INTER POCVLABETWEEN THE CUPS

I

Non solum de cibo et potione est sermo convivarum. Iulius hospites suos de rebus urbanis interrogat: “Quid novi ex urbe? Octo dies iam sunt cum Romae non fui, nec quisquam interim mihi litteras inde misit. Quam ob rem nec ipse praesens nec absens per litteras quidquam cognovi de eo quod nuper Romae factum est.”

Aemilia: “Nemo tibi quidquam scribet de rebus urbanis, nisi prius ipse epistulam scripseris.”

Orontes: “Opus non est epistulas exspectare, nam facile aliquid novi per nuntios cognoscere potes. Cur non servum aliquem Romam mittis?”

Iulius: “Servi sunt mali nuntii: saepe falsos rumores nuntiant. Numquam servos meos Romam mitto.”

Cornelius: “Quid? Heri quendam servum tuum vidi in via Latina. Faciem recognovi, saepe eum hic vidi.”

Iulius a Cornelio quaerit 'quod nomen ei sit?'

Cornelius: “Aliquod nomen Graecum, puto. 'Midas' fortasse, nec vero certus sum. Semper nomina obliviscor, nam mala memoria mihi est.”

Orontes: “Midas est nomen regis, de quo haec fabula narratur: In quidam urbe Asiae olim vivebat rex quidam avarus, nomine Midas, qui nihil magis optabat quam divitias...”

Iulius, qui fabulam audire non vult, Orontem intepellat: “Non Midas” inquit, “sed Medus est nomen cuiusdam servi mei, qui heri...”

Orontes vero, minime turbatus, narrare pergit: “Tum Bacchus deus, qui ob quoddam beneficium regi bene volebat, “Dabo tibi” inquit “quidquid optaveris.” Statim Midas “Ergo da mihi” inquit “potestatem quidquid tetigero in aurum mutandi. Hoc solum mihi opto.” Bacchus, etsi regem avarum munus pessimum optavisse censebat, tamen promissum solvit.”

Iulius impatiens “Tace, Orontes!” inquit, “Omnes illam fabulam novimus.”

At Aemilia, quae fabulam ignorat, ab Oronte quaerit 'quamobrem id munus pessimum sit?'

Cui Orontes “Stulte id quaeris” inquit, “Midas enim, quamquam terram, lignum, ferrum manu tangendo in aurum mutare poterat, fame et siti moriebatur, cum cibus quoque et potio, simul atque a rege tacta erat, aurum fieret. Postremo rex miser deum oravit ut munus illud infelix revocaret. Bacchus igitur et suasit ut in quodam flumine lavaretur; cuius fluminis aqua, simul atque corpore regis tacta est, colorem aureum accepit.”

Iulius: “Hicine finis fabulae est?”

Orontes: “Huius quidem fabulae finis est, sed aliam fabulam de eodem rege novi. Deus Apollo effecerat ut Midas aures asininas haberet...”

Iulius: “Satis est! Fabulas tuas Graecas audire nolumus. Redeamus ad meum Medum servum, qui heri aufugit aliquantum pecuniae secum auferens.”

Cornelius: “Quantum pecuniae abstulit?”

Iulius: “Centum circiter sestertios. Atque ego illi servo praeter ceteros fidebam! Posthac servo Graeco nulli confidam, neque enim fide mea digni sunt: infidi et nequam sunt omnes! In familia mea unum solum servum fidum esse credo.”

The conversation of the dinner party is not only of food and drink. Julius asks his guests of city matters: "What is new from the city? Its been eight days since I was in Rome, but no one has sent letters to me from there. For this reason I knew nothing od that which recently occurred in Rome either present or absent through letters."

Emilia: "No one will write anything to you of city matters, unless you first write them a letter."

Orontes: "It is not fitting to wait for letters, for you can easily learn anything new through announcers. Why don't you send some servant to Rome?"

Julius: "Slaves are poor messengers: they often an announce false rumors. I will send none of my slaves to Rome."

Cornelius: "What? Yesterday I saw one of your slaves on the Latin road. I recognized his face, I saw him here often."

Julius asks Cornelius 'what is his name?'

