[87] (1) Cēterum nequeō in animum indūcere tam stultum Aemiliānum esse, ut arbitrētur mihi litterās puerī et eiusdem accūsātōris meī offutūrās.
(2) Fuit et illa commentīcia epistula neque meā manū scrīpta neque vērisimiliter cōnficta, quā vidērī volēbant blanditiīs ā mē mulierem sollicitātam. Cūr ego blandīrem, sī magīā cōnfīdēbam? (3) Quā autem viā ad istōs pervēnit epistula, ad Pudentillam scīlicet per aliquem fidēlem missa, ut in rē tālī accūrārī solet? (4) Cūr praetereā tam vitiōsīs verbīs, tam barbarō sermōne ego scrīberem, quem īdem dīcunt nēquāquam Graecae linguae imperītum? Cūr autem tam absurdīs tamque tabernāriīs blanditiīs subigitārem, quem īdem aiunt versibus amātōriīs satis scītē lascīvīre? (5) Sīc est profectō, cuivīs palam est: hic, quī epistulam Pudentillae Graecātiōrem legere nōn potuerat, hanc ut suam facilius legit et aptius commendāvit.
(6) Sed iam dē epistulīs satis dictum habēbō, sī hoc ūnum addiderō: Pudentillam, quae scripserat dissimulāmentī causā et dērīdiculī:
ἐλθὲ τοίνυν, ἕως ἔτι σωφρονῶ
post hāsce litterās ēvocāsse ad sē fīliōs et nurum, cum hīs fermē duōbus mēnsibus conversātam. (7) Dicat hic pius fīlius, quid in eō tempore sequius agentem vel loquentem mātrem suam propter īnsāniam vīderit; neget eam ratiōnibus villicōnum et ūpiliōnum et equīsōnum sollertissimē subscrīpsisse; (8) neget frātrem suum Pontiānum graviter ab eā monitum, ut sibi ab īnsidiīs Rufīnī cavēret; neget vērē obiūrgātum, quod litterās, quās ad eum mīserat, vulgō circumtulisset nec tamen bonā fidē lēgisset; (9) neget post ista quae dīxī mātrem suam mihi apud vīllam iam prīdem condictō locō nupsisse.
(10) Quippe ita placuerat, in suburbānā vīllā potius ut coniungerēmur, nē cīvēs dēnuō ad sportulās convolārent, cum haud prīdem Pudentilla dē suō quīnquāginta mīlia nummum in populum expūnxisset eā diē, quā Pontiānus uxōrem dūxit et hic puerulus togā est involūtus, (11) praetereā, ut convīviīs multīs ac molestiīs supersedērēmus, quae fermē ex mōre novīs marītīs obeunda sunt.
notes
Surely Aemilianus did not believe that boy's letter would harm my case (1). There is also another letter introduced as evidence by my accusers, one supposedly written by me to Pudentilla, propositioning her in vulgar terms. This is an obvious forgery (2-5). After receiving Pudentilla's summons in the genuine letter earlier quoted, Pudens and Pontianus did go live with her for some months, during which time they observed her behaving completely normally (6-8). Shortly thereafter, Pudentilla and I were married in her suburban villa, as we had planned, to avoid the throngs of clients and well-wishers in the city.
(1)
Cēterum: (adv.) "Still," with mild adversative force (OLD ceterus 5.c).
in animum indūcere: "bring myself to believe," introducing an indirect statement.
puerī et eiusdem accūsātōris meī: "of a boy who is also my accuser." Puerī is emphatic.
mihi ... offutūrās: supply esse, "would be injurious to me (at trial)."
(2)
Fuit et: "There was also."
illa commentīcia epistula: a third letter, allegedly written by Apuleius and addressed to Pudentilla.
vērisimiliter cōnficta: "convincingly forged."
vidērī volēbant: "they wanted it to seem (as though)," introducing indirect statement.
sollicitātam: supply esse, "had been enticed," LS sollicito II.B.1.
blandīrem: the verb is normally deponent, but is used here in the active mode.
(3)
ut in rē tālī accūrārī solet: "the usual precaution in such an affair" (Jones).
