[52] (1) Immō enim, sī vērum velīs, Aemiliāne, tū potius cadūcus quī iam tot calumniīs cecidistī. Neque enim gravius est corpore quam corde collābī, pede potius quam mente corruere, in cubiculō dēspuī quam in istō splendidissimō coetū dētestārī. (2) At tū fortasse tē putās sānum, quod nōn domī continēris, sed īnsāniam tuam, quōquō tē dūxerit, sequeris. Atquī contende, sī vīs, furōrem tuum cum Thallī furōre: inveniēs nōn permultum interesse, nisī quod Thallus sibi, tū etiam aliīs furis. (3) Cēterum Thallus oculōs torquet, tū vēritātem; Thallus manūs contrahit, tū patrōnōs; Thallus pavīmentīs inlīditur, tū tribūnālibus. Postrēmō ille quidquid agit in aegritūdine facit, ignōrāns peccat; (4) at tū, miser, prūdēns et sciēns dēlinquis, tanta vīs morbī tē īnstīgat. Falsum prō vērō īnsimulās; īnfectum prō factō crīmināris; quem innocentem liquidō scīs, tamen accūsās ut nocentem.
notes
Aemelianus is really the sick one. Thallus's illness affects only himself but Aemilianus's disease has spread crimes and lies deliberately.
(1)
Immō: "actually," building on the previous statement in 51.10 that Aemilianus' arguments fall down more frequently than someone with epilepsy.
sī vērum velīs: parenthetical: "If you'd like (to hear) the truth."
tū potius cadūcus: supply es. tu is emphatic.
cecidistī: "have fallen down" = "have failed (in speaking)," LS cado II.F. Continuing the pun on cadūcus via its root verb.
corde: "in understanding" (LS cor II.B), note the alliteration with corpore.
dēspuī: "to rouse abhorrence" (Jones), literally, "to be spat on." Compare the apotropaic gesture used on Thallus' symptoms in 44.2.
(2)
domī continēris: either by way of quarantine or through an inability to safely traverse the city.
Atquī: "and yet," rebutting Aemilianus' supposed reasoning.
contende: "compare," LS contendo II.B.3.
nōn permultum interesse: "that there is not very much in between (the two furōrēs)" = "that there is not very much of a difference," LS intersum III.
nisī quod: "except (for the fact) that."
Thallus sibi: supply furit.
etiam aliīs: "against others, too." etiam implies that Aemilianus is also hurting himself with his madness.
(3)
Cēterum: "besides," passing to another thought, LS ceterus II.A.3.
torquet ... contrahit ... inliditur: three puns made by means of ambiguous verbs: they have their literal meaning as far as Thallus is concerned, but a metaphorical meaning whenever Aemilianus is meant. For Thallus twisting his eyes, clenching his fists, and falling down (see 44.9). Aemilianus' case is worse: he distorts truth, assembles lawyers, and dashes himself against courts of law (Hunink).
ille quidquid agit in aegritūdine facit: "Whatever that one (Thallus) does, he does in (a state of) illness."
(4)
prūdēns et sciēns: indicating that Aemilianus is fully mindful and aware of what he is doing, not that he is in other respects wise and knowledgeable.
tanta vīs morbī: "such a great force of disease" = "a disease of such great intensity." The phrase is perhaps borrowed from a well-known passage in Sallust (Bellum Catilinae 36.5 tanta vis morbi atque uti tabes plerosque civium animos invaserat). The "disease" here is Aemilianus' pathological urge to lie.
īnfectum: i.e., quod non factum est.
quem ... scīs: "(a person) who you know."
innocentem: supply esse, "to be innocent," "is innocent."
liquidō: "clearly," LS liquidus II.D.2.
ut: "as (if he were)"
Vocabulary
(1)
immō: on the contrary, more correctly; actually
Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens
cadūcus –a –um: liable to fall; destined to fall
calumnia –ae f.: the bringing of a false accusation; false statement
collābor collābī collāpsus sum: give way, fail; sink down
corruō –ere –uī: to fall completely; fall down (> com– and ruo)
cubiculum –ī n.: bedroom
dēspuō dēspuere: spit upon
splendidus –a –um: splendid, esteemed, distinguished
coetus –ūs m.: meeting, encounter, gathering; meeting place
dētestor dētestārī dētestātus: curse; detest, loathe; avert by entreaty (perf. participle often passive)
(2)
fortasse: perhaps
īnsānia –ae f.: madness
quōquō: to whatever place
atquī: but somehow, and yet, and nevertheless, anyhow
contendō contendere contendī contentus: compare alongside
furor furōris m.: a raving, madness, rage
Thallus –ī m.: Thallus: slave of Apuleius, allegedly used by him in performing magic
permultum: very much
furō furere furuī: to rage
(3)
torqueō torquēre torsī tortum: twist
vēritās vēritātis f.: truth
contrahō contrahere contrāxī contractus: to contract [a fist, e.g.], contract [with attorneys, e.g.]
patrōnus –ī m.: lawyer
pavīmentum –ī n.: floor, pavement
inlīdō –ere –līsī –līsus: to dash upon, hurl against (> in and laedo)
tribūnal tribūnālis n.: tribunal, raised platform [where judges sit]
aegritūdō –inis f.: sickness, grief
īgnōrō īgnōrāre īgnōrāvī īgnōrātus: to not know; be ignorant of
(4)
prūdēns –entis: aware, acting deliberately
dēlinquō –linquere –līquī –lictum: to fail, fall short, err, commit a fault
īnstīgō īnstīgāre īnstīgāvī īnstīgātus: urge, incite
īnsimulō īnsimulāre: to make a plausible charge (true or false) against a person before a tribunal
īnfectus –a –um: not done; untrue
crimīnor crimīnārī crimīnātus sum: to charge, allege; make accusations against
innocēns –ntis: innocent
liquidō: clearly
accūsō accūsāre accūsāvī accūsātus: to accuse, charge [with a crime, e.g.]