Pliny - Death Of

Front 1

petis ut tibi …scribam

Back 1

You (sg.) ask that I should write to you (sg.)

Front 2

avunculi mei exitum

Back 2

about the death of my uncle

Front 3

quo verius tradere posteris possis

Back 3

in order that you (sg.) might be able to hand it down accurately to posterity

Front 4

erat Miseni

Back 4

He was at Misenum

Front 5

classemque imperio praesens regebat.

Back 5

and he was commanding the fleet in person with power

Front 6

nonum kal. Septembres

Back 6

On the ninth day before the Kalends of September (i.e. on 24th August)

Front 7

hora fere septima

Back 7

at about the seventh hour

Front 8

mater mea indicat ei

Back 8

my mother pointed out to him that

Front 9

nubem mirabilem apparere

Back 9

a strange cloud was appearing

Front 10

quae visa est ei

Back 10

this seemed to him

Front 11

ut eruditissimo viro

Back 11

as one might expect from a very scholarly man

Front 12

magna propiusque noscenda.

Back 12

to be significant and in need of investigating at close encounters

Front 13

iubet liburnicam parari

Back 13

He ordered a fast boat to be prepared

Front 14

me si venire una vellem rogat;

Back 14

he asked me if I wanted to come with him

Front 15

respondi studere me malle

Back 15

I replied that I preferred to study

Front 16

et forte ipse quod scriberem dederat.

Back 16

and by chance he himself had given me something to write.

Front 17

egrediebatur domo;

Back 17

He began to go out of the house

Front 18

accipit codicillos Rectinae Tasci

Back 18

he received a note from Rectina, the wife of Tascus

Front 19

imminenti periculo perterritae

Back 19

(who was) terrified by the threatening danger

Front 20

(nam villa eius subiacebat,

Back 20

(for her villa used to lie beneath Vesuvius

Front 21

nec ulla nisi navibus fuga):

Back 21

and there was no other flight except by ships)

Front 22

orabat ut se tanto discrimini eriperet.

Back 22

she was begging him to rescue her from so great a danger

Front 23

vertit ille consilium

Back 23

He changed his plan

Front 24

et quod studioso animo inceperat obit maximo.

Back 24

and that which he had begun with an inquiring mind, he accomplished with a heroic mind.

Front 25

deducit quadriremes

Back 25

He launched some warships

Front 26

ascendit ipse … laturus auxilium

Back 26

he embarked himself in order to bring help

Front 27

non Rectinae modo sed multis

Back 27

not only to Rectina but also to many others

Front 28

(erat enim frequens amoenitas orae)

Back 28

(for that delightful stretch of coast was densely populated).

Front 29

festinate illuc unde alii fugiunt,

Back 29

He hurried to that place from where others fled,

Front 30

rectumque cursum recta gubernacula in periculum tenet

Back 30

and he holds a straight course and a straight rudder into danger

Front 31

adeo solutus metu

Back 31

having been freed from fear to such an extent

Front 32

ut … dictaret adnotaretque

Back 32

that he was dictating and making notes on

Front 33

omnes illius mali motus,

Back 33

all the movements of that disaster

Front 34

omnes figuras ut deprenderat oculis.

Back 34

on all the features as he had observed them.

Front 35

iam navibus cinis incidebat, calidior et densior,

Back 35

Now ash was falling onto the ships, hotter and thicker,

Front 36

quo proprius accederent;

Back 36

the nearer they approached;

Front 37

iam pumices etiam lapidesque

Back 37

now also pumice stones and stones;

Front 38

nigri et ambusti et fracti igne;

Back 38

both blackened and scorched and broken by fire

Front 39

iam vadum subitum et litora ruina montis obstantia.

