Level 4; literature; Cicero against Verres, ‘the art thief’

Gaius Verres was a Roman senator and former governor of Sicily who was accused of abuse of power. Cicero, serving as prosecutor on behalf of the Sicilians, took the case against Verres. In this extract, Cicero accuses Verres of relentless and widespread theft:

negō in Siciliā tōtā, tam locuplētī, tam vetere prōvinciā, tot oppidīs, tot familiīs tam cōpiōsīs, ūllum argenteum vās, ūllum Corinthium aut Dēliacum fuisse, ūllam gemmam aut margarītam, quicquam ex aurō aut ebore factum, signum ūllum aēneum, marmoreum, eburneum, negō ūllam pictūram neque in tabulā neque in textilī quīn conquīsierit, īnspexerit, quod placitum sit abstulerit.

Below is the translation by Peterson (1917)

I say that in all Sicily, in all that wealthy and ancient province, that in that number of towns and families of such exceeding riches, there was no silver vessel, no Corinthian or Delian plate, no jewel or pearl, nothing made of gold or ivory, no statue of marble or brass or ivory, no picture whether painted or embroidered, that he did not seek out, that he did not inspect, that, if he liked it, he did not take away.

• gemma, -ae [1/f]: jewel; gem
• margarita, -ae [1/f]: pearl
• pictūra, -ae [1/f] (1) in tabulā / (2) in textilī: a picture (1) on a panel i.e. painted (2) on cloth (the translator gives this as ‘embroidered’)
• textile, -is [3/n]: cloth; canvas; fabric

However, we can take a second look at a slightly more precise translation because this well-known extract is a typical example of Cicero’s oratory style. There are three features discussed: [a] rhetorical anaphora [b] alliteration [c] tricolon

[1] negō in Siciliā tōtā, tam locuplētī, tam vetere prōvinciā, tot oppidīs, tot familiīs tam cōpiōsīs, (1) ūllum argenteum vās, (2) ūllum Corinthium aut Dēliacum fuisse, (3) ūllam gemmam aut margarītam, quicquam ex aurō aut ebore factum, signum ūllum (1) aēneum, (2) marmoreum, (3) eburneum, [2] negō ūllam pictūram neque in tabulā neque in textilī quīn (1) conquīsierit, (2) īnspexerit, quod placitum sit (3) abstulerit.

[1] I say that in all Sicily — so rich, so ancient a province, with so many towns and so many wealthy households — there was not any / not a single silver vessel, not one piece of Corinthian or Delian ware, not one gem or pearl, not anything made of gold or ivory, not any (1) bronze, (2) marble, or (3) ivory statue;

[2] I say there was no painting, neither on panel nor on fabric / cloth, that he did not (1) search out, (2) examine, and, if it pleased him, (3) carry off.”

[a] He repeats the opening verb (negō: I say … not), a technique known as rhetorical anaphora, the same word or phrase repeated at the beginning of successive clauses or phrases.

[b] alliteration, the repetition of initial consonants:

• in Siciliā tōtā, tam locuplētī, tam vetere prōvinciā, tot oppidīs, tot familiīs tam cōpiōsīs
• neque in tabulā neque in textilī

[c] The tricolon: this is a common rhetorical device in Cicero’s speeches, and has been used by politicians and advertisers ever since -  three parallel words, phrases, or clauses that are roughly equal in length and structure. If you’ve ever been to a London market, the stallholders will loudly attract you with their wares using the same technique that Cicero uses!

“(1) I’m not asking for £20, (2) I’m not asking for £15, (3) I’m not even asking for £8 …D’you know what I’m asking for? £6, you can’t say fairer than that!”

When the three parts increase in length or intensity, it’s called a tricolon crescēns (ascending tricolon or climax).