Cornelius: "I think it was some Greek name. 'Midas' perhaps, but I am not certain. I always forget names, for my memory is poor."

Orontes: "Midas is the name of a king, about whom this story is told: in a certain city of Asia once lived an avaricious king named Midas, who desired nothing more than riches..."

Julius, who did not wish to hear the story, interrupts Orontes: "Not Midas," he says, "but Medus is the name of one of my servants who yesterday..."

But Orontes, a little irritated, continues to tell: "The the god Bacchus, who wanted the king well for a certain favor, said, 'I will give you whatever you desire'. Immediately Midas says, "Therefore give to me the power to change anything I touch into gold. I desire this alone." Bacchus, though he thought the avaricious king had desired the worst gift, nevertheless fulfilled his promise."

Julius impatiently says, "Be quiet Orontes! All of us know that tale."

But Emilia, who did not know the tale, asks Orontes, 'why it was the worst gift?'

Orontes says to her, "You ask foolishly, for Midas, although he could change earth, wood, and iron into gold touching it with his hand, he died from hunger and thirst, when food and drink also, was touched by the king, was made gold. Finally the miserably king begged the god that he revoke his his misfortune. Therefore Bacchus persuaded him to bathe in a certain river; the water of which river, took the color of gold at the same time as the body of the king touched it."

Julius: "Is that the end of the story?"

Orontes: "It is certainly the end of this story, but I know another story concering the same king. The god Apollo made it that Midas had a golden donkey..."

Julus: "That is enough! We do not want to hear your Greek stories. Let us return to my slave Medus, who fled yesterady carrying a good deal of money with him."

Cornelius: "How much money did he take away?"

Julius: "Around one hundred sesterces. And I trusted that slave over the others! After this I will trust no Greek slave, for they are unworthy of my trust: they are all unfaithful and wicked! I believe there is only one faithful slave in my family."

II

Hic Aemilia maritum interpellat et “St, Iuli!” inquit, “Noli servum praesentem laudare!”

Iulius Davum conspiciens “Sed is servus adest” inquit, “Nolo eum laudare praesentem. Medus vero plane infidissimus omnium est. Profecto eum verberabo atque omnibus modis cruciabo, si eum invenero priusquam Italiam reliquerit. Nisi pecuniam mihi reddiderit, in cruce figetur!”

Cornelius: “Etiam si adhuc Romae latet, difficile erit servum fugitivum in tanta urbe reperire. Romae enim tot servi sunt quot homines liberi.”

Aemilia: “Fortasse Romam abiit ob amorem alicuius mulieris. Iuvenis est Medus: quid non faciunt iuvenes amoris causa? Credo eum apud puellam Romanam latere.”

Orontes: “Ergo numquam reperietur, nam verum est quod scripsit Ovidius in libro qui vocatur 'Ars amandi':

Quot caelum stella, tot habet tua Roma puellas.”

Iulius: “Profecto magnum praemium dabo ei qui servum meum fugitivum huc retraxerit.”

Cornelius: “Quantum pecuniae dabis? Certum praemium statuere oportet.”

Iulius: “Tantum quantum ille surripuit.”

Orontes: “Centum tantum sestertios? Sane non nimium praemium promittis!”

Aemilia autem marito suo suadet ut clemes sit: “Noli Medum cruciare, si eum inveneris. Clemens esto, mi Iuli! Centum sestertii haud magna pecunia est, ut ait Orontes, nec aliud quidquam surripuit Medus.”

Iulius: “An censes eum praemium meruisse quod manus abstinuit a gemmis tuis? Nimis clementes sunt mulieres: quam facile viris nequissimis ignoscunt! At nostra melior est memoria!”

Aemilia: “Novistine hoc dictum: 'Domino severo tot esse hostes quot servos'? Servi enim dominum clementem amant, severum oderunt.”

