A Day In The Life Of Pliny The Elder

Front 1

1. ante lucem ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem

Back 1

Before dawn he used to go to the Emperor Vespasian

Front 2

1. (nam ille

2. quoque noctibus utebatur),

Back 2

(for he also made use of the night time)

Front 3

2. diende ad officium sibi

3. delegatum.

Back 3

to assign him with an official duty.

Front 4

4. reversus domem reliquum tempus studiis

5. dabat.

Back 4

Having returned home he gave the remaining time to his studies.

Front 5

5. saepe post cibum

Back 5

Often after food

Front 6

5. (qui veterum more interdiu levis et facilis erat) aestate,

Back 6

(which according to the custom of his forefathers was light and easily digested during the day) in summer,

Front 7

5. si quid otii erat, iacebat in sole,

Back 7

if there was any leisure time he used to lie in the sun,

Front 8

5. liber

6. legebatur,

Back 8

a book was read to him,

Front 9

6. adnotabat excerpebatque

Back 9

he used to make notes and take extracts.

Front 10

6. nihil enim legit quod

7. non excerperet;

Back 10

For he read nothing which he did not make extracts from;

Front 11

7. dicere etiam solebat nuluum librum esse

8. tam malum ut non aliqua parte prodesset.

Back 11

He was even accustomed to say no book was so bad that it was not of use in some way.

Front 12

8. post solum

9. plerumque aqua frigida lavabatur,

Back 12

After his time in the sun he was usually washed in cold water,

Front 13

9.deinde gustabat

10. dormiebatque minimum;

Back 13

then he used to have a snack and sleep for a very short time;

Front 14

10. mox quasi alio die studebat in

11. cenae tempus.

Back 14

as if in another day he used to study until dinner time.

Front 15

11. super cenam liber legebatur adnotabatur, et

12. quidem cursim.

Back 15

Over dinner a book was read to him and notes were taken, and indeed rapidly.

Front 16

13. haec inter medios labores urbisque fremitum.

Back 16

He did this in the midst of his duties and the bustle of the city.

Front 17

13. in secessu

14. solum balinei tempus studiid eximebatur

Back 17

In the country the only time taken away from his studies was for his bath

Front 18

14. (cum dico 'balinei',

15. de interioribus loquor;

Back 18

(when I say 'for his bath', I am speaking of the inner rooms;

Front 19

15. nam dum destringitur tergiturque,

16. audiebat aliquid aut dicctabat).

Back 19

for while he was scraped and rubbed down, he would hear something or indicate).

Front 20

16. in itinere quasi solutus

17.ceteris curis,

Back 20

On a journey, as if released from other cares,

Front 21

17. huic un vacabat: ad latus notarius cum libro et

18. pugillaribus,

Back 21

he would make time for this alone: at his side was a secretary with a book and writing tablets,

Front 22

18. cuius manus hieme manicis muniebantur,

Back 22

whose hands were protected in winter by long sleeves,

Front 23

18. ut

19. ne caeli quidem asperitas ullum studii tempus eriperet;

Back 23

so that not even the harshness of weather would not take anytime for studying;

Front 24

20. qua ex causa Rumae quoque sella vehebatur.

Back 24

for this reason in Rome he was carried on a sedan-chair.

Front 25

20.repeto

21. me correptum ab eo, quod ambularem:

Back 25

I remember I was rebuked by him because I used to walk:

Front 26

21. 'poteras' inquit

22. 'has horas non perdere';

Back 26

'You could have not wasted these hour,' he said;

Front 27

22. nam perire omne temptus

23. arbitrabatur, quod studiis non impenderetur. vale.

Back 27

for he thought all the time which was not devoted to studying was wasted. Farewell.