(1) Dioclētiānus prīvātus in vīllā, quae haud procul ā Salōnīs est, praeclārō ōtiō senuit, inūsitātā virtūte ūsus, ut sōlus omnium post conditum Rōmānum imperium ex tantō fastīgiō sponte ad prīvātae vītae statum cīvīlitātemque remeāret. Contigit igitur eī, quod nūllī post nātōs hominēs, ut cum prīvātus obīsset, inter dīvōs tamen referrētur.

    The deification of Diocletian

    Dioclētiānus: Diocletian

    prīvātus: "as a private citizen," (i.e., no longer in power)

    haud procul ā Salōnīs: "not far from Split"

    inūsitātā virtūte ūsus: "showed exceptional strength of character" (Bird). The deponent verb utor normally takes an ablative object.

    Contigit: "happened to" + dat. > contingo (AG 370)

    quod: "a thing which," subject of contigit.

    post nātōs hominēs: "since men were created" (Hazzard)

    inter dīvōs: or more information on the deification of Roman emperors, see Apotheosis

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

    Dioclētiānus, ī, m.

    (Valerius) Dioclētiānus, emperor 284–305 A.D.

    vīlla, ae, f.

    a country house, farm, villa

    Salōnae, ārum, pl. f.

    a city in Dalmatia

    praeclārus, a, um [prae + clārus], adj.

    very bright or brilliant, excellent, distinguished

    cōnsenēscō, ere, senuī, ——

    to grow old

    inūsitātus, a, um [in + ūsitātus, usual], adj.

    unusual, unfamiliar, novel

    fastīgium, ī, n.

    top, height; slope, descent; rank, dignity

    sponte [abl. of spōns, obs.], f.

    voluntarily; with meā, tuā, or suā, of my, your, or his own free will

    status, ūs [stō], m.

    state, position, rank

    cīvīlitās, ātis [cīvīlis], f.

    the art of government, politics; courteousness, politeness, affability

    remeō, āre, āvī, —

    to go back, return

    obeō, īre, īvī (iī), itus

    to go to meet; attend to, perform; die, perish

     

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