Iulius. “Servi me metuunt quidem, nec vero oderunt. Nec enim umquam sine causa servum punivi. Sum dominus iustus. Servus dominum iniustum odit, iustum et severum metuit, non odit. Ne servo quidem iniuriam facere oportet, sed necesse est servos infidos aut fugitivos severe punire, nec enim quidquam nisi poena severa eius generis servos a maleficiis deterrere atque in officio tenere potest. Neque quisquam me accusabit si servum meum cruciavero aut interfecero, id enim est ius domini Romani. Servum alienum necare non licet, ut scriptum est in legibus, nec vero ulla lex dominum vetat servum suum improbum interficere.”

Cornelius: “Nec ulla lex id permittit. Non idem est permittere ac non vetare. Solo, vir sapiens et iustus, qui Atheniensibus leges scripsit, nullam poenam statuit in parricidas. Num ideo censes civi Atheniensi licuisse patrem suum necare?”

Iulius: “Ita sane non censeo. At quamobrem Solo nullam poenam in parricidas statuit? Quia nemo Atheniensis umquam post hominum memoriam patrem suum occiderat, nec ille vir sapeintissimus arbitrabatur quemquam postea tam inhumanum scelus facturum esse. At profecto aliud est patrem suum necare, longe aliud servum scelestum capite punire, illud enim turpissimum scelus, hoc supplicium iustum est. Olim ius erat patri familias non modo servos, sed etiam liberos suos interficere. Eius rei exemplum memoratur Titus Manlius Torquatus, qui filium suum coram exercitu necari iussit quia contra imperium patris cum hoste pugnaverat! Sane pater crudelis fuit Manlius, sed illo supplicio severissimo ceteri milites deterrebantur ne officium desererent.”

Aemilia: “Notum est veteres Romanos etiam erga liberos suos crudeles fuisse, nec vero quisquam hodie exemplum sumit ab illo patre crudelissimo.”

Orontes: “At etiam nunc patri licet infantem suum invalidum in montibus exponere.”

Here Emilia interrupts her husband and says, "Shh Julius! Do not praise the present servant!"

Julius looking at Davus says, "But the servant is present. I don't want to praise him while present. But Medus is clearly the most unfaithful of all. I will certainly beat him and torture him in every way if I find him before he leaves to Italy. Unless he returns my money, he will be hanged on a cross!"

Cornelius: "Even if he is still hiding in Rome, it will be difficult to find a runaway slave in such a city. For in Rome there are as many slaves as free men."

Emilia: "Perhaps he went to Rome for the love of a certain woman. Medus is a young man: what will young men not do for the sake of love? I believe he is hiding with a Roman girl."

Orontes: "Therefore he will never be found, for it is true what Ovid wrote in his book which is called 'The Art of Love:'

As many stars in the sky, as many girls your Rome has."

Julius: "I will certainly give a great reward to him who returns my fugitve slave to me."

Cornelius: "How much money will you give? It is right to set a certain reward."

Julius: "As much as he stole."

Orontes: "As much as one hundred sesterces? You certainly should not promise such a reward!"

But Emilia advises her husband to be lenient: "Do not torture Medus if you find him. Be lenient my Julius! One hundred sesterces is not a lot of money as Orontes says, nor did Medus steal anything else."

Julius: "But do you think he deserves a reward for keeping his hands from your jewels? Women are too lenient: how easily they forgive the most wicked men! But our memory is better!"

Emilia: "Do you know the saying, 'To a strict master there are as many enemies as slaves'? For slaves love lenient masters, but hate the strict."

Julius: "Slaves certainly fear me, but they do not hate me. For I never punished a slave without reason. I am a just master. A slave hates an unjust master, he fears the just and strict, he does not hate. It is certainly wrong to do injustice to a slave, but it is necessary to strictly punish wicked or runaway slaves, for nothing besides strict punishment can deter slaves of this kind from wickedness and keep them in their duty. And no one will accuse me if I torture or kill my slave, for that is the right of a Roman master. It is not right to kill another's slave, as it is written in the law, but the law foes not forbid a master to kill his own slave."

Cornelius: "Nor does the law permit it. To permit is not the same as not forbidding. Solon, a wise and just man, who wrote the laws of Athens, determined no punishment for patricide. Surely you don't think it was right for Athenian citizens to kill their fathers do you?"

