Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium XXXI: On Siren Songs
Initial commentary by Ally Carkin, revised by Jacques Bailly

Text:

SENECA LUCILIO SUO SALUTEM

[1] Agnosco Lucilium meum; incipit, quem promiserat, exhibere. Sequere illum impetum animi, quo ad optima quaeque calcatis popularibus bonis ibas. Non desidero maiorem melioremque te fieri quam moliebaris. Fundamenta tua multum loci occupaverunt; tantum effice, quantum conatus es, et illa quae tecum in animo tulisti, tracta. [2] Ad summam sapiens eris, si cluseris aures, quibus ceram parum est obdere; firmiore spissamento opus est quam in sociis usum Ulixem ferunt. Illa vox, quae timebatur, erat blanda, non tamen publica, at haec, quae timenda est, non ex uno scopulo, sed ex omni terrarum parte circumsonat. Praetervehere itaque non unum locum insidiosa voluptate suspectum, sed omnes urbes. Surdum te amantissimis tuis praesta; bono animo mala precantur. Et si esse vis felix, deos ora, ne quid tibi ex his, quae optantur, eveniat. [3] Non sunt ista bona, quae in te isti volunt congeri; unum bonum est, quod beatae vitae causa et firmamentum est, sibi fidere. Hoc autem contingere non potest, nisi contemptus est labor et in eorum numero habitus, quae neque bona sunt neque mala. Fieri enim non potest ut una ulla res modo mala sit, modo bona, modo levis et perferenda, modo expavescenda. [4] Labor bonum non est. Quid ergo est bonum? Laboris contemptio. Itaque in vanum operosos culpaverim. Rursus ad honesta nitentes, quanto magis incubuerint minusque sibi vinci ac strigare permiserint, adprobabo et clamabo: 'Tanto melior, surge et inspira et clivum istum uno, si potes, spiritu exsupera.' [5] Generosos animos labor nutrit. Non est ergo quod ex illo voto vetere parentum tuorum eligas, quid contingere tibi velis, quid optes; et in totum iam per maxima acto viro turpe est etiamnunc deos fatigare. Quid votis opus est? Fac te ipse felicem. Facies autem, si intellexeris bona esse, quibus admixta virtus est, turpia, quibus malitia coniuncta est. Quemadmodum sine mixtura lucis nihil splendidum est, nihil atrum, nisi quod tenebras habet aut aliquid in se traxit obscuri, quemadmodum sine adiutorio ignis nihil calidum est, nihil sine aere frigidum; ita honesta et turpia virtutis ac malitiae societas efficit. [6] Quid ergo est bonum? Rerum scientia. Quid malum est? Rerum imperitia. Ille prudens atque artifex pro tempore quaeque repellet aut eliget; sed nec quae repellit timet nec miratur quae eligit, si modo magnus illi et invictus animus est. Summitti te ac deprimi veto. Laborem si non recuses, parum est; posce. [7] 'Quid ergo?' inquis 'labor frivolus et supervacuus et quem humiles causae evocaverunt, non est malus?' Non magis quam ille, qui pulchris rebus impenditur, quoniam animi est ipsa tolerantia, quae se ad dura et aspera hortatur ac dicit, 'quid cessas? non est viri timere sudorem'. [8] Huc et illud accedat, ut perfecta virtus sit aequalitas ac tenor vitae per omnia consonans sibi, quod non potest esse, nisi rerum scientia contingit et ars, per quam humana ac divina noscantur. Hoc est summum bonum. Quod si occupas, incipis deorum socius esse, non supplex. [9] 'Quomodo' inquis 'isto pervenitur?' Non per Poeninum Graiumve montem nec per deserta Candaviae, nec Syrtes tibi nec Scylla aut Charybdis adeundae sunt, quae tamen omnia transisti procuratiunculae pretio: tutum iter est, iucundum est, ad quod natura te instruxit. Dedit tibi illa, quae si non deserueris, par deo surges. [10] Parem autem te deo pecunia non faciet: deus nihil habet. Praetexta non faciet: deus nudus est. Fama non faciet nec ostentatio tui et in populos nominis dimissa notitia: nemo novit deum, multi de illo male existimant, et impune. Non turba servorum lecticam tuam per itinera urbana ac peregrina portantium; deus ille maximus potentissimusque ipse vehit omnia. Ne forma quidem et vires beatum te facere possunt; nihil horum patitur vetustatem. [11] Quaerendum est, quod non fiat in dies eius, cui non possit obstari. Quid hoc est? Animus, sed hic rectus, bonus, magnus. Quid aliud voces hunc quam deum in corpore humano hospitantem? Hic animus tam in equitem Romanum quam in libertinum, quam in servum potest cadere. Quid est enim eques Romanus aut libertinus aut servus? Nomina ex ambitione aut ex iniuria nata. Subsilire in caelum ex angulo licet. Exsurge modo
... et te quoque dignum
Finge deo. ...
Finges autem non auro vel argento; non potest ex hac materia imago deo exprimi similis; cogita illos, cum propitii essent, fictiles fuisse. Vale.

