epistulae graecae - Commentary
Epistula Graeca 7
Have = ave, an informal greeting akin to “hail!” or “salutations!”.
mi: irregular vocative of the adjective meus, a, um.
age, perge: “C’mon! Do it!” Two imperatives start this letter, daring Fronto to take action.
comminare: present, deponent, imperative from comminor, “threaten”.
globis: from globus, i, m., “ball, globe, a globular mass”. Here, it is closer in meaning to “a bunch”. Hout (1999) states that M. Aurelius is the first to use globus for immaterial things.
criminare: present, deponent, imperative from criminor, “accuse”. Notice the alliteration created with comminare (above).
erasten: “lover”. Greek accusative singular. This Latin transliteration of the Athenian ἐραστής is only instance of this transliterated term in Latin literature. The traditional Athenian ἐραστής was the older participant in a pederastic relationship. He typically provided his beloved with gifts or networking opportunities in return for sexual favors.
quo = quod. Translate as “because”. Here, the function of quo seems to be related to an ablative of cause.
minus amantibus magis opitulandum ac largiendum esse: “those who love less should be helped out and lavished with more” (Richlin). This clause features fairly complex grammar: minus amantibus functions as a dative of reference/advantage; opitulandum [esse] and largiendum esse are both periphrastic infinitives controlled by the main verb adprobaris; magis modifies both of the periphrastic infinitives. Literally, this clause reads: “[you argue] that it ought to be more helpful to and more lavished upon those who love less”.
dogmate: from dogma, dogmatis, n., “doctrine, dogma”.
magis: construe with opportunus and promptus: “more available and more willing”. This use of magis in place of the Classical comparative is typical of Fronto’s correspondence.
ceterum: adv., “As for the rest”.
sensum densitatem: “the close packing of ideas” (Haines).
inventionis argutiam: “the subtleties of invective”. Inventio is the branch of rhetoric dealing with crafting argumentation. Cf. Rhetorica ad Herennium 1.3: Inventio est excogitatio rerum verarum aut veri similium, quae causam probabilem reddant.
aemulationis tuae felicitatem: “your successful imitation” (Hout).
sibi: construe with placentis: “those pleasing to themselves”. Haines suggests “self-satisfying”.
Atticos: “Atticists”. This is not referring to the citizens of Attica. Instead, it references a group of literary critics and rhetoricians who favored a severe, simple style of writing. Generally speaking, Latin stylists were divided into two groups: the Asianists and the Atticists. Atticists favored a severe, simple style of writing; the Asianists (including Cicero) an ornate, complex style. Marcus Aurelius’ comment pokes fun at Fronto for out-Atticizing the Atticists with his terse style.
nequeo quin dicam: “I can’t help but say [it]”. This archaic phrasing is prevalent in Early Latin. Grammatically, it equates to a quin-substantive clause built off of the main verb nequeo. Literally: “I am not able but that I speak.” For more on this construction, see Bennett, Syntax of Early Latin p. 246ff and Scheller, A Copious Latin Grammar, Vol. 2 p. 203ff. Cf. also Plautus, Miles Gloriosus 1342: nequeo quin fleam, “I cannot help but cry”; Terence, Hecyra 385: nequeo quin lacrumem, “I cannot help but weep”; Plautus, Trinummus 705: non enim possum quin exclamam, “I cannot help but exclaim”.
victoris = victoriis.
τῶν ἐρωμένων: “over the beloveds”. Greek genitive plural. Here, the genitive is objective, as the beloveds are the object of the victories. Related to the ἐραστής above, the ἐρωμένος was the younger participant in a pederastic relationship. He typically provided his lover with sexual favors in return for gifts or networking opportunities.
praestabilius: comparative neuter adjective from praestabilis, e, “excellent, outstanding”. Supply est: “Is it more outstanding . . .”
laquearibus: from laquear, aris, n., “a paneled ceiling”.
platanis: from platanus, i, m., “plant tree”.
pomerium: The pomerium was the sacred space left free around buildings or the walls of a city. Hout argues that pomerium is identical with murus in everyday language.
delicieis: “delights”.