(4)
tam vitiōsīs verbīs: "such uneducated language" (Jones). given Apuleius's consistent choice of conspicuous and beautiful words, this argument must have appeared indisputable to the audience (Hunink).
tam barbarō sermōne: "such barbarous style," i.e., unpolished, uncouth (OLD barbarus 2).
quem īdem dīcunt: antecedent is ego: "the person whom these same people (the accusers) are calling."
nēquāquam ... imperītum: "not at all unskilled in" + gen., i.e., "very skilled in."
tabernāriīs: "bar-room caliber."
subigitārem: "rile (her) up," "attempt to arouse," "tease."
lascivīre: "to play with," + abl., i.e., write playful poetry.
Apuleius associates lascivia with several poets: Sappho (9.7), Solon (9.9), Voconius (11.3), and here with himself (87.4). He defends erotic poetry at 11.1-4 and inserts many quotations from it in chs. 9-11 (Hunink note on ch. 86.2).
(5)
Sīc est profectō: "this is certainly how it is," introducing the answer to this conundrum of the mis-match between Apuleius's skills in Greek and the poor Greek skills of whoever tried to forge the letter in his name.
hic, quī: Rufinus.
Graecātiōrem: "in quite idiomatic Greek."
hanc: supply epistulam, i.e., the forged one.
ut suam: "since it was his own."
aptius commendāvit: "made it attractive more appropriately" to his skill level (i.e., badly), "did it better justice," a back-handed compliment, noting how the bad Greek of the letter now matches the bad Greek of its reader.
(6)
satis dictum habēbō: supply esse, "I will consider that enough has been said."
Pudentillam: subject of ēvocā(vi)sse and conversātam (esse).
dissimulāmentī causā et dērīdiculī: "for the sake of irony and mockery."
ἐλθὲ τοίνυν, ἕως ἔτι σωφρονῶ: "Well then come (to me), while I am still in my right mind." See 83.1 for the full text. The words πρὸς ἐμέ are here omitted.
post hāsce litterās: i.e., after she wrote and sent the letter in question.
nurum: Pontianus's wife, Rufinus's daughter. See 76.3-6.
conversātam: "lived with." Supply esse.
(7)
Dicat: jussive subjunctive ("let him say ...") as with neget (87.7), neget (87.8) and neget (87.9).
hic pius fīlius: highly ironic.
quid: introducing the indirect question with the subjunctive vīderit, but strictly the direct object of the participles agentem vel loquentem: "what he saw his mother doing or saying."
sequius: "amiss," comparative > the adverb secus, "differently," "contrary to what is expected." See OLD secus 3.
ratiōnibus villicōnum et ūpiliōnum et equīsōnum sollertissimē subscrīpsisse: Pudentilla is managing the estate finances just fine. We saw her prowess at household management before when she built up her own fortune.
The three types of special servants (overseers, stablemen, and shepherds) indirectly characterize her as a very wealthy woman. Her huge capital (71.6) has already made this quite clear (Hunink).
(8)
ab eā: i.e., ā Pudentillā.
monitum: supply esse.
sibi ... cavēret: "should protect himself" LS caveo II.D.1.
obiūrgātum: supply esse, subject is still Pontiānum.
vulgō circumtulisset: "he had shared widely."
bonā fidē: "in good faith." He took words out of context to distort their meaning.
(9)
iam prīdem condictō locō: "at the place long since agreed."
A first excuse for marrying in the country rather than in town, even before the theme itself is brought up. Apuleius gives a rather weak reason: the agreement had been made long before (Hunink).
(10)
ita placuerat: "it seemed good (to us)," "(we) had decided," looking forward to the substantive clause ut coniungerēmur. The impersonal use of the placeo is common (LS placeo II), and the construction with a noun clause is classical. Caesar, Gallic Wars 1.34.1 placuit ei (Caesari), ut ad Ariovistum legatos mitteret.
potius: "rather (than in the city)."
dēnuō: "a second time," the occasion of the first disbursement of sportulae will be described in the cum clause to follow.
sportulās: free distributions of food (lit. "baskets") or cash given by patrons to clients. This is mentioned as a regular institution in Rome by Juvenal, writing in the early second century AD (Satires 1.95, 1.118, 1.128).
haud prīdem: "not long ago."
dē suō: "from her own (resources)."
quīnquāginta mīlia nummum: 50,000 sesterces, a considerable sum. See 101.5, where 60,000 sesterces is the price for a small estate (Hunink).
nummum: genitive plural, as is usual for nummus rather than nummōrum. sesterces, probably.
in populum expūnxisset: "had recorded as paid out to the people."
expungo is evidently an accounting term. Literally = "to prick," hence "to mark off on a list," and thus in this context, "to record as paid out" (Hunink).
togā: i.e., the toga virilis.