Text from <http://www.thelatinlibrary.com> some ammendments were made using the Loeb: Seneca, IV, Epistles 1-65.

Commentary:

 [1] Seneca, the master, greets Lucilius, the pupil. As usual, no small talk, nothing much about their lives; Seneca gets right to his point. He notices that Lucilius has begun to exhibit the qualities that Seneca praises later in the letter. 

Agnosco Lucilium meum; incipit, quem promiserat, exhibere. Sequere illum impetum animi, quo ad optima quaeque calcatis popularibus bonis ibas. Non desidero maiorem melioremque te fieri quam moliebaris. Fundamenta tua multum loci occupaverunt; tantum effice, quantum conatus es, et illa quae tecum in animo tulisti, tracta.

Lucilium: Seneca speaks of Lucilius in third person, then switches to direct address in the next sentence.
quem: omitted antecedent sc. virum or hominem or the like, as antecedent.
Sequere: imperative.
quo:  "by which": impetum = antecedent.
optima quaeque: quisque + superlative is idiomatic: quisque pessimus = "all bad people" or "every bad person." It is rarely plural, as here.
calcatis popularibus bonis: ablative absolute. popularibus modifies substantive bonis. Because Seneca suggests that most people's 'goods' are not good, bonis should perhaps be in "scare quotes" or translated as "so-called 'goods.'"
tantum…quantum: "as much…as ... ."
tracta: imperative.

[2] Words are like siren songs: block your ears.

Ad summam sapiens eris, si cluseris aures, quibus ceram parum est obdere; firmiore spissamento opus est quam in sociis usum Ulixem ferunt. Illa vox, quae timebatur, erat blanda, non tamen publica, at haec, quae timenda est, non ex uno scopulo, sed ex omni terrarum parte circumsonat. Praetervehere itaque non unum locum insidiosa voluptate suspectum, sed omnes urbes. Surdum te amantissimis tuis praesta; bono animo mala precantur. Et si esse vis felix, deos ora, ne quid tibi ex his, quae optantur, eveniat.

Ad summam: means “to sum up…”
...sapiens eris, si cluseris aures: future more vivid conditional: protasis has future perfect indicative, apodosis future indicative.
quibus ceram parum est obdere: obdere is subject of est. parum is predicate nominative. ceram is direct object of obdere, and quibus is dative ind. obj. of obdere.
opus est: takes the ablative.
in sociis usum Ulixem: indirect statement dependent on ferunt: supply esse w/ usum. Allusion to Sirens (Odyssey XII. 165-200). Ulixes is the Latinized form of Odysseus.
timenda est: gerundive in a passive periphrastic construction; translate as, “The voice must be…”
praetervehere: imperative.
insidiosa voluptate: ablative of cause modifying suspectum.
praesta: imperative, taking the direct object te, which is modified by the predicate adjective surdum, which takes the dative amantissimis tuis.
amantissimis: these affectionate people might mistakenly wish that we become rich and propertied, good-looking and attractive, etc., to which a stoic is indifferent.
bono animo: ablative of quality.
si esse vis felix: the protasis of an open present conditional.
ne quid tibi ex his, quae optantur, eveniat: negative indirect command (BA 118).

[3] Only one good exists, trust in yourself, staying true to yourself. Work in and of itself is neither good nor bad, because it alternates between opposite qualities.
"Work" seems like a non sequitur, but it is not, because it is a candidate for what makes a life good, either instrumentally, or in itself. The principle here is that anything that can be at one time good, at another bad, cannot itself by itself be good. At most, it can be indifferent.