Cicero repeats words and grammatical endings (ūllum / ūllam; -um; -am; -eum; -erit):

• (1) ūllum argenteum vās, (2) ūllum Corinthium aut Dēliacum … (3) ūllam gemmam aut margarītam
• signum ūllum (1) aēneum, (2) marmoreum, (3) eburneum

This last one is a good example of a tricolon crescēns

• conquīsierit, (2) īnspexerit, … (3) abstulerit i.e. (1) he looked for it (2) he inspected it and, the last word in the entire statement – the climax of the denunciation –  (3) he stole it

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/290524-level-2-side-note.html

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/05/290424-tomb-of-scipio-barbatus-im-lovin.html

The entire statement is ‘encircled’ by his opening and closing remarks which essentially summarise his argument:

in Siciliā tōtā │ in all of Sicily … absulerit │ he stole

We’re overwhelmed by the list of precious metals and objects: silver, jewels, pearls, gold, ivory, marble, brass, painted and embroidered pictures. In other words, if Verres saw it, he took it. Not unlike that the old London market stall holder wanting you to buy what’s on offer, Cicero wants to ‘sell’ his argument.

Do you think Cicero won the case?

Topic / Level 4; transport [1]: wheeled vehicles (1) vehiculum; cisium; essedum

NOTE: the topic can be used simply to make a list of vocabulary and the basic translations. However, to illustrate the vocabulary a large number of excerpts from original literature are used.

[1] vehiculum, -ī [2/n] a general term for any form of vehicle / conveyance / means of transport i.e. with no direct indication as to its physical appearance or function.

Vehiculum ascendō. Ibi quoque īdem quod ambulāns aut iacēns (Pliny the Younger)

• I get into my vehicle. There too I do the same as when walking or lying down...

i.e. his focus is on what he does in the means of transport rather than giving any detail as to its type.

Similarly, the following two quotations do not attach any relevance to the type:

Cum paucissimīs servīs, quōs ūnum capere vehiculum potuit (Seneca the Younger)

• With the very few slaves whom a single vehicle could hold...

...mulīs ē proximō pistrīnō ad vehiculum iūnctīs... (Suentonius)

• after mules from a nearby mill had been yoked to the vehicle.

We can regard vehiculum as a generic term since, in the Roman world, the specific terms for wheeled vehicles were most often distinguished by purpose (e.g. freight vs. passengers), distance, and the number of wheels.

[2] cisium, -ī [2/n]: a light, open, two-wheeled carriage constructed for speed. Available for hire and driven by a cisiārius, -ī [2/m], they were used by travellers between towns and by couriers with urgent mail.

(1) decem hōrīs nocturnīs sex et quīnquāgintā mīlia passuum cisiīs pervolāvit (Cicero)

• Within 10 hours of darkness, he flew 56 miles in light carriages.

The first quotation from Cicero emphasises both the speed of the vehicles and the distance they managed to cover, i.e. over five miles per hour which, during the night on Roman roads, was exceptional. The noun is plural which would indicate that not one, but a series of carriages in relay were used, hired at different posting-houses (statiōnēs) along the route since such a long distance would have exhausted a single team of horses.

(2) inde cisiō celeriter ad urbem advectus domum vēnit capite involūtō (Cicero)

• From there, carried quickly to the city in a light carriage, he came home with his head wrapped.

Image #1: Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

Image #2: two-wheeled cisium from the floor mosaic at the Baths of the Cisiarii (Terme dei Cisiarii) in Ostia Antica

[3] essedum, -ī [2/n]: a two-wheeled war chariot of Celtic origin, particularly associated with the Britons [image #3]

essedārius, -ī [2/m]: a fighter in a (British / Gallic) war-chariot

The first attested references to this type of chariot are by Caesar:

(1) Genus hoc est ex essedīs pugnae. Primō per omnēs partēs perequitant et tēla coniciunt atque ipsō terrōre equōrum et strepitū rotārum ordinēs plerumque perturbant (Caesar)

• This is the nature of fighting from chariots. First, they drive around through all areas and hurl spears, and generally disturb the ranks by the very fear of the horses and the noise of the wheels.

