86

The ancient Athenians declined to reveal the private correspondence between their enemy Philip II and his wife Olympias. Yet you, Pudens, have publicized a private letter of your own mother. For shame. You also wrote a disgracefully insulting letter about her to your brother Pontianus while you were still living with her and on good terms with her. 

(1)

Athēniēnsēs ... prohibuērunt: Athēniēnsēs prohibuērunt ūnam epistulam recitārī. According to Plutarch, Demetrius 22.1, the Athenians came into possession of some private letters of King Philip II of Macedon, with whom they were at war. They returned one to Philip from his wife Olympias with the seal unopened.

propter: "in accordance with," "in observance of."

captīvīs epistulīs: "the correspondence they had seized."

hostis suī: in apposition to Philippī Macedonis, almost concessive, "though he was their enemy," setting a precedent of decent behavior even toward an enemy that should obviously then apply to family members.

singulae ... legerentur: supply epistulae, "were being read (aloud) one by one."

quae: antecedent is ūnam epistulam.

potius ... nē ... dīvulgārent: "rather than make public."

praeferendum ratī fās commūne: ratī fās commūne praeferendum (esse).

ratī: "believing that" > reor.

propriae ultiōnī: "their own personal vengeance," i.e., the Athenians as a state.

(2)

Tālēs hostēs: supply erant, "such were enemies," "that's how enemies acted."

adversum: "in regard to," LS adversus B.1.ε.

tū quālis fīlius: supply es, "what sort of son are you?" "how are you, as a son, acting?"

Vīdēs quam similia contendam: "You see how close my comparison is!" (Jones).

dē amōre: construe with scrīptās.

ut ais: "as you yourself say," i.e., it is a love letter under Pudens's own interpretation. Apuleius has not conceded this.

in istō coetū ... in quō: "in the very (same) assembly in which."

aliquem poētam lascīviōrem: by metonymy, the work of such a poet.

tamen: "even yet," despite your general shamelessness.

impedīrēre: impedīrēris.

(3)

mātris tuae litterās ... ūllās aliās litterās: the pun is on litterās meaning letter/correspondence, and litterās meaning literature in general. If Pudens had been educated properly (and knew, e.g., about the behavior of the Athenians against Philip of Macedon) he would know better than to have exposed his mother's letter in court. The role of literature here is as an imparter of morals rather than intelligence, as we tend to think of it.

If Pudens were literate like Apuleius, he would have remained silent on private letters but read love poetry without false shame. As things are, the reverse is true (Hunink).

Apuleius implies that Pudens would never have acted as he did if he had had any proper education (Jones).

attigissēs ... attigissēs: "put your hand on ... tried your hand at" 

(4)

<nequiter>: this word is an addition by the 16th century editor Volcanius, accepted by Jones and others. Something of this sort seems required to make sense of quam.

tuam ipsīus epistulam: "your very own letter," an unusual combination of the possessive adjective and a genitive pronoun. See Cicero, Verrines 2.3.7 ad tuam ipsius amicitiam.

This refers to another, clearly different letter: not Pudentilla's Greek letter but some letter of Pudens himself, addressed to Pontianus and concerning his mother. We do not know more about the letter than the few details given here; legendam dare does not even make clear whom the letter was shown to. Probably Apuleius has heard about Pudens's letter from Pontianus or his secretary. The fact that he has nothing quoted from it would suggest that he has no copy at his disposal (Hunink).

quam: antecedent is epistulam; direct object of mīserās, "which you had sent."

nimis irreverenter, nimis contumēliōsē et turpiter dē mātre tuā: all the adverbs modify scrīptam.

eius: Pudentillae.

alerēre: alerēris, impf. subj. 2nd sing., "you were being supported."

nē ... peccāssēs ac ... capesseret: negative purpose clause after mīserās.

semel peccāssēs: "have sinned (only) once," by giving over his mother's letter.

ac tam bonum factum optūtū cappesseret: "and so (Pontianus) could see with his own eyes such excellent conduct on your (Pudens's) part." See OLD capesso 3 "to apprehend mentally or with the senses." obtutu = oculis, but can also mean "mental contemplation" (OLD 2).

Pudens does not want to sin just once but, in a way, twice, by writing his brother about his deed and so making him "see it with his own eyes" (Hunink). 

(5)

Miser: unexpectedly, Apuleius argues that Pudens is being tricked by Rufinus. This is a clear attempt at spreading discord among the accusers (Hunink).

iccircō ... quod: "for this reason: because."

hoc fierī passum: supply esse, "allowed this to happen."

sē hominibus pūrgāret: Pudens's uncle is looking to clear himself of suspicions of corrupting the young man by showing that he was already wicked before joining his household.

sī ... nōscerētur: "if it were known that," introducing indirect statement tē ... fuisse.

etiam prius quam: "even before."

ad eum commigrāssēs: "you had moved in with him." commigrāvissēs.

etiam cum mātrī blandīrēre: "even when you were fawning on your mother" insincerely, as the letter allegedly made clear. blandīrēre = blandīrēris.

At an early stage Pudens had been polite and friendly to his mother. For the defendant there can be only one explanation: the boy was a hypocrite. The animal imagery of the fox (symbol of cunning and cowardice) is prepared by blandior, which can be used for the fawning of dogs (OLD blandior 7). 

volpiōnem: "sly fox." The word occurs only here.