17

You absurdly claim to know that I set free three slaves in one day, even though I had come to Oea with one slave only (1-5). Having few slaves is a mark of honor for a philosopher (6). Many illustrious Romans from history kept only a small number of slaves (7-10). Pudens's reproach (maledictum) against me for having only three slaves is entirely misplaced.

The charge must have been something like this: "you were an impoverished man, owning only one slave when you came to Oea, and a patrimony of a bag and a staff. So you had great financial interests in marrying the rich widow Pudentilla." Apuleius seems intent on distracting from the real issue. He merely takes out the first element of "being poor" and develops this with all the rhetorical devices at his disposal. This results in an elaborate laus paupertatis, clearly redolent of the rhetorical school and exempla literature. (Hunink).

(1)

ego … labōrō: order: ego adeō neque sciō neque labōrō (num) servōs habeās ad agrum colendum an ipse cambiēs operās cum vīcīnīs tuīs.

adeō: (adv.) "to such an extent," "so true is it that," explaining the previous statement (OLD adeo 5). It modifies the main verbs, neque sciō neque labōrō: “I go so far as to neither…”

habeās: subj. in indirect question after -ne, "whether."

operās: "day-laborers," LS opera II.C.2. 

neque labōrō: "nor do I worry about it," "nor do I care."

(2)

Oeae: locative. Oea was a city on the coast of north Africa between Sabratha and Leptis Magna, with which it formed Africa Tripolitania ("tri-cities"). Oea is where Apuleius met Pudentilla. Originally a Phoenician settlement in the orbit of Carthage, at some point before Apuleius's day it became a thriving Roman colony. There are significant Roman ruins, including buildings with wall paintings and mosaics, a triumphal arch of M. Aurelius and L. Verus, and a mithraeum. In the fourth century it was greatly injured by a Mauretanian tribe called the Austoriani (Ammianus Marcellinus 28.6). After the Arab invasion a new city sprang up in in the ruins of Oea, the modern Tripoli, Libya. 

manū mīsisse: "freed," literally "released from (legal) power" (LS manus II.O). This is often spelled as one word, manumittere (LS manumitto), and is the origin of the English "manumit" and "manumission." Manumission was not uncommon for urban slaves who worked closely with their masters or were specially favored by them. They typically would, and were expected to, continue working for their master's benefit at least part of the time. See the case of Cicero's secretary, Tiro. 

id: "this fact," i.e., that he manumitted three slaves at Oea. Direct object of obiēcit.

inter cētera ā tē sibi ēdita: "among the other things you told him" (Jones), LS edo2 II.C.1.

obiēcit: "brought forward as an allegation." Apuleius's accusers said that poverty was the cause of Apuleius's desire to marry Pudentilla. The small number of his slaves was brought forward as evidence of his poverty.

modicō: (adv.) "slightly," "a little."

(3)

Quod quidem: "as to that." Quod is a connecting relative, emphasized by quidem.

quī: (adv.) "how."

ex ūnō trēs: "three out of one," a paradoxical statement.

et hoc: "this too," in addition to his alleged bewitching of Pudentilla, that Apuleius might be able to create three men out of one.

(4)

Tantamne … cōnsuētūdinem: word order: dīcamne caecicātem (tuam) an cōnsuētūdinem (tuam) mentiendī (patronī tuī) tantam esse? "I am unsure whether to call such mendacity blind or habitual" (Jones).

dīcam: deliberative subjunctive, "(I am uncertain) whether I should say that," or, as a question:  "Or should I just say that ... ?"

cōnsuētūdinem: again with mentiendī, "accustomization to his lies"

intergarrītīs: a derogatory equivalent of interpositīs, "inserted," implying that the intervening words are just idle chatter. LS garrio.

(5)

vēnisse ... līberāsse: subject infinitives with the contrary-to-fact fuisset.

līberāsse: līberāvisse.

Quod tamen sī ita fēcissem: "But even if I had done so," i.e., had liberated three slaves.

cūr … opulentiae: order: cūr putārēs trēs servōs signum (esse) inopiae potius quam trēs lībertōs (signum esse) opulentiae?