(2) The Celtic war chariots became a symbol of prestige in Rome. In the following quotation, Cicero mocks Mark Antony as he flamboyantly parades through the streets:

Vehebātur in essedō tribūnus plēbis; lictōres laureātī antecēdēbant, inter quōs apertā lectīcā mīma portābātur...

• The tribune of the people was being carried along in a war-chariot; lictors crowned with laurel preceded him, among whom an actress was being carried in an open litter...

(3) These lines from Martial would suggest that the essedum, like the cisium, was also available for hire. Here he personifies his work, describing it undertaking a lengthy journey to reach his reader, first by sea and then overland.

Ī nostrō comes, ī, libelle, Flāvō | Go as a companion to our friend Flavus, go, little book,

longum per mare, sed faventis undae, | across the long sea, but with a favouring wave,

et cursū facilī tuīsque ventīs | and with an easy course and your own winds,

Hispānae pete Tarracōnis arcēs: | seek the citadels of Spanish Tarraco [i]:

Illinc tē rota tollet et citātus | from there a wheel [ii] will lift you up and swiftly sped

altam Bilbilin [iii] et tuum Salōnem [iv] /  quīntō forsitan essedō vidēbis. |  you will see high Bilbilis and your Salo, perhaps on a fifth chariot.

[i] Tarragona

[ii] tē rota tollet | a ‘wheel’ will lift you up: an example of metonymy, i.e. part of an object being used to refer to something larger, in this case a carriage or overland travel

[iii] high Bilbilis: Martial’s home town, located in the mountains

[iv] the Salo – now the Jalón: the river flowing at the base of the mountain where Bilbilis was located

Note that Martial refers to a fifth vehicle; again, the journey would have comprised – like by cisium – a relay of carriages.

Level 4; literature; the Pater Noster of Juvencus [5]; notes on Latin poetry [4] video

[5] video: Vincent’s complete recitation with lines scanned and key points noted.

Take away:

dactyl(ic)

spondee

anceps

hexameter

/i/ + V: either ⁱa / ⁱo or i-a / i-o

diphthong

long by nature i.e. always long in any form of written or spoken Latin

long by position: [i] VCC; [ii] V+X[ks] i.e. becomes long in verse

elision: -(V) ͜ V- / -(V) + (h)V

Level 4; literature; the Pater Noster of Juvencus [4]; notes on Latin poetry [3] elision; reciting the verse

[3] Elision

[l.5] Īn cāe-¦ l(o) ͜   ūt tēr- ¦ rīs fī- ¦ āt tŭ-ă ¦ clā-ră vŏ- ¦ lūn-tās [īn cāe-l^oūt]

[i] -V ͜ V- i.e. a vowel at the end of a word and a vowel at the beginning of the next word are usually elided; the term is elision, and you can see that the end vowel is not scanned as it is either generally omitted when speaking or spoken rapidly together with the next vowel so that it forms one syllable:

[l.8]  Īn-nŭ-mĕ- ¦ r(a) ͜  īn-dūl- ¦ gēns ēr- ¦ rō- rīs ¦ dē-bĭ-tă ¦ prā-vī [-mĕ-¦ r’īn-dūl-]

[ii] Elision also occurs when the following letter is /h/ [V + hV]; /h/ is considered silent

[l.6] Vī-tā- ¦ līsqu(e) ͜ (h)ŏ- dĭ- ¦ ē sānc- ¦ tī sūb- ¦ stān-tĭ-ă ¦ pā-nĭs [līs qu’ŏ-dĭ-]

[4] Reciting the verse

It’s all very well talking about long and short syllables – but how are they actually said? Any poem in whatever language is open to interpretation, including the mood in which it is spoken, its pace and what the speaker wishes to emphasise. But you need to start somewhere to get the basic rhythms. The opening lyrics of “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles is comprised almost completely of crotchets (a single beat) and quavers (half a beat). Imagine you’re back in Primary Music class! Clap your hands, kids …

one  ¦ and a ¦ two  ¦ and a ¦ three  ¦ and a  ¦ four 

Omit the first and last words:

(Dear) ¦ Sir or Ma-dame will-you read my book-it took-me  years to write, will-you take-a (look)?

