Seneca's theatre for two
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, quiteEnim: for, indeedMagnum: great, large, impressiv...
13 Apr 20252min
Ovid on daring to love
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 la...
10 Apr 20254min
Seneca walks the walk
Seneca emphasises that philosophy is to be livedZenonem Cleanthes non expressisset, si tantummodo audisset.Cleanthes would not have imitated Zeno if he had merely heard himZenonem: Zeno (accusative si...
9 Apr 20252min
Statius on the trauma of war
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 singularConsu...
8 Apr 20252min
Juvenal satirises insatiable ambition
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 Ca...
7 Apr 20254min
Martial laments Vesuvius
Martial laments VesuviusHic est pampineis viridis modo Vesbius umbrisHere is Vesuvius, recently green with the shadows of vine leaves.Hic: this, here is (nominative singular)Est: isPapineis: with vine...
6 Apr 20252min
Hermes Trismegistus inquiries into the esoteric
Hermes Trismegistus seeks out the esoteric.Cupio, inquam, rerum naturam dicere: deumque cognoscereI wish, I said, to speak of the nature of things, and to know God.Cupio: I desire, wishInquam: I saidR...
3 Apr 20253min
Hecato goes full stoic
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 ceaseTimere: to fearSi: ifSperare: to hopeDesieris: you will...
2 Apr 20252min
