Letter 13 on the eruption of Vesuvius and the death of Pliny the Elder.

Additional Notes and Vocabulary

1 petis ut with subjunctive: *jussive noun clause ("you ask that I" = "you ask me to...")

exitus death, passage

*quo verius [cf. quo magis (11.32, 9.8)] "so that more truly..."

*trado, tradere, tradidi, traditum hand over, pass down

*posteri m. pl. of posterus following > posterity

2 morti dative with propositam esse

celebro (I) frequent, celebrate, glorify [note passive voice]

3 esse propositam < propono set forth, set down

*quamvis although

clades,-is f. disaster, ruin

3-4 * ut with indicative as, like, when

The lands are the places around the Bay of Naples.

4 victurus < *vivo

occido perish, die

5 mansura < maneo

*condo, -ere, condidi, conditum build, compose

perpetuitas, -tatis f. continuity, afterlife

6 *equidem of course, indeed, for my part

beatus-a-um blessed

7 scribenda, legenda n. pl. "things ..." *Review gerundive

8 quibus utrumque =both [datum est]

horum < hic haec hoc

9 quo wherefore, and therefore

10-11 the date is August 24, A.D. 79, the time about 1 p. m.

Miseni at Misenum (a Roman naval station on the west coast of Italy)

imperio ... regebat he was in command of

* praesens in person

[ante diem] nonum Kal. Septembres "the ninth day before the Kalends of September" = 24 August

11 nubes, is, f. cloud

11-12 inusitata (unusual, extraordinary) with magnitudine et specie ablative of description

12 for Pliny Sr.’s habits see letter 10 (remember his sunbath, cold water bath and snack and his scholarly bent)

13 solea, -ae, f. sandal, shoe

14 procul from a distance

[eis] intuentibus dative "to those looking on"

15 orior, -iri, ortus/a sum rise, arise

16 exprimo squeeze out, imitate, represent

16 The tree is the Mediterranean pine whch has a flat top resembling a volcanic eruption.

16-18 "For raised up on a very long trunk like thing, it was spreading out in sort of branches toward the top, I suppose, because [it had been] shot up by a fresh blast, and then, [it was] left by that as it grew weak or even overcome by its own weight, it [the cloud] was trailing off lengthwise.

19 interdum at times

maculosus spotty, splotched

prout according as, proportionately as, in proportion, as

20 sustulerat < sub + fero

propius nearer at hand, closer

ut "as was natural for"

21 Liburnicam [navem] a swift, light galley

copia opportunity

21-2 vellem < *volo malle < *malo

23 codicilli note

Rectina, wife of Tascus

24 fuga escape

discrimini dative of separation ‘danger’

25 obit < obeo [-eo, -ire] perform, execute

maximo [animo] "with the spirit of a hero"

26-7 erat ... orae "because of its beauty the coastline was heavily populated"

26 quadriremes battleships with four banks of oars

propero (I) hasten, hurry

illuc to that place, thither

unde from which place, whence

28 rectum cursum, recta gubernacula objects of tenet "he steered a straight course"

adeo so

30 cinis, -eris, m. ash

quo propius the nearer, the closer

calidus hot

31 ambustus burnt up

lapis, lapidis, m. stone

32 vadum shoaling of the water

"the shores blocked by the debris from the mountain"

cunctor (I) delay, hesitate

an whether

33 gubernator pilot

34 Pomponianus (a name)

peto head for

35 Stabiis at Stabiae The subject of erat is Pomponianus

diremptus sinu medio "separated by the bay [that lay] in between"

sensim imperceptibly

35 "the sea is poured into the curve of the coast"

37 "and when it got bigger [it would be] very close

sarcina baggage, luggage

38 resido subside, settle

quo refers to ventus -- secundissimo vento

39 trepidantem refers to Pomponianus

40 lenio, -ire soften securitas lack of concern, freedom from care

lotus having washed, after washing < lavo

43 exito [1] arouse, exeracerbate

43-5 "He kept repeating--to allay their fears--that because of the panic of the country people the fires abandoned and the deserted farmhouses were burning by themselves."

45 quieti < quies

46-7 Pliny explains that his uncle snored rather loudly: this is his evidence [which he learned later from survivors who had heard it from outside the door] that his uncle really and truly was asleep. meatus animae "breathing, the passage of his breath."

47 area open courtyard

48 diaeta appartment, room

adibatur , adeo [eo, ire]

48 oppleo fill completely surrexerat < surgo rise

49 cubiculum bedroom mora delay

50 intra + acc. inside, within

51 *tectum roof, dwelling, house subsisto -ere stop, stay vagor [1] wander

in aperto out in the open

52 nuto [1] sway, totter

*sedes, is f. seat, site, foundation

53 sub dio "under the open sky" [divum the sky]

exesorum < exedo eat away

casus -us m. falling

*metuo fear

54 periculorum collatio a comparison of dangers

55 vicit < vinco

cervicalia pillows, cushions linteum cloth, towel [l. 60 sail]

56 munimentum defense

58 solor, solari console, comfort, soothe, mitigate imperf. "were trying to..."

or solvebant break up the darkness

59-60 ecquid ... admitteret "whether the sea would at all permit" (whether it would be possible to sail)

63 innitor lean on

63-4 ut ego colligo "as I gather" [assemble my facts]

64 caligo vapor, steam, smog, fog, heavy atmosphere

64-5 "His breath obstructed by the heavier smog and his windpipe closed, which was chronically weak, narrow and often inflamed ..."

66 inlaesus unhurt

67 opertus < operio cover induo dress in habitus-us posture