(6)

Nescīs: "you do not know how," + inf. (accusāre).

profectō: (adv.) "undoubtedly," "without question."

quī ... obprobrā(ve)ris: "inasmuch as you have reproached (me for)." The relative clause is causal (AG 535.e).

ēmentīrī: "to lie about," i.e., pretend that he indeed had only a few slaves.

dēbuissem: "I would have done well."

quippe quī scīrem: "given that I knew," introducing the following indirect statement: nōn modo philosophōs ... vērum etiam imperātōrēs ... glōriātōs (esse). Scīrem is a subjunctive in a causal relative clause (AG 535.e, Note 1). See LS quippe 5.β.

quōrum mē sectātōrem ferō: "whose disciple I claim to be" (Jones), see LS ferō II.7.c.

(7)

Itane tandem: "Really now, I ask you," expressing incredulous exasperation, like ita vērō: see OLD ita 12.

nē haec quidem: "not even these" historical examples of distinguished people with small numbers of slaves, implying there are many more. Direct object of lēgēre, introducing several indirect statements:

M. Antōnium ... habuisse

Carbōnem ... habuisse

duōs sōlōs ... cālōnēs fuisse.

lēgēre: lēgērunt, "have read (about)."

M. Antōnium: M. Antonius was a famous orator, consul in 99 and grandfather of Mark Antony (Jones).

vērō: "furthermore."

illum: "that (famous)."

quī rēbus potītus est: a reference to Carbo's position as sole consul of 84 BC (Velleius Paterculus 2.24.3).

ūnō minus: "one fewer (slave than M. Antonius)."

Māniō Curiō: Manius Curius Dentatus. Dative of possession with duōs sōlōs ... calōnēs fuisse below.

adōreīs: "glories," "distinctions" (archaic and post-classical). Ablative of specification after inclutō, describing in what way Curius was distinguished.

quippe quī ... ēgerit: "in that he celebrated," pf. subj. > ago in a causal relative clause (AG 535.e, Note 1). See LS quippe 5.β.

ūnā portā: the Porta Triumphalis.

eī: “this man,” Manius Curius.

igitur: "as I was saying," used after a digression. LS igitur II.F.

cālōnēs: a term referring to a soldier's servants or attendants.

(8)

ille vir: still Manius Curius.

dē: "over," the normal construction with the verb triumphō and its relatives, see LS de C.6.

(9)

M. autem Catō: Marcus Porcius Cato (234-149 BC), known as Cato the Elder, or Cato the Censor. He was consul in 195 BC and conducted a successful campaign in the following year (Plutarch, Life of Cato the Elder 10).

nihil: "not at all."

oppertus ut aliī dē sē praedicārent ... ipse reliquit: Cato did not wait for others to trumpet his glories, he did it himself. This is a comment on Cato's penchant for self-praise.

scrīptum relīquit: "left (it) written," introducing the following indirect statements: 

(sē) dūxisse

(numerum servōrum) parum visum (esse)

(sē) iussisse

(sē) dūxisse

dūxisse: supply sē (i.e., M. Cato) as subject.

(10)

quoniam: "when," "after," see OLD quoniam 1.

ad vīllam pūblicam: a public building on the Campus Martius which, among other things, functioned as lodging for magistrates during the levy of troops or the census.

parum vīsum: supply esse, continue indirect statement: "that (the number of slaves) seemed lower (than)."

quī: quō, ablative with ūterētur, "what he had use for."

iussisse: supply sē (i.e., M. Cato) as a subject, continue indirect statement.

puerōs: "slaves."

mēnsā: the platform on which the slaves were exposed for sale (OLD mensa 8.b).

dūxisse: supply sē (i.e., M. Cato) as a subject, continue indirect statement.

(11)

in tribus servīs: "in (the matter of my owning) three slaves."

multitūdinem comitum philosophī: "the (excessively) large size of a philosopher's retinue," i.e., a retinue too large for a self-respecting philosopher.