73

Won over by Pontianus I moved into Pudentilla's villa and over time got to know her excellent character. In the meantime I recovered my health, gave an acclaimed public speech in Oea, and was offered citizenship in the town. Pontianus then disclosed to me his plan to have me marry his mother, and strongly urged me to do so. We discussed it at length, and though I was eager to resume my journey, I agreed, and was soon eager to do so. Pontianus convinced his mother and brother of the wisdom of the plan, and we hurried to complete the marriage, waiting only until Pontianus himself got married and his brother assumed the toga of manhood.

(1)

Haec omnia: accusative object either of adnixus ("striving to obtain these things," OLD adnitor 3), or of persuadet ("he persuaded [me] of these points," OLD persuadeo 1.a). That is, the difficulty of travel and the health benefits of moving to Pudentilla's villa.

persauādet ... commendat: the subject is Pontianus. Note the historical present and asyndeton to continue a brisk recounting of events.

puerum istum: the case against Apuleius has been brought by Aemilianus and others in the name of Pudens, the younger brother of Pontianus, so Apuleius is sure to point out that this is the exact boy that he is speaking of.

Nōn nihil: "not in respect to nothing," adverbial: "not not-at-all" = "to some degree," "somewhat."

in commūnibus studiīs: "in their (the brothers') shared studies," the liberal arts generally, or "in our shared studies," philosophy etc.

oppidō: adv. "very much."

familiāritās: presumably that between Apuleius and his soon-to-be new wife and stepsons.

(2)

revalēscō: Apuleius is still recovering from exhaustion after his travels. see 72.2, and 72.6 for Pontianus using this illness as an excuse for Apuleius to move in with them in order to better recover.

disserō aliquid ... pūblicē: "I deliver some public oration," presumably the speech on the majesty of Asclepius mentioned at 55.10, which would be appropriate for a man recently recovered from an illness. 

Omnēs quī aderant .... fierem cīvis Oeēnsium: order: Omnēs quī aderant, complentēs basilicam, quī locus audītōriī erat, ingentī celebritāte ("crowding"), adclāmant 'īnsigniter' (inter alia plēraque) congruentissimā vōce, petentēs ut remanērem (et) fierem cīvis Oeēnsium. Apuleius's order emphasizes the large size of the crowd and the honor to himself of the offer of citizenship.

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Apuleius has gained distinction in Oea on his own account, independent of Pudentilla. The prestige of a renowned man of culture was thought to reflect upon cities, which paid such men tribute by erecting statues or offering citizenship. This is true even for the classical period, as the example of the poet Archias shows (Cicero, Archias 5 and 10). Apuleius himself was later offered statues at Oea (Augustine, Letter 138) and Carthage (Apuleius, Florida 16) (Hunink).

inter alia plēraque: "among very many other (things that they were shouting)."

congruentissimā vōce: "with a unanimous shout."

'īnsigniter': "bravo!" (B/O).

cīvis Oeēnsium: "a (fellow) citizen of the Oeans" = "a citizen of Oea."

(3)

audītōriō: "audience," so used more than once by Apuleius, instead of the ordinary meaning of the part of the house where the audience sat. It is so employed also by Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius (B/O).

eō prīncipiō: "with this as his starting point." Pontianus began his next appeal to Apuleius by pointing out how the crowd had reacted to his speech.

cōnsēnsum pūblicae vōcis: "(this) consensus of the voice of the people (of Oea)," "this consensus of public opinion," i.e., the fact that they all seemed to like Apuleius a lot and wanted him to become one of them.

prō dīvīnō auspiciō interpretātur: "he interprets (the incident at the auditorium) as if it were an omen sent from the gods."

aperit: "reveals," introducing the following indirect statements: 

consilium ... esse.

sese ... confidere et credere.

cōnsilium sibi esse: sibi is the dative of possession, "that he had a plan to," "that it was his plan to," with the following infinitive coniungere.

cui plūrimī inhient: "whom very many were gaping at eagerly," i.e., "were casting longing eyes on," "coveting" (OLD inhio 2).

The audience is asked to believe that all other suitors were only after her money. This is of course the very thing Apuleius had been accused of. He now cleverly puts the remark in Pontianus' mouth (Hunink).

rērum omnium: "in all things" or "in the whole world."

cōnfīdere sēsē et crēdere: these infinitives (along with their subject, sese) return to the original indirect statement after aperit and convey a second thing revealed to Apuleius by Pontianus in the aftermath of the former's successful oration, not a second part of Pontianus's plan.

(4)

Nī id onus recipiam: "If I did not take on this burden."

pūpilla: a girl under the care of a guardian, who might have a fortune held in trust that will be available to her future husband.

haec reputāns: "with these considerations in mind" (Jones).

fōrmae et dīvitiārum grātiā: "for the sake of beauty and riches," of which Pudentilla only has one.  Construe after ad aliam condiciōnem (which would possibly have both).

ad aliam condiciōnem: "for a different marriage."

neque ... factūrum: supply me esse, this returns to the indirect statement conveying Pontianus's opinion, "that I would not be acting as a friend or a philosopher" if Pudentilla's age and lack of beauty were a problem.

(5)

Nimis multa ōrātiō est: "there is too much speech" = "the speech would get too long."

memorāre: "to recount," introducing a series of indirect questions:

quae ... responderim.

quam diu et quotiens ... verbigeratum sit.

quot et qualibus precibus ... haud omiserit.

quae: "what things."

(6)

verbigeratum: the word occurs only here in extant Latin.

quot et quālibus precibus: ablative of means, construe closely with the participial phrase mē aggressus.

haud prius omīserit quam: "he did not let go (of the matter) before."

impetrārit: impetrāverit, "he got (what he wanted)."

(7)

nōn quīn ego Pudentilla ... probē spectā(vi)ssem: "as if I had not thoroughly seen and approved of Pudentilla (but I had)." OLD probē 2.a. OLD specto 5, "to look at with approval or admiration." Apuleius is fond of the expression probē spectāre.

annō perpetī:  "for a full year," ablative > perpes, perpetis.

virtutium eius dōtēs: for dos = "gift, talent" see OLD s. v. 3. Of course, it also alludes to what Apuleius as a philosopher presents as her "real dowry": her good character (Hunink). For virtus as an i-stem, see B/O.

explōrāssem: "had found out, discovered (by personal experience)."

utpote peregrīnātiōnis cupiēns: "inasmuch as (I was) desirous of (continuing) my journey."

impedīmentum mātrimōnī: "the 'excess baggage' of a marriage," both literal and figurative.

(8)

nihilō sēgnius: "no more sluggishly" = "no less eagerly."

ultrō: "unprompted," without Pontianus having approached him about it, much less having begged him to do so.

Persuāserat idem Pontiānus mātrī suae: "Pontianus had persuaded the same thing to his mother" = "Pontianus had persuaded his mother of the same thing."

ut mē aliīs omnibus māllet: object clause describing this "same thing" (idem) which Pontianus had convinced his mother of.

quam prīmum: "as soon as possible."

hoc perficere: "to complete this (matter)," "to seal the deal."

(9)

tantulam moram ... dum: "(even) the littlest bit of a delay until," + subjunctive, showing the purpose for the granted delay.

uxōrem dūceret: "take a wife," "get married," the normal idiom, LS duco I.B.4.

ūsum auspicārētur: "enter into the use of," "have first experience of," + gen.

tunc deinde: "then (only) after that."

ut nōs coniungerēmur: acting as a second object of impetrāmus. Apuleius obtained (just barely) enough of a delay of his wedding for his stepsons to hit their own milestones, and then that he should marry after those were done.