Julius: "I certainly do not think this. But why did Solon determine no punishment for patricide? Because no one in Athens ever killed their father within the memory of man, nor did that very wise man think that would commit so inhuman a crime afterwards. But it is certainly one thing to kill ones father, it is quite another to sentence a criminal slave to death, for that is a very terrible crime, this punishment is just. Once it was just for the families fathers to kill not only slaves, but even their own children. Titus Manlius Torquatus is mentioned as an example of this, who ordered his son to be killed in front of his army because he fought with the enemy against his father's command! Of course Malius was a cruel father, but that very severe punishment deterred the other soldiers lest they abandon their duty."

Emilia: "It is known the ancient Romans were even cruel to their own children, and no one today takes an example from that very cruel father."

Orontes: "But even now it right to place his invalid baby in the mountains."

III

Aemilia: “Pater qui infantem exposuit ipse necandus est! Nonne talis pater tibi videtur cruce dignus esse?”

Iulius: “Certe pater tam inhumanus severe puniendus est, namque infantes invalidos exponere est mos antiquus atque crudelis. Alii nunc sunt mores. Verum hominem liberum cruci figere non est mos Romanorum; id supplicium in servos statutum est.”

Aemilia: “Ergo qui infantem suum debilem ad feras exponi iussit, ipse ad bestias mittendus est cum aliis hominibus scelestis!”

Orontes: “...et cum Christianis istis qui quendam hominem Iudaeum tamquam novum deum adorant, deos veteres Romanos derident. In conviviis suis sanguinem humanum bibere solent, ut rumor est.”

Aemilia: “Non omnes veri sunt rumores qui afferuntur super Christianis.”

Fabia: “Nec omnes infantes expositi pereunt. Alii in silvis ab ipsis feris aluntur, alii inveniuntur a pastoribus, qui eos cum liberis suis educant.”

Orontes: “Sicut Paris, regis Priami filius debilis, qui servo regis fido in quodam monte prope urbem Troiam expositus...”

At Cornelis “Opus non est” inquit “vetus exemplum Graecum afferre, cum complures fabulae narrentur de Romanis pueris qui ita servati sunt. Ceterum fabulam male intellexisti, nec enim debilis fuit Paris nec fidus servus Priami, nam rex ei imperaverat ut Paridem ineficeret, et quidquid dominus imperavit, servo faciendum est.”

Orontes: “Ille servus non puniendus, sed potius laudandus fuit: namque ita Paridem servavit - eum qui postea Helenam, feminam omnium pulcherrimam, a marito Menelao abduxit.”

Paula: “Num tantam iniuriam laudandam esse censes?”

Orontes “Quod Venus suadet iniuria non est! Sane laudandus est ille iuvenis qui non modo feminam illam pulcherrimam abducere ausus est, sed etiam miles fortissimus fuit qui et multos alios hostes et ipsum Achillem occidit.” Hic poculum tollit Orontes et exclamat: “Vivat fortissimus quisque! Vivant omnes feminae amandae! Gaudeamus atque amemus! Iuvenes sumus ut Paris, non senes ut Priamus, rex Troianorum, aut Nestor, dux Graecorum senex, qui ad nonagesimum annum vixit. Quisquis feminas amat, poculum tollat et bibat mecum! Nunc merum bibendum est!”

Cornelius: “Tacendum est, non bibendum! Iam nimium bibisti. Censeo te unum tantum vini bibisse quantum nos omnes, vel potius alterum tantum!”

Orontes: “Vos igitur parum bibistis. Numquam nimium huius vini bibere possum. Valeat quisquis vinum bonum amat! Vivat Bacchus, deus vini! Vivamus omnes et bibamus! Pocula funditus exhauriamus!”

Paula: “Iam tace! Satis est. Nonne te pudet ita ab ovo usque ad mala fabulari? Sane pudendum est!”

Orontes autem, simul atque poculum suum funditus exhausit, a Paula ad Aemiliam versus “Omnes m-me interpellant” inquit, “praeter t-te Aemilia. Tu t-tam p-pulchra es quam Helena...”

Aemilia: “...et tu tam rusticus quam Paris, qui inter rudes pastores educatus erat! Numquam mores urbanos didicisti, rustice! Nimium potavisti, ebrius es. Abstine manum a me!”

