C. PLĪNIUS TACITŌ SUŌ S.
Ais tē adductum litterīs quās exigentī tibi dē morte avunculī meī scrīpsī, cupere cognōscere, quōs ego Mīsēnī relictus (id enim ingressus abrūperam) nōn sōlum metūs vērum etiam cāsūs pertulerim. 'Quamquam animus meminisse horret, incipiam.'
[2] Profectō avunculō, ipse reliquum tempus studiīs (ideō enim remānseram) impendī; mox balineum cēna somnus inquiētus et brevis. [3] Praecesserat per multōs diēs tremor terrae, minus formīdolōsus quia Campāniae solitus; illā vērō nocte ita invaluit, ut nōn movērī omnia sed vertī crēderentur. [4] Inrūpit cubiculum meum māter; surgēbam invicem, sī quiēsceret excitātūrus. Resēdimus in āreā domūs, quae mare ā tēctīs modicō spatiō dīvidēbat. [5] Dubitō, cōnstantiam vocāre an imprūdentiam dēbeam (agēbam enim duodeuīcēnsimum annum): poscō librum Titī Līvī, et quasi per ōtium lēgō atque etiam ut coeperam excerpō. Ecce amīcus avunculī quī nūper ad eum ex Hispāniā vēnerat, ut mē et mātrem sedentēs, mē vērō etiam legentem videt, illīus patientiam sēcūritātem meam corripit. Nihilō sēgnius ego intentus in librum.
[6] Iam hōra diēī prīma, et adhūc dubius et quasi languidus diēs. Iam, quassātīs circumiacentibus tēctīs, quamquam in apertō locō angustō tamen, magnus et certus ruīnae metus. [7] Tum dēmum excēdere oppidō vīsum; sequitur vulgus attonitum, quodque in pavōre simile prūdentiae, aliēnum cōnsilium suō praefert, ingentīque agmine abeuntēs premit et impellit. [8] Ēgressī tēcta cōnsistimus. Multa ibi mīranda, multās formīdinēs patimur. Nam vehicula quae prōdūcī iusserāmus, quamquam in plānissimō campō, in contrāriās partēs agēbantur, ac nē lapidibus quidem fulta in eōdem vestīgiō quiēscēbant.
[9] Praetereā mare in sē resorbērī et tremōre terrae quasi repellī vidēbāmus. Certē prōcesserat lītus, multaque animālia maris siccīs harēnīs dētinēbat. Ab alterō latere nūbēs, ātra et horrenda, igneī spīritūs tortīs vibrātīsque discursibus rupta, in longās flammārum figūrās dēhīscēbat; fulguribus illae et similēs et maiōrēs erant. [10] Tum vērō īdem ille ex Hispāniā amīcus ācrius et īnstantius, 'Sī frāter' inquit 'tuus, tuus avunculus vīvit, vult esse vōs salvōs; sī periit, superstitēs voluit. Proinde quid cessātīs ēvādere?' Respondimus nōn commissūrōs nōs ut dē salūte illīus incertī nostrae cōnsulerēmus. [11] Nōn mōrātus ultrā prōripit sē effūsōque cursū perīculō aufertur. Nec multō post illā nūbēs dēscendere in terrās, operīre maria; cīnxerat Capreās et absconderat, Mīsēnī quod prōcurrit abstulerat. [12] Tum māter ōrāre hortārī iubēre, quōquō modo fugerem; posse enim iuvenem, sē et annīs et corpore gravem bene moritūram, sī mihi causa mortis nōn fuisset. Ego contrā salvum mē nisi ūnā nōn futūrum; dein manum eius amplexus addere gradum cōgō. Pāret aegrē incūsatque sē, quod mē morētur.
[13] Iam cinis, adhūc tamen rārus. Respiciō: dēnsa cālīgō tergīs imminēbat, quae nōs torrentīs modo īnfūsa terrae sequēbātur. 'Dēflectāmus' inquam 'dum vidēmus, nē in viā strātī comitantium turbā in tenebrīs obterāmur.' [14] Vix cōnsīderāmus, et nox nōn quālis inlūnis aut nūbila, sed quālīs in locīs clausīs, lūmine exstīnctō. Audīrēs ululātūs fēminārum, īnfantum quirītātūs, clāmōrēs virōrum; aliī parentēs aliī līberōs aliī coniugēs vōcibus requīrēbant, vōcibus nōscitābant; hī suum cāsum, illī suōrum miserābantur; erant quī metū mortis mortem precārentur; [15] multī ad deōs manūs tollere, plūrēs nusquam iam deōs ūllōs aeternamque illam et novissimam noctem mundō interpretābantur. Nec dēfuērunt quī fictīs mentītīsque terrōribus vēra perīcula augērent. Aderant quī Mīsēnī illud ruisse illud ārdēre falsō sed crēdentibus nūntiābant. [16] Paulum relūxit, quod nōn diēs nōbīs, sed adventantis ignis indicium vidēbātur. Et ignis quidem longius substitit; tenebrae rūrsus cinis rūrsus, multus et gravis. Hunc identidem adsurgentēs excutiēbāmus; opertī aliōquī atque etiam oblīsī pondere essēmus. [17] Possem glōriārī nōn gemitum mihi, nōn vōcem parum fortem in tantīs perīculīs excidisse, nisi mē cum omnibus, omnia mēcum perīre miserō, magnō tamen mortālitātis sōlāciō crēdidissem.
