: genitive of onus, oneris, n. functioning here as a Genitive of Quality / Value. Hout has it as a genitive proprietatis: “to be a question of trouble”.
quo . . . tanto: “the extent to which . . . to that extent”. Ablatives of Degree of Difference (Allen and Greenough §414a).
fructus: “delight” (Haines).
situs est: from sino, sinere, sinui, situs, “to allow, permit / be situated, located”. Here, the latter definition is preferred.
proficiscerere: 2nd, singular, imperfect, deponent, subjunctive from proficiscor, proficisci. Deponent imperfect subjunctives are formed by creating a present active infinitive form (proficiscere) and attaching deponent endings to it (-re). The –re ending is a syncopated form of the normal –ris ending.
salutantium et exosculantium: “of those greeting and kissing”. Both salutantium and exosculantium are present participles functioning as substantives.
cum profiscerere . . . cum iam pater tuus . . . moraretur: These three clauses combine to create two conditional relative clauses (cum . . . cum . . .) and the apodosis of a present contrary-to-fact condition (te . . . turba . . . moraretur). Translate them as: “whenever . . . whenever . . . a crowd would delay you”. For more, see Allen and Greenough §542.
in ceteris aliis rebus omnibus: “in all other things” (Haines). Hout remarks that Fronto is the first to use “this abundant expression”.
commoda: “convenience” (Haines).
utilitatibus: “interests” (Haines).
quin: Older translations would translate quin here as “nay verily”. The more modern “truly” works here as well.
redimam: from redimo, redimere, “to purchase/buy back”.
quom = cum
delicias suas: “his beloved”. From deliciae, arum, f. This is a typical elegiac word used to describe the object of a lover’s affection. Fronto here seems to be equating Marcus Aurelius with his beloved (cf. Fronto, Epistulae Graecae 7).
videat: subjunctive in a qui-clause of characteristic (Allen and Greenough §534-535).
simul . . . simul: “at the same time . . . as”.
histrionibus: from histrio, histrionis, m., “actor”.
ubi amans . . . opperitur: A highly poetic line filled with synchesis and hyperbaton. A more straightforward word order would be: ubi amans puella, stans in turri, amantem iuvenem, natantem in mare, nocte [et] lumine accenso opperitur. Most editors argue that this line refers to the famous story of Hero and Leander. Cf. Ovid, Heroides 18 and 19.
opperitur: from opperior, i, “to wait”.
tametsi: “and yet”.
ad hoc noctis: “at this moment of night” (Hout).
tantum profundi: “such an expanse of sea”. Fronto here uses the poetic meaning of ‘the depths [of the sea]’ for profundum. Ovid, Heroides 18.89 also uses this metaphor in his handling of the Hero and Leander story.
interemat: archaic spelling of interimo, interimere, “to destroy”.
quid: Hout has this as an adverbial accusative. Translate as “somehow”.
inpliciscare: from inplicisco, inpliciscare, “to become entangled”. Here, the infinitive is operating in an accusative-infinitive construction with an understood te.
vadus: archaic 4th declension form of the classical vadum, i, n., “shallows”.
noxsit: archaic perfect subjunctive from noceo, nocere, “to injure, hurt”.
alieno capitali periculo: “at another’s capital punishment / death”. Ablative of Price or Exchange (Allen and Greenough §417b). The phrase periculum capitale is only found twice in extant Latin literature: Plautus, Rudens 349 (capitalique ex periculo) and Trinummus 1088 (captali periclo). Cf. also Plautus, Mostellaria 475: capitale scelu’ factumst.
usuram: from usura, ae, f., “an enjoyment”.
paenitendam: gerundive of paeniteo. Translate as “regrettable” or “ought to be regretted”.
id: Hout identifies this as an adverbial accusative. However, it can be translated more simply as the object of anxius eram: “this thing [in particular] I was not a little anxious about, namely that…”. Anxius then introduces a substantive clause started by ne.
insuper: adv., “in addition, moreover”.
munere: from munus, muneris, n., “duty, office”.
ne . . . quidem: tmesis of nequidem. Translate with minimum as: “even the smallest”.
voluptatis meae gratia: gratia + ablative = “for the sake of”.