(11)
convīviīs multīs ac molestiīs: "many banquets and nuisances" (Jones).
quae: antecedent is convīviīs.
fermē ex mōre: "usually, according to custom."
obeunda sunt: "must be attended;" with an undertone of a hassle, "must be endured."
Vocabulary
(1)
nequeō nequīre nequīvī nequitum: to be unable
indūcō inducere indūxī inductum: to bring, induce
stultus –a –um: foolish
Aemiliānus –ī m.: Sicinius Aemilianus, principal accuser, uncle of Sicinius Pontianus and Sicinius Pudens.
accūsātor –ōris m.: the accuser
obsum obesse offuī offutūrum: to harm, injure, disadvantage
(2)
commentīcius –a –um: fabricated, feigned
vērīsimilis –is –e: plausible, probable
cōnfingō cōnfingere cōnfīnxī cōnfictum: to fabricate, feign
blanditia –ae f.: flattery, compliment; pick-up line
sollicitō sollicitāre sollicitāvī sollicitātum: to stir up; proposition, woo
blandior blandīrī blandītus sum: to flatter, charm
magīa –ae f.: magic, sorcery
cōnfīdō cōnfīdere cōnfīsus sum: to rely on (+ abl.)
(3)
Pudentilla –ae f.: Pudentilla (name)
accūrō accūrāre: to give close attention to, take care of
(4)
vitiōsus –a –um: faulty, incorrect
nēquāquam: by no means, in no way
Graecus –a –um: Greek, of Greece
imperītus –a –um: unskilled, inexperienced
absurdus –a –um: absurd
tabernārius –ī m.: relating to a taberna, cook shop or tavern; common, low, "bar-room"
subigitō subigitāre subigitāvī subigitātum: to attempt to arouse, tease
versus –ūs m.: line (of poetry)
amātōrius –a –um: of lovers; inducing love
scītē: cleverly, ingeniously
lascīviō lascīvīre lascīvī lascīvītum: to be wanton, frisk, frolic
(5)
profectō: surely
quīvīs quaevīs quodvīs or (subst.) quidvīs: who or what you please
palam: openly, obviously
Graecātus -a -um: written in idiomatic Greek
commendō commendāre commendāvī commendātum: to make attractive, render agreeable
(6)
dissimulāmentum –ī n.: irony
dērīdiculus –a –um: mocking, joking, teasing
-ce: intensifying demonstrative particle (equivalent to γέ)
ēvocō ēvocāre ēvocāvī ēvocātum: summon
nurus –ūs f.: daughter–in–law
fermē: almost, nearly
mēnsis mēnsis m.: month
conversor conversārī conversātus sum: to live with or among
(7)
secus; comp. sequior –ius: otherwise, differently; badly, worse
īnsānia –ae f.: madness
vīllicō -ōnis m.: an estate overseer (typically a freedman) = vilicus
ūpiliō –ōnis m.: a shepherd
equīsō –ōnis m.: a groom, stableboy
sollers sollertis: skilled, expert
subscrībō subscrībere subscrīpsī subscrīptum: to write under, sign; audit
(8)
Pontiānus –ī m.: Pontianus (name)
īnsidiae –ārum f. pl.: ambush
Rūfīnus –ī m.: Rufinus (name)
obiurgō obiurgāre obiurgāvī obiurgātum: to rebuke, scold
circumferō circumferre circumtulī circumlātum: to bear round; pass around
(9)
vīlla –ae f.: country house, villa
prīdem: long ago
condīcō condīcere condīxī condictum: to agree upon, arrange
nūbō nūbere nūpsī nūptum: to marry
(10)
suburbānus –a –um: located outside the city
coniungō coniungere coniūnxī coniūnctum: to join together
dēnuō: a second time, again
sportula –ae f.: a little basket; a gift (given to clients)
convolō convolāre: to come hastily together, to flock
quīnquāginta: 50
nummus –ī m.: coin, money
expungō expungere expunxī expunctum: to prick, to mark off on a list, to record as paid out
Pontiānus –ī m.: Pontianus (name)
puerulus –ī m.: little boy
toga –ae f.: toga
involvō involvere involvī involūtus: to wrap in
(11)
molestia –ae f.: trouble, annoyance
supersedeō supersedēre supersēdī supersessum: to pass over, forbear, dispense with (+ dat.)
fermē: almost, nearly
marītus –a –um: married partner
obeō obīre obīvī obitum: to attend (to), deal with, go to