[75] (1) In hāc etiam aetāte quā nunc est —quī istum dī perduint! multus honōs auribus praefandus est— domus eius tōta lēnōnia, tōta familia contāmināta: ipse prōpudiōsus, uxor lupa, fīliī similēs: (2) prōrsus diebus ac noctibus lūdibriō iuventūtis iānua calcibus prōpulsāta, fenestrae canticīs circumstrepitae, trīclīnium cōmīsātōribus inquiētum, cubiculum adulterīs pervium; neque enim ūllī ad introeundum metus est, nisi quī pretium marītō nōn attulit. (3)Ita eī lectī suī contumēlia vectīgālis est. Ōlim sollers suō, nunc coniugis corpore vulgō meret. Cum ipsō plērīque -- nec mentior! -- cum ipsō, inquam, dē uxōris noctibus pacīscuntur.  (4) Iam illa inter virum et uxōrem nōta conlūsiō: quī amplam stipem mulierī dētulērunt, nēmō eōs observat, suō arbitrātū discēdunt; quī ināniōrēs vēnēre, signō datō prō adulterīs dēprehenduntur, et quasi ad discendum vēnerint, nōn prius abeunt quam aliquid scrīpserint.

(5) Quid enim faciat homō miser ampliusculā fortūnā dēvolūtus, quam tamen fraude patris ex inopīnātō invēnerat? Pater eius plūrimīs crēditōribus dēfaenerātus māluit pecūniam quam pudōrem. (6) Nam cum undique versum tabulīs flāgitārētur et quasi īnsānus ab omnibus obviīs tenērētur, (7) 'pāx' inquit, negat posse dissolvere, ānulōs aureōs et omnia īnsignia dignitātis abicit, cum crēditōribus dēpacīscitur. (8) Plēraque tamen reī familiāris in nōmen uxōris callidissimā fraude cōnfert. Ipse egēns, nūdus et ignōminiā suā tūtus relīquit Rufīnō huic – nōn mentior!--, sēstertium XXX dēvorandum. Tantum enim ad eum ex bonīs mātris līberum vēnit, praeter quod eī uxor sua cotīdiānīs dōtibus quaesīvit. (9) Quae tamen omnia in paucīs annīs ita hic dēgulātor studiōsē in ventrem condidit et omnimodīs conlurchinātiōnibus dīlapidāvit, ut crēderēs metuere nē quid habēre ex fraude paternā dīcerētur. (10) Homō iūstus et mōrum dedit operam, quod male partum erat ut male perīret, nec quicquam eī relictum est ex largiōre fortūnā praeter ambitiōnem miseram et profundam gulam.

    praefor –fātus sum: to say first

    lēnōnius –a –um: dedicated to prostitution (> leno, pimp)

    contāminātus -a -um: defiled, unclean, corrupted

    prōpudiōsus –a –um: shameful, vile

    lupa lupae f.: prostitute (lit. "she-wolf")

    prōrsus: in short, indeed

    (2)

    lūdibrium –iī n.: capers, hijinks, sport

    iuventūs iuventūtis f.: youth, young men

    iānua iānuae f.: door

    calx calcis f. and rarely m.: kick

    prōpulsō (1): to batter, strike

    fenestra –ae f.: window

    canticum –ī n: song

    circumstrepō circumstrepere circumstrepuī circumstrepitum: to surround with noise, make noise around

    trīclīnium –iī n.: dining-room

    cōmisātor –ōris m.: a reveler, carouser, party-animal

    inquiētus –a –um: not quiet, disturbed, noisy

    cubiculum –ī n.: bedroom

    adulter adulteri m.: adulterer

    pervius –a –um: accessible

    introeō introīre introiī introitum: to enter

    marītus –ī m.: husband

    (3)

    lēctus -ī m.: bed

    contumēlia contumēliae f.: insult

    vectīgālis –e: income-producing, profitable

    sollers sollertis: skilled, expert

    mentior mentīrī mentītus: to lie

    (4)

    pacīscor pacīscī pactus: to come to an arrangement, bargain

    nōtus –a –um: well–known; notorious

    conlūsiō –ōnis f.: a secret agreement, collusion

    stīps stīpis m: a contribution in money, fee

    observō observāre observāvī observātus: to watch, observe

    inānis inānis ināne: empty; empty-handed

    dēprehendō dēprehendere dēprehendī dēprehensus: to catch, seize

    ampliusculus –a –um: somewhat larger

    (5)

    dēvolvō –ere –volvī –volūtus: (pass. as middle) to sink back, fall back, tumble down

    fraus fraudis f.: trick

    inopīnātus –a –um: not expected, unexpected

    crēditor –ōris m.: a creditor

    dēfaenerō –āre –āvī –ātus: to involve in debt

    versus: towards, facing

    (6)

    tabula tabulae f.: document, bill, financial account

    flāgitō flāgitāre flāgitāvī flāgitātum: to demand

    īnsānus –a –um: insane

    obvius obvia obvium: in the way

    dissolvō dissolvere dissolvī dissolūtus: to pay a debt

    (7)

    ānulus –ī m.: ring

    īnsīgne īnsīgnis n.: decoration, emblem, insignia

    abiciō abicere abiēcī abiectum: to throw down/away

    crēditor –ōris m.: a creditor

    dēpacīscor –ī –pactus sum: to bargain for, agree upon

    rēs familiāris: family property, estate, fortune

    (8)

    callidus –a –um: clever

    fraus fraudis f.: trick, fraud

    egēns -ntis: needy, poor

    īgnōminia īgnōminiae f.: disgrace

    tūtus -a -um: safe

    Rūfīnus –ī m.: Herennius Rufinus: allegedly son of a bankrupt father, father of (Herennia).

    mentior mentīrī mentītus: to lie

    sestertium -ī n.: 100,000 sesterces

    dēvorō dēvorāre dēvorāvī dēvorātus: to swallow, devour

    cotīdiānus or cottīdiānus –a –um: daily

    (9)

    dōs dōtis f.: gift, endowment; dowry

    dēgulātor –ōris m.: a glutton

    studiōsē: eagerly

    venter ventris m.: stomach, belly

    omnimodus –a –um: of all sorts or kinds

    conlurchinātiō –ōnis f.: gross gluttony

    dīlapidō –āre –āvī –ātus: to throw away, squander

    fraus fraudis f.: fraud, trick

    paternus –a –um: paternal, belonging to a father

    largus -a -um: big, large

    (10)

    ambitiō ambitiōnis f.: ambition

    profundus –a –um: deep

    gula –ae f.: the gullet, throat

    article Nav
    Previous
    Next