[18] Tandem illa cālīgō tenuāta quasi in fūmum nebulamve discessit; mox diēs vērus; sōl etiam effulsit, lūridus tamen quālis esse cum dēficit solet. Occursābant trepidantibus adhūc oculīs mūtāta omnia altōque cinere tamquam nive obducta. [19] Regressī Mīsēnum cūrātis utcumque corporibus suspēnsam dubiamque noctem spē ac metū exēgimus. Metus praevalēbat; nam et tremor terrae persevērābat, et plērīque lymphātī terrificīs vāticinātiōnibus et sua et aliēna mala lūdificābantur. [20] Nōbīs tamen nē tunc quidem, quamquam et expertīs perīculum et exspectantibus, abeundī cōnsilium, dōnec dē avunculō nūntius. Haec nēquāquam histōriā digna nōn scrīptūrus legēs et tibi scīlicet quī requīsīstī imputābis, sī digna nē epistulā quidem vidēbuntur. Valē.
vocabulary
abrumpō –rumpere –rūpī –ruptum: to break off, sever
vērum: but indeed, but
perferō –ferre –tulī –lātus: to endure, to carry back
horreō –ēre –uī: to dread, shudder
remaneō –manēre –mānsī –mānsus: to stay behind2
impendō –pendere –pendī –pēnsum: to expend
balneum (balineum) –ī. n. (balneus –ī. m.; balnae –ārum. f.): a bath
cēna –ae, f.: dinner
inquiētus –a –um: restless, disturbed
praecēdō –cēdere –cessī –cessus: to go before3
formīdolōsus (formīdulōsus) –a –um: full of dread, frightening
Campānia –ae, f.: Campania
invalēscō –valēscere –valuī —: to become strong
irrumpō irrumpere irrūpī irrumptus: to burst in4
cubiculum –ī n.: bedroom
invicem: alternately, reciprocally
excitō –citāre –citāvī –citātus: to stir up, arouse, put into motion
resīdō –sīdere –sēdī: to sit down, sink down, shrink
area arae, f.: open space, threshing floor, forecourt
modicus –a –um: moderate, modest
cōnstantia –ae, f.: firmness, perseverance, bravery5
imprūdentia –ae, f.: lack of knowledge, ignorance; lack of foresight
duodēvīcēsimus –a –um: 18th (duodēvīgenti, 18)
Titus –ī, m.: Titus (name)
Līvius –ī, m.: Livius
excerpō –cepere –cerpsī –cerptum: to select, excerpt
avunculus –ī, m.: maternal uncle
nūper: not long ago
Hispānia –ae, f.: Spain
patientia –ae, f.: endurance
sēcūritās –ātis, f.: freedom from anxiety or danger
corripiō –ripere –ripuī –reptum: to rebuke
nihilum (nīlum) nihilī (nīlī), n.: nothing
sēgnis sēgne: slow
intentus –a –um: earnestly attentive
languidus –a –um: languid6
quassō –āre –āvī –ātus: to shake violently
circumiaceō –ēre — —: to border upon
angustus –a –um: narrow
ruīna ruīnae, f.: collapse
dēmum: finally7
excēdō –cēdere –cessī –cessus: to go out/away
attonitus –a –um: astonished
pavor pavōris, m.: fear, trembling
prudentia –ae, f.: foresight
praeferō –ferre –tulī –lātus: to prefer
impellō –pellere –pulī –pulsum: to strike against
mīrandus –a –um: to be wondered at; wonderful8
formīdō–inis, f.: fear
vehiculum –ī, n.: vehicle
prōdūcō –dūcere –dūxī –ductus: to bring forward
plānus –a –um: level, flat
contrārius –a –um: opposite
fulciō fulcīre fulsī fultum: to strengthen, fortify, reinforce
resorbeō –ēre: to suck back9
tremor –ōris, m.: trembling; quaking; tremor
repellō repellere reppulī repulsum: to drive back
siccus –a –um: dry
arēna (harēna) –ae, f.: sand, arena
dētineō –tinēre –tinuī –tentus: to hold from or back; hold
āter atra atrum: black
horrendus –a –um: to be shuddered at; dreadful
igneus –a –um: fiery
torqueō torquēre torsī tortum: to twist
vibrō vibrāre vibrāvī vibrātus: to shake
discursus –ūs m.: a running to and fro; conversation
figūra –ae, f.: form, shape
dehīscō –hīscere –hīvī: to gape
fulgor –ōris, m. (fulgur –ūris, n.): lightning, flash, brightness
instanter: earnestly, pressingly10