Orontes iterum poculum tollens haec cantat:

“Quisquis amat valeat! Pereat qui nescit amare! Bis tanto pareat quisquis amare vetat!”

Aemilia: “Nolumus istas nugas audire. Ebrius es!”

Orontes negat 'se esse ebrium' atque in lecto surgens aliud carmen super femina falsa et infida cantare incipit, sed priusquam finem facit, sub mensam labitur!

Duo servi eum e triclinio auferunt atque in cubiculo ponunt. Tum vestem super eum iam dormientem sternunt.

Emilia: "A father who exposes his own baby should be killed! Surely such a father seems worthy of the cross to you doesn't he?"

Julius: "Certainly a father so inhuman should be punished severely, for to expose invalid children is an ancient and crule custom. Now there are other customs. But is it not the custom of the Romans to fix a free man to the cross, that punishment has been established for slaves."

Emila: "Therefore he who commands that his weak infant be exposed to the beasts, himself should be sent to the beasts with the other wicked men!"

Orontes: "... and with the Christians who worship a certain man from Judea as a new god, mock the ancient Roman gods. In their dinner parties they are accustomed to drink human blood as is the rumor."

Emilia: "Not all the rumors are true that are brought forward of Christians."

Fabia: "But not all exposed infants die. Some are nourished by wild beasts in the forest, others are found by shepherds, who raise them with their children."

Orontes: "Like Paris, the weak son of King Prium, who being exposed by the faithful servant of the king on a certain mountain near the city of Troy..."

But Cornelius says, "There is no need to bring forth an ancient Greek example, when many tales are told of Roman boys who are thus saved. Besides you have understood the story poorly, for Paris was not weak nor the servant of Priam faithful, for the king command him to kill Paris, and whatever the lord commands a slave must do."

Orontes: "That slave should not have been punished, but rather praised: for he thus saved Paris - him who afterwards kidnapped Helen, the most beautiful of all women from her husband Menelaus."

Paula: "Surely you don't think that such a wrong should be praised do you?"

Orontes: "What Venus advises is not wrong! That young man must certainly be praised not only for daring to abduct that most beautiful woman, but he was even a brave soldier who killed Achilles and many other enemies." Here Orontes raised his cup and shouts: "May the strongest live! May all the beloved woman live! Let us rejoice and love! We are young men like Paris not old men like Priamus, king of the Trojans, or Nestor, old man leader of the Greeks, who lived to ninety years. He who loves women, raise your cup and drink with me! Now we must drink neat wine!"

Cornelius: "We must be silent, not drink! You have drunk too much already. I think you have drunk as much wine as all of us, or rather only two!"

Orontes: "Therefore you haven't drunk too little. I can never drink too much of this wine. He is well who loves good wine! May Bacchus live, the god of wine! Let us all live and drink! Let us utterly empty our cups!"

Paula: "Now be silent! That is enough. Are you not ashamed to have spoken thus from the beginning of dinner to the end? You should certainly be ashamed!"

But Orontes, at the same time completely empties his cup, turns from Paula to Emila and says, "Everyone interrupts m-me except y-you Emilia. You are as b-beautiful a-as Helen..."

Emilia: "... and you are as rural as Paris, who was raised among rude shepherds! You have never learned the city customs, country man! You drank too much, you are drunk. Keep your hands off me!"

Orontes raises his cup again singing this:

"He is well who loves! Let him perish who does not know how to love! Let him who forbids love be twice as careful!"

Emilia: "We do not want to hear that foolishness. You are drunk!"

Orontes denies that he is drunk and stands on the couch and begins to sing a song about a lying and wicked woman, but before he can make an end, he falls under the table!

Two slaves carry him from the dining room and place him in a bed room. Then they spread clothes over him that is already sleeping.

GRAMMATICA LATINA

Gerundivum

Vir laudandus. Femina laudanda. Factum laudandum.

'Laudandus -a -um' gerundivum appellatur. Gerundivum est adiectivum declinationis I/II. Cum verba esse coniunctum gerundivum significat id quod fieri oportet; is a quo aliquid fieri oportet apud gerundivum significatur dativo.

