[67] (1) Quid igitur est? Cuivīs clārē dīlūcet aliam rem invidiā nūllam esse quae hunc et Herennium Rufīnum, impulsōrem huius, dē quō mox dīcam, cēterōsque inimīcōs meōs ad nectendās magīae calumniās prōvocārit.
(2) Quīnque igitur rēs sunt, quās mē oportet disputāre. Nam sī probē meminī, quod ad Pudentillam attinet, haec obiēcēre: (3) ūna rēs est, quod numquam eam voluisse nūbere post priōrem marītum, sed meīs carminibus coāctam dīxēre; altera rēs est dē epistulīs eius, quam cōnfessiōnem magīae putant; deinde sexāgēsimō annō aetātis ad lubīdinem nūbsisse, et quod in vīllā ac nōn in oppidō tabulae nubtiālēs sint cōnsignātae, tertiō et quārtō locō obiēcēre; (4) novissima et eadem invidiōsissima crīminātiō dē dōte fuit. Ibi omne vīrus tōtīs vīribus adnīxī effundere, ibi maximē angēbantur, atque ita dīxēre mē grandem dōtem mox in prīncipiō coniūnctiōnis nostrae mulierī amantī remōtīs arbitrīs in vīllā extorsisse.
(5) Quae omnia tam falsa, tam nihilī, tam inānia ostendam adeōque facile et sine ūllā contrōversiā refūtābō, ut medius fīdius verear, Maxime quīque in cōnsiliō estis, nē dēmissum et subōrnātum ā mē accūsātōrem putētis, ut invidiam meam repertā occāsiōne palam restinguerem. (6) Mihi crēdite, quod reābse intellegētur: oppidō quam mihi labōrandum est, nē tam frīvolam accūsātiōnem mē potius callidē excōgitāsse quam illōs stultē suscēpisse exīstimētis.
notes
The main charges against me are that I used magic to bewitch into marriage Pudentilla, a 60-year-old widow who had no desire to remarry, and that we signed the marriage contract out of town at a villa, all so I could take control of her substantial dowry.
(1)
clārē dīlūcet: "it is plainly evident," introducing the indirect statement nūllam aliam rem ... esse.
aliam: "other than," + abl. (invidiā), LS alius I.B.γ.
invidiā: a key word in this passage, see below invidiōssissima (4) and invidiam meam (5).
quae: the antecedent is nūllam aliam rem, the verb prōvocā(ve)rit.
hunc: Aemiliānum.
impulsōrem huius: "his (Aemilianus's) instigator," the one urging him to pursue this prosecution.
quō: antecedent is Herennius Rufinus.
mox: in section 74.
ad nectendās magīae calumniās: purpose construction, "to contrive false charges of magic." Magīae is genitive of the charge.
prōvocārit: perfect subjunctive in a relative clause with an indefinite antecedent (nullam rem aliam), "which could have provoked."
(2)
rēs: "things," i.e., the claims from the accusers.
mē oportet: "it is right that I ...," "I should."
quod ... attinet: "as far as it (the trial and its charges) pertains."
haec obiēcēre: = obiēcērunt, "they have brought the following accusations."
(3)
ūna rēs: for prīma rēs (of the quīnque rēs mentioned at 67.2).
quod ... dīxēre: = dīxērunt, "that they said," introducing the indirect statements:
eam (numquam) voluisse
sed (eam) ... coāctam (esse)
eam: Pudentillam.
coāctam: supply esse.
dē epistulīs eius: "(one) of her letters," to be understood as the singular feminine antecedent of quam.
quam: epistulam.
putant: "they (Aemilianus et al.) consider."
deinde: the verb of this clause is obiēcēre (obiēcērunt): "they brought up the fact that," introducing:
a) an indirect statement: (Pudentilla) ... nubsisse.
b) a substantive subjunctive clause: quod ... tabulae nubtiales sint consignatae.
sexāgēsimō annō aetātis: "in the sixtieth year of her life."
ad lubīdinem: "for pleasure" (= libidinem), as opposed to procreation.
- read more
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As Karen K. Hirsch explains, “Jurists defined the purpose of marriage as the production of legitimate children, and this phrase also surfaces prominently in descriptions of weddings and in connection to tablets. When describing the union of Messalina and Silius, Tacitus referred to their wedding as ‘coming together for the sake of having children.’ … By the time of Augustine, marriage contracts included the phrase ‘for the begetting of children.’ It may be that this phrase was normally inscribed on the tablets and perhaps even spoken as part of some now lost wedding liturgy.” (The Wedding: Ritual and Meaning in Antiquity [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010], p. 131.)
nūbsisse: nūpsisse, subject can be understood as Pudentilla.
in vīllā: i.e., out in the countryside, out of the public eye.
nubtiālēs: nuptiālēs. On tabuale nuptialies, see below, sections 87-88 with notes.
tertiō et quārtō locō: "in the third and fourth place," of the five "things" which Apuleius introduces as needing to be refuted at 67.2, referring to the two complaints reported from deinde ... cōnsignātae.
obiēcēre: obiēcērunt.