superstes –itis: surviving, remaining alive after death
proinde (proin): just as
cessō cessāre cessāvī cessātus: to cease
ēvādō ēvādere ēvāsī ēvāsus: to go out, evade
incertus –a –um: uncertain
prōripiō –ripere –ripuī –reptus: to snatch forth, rush forth11
multō: by much, greatly
nūbēs –is. f.: cloud
Capreae –ārum f.: Capreae
abscondō –condere –condī (abscondidī) –conditus (absconsus): to put out of sight
Mīsēnum –ī. n.: Misenum, a town in Campania
prōcurrō –currere –cucurrī (–currī) –cursus: to run forth or forward
quōquōmodo (quōquō modō): howsoever
iuvenis –is m.: youth
salvus –a –um: safe, intact
ūnā: together
amplector amplectī amplexus sum: to embrace
incūsō –āre –āvī –ātus: to bring a cause or case against any one; to accuse
quod: because
dēnsus –a –um: thick, dense13
immineō –minēre: to threaten; overhang
torrens –ntis, m.: a rushing stream, torrent
īnfundō –fundere –fūdī –fūsus: to pour into or upon
dēflectō –flectere –flexī –flexus: to turn aside
sternō sternere strāvī strātus: to spread
comitor –ārī –ātus sum: to accompany
obterō –terere –trīvī –trītum: to crush
cōnsīderō –āre –āvī –ātus: to consider14
illūnis –e (illūnius –a –um): moonless
nūbilus –a –um: cloudy
exstinguō –stinguere –stinxī –stinctus: to extinguish
ululātus –ūs, m.: yelling
īnfāns –antis: not capable of speech; an infant
quirītātus –ūs, m.: wail, scream
līberī līberōrum: m. pl., children
noscitō –āre –āvī –ātum: to recognize (freqentative of nosco)
miseror –ārī –ātus sum: to feel or show pity
multī –ōrum m.: subst.15
nusquam: nowhere
interpretor –ārī (interpretō –āre): to explain, interpret
fīctus –a –um: feigned
mentior mentīrī mentītus: to lie
terror terrōris, m.: fear
ruō ruere ruī rūtum: to rush
nūntiō –āre –āvī –ātus: to announce
paulum (paululum): a little16
relūceō –ēre –lūxī: to shine back or again
adventō –ventāre –ventāvī –ventātus: to come rapidly nearer
indicium –i(ī), n.: information, evidence
substō –āre — —: to stand or be under or among, to be present
identidem: again and again
adsurgō –surgere –surrēxī –surrēctus: to rise up; rise
excutiō –cutere –cussī –cussum: to shake off
operiō –īre –uī –tum: to cover, hide
aliōquīn (aliōquī): otherwise
oblīdō –līdere –līsī –līsum: to compress
glōrior –ārī –ātus sum: to boast of, glory in17
gemitus –ūs, m.: groaning; groan
excidō –cidere –cidī: to fall out, drop; perish; be forgotten
mortālitās –ātis, f.: mortality
sōlācium –i(ī), n.: comfort
cālīgō –inis, f.: mist18
tenuō –āre –āvī –ātus: to make thin, make fine
fūmus –ī, m.: smoke
nebula –ae, f.: cloud
effulgō (effulgeō) –fulgere (–fulgēre) –fulsī : to shine forth or brightly; be effulgent
lūridus –a –um: pale yellow, sallow
occursō –āre āvi –ātus: to run to meet
trepidō –āre –āvī –ātus: to be agitated
nix nivis, f.: snow
obdūcō –dūcere –dūxī –ductus: to draw or lead towards; draw over
regredior –gredī –gressus sum: to go back, return19
utcumque (utcunque; utquomque; ut cumque): in whatever way, however; according as, whenever; at any event, at any rate
suspendō –ere –ī –sum: to hang
praevaleō –valēre –valuī —: to be stronger, have superior power
persevērō –āre –āvi –ātus: to persist, persevere
lymphor –ōris, m.: water
terrificus –a –um: causing terror
vāticinātiō –ōnis, f.: a prophecy, prediction
malum –ī, n.: evil, calamity
lūdificō –āre –āvi –ātus: to make game of, deceive
nēquāquam: by no means20
historia –ae, f.: a narrative of past events, history
requīrō –ere –sīvī –sītus: to seek
imputō –putāre –putāvi –putātus: to reckon