Daily Latin

Seneca is circumspect on success.

Non est tuum, fortuna quod fecit tuum.

It is not yours, what Fortune has made yours.

Non est: it is not

Tuum: yours

Fortuna: the goddess of luck

Quod: what

Fecit: made

Tuum: yours

Gellius sets the stage for a morality tale.

"In Circo Maximo," inquit, "venationis amplissimae, pugna populo dabatur."

“In the Circus Maximus,” he said, “a most magnificent hunt and fight was being given to the people.”

In Circo Maximo: in the Circus Maximus

Inquit: he said

Venationis: of a hunt

Amplissimae: most magnificent (superlative agreeing with venationis)

Pugna: fight, combat

Populo: for the people

Dabatur: was being given

Aeneas makes landfall in Italy having lost his father.

Hic labor extremus, longarum haec meta viarum.

This, our final struggle, the last of our long wanderings.

Hic: this

Labor: labour, effort, struggle, trial

Extremus: last, final

Longarum: long

Haec: demonstrative pronoun referring to meta

Meta: goal, end point

Viarum: of the roads/journeys

Martial’s irony captures the essence of wealth.

Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes.

The only riches you will always have, you will have given away.

Quas: relative pronoun referring to opes

Dederis: you will have given

Solas: only

Semper: always

Habebis: you will have

Opes: wealth, riches

Statius is no self-help guru.

Invida Fata piis et Fors ingentibus ausis rara comes.

Fate spites the righteous and Fortune rarely attends to the daring.

Invida: jealous, spiteful

Fata: fates, destinies

Piis: to the righteous, dutiful

Et: and

Fors: Fortune

Ingentibus: mighty, vast

Ausis: daring deeds, bold ventures

Rara: rare

Comes: companion, attendant

Seneca’s secret to be content.

Nisi sapienti sua non placent

Unless to the wise person, his own things are not pleasing

Or more idiomatically: 

The wise alone are content with what is theirs

Nisi: unless

Sapienti: to the wise man/woman/person

Sua: his own things

Non placent: are not pleasing

Virgil, on the sorrow lived and seen as one wanders the world.

Sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.

There are tears for such things, and mortal things that touch the heart.

Sunt: there are

Lacrimae: tears

Rerum: of things, events, affairs

Et: and

Mentem: mind, heart

Mortalia: mortal things, human affairs, things subject to death

Tangunt: touch

Why rush fame, if the price is death? Martial is in no hurry.

Si post fata venit gloria, non propero.

If after the fates glory comes, I am not rushing.

Si: if

Post fata: after the fates (i.e. after death)

Venit: comes, arrives

Gloria: glory

Non propero: I do not hurry, I am not rushing

Love is a battlefield, says Ovid.

Bella mihi, video, bella parantur.

Wars against me, I see, wars are being prepared.

Bella: wars

Mihi: for me, against me

Video: I see

Parantur: are being prepared

Ausonius plays on passion ungoverned.

Nymphis quae Hylam merserunt furtim:

Naides amore saevo et irrito:

ephebus iste flos erit.

To the nymphs who secretly drowned Hylas, 

 the Naiads’ with savage and unfulfilled love, 

 that young man will be a flower.

Nymphis: to the nymphs

Quae: who

Hylam: accusative of Hylas

Merserunt: they drowned, plunged

Furtim: secretly, stealthily

Naides: the Naiads

Amore: with love

Saevo et irrito: savage and unfulfilled (ablative)

Ephebus: young man (from the Greek)

Iste: that

Flos erit: will be a flower