Image #2: The notation is from the sheet music; the Beatles ‘play around’ a little with some of the rhythms when they sing it, but you can hear the long and short beats in the same way that you can hear the long and short syllables of the Latin work. Don’t sing it – say it, while tapping a pencil on the table. Then keep tapping that pencil and say the Latin line, and you’ll be getting pretty close to a Roman.

Level 4; literature; the Pater Noster of Juvencus [3] notes on Latin poetry [2] long and short syllables

[2] Identifying long and short vowels

A syllable is defined as long or short dependent upon the length of the vowel sound. How do you know if a syllable is long or short? There are two important terms to note:

[i] long by nature i.e. the vowel is always long – not only in poetry – for example:

[l.2] NŌ-mĭ-nĭs ¦ Ō-rĀ- ¦ mūs vĕ-nĕ- ¦ rĀ- tⁱŌ ¦ sĀnc- tĭ- fĭ- ¦ cĒ-tŭr

Diphthongs are always long, for example:

[l.1] cĀE-lī

[l.4] rĕ-¦ clĀU-dăt

[l.9] Ēt nōs ¦ hĀUt ă-lĭ-¦ tēr cōn- ¦ cē-dĕ-rĕ ¦ fŌE-nŏ-ră ¦ nōs-trīs

[l.10] Tē-trī ¦ sĀE-vă prŏ- ¦ cūl tēmp- ¦ tā-tⁱō ¦ dĀE-mŏ-nĭs ¦ āb-sĭt

[l.11] ĀE-quĕ mă- ¦

[ii] long by position; this is a crucial feature of Latin poetry:

Where a vowel is followed by two consonants [VCC] – even if those consonants are split between words –the vowel becomes long; there are exceptions but it is important to become familiar with this idea since it is an integral part of the rhythm.

[l.2] The verb ŌrĀmus has two vowels that are long by nature – they are always long. However, -mus is usually short, but in the verse, because it is followed by two consonants, it becomes long: ō-rā- ¦ mŪS ͜ Vĕ-nĕ- [VCC]

All the capitalised vowels in bold are normally short, but here they are long [VCC]:

[l.1] genitor (/o/ usually short) > gĕ-nĭ- ¦ tŌR ͜ Rĕ- [VCC]; in (/i/ usually short) > ĪN ¦ Vēr [VCC]

[l.3] ĪN ͜ Nō- ¦ bīs Pă- tĕr ¦ ĀL-Tĕ tŭ- ¦ ī: trĀN- ¦ QU-ĪL-Lă-quĕ ¦ mŪN-Dō

[l.5] fīat (/a/normally short) > fī- ¦ ĀT ͜ Tŭ-ă

[l.11] tol-lat (/o/ normally short) > tŌL-Lat

[iii] V + X: a vowel followed by /x/ becomes long since /x/ is composed of two consonant sounds /ks/:

[l.7] mox (normally short) > tŭ-ă ¦ mŌX [V + /ks/]

Topic / Level 4; animals at work (4) elephants in war; how to train an elephant

 Even today horses used by, for example, the police are trained to stay calm when experiencing noise and / or violent behaviour. Similarly, the unknown author of Dē Bellō Āfricō describes the training of elephants for warfare. Elephants are easily startled and, like any other wild animal, may act unpredictably. Therefore, what we read here is a training scenario emulating an attack by projectiles fired by slings.

The elephants are lined up facing soldiers who act as the enemy. Behind the elephants are ‘friendly’ soldiers. The aim is to ensure that, even if the animals, frightened by the enemy action, turn tail and head for ‘their side’, they will be forced by a second volley of stones to turn around again and continue to advance towards the enemy. As the author implies, it’s a high risk tactic since elephants do not know whose side they are on!

