Daily Latin

One friend is a stage, for Seneca.

Satis enim magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus.

Indeed, we are a large enough stage for one another.

Satis: enough, quite

Enim: for, indeed

Magnum: great, large, impressive (agrees with theatrum)

Alter … alteri: one … for the other (reciprocal pronouns)

Theatrum: theatre (literal), stage, spectacle, audience (metaphorical)

Sumus: we are

Ovid speaks of the daring love requires.

Per Styga detur, Stygias transabimus undas; sunt mihi naturae iura novanda meae.

If passage be granted through the Styx, we will cross over Stygian waves; the laws of my nature must be changed

Per: through

Styga: Styx (accusative singular)

Detur: if it be granted

Stygias: Stygian (plural adjective)

Undas: waves

Transabimus: we will cross over

Sunt mihi: I have

Naturae meae: of my nature

Iura: laws

Novanda: must be changed

Seneca emphasises that philosophy is to be lived

Zenonem Cleanthes non expressisset, si tantummodo audisset.

Cleanthes would not have imitated Zeno if he had merely heard him

Zenonem: Zeno (accusative singular)

Cleanthes: proper noun (nominative singular)

Non: not

Expressisset: would have imitated

Si: if

Tantummodo: only, merely

Audisset: had heard

Statius shows the trauma of war. 

Tydea consumpsi! Quanam hoc ego morte piabo?

I have destroyed Tydeus! By what kind of death will I atone this?

Tydea: Tydeus (the person) in the accusative singular

Consumpsi: I have destroyed

Quanam: by what kind of

Hoc: this

Ego: I

Morte: death (ablative of means)

Piabo: I will atone

Juvenal satirises insatiable ambition.

‘Acti,’ inquit, ‘nihil est, nisi Poeno milite portas frangimus et media vexillum pono Subura.’

‘Nothing is achieved’, he said, ‘unless we break the gates with a Carthaginian soldier and I plant the banner in the heart of Subura.’

Acti: driven, led. In context here, it means an action that has happened.

Inquit: he says

Nihil est: nothing is

Nisi: unless

Poeno: by means of Carthaginian

Milite: by means of soldier

Portas: gates

Frangimus: we break 

Et: and

Media: in the middle of

Vexillum: military standard, banner

Pono: I place, plant

Subura: ablative of the district of Rome

Martial laments Vesuvius

Hic est pampineis viridis modo Vesbius umbris

Here is Vesuvius, recently green with the shadows of vine leaves.

Hic: this, here is (nominative singular)

Est: is

Papineis: with vine covered, leafy

Viridis: green

Umbris: with shadows

Modo: recently

Vesuvius: proper noun in the nominative singular

Hermes Trismegistus seeks out the esoteric.

Cupio, inquam, rerum naturam dicere: deumque cognoscere

I wish, I said, to speak of the nature of things, and to know God.

Cupio: I desire, wish

Inquam: I said

Rerum: of things

Naturam: nature

Dicere: to say, speak, explain

Deum: God

-que: and

Cognoscere: to know, learn

Hecato, via Seneca, goes full stoic.

Desines timere, si sperare desieris.

You will cease to fear if you have ceased to hope.

Desines: you will cease

Timere: to fear

Si: if

Sperare: to hope

Desieris: you will have ceased

Ausonius recalls the Spartan ethos

Mater Lacaena clipeo obarmans filium,

“Cum hoc," inquit, "aut in hoc redi.”

A Spartan mother, arming her son with a shield, said: “With this, or on this, return”.

Mater: mother

Lacaena: Spartan, Lacedaemon

Clipeo: with a shield

Obarmans: arming

Filium: son

Cum hoc: with this

Inquit: she said

Aut in hoc: or on this

Redi: return

Augustine condemns the slave traders.

Mercatores autem si non essent, illa non fierent.

However, if there were not the merchants, those things would not happen

Mercatores: merchants

Autem: however

Si non essent: if they were not

Illa: those things

Non fierent: would not happen