C. PLĪNIUS GEMINŌ SUŌ S.
Ummidia Quadrātilla paulō minus octōgēnsimō aetātis annō dēcessit usque ad novissimam valētūdinem viridis, atque etiam ultrā mātrōnālem modum, compactō corpore et rōbustō. [2] Dēcessit honestissimō testāmentō: relīquit hērēdēs ex besse nepōtem, ex tertiā parte neptem. Neptem parum nōvī, nepōtem familiārissimē dīligō, adulēscentem singulārem nec iīs tantum, quōs sanguine attingit, inter propinquōs amandum. [3] Ac prīmum cōnspicuus fōrmā, omnēs sermōnēs malignōrum et puer et iuvenis ēvāsit, intrā quārtum et vīcēnsimum annum marītus, et, sī deus adnuisset, pater. Vīxit in contuberniō aviae dēlicātae sevērissimē, et tamen obsequentissimē. [4] Habēbat illa pantomīmōs fovēbatque, effūsius quam prīncipī fēminae convenit. Hōs Quadrātus nōn in theātrō, nōn domī spectābat, nec illa exigēbat. [5] Audīvī ipsam, cum mihi commendāret nepōtis suī studia, solēre sē ut fēminam in illō ōtiō sexūs laxāre animum lūsū calculōrum, solēre spectāre pantomīmōs suōs, sed cum factūra esset alterutrum, semper sē nepōtī suō praecēpisse abīret studēretque; quod mihi nōn amōre eius magis facere quam reverentiā vidēbātur.
[6] Mīrāberis, et ego mīrātus sum. Proximīs sacerdōtālibus lūdīs, prōductīs in commissiōne pantomīmīs, cum simul theātrō ego et Quadrātus ēgrederēmur, ait mihi: 'Scīs mē hodiē prīmum vīdisse saltantem aviae meae lībertum?' Hoc nepōs. [7] At, hercule, aliēnissimī hominēs in honōrem Quadrātillae (pudet mē dīxisse honōrem per adūlātiōnis officium) in theātrum cursitābant exsultābant plaudēbant mīrābantur ac deinde singulōs gestūs dominae cum canticīs reddēbant; quī nunc exiguissima lēgāta, theātrālis operae corōllārium, accipient ab hērēde, quī nōn spectābat.
[8] Haec, quia solēs, sī quid incīdit novī, nōn invītus audīre, deinde quia iūcundum est mihi quod cēperam gaudium scrībendō retractāre. Gaudeō enim pietāte dēfūnctae, honōrē optimī iuvenis; laetor etiam quod domus aliquandō C. Cassī, huius quī Cassiānae scholae prīnceps et parēns fuit, serviet dominō nōn minōrī. [9] Implēbit enim illam Quadrātus meus et decēbit, rūrsusque eī prīstinam dignitātem celebritātem glōriam reddet, cum tantus ōrātor inde prōcēdet, quantus iūris ille cōnsultus. Valē.
vocabulary
Ummidia –ae, f.: Ummidia (name)
octōgēsimus –a –um: 80th (octōgintā, 80)
dēcēdō –cēdere –cessī –cessus: to move away, withdraw
valētūdō –inis, f.: good health
viridis –e: green
mātrōnālis –e: relating to a matron
compingō –pingere –pēgī –pāctus: to join together
rōbustus –a –um: strong
testāmentum –ī, n.: will2
bēs bessis, m.: two-thirds of any whole
familiāris –e: domestic, intimate
adulēscēns –ntis: young, growing; young person
singulāris –e: single
attingō –tingere –tigī –tāctus: to touch
propinquus –a –um: near, related
cōnspicuus –a –um: in view, visible3
malignus –a –um: malignant, wicked, malicious, grudging
iuvenis –is, m.: youth
ēvādō –vādere –vāsī –vāsus: to go out, evade
vīcēsimus –a –um: 20th (vīgintī, 20)
adnuō –ere –uī –ūtus (–rare): to nod to; with dative.
contubernium –ī, n.: tent–companionship; slave marriage, sexual relationship
avia –ae, f.: grandmother
dēlicātus –a –um: self-indulgent; pampered; difficult to please; dainty
sevērus –a –um: serious
obsequēns –entis: yielding, compliant
pantomīmus –ī, m.: a ballet-dancer, pantomime4
foveō fovēre fōvī fōtus: to warm; favor
effūsus –a –um: poured forth; overflowing; thronging
commendō –āre –āvī –ātus: to entrust, recommend, approve5
sexus –ūs, m.: a sex (male or female)
laxō –āre –āvī –ātus: to spread out
lūsus –ūs, m.: play, game
calculus –ī, m.: small stone; pebble
alteruter –utra –utrum: one or the other, either this or that
nepōs –ōtis m.: grandchild; descendant
reverentia –ae, f.: timidity, respect
sacerdōtālis –e: of or belonging to priests, priestly, sacerdotal6
lūdus –ī, m.: game
prōdūcō –dūcere –dūxī –ductus: to bring forward
commissiō (comisātiō) –ōnis, f.: the start of games, etc.; and even
Quadrātus –ī, m.: Quadratus (name)
saltō –āre –āvi –ātus: to dance
lībertus –ī, m.: freedman
hercle (hercule): by Hercules!7
Quadrātilla –ae, f.: Quadratilla (name)
pudeō pudēre puduī puditus: to make ashamed
adūlātiō –ōnis, f.: cringing flattery, adulation
theātrum –ī, n.: theater
cursitō –āre –āvī –ātus: to run about
exsultō (exultō) –are –āvī –ātus: to be ecstatic, exult
plaudō plaudere plausī plausum: to strike; clap; approve, applaud
gestus –ūs, m.: posture, gesture, action
canticum –ī, n: a solo song, incantation
exiguus –a –um: small, little
legātum –ī, n.: legacy, bequest
theatrālis –e: related to the theater
corōllārium –ī, n.: a garland, money paid for a garland; a gift, present
hērēs hērēdis, m. / f.: heir
quis quid: anyone/thing, someone/thing (after sī, nisī, ne, or num)8
invītus –a –um: unwilling
iūcundus –a –um: pleasant, delightful, agreeable
retrāctō –trāctāre –trāctāvī –trāctātus: to handle again; gripe or grasp again
dēfungor –fungī –fūnctus sum: to finish, complete
laetor –ārī –ātus sum: to rejoice, be glad
quod: because
Gāius –iī, m.: Gaius (name)
Cassius –iī, m.: Cassius (name)
Cassiānus –a –um: of or belonging to Cassius
schola –ae, f.: school; lecture
prīnceps –ipis: chief, first
prīstinus –a –um: former9
celebritās –ātis, f.: crowd; fame
ōrātor –ōris, m.: speaker
iuris consultus iuris consultī, m.: a lawyer, jurist (also written as one word)