[92] (1) Haec, ut dīcō, tabulīs ipsīs docēbō. Fors fuat an nē sīc quidem crēdat Aemiliānus sola trecenta mīlia nummum scrīpta eōrumque repetītiōnem fīliīs Pudentillae pactō datam. (2) Cape sīs ipse tū manibus tuīs tabulās istās, dā impulsōrī tuō Rufīnō: legat, pudeat illum tumidī animī suī et ambitiōsae mendīcitātis. Quippe ipse egēns, nūdus CCCC mīlibus nummum ā crēditōre acceptīs fīliam dōtāvit; (3) Pudentilla locuplēs fēmina trecentīs mīlibus dōtis fuit contenta, et marītum habet et multīs saepe et ingentibus dōtibus sprētīs inānī nōmine tantulae dōtis contentum, (4) cēterum praeter uxōrem suam nihil computantem, omnem supellectilem cūnctāsque dīvitiās in concordiā coniugis et multō amōre pōnentem.
(5) Quamquam quis omnium vel exiguē rērum perītus culpāre audēret, sī mulier vidua et mediocrī fōrmā, at nōn aetāte mediocrī, nūbere volēns longā dōte et mollī condiciōne invītāsset iuvenem neque corpore neque animō neque fortūnā paenitendum? (6) Virgō fōrmōsa etsī sit oppidō pauper, tamen abundē dōtāta est; affert quippe ad marītum novum animī indolem, pulchritūdinis grātiam, flōris rudīmentum. Ipsa virginitātis commendātiō iūre meritōque omnibus marītīs acceptissima est. (7) Nam quodcumque aliud in dōtem accēperis, potes, cum libuit, nē sīs beneficiō obstrictus, omne ut accēperās retribuere: pecūniam renumerāre, mancipia restituere, domō dēmigrāre, praediīs cēdere; sōla virginitās cum semel accepta est, reddī nequītur, sōla apud marītum ex rēbus dōtālibus remanet.
(8) Vidua autem quālis nūptiīs venit, tālis dīvortiō dīgreditur. Nihil affert inreposcibile, sed venit iam ab aliō praeflōrāta, certē tibi ad quae velīs minimē docilis, nōn minus suspectāns novam domum quam ipsa iam ob ūnum dīvortium suspectanda; (9) sīve illa morte āmīsit marītum, ut scaevī ōminis mulier et īnfaustī coniugiī minimē appetenda, (10) seu repudiō dīgressa est, utramvīs habēns culpam mulier, quae aut tam intolerābilis fuit ut repudiārētur, aut tam īnsolēns ut repudiāret. (11) Ob haec et alia viduae dōte auctā procōs sollicitant. Quod Pudentilla quoque in aliō marītō fēcisset, sī philosophum spernentem dōtis nōn repperisset.
Vocabulary
tabula tabulae f.: document
Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
trecentī –ae –a; trecentēsimus –a –um: 300, 300th
nummus –ī m.: coin, money, sesterce
repetītiō –ōnis f.: a demanding back, the right of reclaiming
Pudentilla –ae f.: Pudentilla (name)
pactum pactī n.: agreement, compact
impulsor –ōris m.: an inciter, instigator
(2)
Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus: allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia).
pudeō –ēre –duī –ditus: to make (one) ashamed (often impersonal, with person affected in acc. and cause of shame in gen.)
tumidus –a –um: swollen; arrogant
ambitiōsus –a –um: ambitious, eager, showy
mendīcitās –ātis f.: beggary, destitution
egens -ntus: needy, impoverished
CCCC: 400; 400th
crēditor –ōris m.: a creditor
dōtō dōtāre dōtāvī dōtātus: to endow, give a dowry to
locuplēs –ētis: rich
(3)
trecentī –ae –a; trecentēsimus –a –um: 300, 300th
dōs dōtis f.: dowry
marītus –ī m.: husband
spernō spernere sprēvī sprētum: to reject, scorn
inānis inānis ināne: empty
tantulus (tantīllus) –a –um: so little, so small
computō –āre: to sum up, reckon, compute
(4)
supellex supellectilis f.: furniture
concordia concordiae f.: agreement, harmony
exiguus –a –um: small, little
(5)
perītus –a –um: skilled in (+ gen.)
culpō culpāre culpāvī culpātus: to blame, censure
viduus –a –um: deprived of a husband or wife, previously married, widowed
mediocris mediocris mediocre: moderate, average, middling
nūbō nūbere nūpsī nūptum: to marry
dōs dōtis f.: gift, endowment; dowry
invītō invītāre invītāvī invītātus: to attract, entice
paenitet paenitēre paenituit: to make sorry, cause to regret
fōrmōsus –a –um: beautiful
(6)
etsī: although
oppidō: (adv.) very much
dōtō dōtāre dōtāvī dōtātus: to endow
indolēs –is f.: natural disposition, character
pulchritūdō –inis f.: beauty
rudīmentum –ī n.: beginning, first lesson, initiation
virginitās –ātis f.: virginity
commendātiō commendātiōnīs f.: recommendation, excellence, asset
meritō: (adv.) deservedly
marītus –ī m.: husband
obstringō –ere –strīnxī –strictum: to bind, oblige, constrain
(7)
retribuō –ere –tribuī –tribūtus: to give back, return
renumerō –āre –āvī –ātus: to pay back, repay
mancipium –ī n.: slave
restituō restituere restituī restitūtus: to restore
dēmigrō dēmigrāre dēmigrāvī dēmigrātus: to go away, withdraw
praedium praedi(ī) n.: estate, farm, property
virginitās –ātis f.: virginity
nequeō nequīre nequiī/nequīvī nequitum: to be unable
dōtālis –e: pertaining to a dowry
remaneō remanēre remānsī remānsus: to stay behind
vidua viduae f.: previously married woman; widow
(8)
nuptiae –ārum f. pl.: marriage
dīvortium –iī n.: separation; parting
dīgredior dīgressus sum: to leave
inreposcibilis –e: unreturnable
praeflōrō –āre –āvī –ātus: to deflower beforehand
docilis –e: teachable, responsive, amenable
suspectō –āre: to view with suspicion, cautiously assess
scaevus –a –um: unfavorable, ill-omened
(9)
ōmen ōminis n.: omen
īnfaustus –a –um: unlucky
coniugium –iī n.: marriage
appetō appetere appetīvī appetītus: to pursue, seek eagerly
repudium –(i)ī n.: repudiation; divorce
(10)
utervīs utravīs utrumvīs: whichever of the two you prefer, either (of the two)
intolerābilis -e: insufferable, intolerable
īnsolēns –entis: haughty, arrogant
repudiō repudiāre repudiāvī repudiātus: to reject; divorce
(11)
vidua viduae f.: previously married woman; widow
procus –ī m.: suitor
sollicitō sollicitāre sollicitāvī sollicitātus: to entice, attract, allure
Pudentilla –ae f.: Pudentilla (name)
philosophus -i m.: philosopher
spernō spernere sprēvī sprētum: to reject