Lai: ablative, singular of the name Lais. Lais is a stock name for a meretrix in New Comedy and was also a famous Athenian female prostitute. Typically, the abode of the meretrix was one of the houses neighboring that of the protagonist adulescens or senex on the stage.
reteiaclari: “make a cast” (Haines). A hapax legomenon that Hout identifies as a colloquialism derived from retiaculum, a hunting net.
Lysia: The text here is uncertain. Editors from Hauler to Haines have suggested Lai ista “With Lais herself. Sheppard has suggested Lysia instead. More recent editors (Hout and Richlin) have accepted Sheppard’s emendation. Lysias was one of the most popular Athenian orators in the 5th c. BCE. As Hout points out, the point of this reference is that Marcus Aurelius is uncertain because “as an orator Fronto stressed the importance of Lysias and rhetoric, and as a magister he cautioned against Plato and philosophy” (559).
dogma: from dogma, dogmatis, n., “doctrine, dogma”.
temere: adv., “heedlessly, thoughtlessly”.
revera: “in fact”. This is properly the ablative phrase re vera.
Phaeder: According to Diogenes Laertius (Lives of the Philosophers 3.29, 31), Phaedrus was rumored to have been one of Plato’s ἐρωμένοι. If that is true, Marcus Aurelius is intentionally casting himself as the older ἐραστής and Fronto as the younger ἐρωμένος. This may speak to the ambiguous power dynamic in the relationship. Although Marcus is younger, he is also of a higher status than Fronto. In such a situation, who is to play the ἐραστής? Or are we oversimplifying the situation by closely adhering to a binary.
magis: construe with desiderio: “with more desire”. This use of magis in place of the Classical comparative is typical of Fronto’s correspondence.
arsisse: perfect active infinitive from ardeo, ere. Construe as an indirect statement with Socraten and controlled by adiuravero: “I will have not affirmed that thoughtlessly: namely that Socrates burned . . .”
ne ille Diona esset quin tantum amet – nisi confestim tuo amore corripitur: “That letter of yours has made it that he would not be a Dion to love you so much – unless he is immediately snatched by love of you.” This line is uncertain and is barely legible in the manuscript. Like Phaedrus above, Dion is also identified as one of Plato’s ἐρωμένοι by Diogenes Laertius (Lives of the Philosophers 3.29-30).
Have = ave, an informal greeting akin to “hail!” or “salutations!”.
mi: irregular vocative of the adjective meus, a, um.
age, perge: “C’mon! Do it!” Two imperatives start this letter, daring Fronto to take action.
comminare: present, deponent, imperative from comminor, “threaten”.
globis: from globus, i, m., “ball, globe, a globular mass”. Here, it is closer in meaning to “a bunch”. Hout (1999) states that M. Aurelius is the first to use globus for immaterial things.
criminare: present, deponent, imperative from criminor, “accuse”. Notice the alliteration created with comminare (above).
erasten: “lover”. Greek accusative singular. This Latin transliteration of the Athenian ἐραστής is only instance of this transliterated term in Latin literature. The traditional Athenian ἐραστής was the older participant in a pederastic relationship. He typically provided his beloved with gifts or networking opportunities in return for sexual favors.
quo = quod. Translate as “because”. Here, the function of quo seems to be related to an ablative of cause.
minus amantibus magis opitulandum ac largiendum esse: “those who love less should be helped out and lavished with more” (Richlin). This clause features fairly complex grammar: minus amantibus functions as a dative of reference/advantage; opitulandum [esse] and largiendum esse are both periphrastic infinitives controlled by the main verb adprobaris; magis modifies both of the periphrastic infinitives. Literally, this clause reads: “[you argue] that it ought to be more helpful to and more lavished upon those who love less”.
dogmate: from dogma, dogmatis, n., “doctrine, dogma”.
magis: construe with opportunus and promptus: “more available and more willing”. This use of magis in place of the Classical comparative is typical of Fronto’s correspondence.
ceterum: adv., “As for the rest”.
sensum densitatem: “the close packing of ideas” (Haines).
inventionis argutiam: “the subtleties of invective”. Inventio is the branch of rhetoric dealing with crafting argumentation. Cf. Rhetorica ad Herennium 1.3: Inventio est excogitatio rerum verarum aut veri similium, quae causam probabilem reddant.
aemulationis tuae felicitatem: “your successful imitation” (Hout).
sibi: construe with placentis: “those pleasing to themselves”. Haines suggests “self-satisfying”.
