39

Is it disgraceful to read scientific texts? I will recite a passage from Ennius abut fish. Neither Ennius nor I should be vilified for writing about unusual facts in Greek and Latin. 

(1)

Utrum ... putās ... utrum: two utrum phrases introduce a question offering alternative answers, giving first the alternatives which are to be rejected, and placing greater emphasis on the alternatives presented as obviously correct, introduced by an. "Do you think that .... that ... or, rather, that ...."

turpe scīre: indirect statement after putās, "that it is disgraceful to know," followed by a series of datives, designating the person for whom it is allegedly disgraceful to know.

nōn ... rudī et indoctō, sed quī ... meminerit: this whole phrase describes philosophō. Take nōn with rudī et indoctō, not with secundum Cynicam temeritātem.

secundum Cynicam temeritātem: Cynic philosophers were a common sight in the cities of the Roman Empire at this period. Unlike the more refined Platonists, they were rough street preachers, who used a plain style, scorned luxury and convention, and issued insulting challenges to those in power (hence temeritatem, "impetuousity," "rudeness." See Ramsay MacMullen, Enemies of the Roman Order (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1966) pp. 60-61.

utrum eī putās: reiterating utrum igitur putās philosophō after the digression, with eī replacing philosophō.

turpe: supply esse, indirect statement after putās. The pairs of infinitive, scīre and nescīre, neglegere and cūrāre, nōsse and crēdere, are the subjects of esse.

nōsse: nōvisse.

etiam in istīs: "even in these matters," i.e., the diversity of sea life (which some might consider trivial).

providentiae ratio: the question of the existence and extent of fate or providence was a fundamental topic in ancient philosophy and was often debated in various Hellenistic schools. See Seneca, De providentia.

dīīs: dīvīs.

mātrī et patrī: i.e., the traditional tales.

crēdere: "to (simply) trust," without thinking about it for yourself.

(2)

Q. Ennius Hēdyphagetica versibus scripsit: Quintus Ennius (239-169 BC) was the most important and versatile Latin writer of the pre-classical period. 

read more

He came from Calabria and spoke Greek and Oscan as well as Latin. Though something of an outsider in Rome, he shaped the Roman national consciousness through sentences such as moribus antiquis res stat Romana virisque ("the Roman state stands fast on the old-time ways of its men"). The Hedyphagetica ("Delicacies") is in the Alexandrian tradition, and constitutes a translation of the parodying Greek didactic poem of Archestratus of Gela on delicacies (Brill, Q. Ennius).

Innumerābilia ... ēnumerat: note the wordplay.

cognōrat: cognōverat, "had researched."

read more

The Georgetown group produced a delightful version in rhymed couplets.

Quintus Ennius wrote the Good Eats in verse. He took account of countless types of fish which he obviously knew intimately. I remember a few verses, let me say them:

The burbot is best of all Clipean fish;

For mussels of Aenus one hardly could wish.

To Abydos for oysters, let's take to a gallop

And stop on the way for some Mytylene scallop.

(They're good at Charadrus, that's found on the border

Of Ambracia -- get some, and yes, that's an order.)

If you ask me, at Brundisium, I would advise

Getting the sargus, if it's a nice size.

The boar fish is best at Tarentum, but then

If you're at Surrentum, it's sargus again.

At Cumae, the blue shark is really a find,

But wait! I forget! (Am I out of my mind?)

The parrot-wrasse can't be forgot --

Is Jupiter's brain better? Not.

(I might add that the very best are

Ones found in the land of Nestor.)

And, of course, I've never seen a

Nicer fish than the umbrina,

Melanura, wrasse. And hire a

Mode of transport to Corcyra:

The octopus is best there, but

Let's not forget the shellfish, what?

Bluefish, bass, and no more searchin' --

Just finish up with some sweet urchin.

(3)

Omnibus: i.e., mūstēlae marīnae from anywhere else, or else, by way of hyperbole, all other fish, or anything at all in the world.

ut: introducing an exclamation: "how...!"

Clipeā: ablative of origin. Aspis/Clipea, located on the Cap Bon peninsula, was founded in the fifth century BC by the Carthaginians. Site of the Siege of Aspis (255 BC), the first land battle in Africa during the First Punic War.

Mūrēs: mūrēs marīnī, a type of crustaceous sea fish.

aspra: aspera.

Aenī: locative. Aenus was a town of Thrace, located on a promontory where one of the mouths of the Hebrus makes its way into the sea. According to Virgil (Aeneid 3.18), it was founded by Aeneas when he landed there on his way from Troy.

Abydī: locative. Abydos was city of Mysia located on the Hellespont.

Mytilēnae: locative. Mytilene (or Mitylene) was the most important city in the island of Lesbos. Here and in line 9 Ennius evidently allows ◡ ◡ – to stand for – ◡ ◡ in the first foot, presumably because he thought that Homeric lines beginning with βορέη (Ι 5,  Ψ 195),  ρέα (Ρ 461) and νέα (Ι 283) were to be scanned so (Courtney, FLP).

Charadrumque apud Ambraciāī: apud governs Charadrum (anastrophe). Charadrus (Χάραδρος) was the name of many mountain streams in Greece. Ambraciāī (= Ambraciae) is an archaic genitive form, used to specify which place called Charadrus is meant, the one in Ambracia in western Greece.

Brundisiī: locative, the famous port Brundisium, modern Brindisi.

sūme: "pick some up!" "purchase it!" LS sumo II.G.

prīmum: "first-rate."

Tarentī: locative. Tarentum was a major Greek colonial settlement in S. Italy, the modern Taranto.

Surrentī: locative. Surrentum was another Greek colony in Italy, the modern Sorrento.

fac emās: fac (ut) emās, "make sure that you buy."

aput: apud.

Quid: "for what reason," "why."

cerebrum Iovis: Διὸς ἐγκέφαλος, a proverbial Greek expression for rare and costly food.

paene: Courtney construes this with praeteriī, arguing that it lends a casual tone, "Oh, I almost forgot ..." It could also be taken with cerebrum Iovis: "just about the best thing I ever tasted.”

Nestoris ad patriam: near Pylos, site of Nestor's palace.

Corcȳrae: locative. Corcyra, modern Corfu.

calvāria: "brains."

mūrēs: i.e., mūrēs marīnī, a type of crustaceous sea fish.

(4)

Aliōs: "other (types of fish)."

decorāvit: "he honored," "he elevated."

ubi gentium: "in which of the countries," "where in the world," introduces the indirect question quisque … optimē sapiat.

quisque eōrum: "each of them," = "each type of fish."

quāliter assus aut iūrulentus: “in what way, baked or stewed,” a second set of interrogatives with the same indirect question as above: quisque … optimē sapiat.  assus describes some sort of dry preparation, iūrulentus a preparation in which the iūs (sauce, juices) of the fish is presented along with it. 

nec tamen ... reprehenditur: "and yet he is not criticized." 

ab ērudītīs: "by learned men."

nē ego reprehendar: negative subjunctive with jussive force, as if = nē mē reprehendātis.  The pronoun ego, strictly unnecessary, serves as an intensifier: "I, myself, as well," "me, either."

paucissimīs: used substantively, "(only) to the very few," construe with the participle cognitās.