[86] (1) Athēniēnsēs quidem propter commūne iūs hūmānitātis ex captīvīs epistulīs Philippī Macedonis hostis suī ūnam epistulam, cum singulae pūblicē legerentur, recitārī prohibuērunt, quae erat ad uxōrem Olympiadem cōnscrīpta. Hostī potius pepercērunt, nē marītāle sēcrētum dīvulgārent, praeferendum ratī fās commūne propriae ultiōnī. (2) Tālēs hostēs adversum hostem; tū quālis fīlius adversum mātrem? Vidēs quam similia contendam. Tū tamen fīlius mātris epistulās dē amōre, ut ais, scrīptās in istō coetū lēgis, in quō sī aliquem poētam lascīviōrem iubērēris legere, profectō nōn audērēs: pudōre tamen aliquō impedīrēre. (3) Immō enim nunquam mātris tuae litterās attigissēs, sī ūllās aliās litterās attigissēs.
(4) At quam <nequiter> ausus es tuam ipsīus epistulam legendam dare, quam nimis irreverenter, nimis contumēliōsē et turpiter dē mātre tuā scrīptam, cum adhūc in eius sinū alerēre, mīserās clanculō ad Pontiānum, scīlicet nē semel peccāssēs ac tam bonum tuum factum optūtū capesseret. (5) Miser, nōn intellegis iccircō patruum tuum hoc fierī passum, quod sē hominibus pūrgāret, sī ex litterīs tuīs nōscerētur tē etiam prius quam ad eum commigrāssēs, etiam cum mātrī blandīrēre, tamen iam tum volpiōnem et impium fuisse.
notes
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.
Vocabulary
(1)
Athēniensis –is –e: Athenian
hūmānitās hūmānitātis f.: humanity, kindness
captīvus –a –um: captured
Philippus –ī m.: Phillip V, king of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great
Macedō –ōnis m.: a Macedonian
recitō recitāre recitāvī recitātum: to read aloud
Olympias –adis f.: Olympias, wife of Philip and mother of Alexander the Great
cōnscrībō cōnscrībere cōnscrīpsī cōnscrīptum: to write
marītālis –is –e: relating to marriage or a married pair
sēcrētum -ī n.: a secret
dīvulgō –āre: to make public
praeferō praeferre praetulī praelātum: to prefer
fās n.: (what is divinely) right; (what is) permitted
ultiō –ōnis f.: act of vengeance
(2)
adversum: towards, in regard to
contendō contendere contendī contentum: to compare
coitus (coetus) coitūs m.: meeting together; sexual union
lascīvus –a –um: playful, wanton, lascivious
profectō: surely
impediō impedīre impedīvī impedītum: to hinder
(3)
immō: in fact, on the contrary
attingō attingere attigī attāctum: to touch
(4)
nequiter: wickedly
irreverēns –entis: disrespectful, irreverent
contumeliosē: abusively, insultingly
clanculō (adv.): secretly, privately
Pontiānus –ī m.: Sicinius Pontianus: Roman knight, elder son of Sicinius Amicus and Aemilia Pudentilla
optūtus –ūs m.: a looking at; look, gaze (> obtueor)
capessō capessere capessīvī capessitum: to grasp (physically or mentally)
(5)
idcircō or iccircō: on that account
patruus –ī m.: uncle
pūrgō pūrgāre pūrgāvī pūrgātum: to absolve, exonerate, free from blame
commigrō –āre: to remove somewhere with all one's effects, migrate
blandior blandīrī blandītus sum: to flatter, charm
vulpiō (volpiō) –ōnis m.: one cunning as a fox
impius –a –um: disloyal