Atticos: “Atticists”. This is not referring to the citizens of Attica. Instead, it references a group of literary critics and rhetoricians who favored a severe, simple style of writing. Generally speaking, Latin stylists were divided into two groups: the Asianists and the Atticists. Atticists favored a severe, simple style of writing; the Asianists (including Cicero) an ornate, complex style. Marcus Aurelius’ comment pokes fun at Fronto for out-Atticizing the Atticists with his terse style.
nequeo quin dicam: “I can’t help but say [it]”. This archaic phrasing is prevalent in Early Latin. Grammatically, it equates to a quin-substantive clause built off of the main verb nequeo. Literally: “I am not able but that I speak.” For more on this construction, see Bennett, Syntax of Early Latin p. 246ff and Scheller, A Copious Latin Grammar, Vol. 2 p. 203ff. Cf. also Plautus, Miles Gloriosus 1342: nequeo quin fleam, “I cannot help but cry”; Terence, Hecyra 385: nequeo quin lacrumem, “I cannot help but weep”; Plautus, Trinummus 705: non enim possum quin exclamam, “I cannot help but exclaim”.
victoris = victoriis.
τῶν ἐρωμένων: “over the beloveds”. Greek genitive plural. Here, the genitive is objective, as the beloveds are the object of the victories. Related to the ἐραστής above, the ἐρωμένος was the younger participant in a pederastic relationship. He typically provided his lover with sexual favors in return for gifts or networking opportunities.
praestabilius: comparative neuter adjective from praestabilis, e, “excellent, outstanding”. Supply est: “Is it more outstanding . . .”
laquearibus: from laquear, aris, n., “a paneled ceiling”.
platanis: from platanus, i, m., “plant tree”.
pomerium: The pomerium was the sacred space left free around buildings or the walls of a city. Hout argues that pomerium is identical with murus in everyday language.
delicieis: “delights”.
Lai: ablative, singular of the name Lais. Lais is a stock name for a meretrix in New Comedy and was also a famous Athenian female prostitute. Typically, the abode of the meretrix was one of the houses neighboring that of the protagonist adulescens or senex on the stage.
reteiaclari: “make a cast” (Haines). A hapax legomenon that Hout identifies as a colloquialism derived from retiaculum, a hunting net.
Lysia: The text here is uncertain. Editors from Hauler to Haines have suggested Lai ista “With Lais herself. Sheppard has suggested Lysia instead. More recent editors (Hout and Richlin) have accepted Sheppard’s emendation. Lysias was one of the most popular Athenian orators in the 5th c. BCE. As Hout points out, the point of this reference is that Marcus Aurelius is uncertain because “as an orator Fronto stressed the importance of Lysias and rhetoric, and as a magister he cautioned against Plato and philosophy” (559).
dogma: from dogma, dogmatis, n., “doctrine, dogma”.
temere: adv., “heedlessly, thoughtlessly”.
revera: “in fact”. This is properly the ablative phrase re vera.
Phaeder: According to Diogenes Laertius (Lives of the Philosophers 3.29, 31), Phaedrus was rumored to have been one of Plato’s ἐρωμένοι. If that is true, Marcus Aurelius is intentionally casting himself as the older ἐραστής and Fronto as the younger ἐρωμένος. This may speak to the ambiguous power dynamic in the relationship. Although Marcus is younger, he is also of a higher status than Fronto. In such a situation, who is to play the ἐραστής? Or are we oversimplifying the situation by closely adhering to a binary.
magis: construe with desiderio: “with more desire”. This use of magis in place of the Classical comparative is typical of Fronto’s correspondence.
arsisse: perfect active infinitive from ardeo, ere. Construe as an indirect statement with Socraten and controlled by adiuravero: “I will have not affirmed that thoughtlessly: namely that Socrates burned . . .”
ne ille Diona esset quin tantum amet – nisi confestim tuo amore corripitur: “That letter of yours has made it that he would not be a Dion to love you so much – unless he is immediately snatched by love of you.” This line is uncertain and is barely legible in the manuscript. Like Phaedrus above, Dion is also identified as one of Plato’s ἐρωμένοι by Diogenes Laertius (Lives of the Philosophers 3.29-30).