Exempla:

Discipulus industrius magistro laudandus est. Discipulus piger reprehendendus et puniendus est. Tacendum est.

Lingua Latina vobis discenda est. Vocabula diligenter scribenda sum. Omnia menda corrigenda sunt: addendae sunt litterae quae desunt, quae supersunt stilo verso delendae sunt. Quidquid magister imperavit discipulo faciendum est.

Dominus dicit 'oves bene curandas esse.'

LATIN GRAMMAR

Gerundive

The man must be praised. The woman must be praised. The deed must be praised.

'Laudandus -a -um' is called the gerundive. The gerundive is an adjective of the 1/2 declensions. When the word is joined with the gerund it means that which must be done; that by which something must be done in the gerundive is signified by the dative.

Examples:

The diligent student must be praised by the teacher. The lazy student must be rebuked and punished. He must be silent.

The Latin Language must be learned by you. I must carefully write the vocabulary. All mistakes must be corrected: the missing letters must be added, that which remains must be erased by the stylus. What the teacher commanded must be done by the student.

The master says 'the sheep should be well taken care of.'

VOCABVLA

potio, potionis f.
rumor, rumoris m.
memoria, memoriae f.
munus, muneris n.
fides, fedei f.
crux, crucis f.
iuvenis, iuvenis m.
praemium, praemi n.
poena, poenae f.
ius, iuris n.
lex, legis f.
parricida, parricidae c.
scelus, sceleris n.
supplicium, supplici n.
mos, moris m.
iniuria, iniurae f.
senex, senis m.
nuga, nugae f.
praesens, praesentis
avarus, a, um
impatiens, impatientis
infelix, infelicis
asininus, a, um
fidus, a, um
infidus, a, um
fugitivus, a, um
nimis
clemens, clementis
iustus, a, um
iniustus, a, um
sapiens, sapientis m.
scelestus, a, um
crudelis, crudele
vetus, veteris m.
invalidus, a, um
debilis, debile
ebrius, a, um
nonagesimus, a, um
opto, optare, optavi, optatum
interpello, -are, -avi, -atum
aufugio, -fugere, -fugi, -
aufero, -ferre, apstuli, ablatu
fido, fidere, fisus sum
confideo, -fidere, -fisus sum
crucio, -are, -avi, cruciatum
lateo, latere, latui, -
retraho, -trahere, -traxi, tractusm
statuo, -tuere, -tui, statutum
ignosco, -scere, -ovi, ignotum
odi, odisse, osum
veto, vetare, vetavi, vetatum
educo, -are, -avi, educatum
abduco, -ducere, -duxi, ductum
fabulor, -ari, fabulatus sum
quidquid
quisquis
quantum
aliquantum, a, um
nimium, a, um
quamobrem
ideo
funditus
priusquam
namque
coram

VOCABULARY

drinking, drink
hearsay, gossip
memory, history
service, gift
faith, loyalty
cross
young, man around 30
prize, reward, gift
penalty, punishment
right, justice, law
law, statute
murderer of his father
crime, calamity
severe punishment
habit, custom
injustice, wrong
old man
nonsense, trifles (pl)
present, at hand
greedy, covetous
impatient
unfortunate, unhappy
like a donkey, stupid
faithful, loyal
faithless, treacherous
fugitive
too much
lenient, merciful
fair, just, lawful
unjust, wrongful
wise man, sage
infamous, wicked
cruel, savage, harsh
forefathers, antiquity
weak, feeble
frail, ineffective
drunk, intoxicated
90th
to choose, to desire
to interrupt, to object
to flee from, to escape
to steal, to carry away
trust in (with dative or abl.)
to believe, to rely in
torment, suffer agony
to lie hidden, to lurk
to draw back, withdraw
to establish, to decide
to forgive (with dative)
to hate, to dislike
to prohibit, to reject
to rear, to bring up
to lead away, to entice
to talk, to converse
whatever, everything
whoever, everyone
as much as, how far
quite a quantity of
excessive, too great
for what reason ,why
for that reason
completely, by the root
before, until
on the other hand
in the presence of