[74] (1) Utinam hercule possem quae deinde dīcenda sunt sine maximō causae dispendiō trānsgredī, nē Pontiānō, cui errōrem suum dēprecantī simpliciter ignōvī, videar nunc levitātem exprobrāre. (2) Cōnfiteor enim – quod mihi obiectum est – eum, postquam uxōrem dūxerit, ā compectī fide dēscīvisse ac dērepente animī mūtātum quod anteā nimiō studiō festīnārat parī pertināciā prohibitum īsse, dēnique nē mātrimōnium nostrum coalēsceret, quidvīs patī, quidvīs facere parātum fuisse, (3) quamquam omnis illa tam foeda animī mūtātiō et suscepta contrā mātrem simultās nōn ipsī vitiō vortenda sit, sed socerō eius eccillī Hērenniō Rufīnō, quī ūnum nēminem in terrīs vīliōrem sē aut improbiōrem aut inquinātiōrem relīquit. (4) Paucīs hominem, quam modestissimē poterō, necessāriō dēmōnstrābō, nē, sī omnīnō dē eō reticuerō, operam perdiderit, quod negōtium istud mihi ex summīs vīribus cōnflāvit.
(5) Hic est enim puerulī huius īnstīgātor, hic accūsātiōnis auctor, hic advocātōrum conductor, hic testium coēmptor, hic tōtīus calumniae fornācula, hic Aemiliānī huius fax et flagellum, idque apud omnēs intemperantissimē glōriātur, mē suō māchinātū reum postulātum. (6) Et sānē habet in istīs quod sibi plaudat. Est enim omnium lītium dēpector, omnium falsōrum commentātor, omnium simulātiōnum architectus, omnium malōrum sēminārium, nec nōn īdem libīdinum gāneārumque locus, lustrum, lupānar; iam inde ab ineunte aevō cūnctīs probrīs palam nōtus, (7) ōlim in pueritiā, priusquam istō calvitiō dēfōrmārētur, ēmasculātōribus suīs ad omnia īnfanda mōrigerus, mox in iuventūte saltandīs fabulīs exossis plānē et ēnervis, sed, ut audiō, indoctā et rudī mollitiā. Negātur enim quicquam histriōnis habuisse praeter impudīcitiam.
Vocabulary
utinam: introduces an Optative subjunctive
herculē: assuredly, indeed, by Hercules
dispendium –ī n.: loss, damage
trānsgredior –gredī –gressus sum: to pass over without mentioning
Pontiānus –ī m.: Sicinius Pontianus: Roman knight, elder son of Sicinius Amicus and Aemilia Pudentilla, now dead.
dēprecor dēprecārī dēprecātus sum: to beg, plead
simpliciter: entirely
īgnōscō īgnōscere īgnōvī īgnōtus: to pardon, forgive (+ dat.)
levitās –ātis f.: fickleness, inconstancy
exprobrō exprobrāre exprobrāvī exprobrātus: to reproach with, blame for, find fault, charge, upbraid, reproach
obiiciō obiicere obiēcī obiectus: to charge someone with a fault or crime
(2)
compectum -i n.: agreement, pact
dēscīscō –scīscere –scīvī (–sciī) –scītum: to withdraw, go back on, welsh
dērepente: suddenly
anteā: before, formerly
festīnō festīnāre festīnāvī festīnātus: to hurry
pertinācia –ae f.: stubbornness
mātrimōnium –ī(ī) n.: marriage
coalēscō coalēscere coaluī coalitum: to come together
quīvīs quaevīs quodvīs or (subst.) quidvīs: who or what you please
mūtātiō –ōnis f.: change, alteration
(3)
simultās –ātis f.: a state of animosity, a feud, hostility
socer socerī m.: father–in–law
eccille eccilla eccillud: that there
Herrenius Rufinus: father of Herennia and father-in-law of Pontianus
vīlis vīlis vīle: worthless; vile
improbus -a -um: wicked
inquinātus -a -um: foul, polluted
modestus –a –um: modest, restrained
(4)
dēmōnstrō dēmōnstrāre dēmōnstrāvī dēmōnstrātus: to describe
necessāriō: by necessity, unavoidably
omnīnō: entirely
reticeō –cēre –cuī: to refrain from speaking, keep silent
conflō conflāre conflāvī conflātus: to cook up, concoct
puerulus –ī m.: little boy
īnstīgātor –ōris m.: a stimulator, instigator
accūsātiō accūsātiōnis f.: accusation
(5)
advocātus –ī m.: an attorney, advocate in court
conductor –ōris m.: employer, one who hires
coēmptor –ōris m.: a buyer, purchaser
calumnia –ae f.: the bringing of a false accusation; false legal charges
fornācula –ae f.: a small oven
Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
flagellum –ī n.: scourge or whip
intemperāns –antis: without self-control, unrestrained, extravagant, immoderate, intemperate
glōrior gloriārī gloriātus sum: to brag
māchinātus –ūs m.: a contrivance, artifice
(6)
plaudō plaudere plausī plausum: to approve, applaud
līs lītis f.: lawsuit; quarrel
dēpector –ōris m.: a fixer, one who settles or arranges discreditably
commentātor –ōris m.: an inventor, contriver
simulātiō simulātiōnis f.: deceit
architectus –ī m.: architect; inventor, designer
sēminārium -ī n.: seedbed, nursery, breeding ground
gānea –ae f.: gluttony
lustrum –ī n.: den of iniquity, haunt
lupānar lupanāris n.: brothel
ineō inīre iniī/inīvī initus: to enter
(7)
probrum –ī n.: disgrace, scandal
palam: openly
pueritia pueritiae f.: boyhood
calvitium –ī n.: baldness
dēfōrmō dēfōrmāre dēfōrmāvī dēfōrmātus: to disfigure
ēmasculātor –ōris m.: one who robs another of masculinity, pederast
īnfandus –a –um: unspeakable
mōrigerus (mōriger) –a –um: compliant, yielding
iuventūs iuventūtis f.: youth, young man
saltō saltāre: to dance
(8)
exossis –e: limber, pliant, supple, yielding
plānē: (adv.) clearly, simply
ēnervis –e: feeble, lacking energy
indoctus –a –um: untaught, ignorant, artless
rudis –e: crude
mollitia –ae f. or mollitiēs –ēī f.: softness
histriō –ōnis m.: a stage–actor
impudīcitia –ae f.: shamelessness, immodesty, impurity