Letter 8 [I.15]

C. Plinius Septicio Claro Suo S.

Heus tu promittis ad cenam nec venis. Dicitur ius: ad assem inpendium reddes, nec id modicum. Paratae erant lactucae singulae, cochleae ternae, ova bina, alica cum mulso et nive (nam hanc quoque computabis, immo hanc in primis, quae periit in ferculo), olivae, betacei, cucurbitae, bulbi, alia mille non minus lauta. Audisses comoedos vel lectorem vel lyristen vel, quae mea liberalitas, omnes. At tu apud nescio quem ostrea, vulvas, echinos, Gaditanas maluisti. Dabis poenas, non dico quas. Dure fecisti: invidisti, nescio an tibi, certe mihi, sed tamen et tibi. Quantum nos lusissemus, risissemus, studuissemus. Potes apparatius cenare apud multos, nusquam hilarius simplicius incautius. In summa, experire, et nisi postea te aliis potius excusaveris, mihi semper excusa. Vale.

Pliny reproaches his friend Septicius Clarus for not showing up at a dinner party.   He lists the dishes he served and jokingly says that his friend will have to pay for the food, using legal and business terms (like ius dicitur "judgment is pronounced").  Then he talks about the evening's entertainment and suggests that his friend preferred a more luxurious party.

Compare with Martial V.78

Vocabulary notes:

• ad assem "to the penny"
• reddo  "pay back"  What tense?
• impendium outlay, cost, interest
• modicus-a-um moderate, cheap
• singuli -ae -a  one at a time, individual
• terni -ae -a  three each
• bini -ae -a  two each
• alica [or halica] a cereal dish
• nix, nivis  snow
• mulsum  an expensive drink of wine with honey
• immo  yes or no on the contrary
• in primis  especially
• ferculum  platter, tray
• periit < pereo
• lactucae lettuces
• betacei  beets
• cucurbitae  gourds
• bulbi onions or other bulbs
• lautus  [ppp of lavo] washed, neat, elegant, splendid
• quae  such is
• nescioquis  somebody or other
• ostrea  oysters, mussels
• vulvae  sows' wombs
• cochleae snails
• in ferculo on the tray
• echinus sea urchins
• Gaditanae Spanish dancing girls
• apparatius  more elaborately
• nusquam  nowhere
• potius  rather, preferably

Recipes for the various foods may be found in Apicius

Grammar:

• review comparative adverbs
• subjunctive--potential -- independent subjunctives

Topics:

• Roman dinner parties
• preparation of foods
• private entertainments
• business and legal term