Back 39

now there was sudden shallow water and shore blocking the way with the debris of the mountain

Front 40

haesitat paulisper an retro navigaret;

Back 40

For a short time he hesitated whether he should sail back;

Front 41

mox gubernatori …monenti … inquit

Back 41

soon he said to the helmsman, advising him

Front 42

ut ita faceret …

Back 42

that he should do exactly this

Front 43

“fortes…fortuna adiuvat:

Back 43

“Fortune helps the brave:

Front 44

Pomponianum pete!”

Back 44

make for Pomponianus!”

Front 45

Pomponianus erat Stabiis diremptus sinu medio

Back 45

Pomponianus was at Stabiae, separated from Herculaneum by an intervening bay

Front 46

(nam mare sensim circumactis curvatisque litoribus infunditur)

Back 46

(for the sea gradually runs in with the shore sweeping round and in a curve)

Front 47

ibi periculum,

Back 47

there danger,

Front 48

quamquam nondum appropinquabat,

Back 48

although it was not yet approaching

Front 49

tamen valde conspicuum erat;

Back 49

however was very obvious;

Front 50

Pomponianus igitur sarcinas posuerat in naves,

Back 50

therefore,Pomponianus had placed his luggage into some ships

Front 51

certus fugae

Back 51

resolved on flight

Front 52

si contrarius ventus resedisset.

Back 52

if the contrary wind had subsided.

Front 53

quo tum secundissimo

Back 53

Then, with this wind directly behind him,

Front 54

avunculus meus invectus

Back 54

my uncle sailed in

Front 55

amplectitur trepidantem consolatur hortatur,

Back 55

he embraced his trembling friend, he cheered him, he encouraged him

Front 56

utque timorem eius sua securitate leniret,

Back 56

so that he calmed his fear with his own composure

Front 57

iubet ferri in balineum.

Back 57

he ordered himself to be carried into the baths.

Front 58

lotus recumbit cenat,

Back 58

After his bath, he reclined and he dined,

Front 59

aut hilaris aut (quod est aeque magnum) similis hilari.

Back 59

either cheerfully or (which is equally heroic) or pretending to be cheerful.

Front 60

interea e Vesuvio monte

Back 60

Meanwhile from mount Vesuvius

Front 61

…latissimae flammae altaque incendia relucebant

Back 61

broad sheets of flame and high fires were blazing

Front 62

…plurimis locis…

Back 62

in several places

Front 63

quorum fulgor et claritas tenebris noctis excitabatur.

Back 63

whose glare and brightness were being emphasised by the shadows of the night.

Front 64

ille in remedium formidinis dictitabat

Back 64

He, for a remedy of the terror, kept saying that

Front 65

ignes aegrestium trepidatione relictos desertasque villas per solitudinem ardere.

Back 65

the fires of the country folk that had been left behind through fear and the deserted villas in the abandoned areas were burning.

Front 66

tum se quieti dedit

Back 66

Then he gave himself to rest

Front 67

et quievit verissimo quidem somno;

Back 67

and indeed he rested in very true sleep;

Front 68

nam meatus animae,

Back 68

for his breathing,

Front 69

qui …gravior et sonantior erat,

Back 69

which was heavier and noisier

Front 70

…illi propter amplitudinem corporis

Back 70

on account of the stoutness of his body,

Front 71

ab eis qui limini obversabantur audiebatur.

Back 71

was heard by those who were moving about near the doorway.

Front 72

sed area ex qua cubiculum adibatur

Back 72

But the courtyard, from which the bedroom was approached,

Front 73

…surrexerat …

Back 73

had risen in level

Front 74

ita iam cinere mixtisque pumicibus completa

Back 74

having been filled with a mixture of ash and pumice already, to such an extent

Front 75

ut si longior in cubiculo mora esset,

Back 75

that if there was any longer delay in the bedroom,

Front 76

exitus negaretur.

Back 76

exit would have been impossible.

