C. PLĪNIUS TRAIĀNŌ IMPERĀTŌRĪ
Theātrum, domine, Nīcaeae maxima iam parte cōnstrūctum, imperfectum tamen, sēstertium (ut audiō; neque enim ratiō operis excussa est) amplius centiēs hausit: vereor nē frūstrā. Ingentibus enim rīmīsdēsēdit et hiat, sīve in causā sōlum ūmidum et molle, sīve lapis ipse gracilis et putris: dignum est certē dēlīberātiōne, sitne faciendum an sit relinquendum an etiam dēstruendum. Nam fultūrae ac substrūctiōnēs, quibus subinde suscipitur, nōn tam firmae mihi quam sūmptuōsae videntur. Huic theātrō ex prīvātōrum pollicitātiōnibus multa dēbentur, ut basilicae circā, ut porticūs suprā caveam. Quae nunc omnia differuntur cessante eō, quod ante peragendum est. Iīdem Nicaeēnsēs gymnasium incendiō āmissum ante adventum meum restituere coepērunt, longē numerōsius laxiusque quam fuerat, et iam aliquantum ērogāvērunt; perīculum est, nē parum ūtiliter; incompositum enim et sparsum est. Praetereā architectus, sānē aemulus eius ā quō opus incohātum est, adfirmat parietēs quamquam vīgintī et duōs pedēs lātōs imposita onera sustinēre nōn posse, quia sint caementō mediī fartī nec testāceō opere praecīnctī.
Claudiopolītānī quoque in dēpressō locō, imminente etiam monte ingēns balineum dēfodiunt magis quam aedificant, et quidem ex eā pecūniā, quam buleutae additī beneficiō tuō aut iam obtulērunt ob introitum aut nōbīs exigentibus cōnferent. Ergō cum timeam nē illīc pūblica pecūnia, hic, quod est omnī pecūniā pretiōsius, mūnus tuum male collocētur, cōgor petere ā tē nōn sōlum ob theātrum, vērum etiam ob haec balinea mittās architectum, dispectūrum utrum sit ūtilius post sūmptum quī factus est quōquō modo cōnsummāre opera, ut incohāta sunt, an quae videntur ēmendanda corrigere, quae trānsferenda trānsferre, nē dum servāre volumus quod impēnsum est, male impendāmus quod addendum est.
vocabulary
Nīcaea –ae, f.: Nicaea (city)
cōnstruō –ere –strūxī –strūctus: to pile together
imperfectus –a –um: unfinished
sestertiūm: gen. pl, rarely sestertiōrum or sestertiūm nummūm, a sesterce, a small silver coin; often abbreviated HS
multum: much, a lot
excutiō excutere excussī excussum: to shake off
centiēns: 100 times
hauriō haurīre hausī hastus: to drain, drink, swallow
rīma –ae, f.: cleft; crack
dēsīdō –ere –sēdī: to sink down
hiō hiāre hiāvī hiātus: to yawn
solum –ī, n.: bottom, native territory
ūmidus –a –um: moist, damp
gracilis gracile: thin
pūtris –e: fetid, foul–smelling
dēlīberātiō –ōnis, f.: a deliberation, consultation, consideration
dēstruō –ere –strūxī –strūctus: to destroy
fultūra –ae, f.: a prop
substrūctiō –ōnis, f.: an under-building, foundation, substructure
subinde: immediately after, over and over
fīrmus –a –um: firm, strong
sūmptuōsus sūmptuōsa sūmptuōsum: expensive
theātrum theātrī, n.: theater
pollicitātiō –ōnis, f.: a promising, promise
basilica –ae, f.: a portico, basilica
porticus porticus, f.: covered walk, colonnade, portico
cavea –ae, f.: hollow place; that part of the theater or circus which was occupied by the spectators
cessō cessāre cessāvī cessātus: to cease
peragō peragere perēgī perāctum: to finish
Nicaeēnsis –e: Nicaean; of or from Nicaea
gymnasium –iī, n.: an athletic center
incendium incendi(ī), n.: fire
adventus adventūs m.: an arrival
restituō restituere restituī restitūtus: to restore
numerōsus –a –um: numerous
laxus –a –um: wide, loose, spacious; not drawn tight; (of bows) unstrung
aliquantum –ī, n.: some, a considerable amount
ērogō –āre: to entreat, prevail on by entreaties; to expend, pay out from the public treasury
incompositus –a –um: amorphic
architectus –ī, m.: architect; inventor, designer
sānē: certainly, truly
aemulus –ī, m.: rival
incohō incohāre incohāvī incohātus: to lay the foundation; begin
affirmō affirmāre affirmāvī affirmātus: to strengthen, prove, assert
pariēs parietis, m.: wall
vīgintī; vīcēsimus –a –um: 20; 20th
caementum –ī, n.: an unhewn stone, quarry-stone
farciō farcīre farsī fartum: to stuff
testāceus –a –um: consisting of bricks or tiles
praecingō –cingere –cinxī –cinctum: to encircle, stand around; to gird one’s clothes up (for action)
Claudiopolītānus –a –um: of or from Claudiopolis
dēpressus –a –um: sunken, low
immineō imminēre: to threaten; overhang
balneum (balineum) –ī, n.: a bath; also balneus –ī (m.); balnae –ārum (f.)
dēfodiō –fodere –fōdī –fossus: to dig down
aedificō –āre –āvī –ātus: to build, erect, establish
būleuta –ae, m.: a councillor, a senator
introitus –ūs, m.: an entering
pretiōsus –a –um: expensive, costly, precious
collocō –āre –āvī –ātus: to arrange, invest
vērum: but indeed
dispiciō –spicere –spexī –spectus: to see distinctly
sūmptus –ūs, m.: outlay, expense, cost, charge
cōnsummō –āre: to accomplish, complete, finish, perfect; unite
ēmendō –āre: to correct, amend
corrigō –rigere –rēxī –rēctus: to put right, reform
trānsferō –ferre –tulī –lātus: to bring across
impendō –pendere –pendī –pēnsum: to expend