Seneca’s secret to be content.Nisi sapienti sua non placentUnless to the wise person, his own things are not pleasingOr more idiomatically: The wise alone are content with what is theirsNisi: unlessSapienti: to the wise man/woman/personSua: his own thingsNon placent: are not pleasing
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2:27
Virgil on the universality of sorrow
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 areLacrimae: tearsRerum: of things, events, affairsEt: andMentem: mind, heartMortalia: mortal things, human affairs, things subject to deathTangunt: touch
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2:31
Martial is not in a hurry to die famous
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: ifPost fata: after the fates (i.e. after death)Venit: comes, arrivesGloria: gloryNon propero: I do not hurry, I am not rushing
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1:39
Ovid says love is a battlefield
Love is a battlefield, says Ovid.Bella mihi, video, bella parantur.Wars against me, I see, wars are being prepared.Bella: warsMihi: for me, against meVideo: I seeParantur: are being prepared
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1:53
Ausonius on passion ungoverned
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 nymphsQuae: whoHylam: accusative of HylasMerserunt: they drowned, plungedFurtim: secretly, stealthilyNaides: the NaiadsAmore: with loveSaevo et irrito: savage and unfulfilled (ablative)Ephebus: young man (from the Greek)Iste: thatFlos erit: will be a flower
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