Front 77

excitatus procedit

Back 77

Having been woken, he proceeded

Front 78

seque Pomponiano ceterisque … reddit

Back 78

and he went back to Pomponianus and the others

Front 79

…pui pervigilaverant, …

Back 79

who had stayed awake all night

Front 80

inter se consulunt,

Back 80

They consulted amongst themselves

Front 81

utrum intra tecta maneant

Back 81

whether they should remain inside the building

Front 82

an in aperto vagentur.

Back 82

or they should roam about in the open

Front 83

nam crebris ingentibusque tremoribus tecta nutabant

Back 83

For the buildings were shaking with frequent and huge tremors

Front 84

et quasi emota sedibus suis

Back 84

and as if torn away from their own foundations

Front 85

nunc huc nunc illuc abire aut referri videbantur.

Back 85

they seemed to sway forwards and backwards now this way now that way.

Front 86

sub dio rursus

Back 86

In the open, on the other hand,

Front 87

casus pumicum metuebatur,

Back 87

there was the fear of falling pumice,

Front 88

quamquam levium exesorumque,

Back 88

although they were light and porous,

Front 89

quod tamen periculorum collation elegit;

Back 89

however, a comparison of the dangers suggested the latter choice;

Front 90

et apud illum quidem ratio rationem,

Back 90

and in his (Pliny’s) case indeed rational argument conquered rational argument,

Front 91

apud illos timorem timor vicit.

Back 91

amongst the others fear conquered fear.

Front 92

cervicalia capitibus imposita linteis constringunt;

Back 92

They tied down pillows placed on their heads with linen cloths;

Front 93

id munimentum contra incidentia fuit.

Back 93

this was the protection against falling objects.

Front 94

iam dies alibi,

Back 94

Now it was day elsewhere,

Front 95

illic nox omnibus noctibus nigrior densiorque;

Back 95

there, there was a night blacker and denser than all nights,

Front 96

quam tamen faces multae variaque lumina solvebant.

Back 96

which however many torches and various kinds of lamps were relieving.

Front 97

placuit egredi in litus,

Back 97

They decided to go out onto the shore,

Front 98

et ex proximo adspicere,

Back 98

and to investigate from close by,

Front 99

num mare fugam praeberet;

Back 99

whether the sea might provide flight;

Front 100

quod adhuc vastum et adversum manebat.

Back 100

it still continued to remain swollen and hostile.

Front 101

ibi in abiecto linteo recumbens

Back 101

There lying down on a cloth that had been laid down,

Front 102

semel atque iterum frigidam aquam popscit hausitque.

Back 102

time and again he demanded cold water and he drank it down.

Front 103

deinde flammae

Back 103

Then the flames

Front 104

-que …odor sulphuris

Back 104

and the smell of sulphur,

Front 105

flammarum(que) praenuntius

Back 105

a warning sign of flames,

Front 106

alios in fugam vertunt,

Back 106

turned the others to flight,

Front 107

excitant illum.

Back 107

they woke him up.

Front 108

innitiens servis duobus surrexit

Back 108

Leaning on two slaves, he got up

Front 109

et statim concidit.

Back 109

and he collapsed at once.

Front 110

spiritus enim, ut ego credo,

Back 110

For his breathing, as I believe,

Front 111

densiore caligine obstructus erat,

Back 111

had been obstructed by thicker fumes,

Front 112

-que stomachus

Back 112

and his windpipe,

Front 113

qui illi natura invalidus et angustus et saepe aestuans erat

Back 113

which by its nature was weak and narrow and often enflamed,

Front 114

clausus(que)

Back 114

closed.

Front 115

ubi dies redditus est

Back 115

When the day was restored

Front 116

(is ab eo quem novissime viderat tertius),

Back 116

(this was the third day since daylight had last been seen),

Front 117

corpus inventum est

Back 117

his body was found

Front 118

integrum inlaesum opertumque

Back 118

intact, uninjured and covered

Front 119

ut fuerat indutus:

Back 119

as it had been dressed:

Front 120

habitus corporis dormienti quam mortuo similior.

Back 120

the appearance of his body was more similar to sleeping than a dead one.