The adjective rudis has multiple meanings including: untrained, coarse, awkward or wild. In other words, elephants are not quick on the uptake, and considerable patience is required.

Scīpiō interim elephantōs hōc modō condocefacere īnstituit. 

• Scipio meanwhile began training elephants in the following way.

Duās īnstrūxit aciēs, 

• He drew up two (battle-) lines,

ūnam funditōrum contrā elephantōs,

• one (line) of slingers facing the elephants

quae quasi adversāriōrum locum obtinēret 

• which, as it were, would take the place of the enemy

et contrā eōrum frontem adversam lapillōs minūtōs mitteret; 

• and hurl small stones against their / the elephants’ opposing front

deinde in ōrdinem elephantōs cōnstituit, 

• next he arranged the elephants in line

post illōs autem suam aciem īnstrūxit ut, 

• and behind them drew up his own line so that,

cum ab adversāriīs lapidēs mittī coepissent 

• when the stones had started to be thrown by the enemy

et elephantī perterritī sē ad suōs convertissent, 

• and the terrified elephants had turned back upon their own side

rūrsus ab suā aciē lapidibus missīs eōs converterent adversus hostem. 

• they would again turn them against the enemy by stones thrown from his own line.

Quod aegrē tardēque fīēbat; 

• This was done with difficulty and slowly;

rudēs enim elephantī multōrum annōrum doctrīnā ūsūque vetustō vix ēdoctī 

• for raw elephants, scarcely trained even by many years of instruction and long experience

tamen commūnī perīculō in aciem prōdūcuntur. 

• are nevertheless brought into the battle-line, and equally dangerous to both sides.

Level 4; literature; the Pater Noster of Juvencus [2]; notes on Latin poetry [1] metre

Some basics of Latin poetry were first discussed here:

04.09.25: The best place to start Latin poetry is … in a cave! [2]; some basics concerning Classical Latin poetry

https://www.facebook.com/groups/latinforstarters/posts/774016828542921/

[i] In print, you will either come across completely unscanned versions of verse or, as I have written below, edited texts with naturally long vowels marked (see the next post: identifying long and short syllables)

Sīdereō genitor residēns in vertice caelī

Nōminis ōrāmus venerātiō sānctificētur

In nōbīs Pater alte tuī: tranquillaque mundō

Adveniat rēgnumque tuum lūx alma reclaudat

In caelō ut terrīs fīat tua clāra voluntās

Vītālisque hodiē sānctī substantia pānis

Prōveniat nōbīs; tua mox largītiō solvat

Innumera indulgēns errōris dēbita prāvī

Et nōs haut aliter concēdere foenora nostrīs

Tētrī saeva procul temptātiō daemonis absit

Aequē malīs tua nōs in lūcem dextera tollat

[ii] A fully scanned version would have this or a similar format:

l.1: Sī-dĕ-rĕ- ¦ ō gĕ-nĭ- ¦ tōr rĕ-sĭ- ¦ dēns īn ¦ vēr-tĭ-cĕ ¦ cāe-lī

l.2: Nō-mĭ-nĭs ¦ ōr-ā- ¦ mūs vĕ-nĕ- ¦ rā- tⁱō ¦ sānc- tĭ- fĭ- ¦ cē-tŭr

l.3: Īn nō- ¦ bīs pă- tĕr ¦ āl-tĕ tŭ- ¦ ī: trān- ¦ qu-īl-lă-quĕ ¦ mūn-dō

l.4: Ād-vĕ-nĭ- ¦ āt rēg- ¦ nūm-quĕ tŭ- ¦ ūm lūx ¦ āl-mă rĕ- ¦ clāu-dăt

l.5: Īn cāe- ¦ l(o) ͜   ūt tēr- ¦ rīs fī- ¦ āt tŭ-ă ¦ clāră vŏ- ¦ lūn-tās

l.6: Vī-tā- ¦ līs-qu(e) ͜   (h)ŏ-dĭ- ¦ ē sānc- ¦ tī sūb- ¦ stān-tĭ-ă ¦ pā-nĭs

l.7: Prō-vĕ-nĭ- ¦ āt nō- ¦ bīs; tŭ-ă ¦ mōx lār- ¦ gī-tⁱō ¦ sōl-văt

l.8: Īn-nŭ-mĕ- ¦ r(a) ͜   īn-dūl- ¦ gēns ēr- ¦ rō-rīs ¦ dē-bĭ-tă ¦ prāvī

l.9: Ēt nōs ¦ hāut ă-lĭ-¦ tēr cōn- ¦ cē-dĕ-rĕ ¦ fōe-nŏ-ră ¦ nōs-trīs

l.10: Tē-trī ¦ sāe-vă prŏ- ¦ cūl tēmp- ¦ tā-tⁱō ¦ dāe-mŏ-nĭs ¦ āb-sĭt

l.11: Āe-quĕ mă- ¦ līs tŭ-ă ¦ nōs īn ¦ lū-cēm ¦ dēx-tĕ-ră ¦ tōl-lăt

As an example. The links below are to a poem V by Catullus:

[i] The first link takes you to a completely unscanned version

http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/l5.htm

[ii] The second takes you to a scanned version

http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/sc5.htm

[1] Metre

References are made here to long and short syllables; that is discussed in the next post

Vincent describes the verse as dactylic hexameter:

(1) a dactyl is a long syllable followed by two short syllables: — UU

Line 1: SĪ-DĔ-RĔ- ¦ ō gĕ-nĭ- ¦ tōr rĕ-sĭ- ¦ dēns īn ¦ vēr-tĭ-cĕ ¦ cāe-lī

(2) Two short syllables can equal one long syllable i.e. — UU = — — ; a combination of two long syllables is known as a spondee

Sī-dĕ-rĕ- ¦ ō gĕ-nĭ- ¦ tōr rĕ-sĭ- ¦ (2) DĒNS ĪN ¦ vēr-tĭ-cĕ ¦ cāe-lī

Combinations, six feet of six dactyls or spondees, is known as hexameter.

[1] Sī-dĕ-rĕ- ¦ [2] ō gĕ-nĭ- ¦ [3] tōr rĕ-sĭ- ¦ [4] dēns īn ¦ [5] vēr-tĭ-cĕ ¦ [6] cāe-lī

(3) The last syllable of a line can be long or short; this is usually indicated by X i.e. — X; a syllable of this type is called an anceps

[i] In the first line, the final syllable is long:

Sī-dĕ-rĕ- ¦ ō gĕ-nĭ- ¦ tōr rĕ-sĭ- ¦ dēns īn ¦ vēr-tĭ-cĕ ¦ cāe-LĪ

[ii] In Line 2 the final syllable is short:

Nō-mĭ-nĭs ¦ ōr-ā- ¦ mūs vĕ-nĕ- ¦ rā- tⁱō ¦ sānc- tĭ- fĭ- ¦ cē-TŬR

When a poem is scanned, sometimes no mark is given above an anceps because it makes no difference.

[iii] Note that /i/ when it is with another vowel e.g. -iō- or -ia- can, depending on the rhythm, be [a] similar to English /y/ and not scanned separately,  or [b] a separate vowel sound

[a]

[l.2] vĕ-nĕ- ¦ rā- tⁱō [imagine ve-ne-¦ ra-tyo (or -tjo- as written in some scans)]

[l.7] lār- ¦ gī-tⁱō

[l.10] tēmp- ¦ tā-tⁱō

[b]

[l.4] the /i/ is scanned as an independent vowel: Ād-vĕ-nĭ- ¦ āt i.e. it is pronounced distinctly seperately from the following /a/

[l.6] sūb- ¦ stān-tĭ-ă

[l.7] Prō-vĕ-nĭ- ¦ āt