(4)
novissima: "the final (of the five)" (LS novus II.B.3.b) but also "the strangest/most unheard of" (LS novus I.B.1), a play on the two meanings.
et eadem: "and also."
ibi: "there" = "at that point of their speech" = "on this point (about the dowry)."
omne vīrus: accusative neuter singular, "every bit of bile/venom."
tōtīs vīribus: "with all their strength."
adnīxī: supply sunt, "they strove" > adnitor.
ita: "in this state," i.e., maximally tormented and spewing bile.
mox in prīncipiō coniūnctiōnis nostrae: "directly upon the outset of our union."
mulierī amantī: "from a love-struck wife," dative of disadvantage.
remōtīs arbitrīs: "once the witnesses were gone," or just "with the witnesses (kept) at a distance," as though that were part of Apuleius's plan in conducting the wedding in the countryside where fewer people would attend.
(5)
Quae omnia: "all of which things," the five points from the accusers which Apuleius plans to refute; direct object of ostendam and refūtābō.
nihilī: dative of purpose, "for nothing" = "worthless," LS nihil II.β.
adeō ... facile: "so easily."
medius fīdius: an oath, "the god Fidius (Jupiter) [verb] me."
quīque in cōnsiliō estis: "and all of you who are in the council," the advisors, not the jury.
dēmissum et subōrnātum: supply esse for each, "was sent in and put up to it."
invidiam meam: "hatred of me," meam = meī.
repertā occāsiōne: "with an opportunity having been found," "having found an opportunity,"
(6)
quod reābse intellegētur: "(a thing) that will be understood from the case itself," "and the facts will bear me out" (Jones). reābse = reāpse,"contracted from rē and eapse, an old form for ipsā (LS).
oppidō quam: "how very much." A colloquialism. Cicero in his letters uses mire quam and sane quam. Plautus and Terence have nimis quam and admodum quam (B/O).
nē tam frīvolam accūsātiōnem mē potius callidē excōgitāsse quam illōs stultē suscēpisse exīstimētis: order: nē exīstimētis mē callidē excōgitāsse tam frīvolam accūsātiōnem potius quam illōs stultē suscēpisse (tam frīvolam accūsātiōnem).
excōgitāsse: excōgitāvisse.
Vocabulary
(1)
quīvīs quaevīs quodvīs or (subst.) quidvīs: anyone you please
dīlūceō dīlūcēre: to be clear, evident
Hērennius Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus, allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia).
impulsor –ōris m.: inciter, instigator
nectō nectere nexī nexum: to weave; contrive, prepare, frame
magīa –ae f.: magic, sorcery
calumnia –ae f.: the bringing of a false accusation; false statement
prōvocō prōvocāre prōvocāvī prōvocātum: to provoke
(2)
disputō disputāre disputāvī disputātum: to discuss, debate, argue
probē: correctly
Pudentilla –ae f.: Aemilia Pudentilla, married first to Sicinius Amicus and then to Apuleius; mother of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
attineō attinēre attinuī attentum: to pertain to
obiiciō obiicere obiēcī obiectum: to bring up (an accusation) against
(3)
nūbō nūbere nūpsī nūptum: to marry
marītus –ī m.: husband
cōnfessiō –ōnis f.: a confession, admission
sexāgēsimus –a –um: 60th
vīlla –ae f.: rural estate, villa
tabula –ae f.: writing tablet
nuptiālis –is –e: pertaining to marriage; tabulae nuptiales = "marriage contract"
consignō consignāre: put a seal on, sign
(4)
invidiōsus –a –um: envious
crīminātiō –ōnis f.: an accusation, complaint
dōs dōtis f.: dowry
vīrus –ī n.: venom, bile
adnītor adnītī adnīxus sum: to strive to (+ infin.)
angō angere ānxī ānctum: to annoy, vex
grandis –is –e: large
coniūnctiō –ōnis f.: a union
removeō removēre removī remōtum: to remove
arbiter –trī m.: observer, witness
extorqueō extorquēre extorsī extortum: to extort
(5)
inānis –is –e: empty, void
contrōversia –ae f.: dispute
refūtō refūtāre refūtāvī refūtātum: to disprove
medius fidius: "by heaven" [an oath]
Māximus –ī m.: cognomen of Claudius Maximus, judge in the case
dēmittō dēmittere dēmīsī dēmissum: to send in
subōrnō subōrnāre: to instigate, secretly incite, put (somebody) up to (something)
accūsātor –ōris m.: the accuser
occāsiō occāsiōnis f.: opportunity
palam: openly
restinguō restinguere restīnxī restīnctum: to put out, extinguish
(6)
reābse: in fact, actually, really
oppidō: (adv.) very much
frīvolus –a –um: having little value, worthless
accūsātiō accūsātiōnis f.: accusation
callidus –a –um: clever
excōgitō excōgitāre excōgitāvī excōgitātum: to devise
stulte: (adv.) foolishly