Non sunt ista bona, quae in te isti volunt congeri; unum bonum est, quod beatae vitae causa et firmamentum est, sibi fidere. Hoc autem contingere non potest, nisi contemptus est labor et in eorum numero habitus, quae neque bona sunt neque mala. Fieri enim non potest ut una ulla res modo mala sit, modo bona, modo levis et perferenda, modo expavescenda.

causa et firmamentum: take beatae vitae with both of these.
fidere: it is used here as the predicate to unum bonum est. Fidere also takes the dative.
Fieri…non potest ut: “it is not possible that…” this phrase takes a subjunctive noun clause, introduced by ut.
perferenda and expavescenda: gerundives in a passive periphrastic construction. Supply sit.
modo ... modo ... : "at one time ..., at another time ... ".

[4] Although labor is generally thought of as good, Seneca says it is not a good. The proper attitude toward labor, contemptio, is a good. What is more, he finds those who are in vanum operosi blameworthy: they are doing something bad. Whatever in vanum operosos means, surely it ought not to contradict §5, where generosos labor nutrit and §7, where labor frivolus et supervacuus et quem humiles causae evocaverunt is no more labor malus than labor expended for fine things, pulchris rebus. It is not clear what Seneca is saying, but it seems problematic and not fully explained, although the meaning of his words is fairly clear.

Labor bonum non est. Quid ergo est bonum? Laboris contemptio. Itaque in vanum operosos culpaverim. Rursus ad honesta nitentes, quanto magis incubuerint minusque sibi vinci ac strigare permiserint, adprobabo et clamabo: 'Tanto melior, surge et inspira et clivum istum uno, si potes, spiritu exsupera.'

Labor bonum non est: a truly good thing is always praiseworthy, not only at certain times. Work, neither good nor bad, is considered neutral. The Stoics called the neutral ἀδιάφορα, or indifferentia, meaning "indifferent things," things outside of morality, things with no real value.
Laboris contemptio: supply est bonum. Because an unconcerned disdain for it shows the proper attitude toward an indifferent.
in vanum: "toward an empty thing," adverbial with operosos. This cannot mean "in vain," because according to stoic thought whether a result occurs or not does not determine whether the labor is good or not. What is more, in vanum operosos makes best sense if it prepares for the contrasting ad honesta nitentes that follows.
culpaverim: potential perfect subjunctive.
nitentes: present active participle of nitor. The striving that is meant is internal striving for virtue, not striving for external good things, as what follows in §5 and §6 reveals.
quanto…tanto: ablative of measure of difference used correlatively.
incubuerint...permiserint: future perfect indicatives in the equivalent of a future more vivid conditional.
melior: modifies subject of the following imperatives, surge...inspira...exsupera.
si potes: present open conditional.

[5] Seneca starts out praising labor as nourishment of the noble soul. Surely this cannot be the same labor as in §4, which was not a good, for nourishing the soul is a good thing. Seneca continues and specifies the sort of work we must do: do not bother the gods for happiness. Make yourself happy. It is up to you. Stoics taught that all externals are indifferent and not up to us, but virtue, an internal state, is the only good and is up to us. Section §6 will take up the argument and implicitly suggest that the labor we must undertake is that of acquiring knowledge. Before proceding to that section, note that, strictly speaking, it seems that stoics would deny what Seneca says here, that a thing becomes good by mixing with virtue or bad by mixing with vice: the thing itself remains indifferent according to stoics, whether used for or by good or evil. Seneca's idea here thus seems closer to the Aristotelian idea that things actually become good (or bad) by being used by a good (or bad) person or in a good or bad way.

Generosos animos labor nutrit. Non est ergo quod ex illo voto vetere parentum tuorum eligas, quid contingere tibi velis, quid optes; et in totum iam per maxima acto viro turpe est etiamnunc deos fatigare. Quid votis opus est? Fac te ipse felicem. Facies autem, si intellexeris bona esse, quibus admixta virtus est, turpia, quibus malitia coniuncta est. Quemadmodum sine mixtura lucis nihil splendidum est, nihil atrum, nisi quod tenebras habet aut aliquid in se traxit obscuri, quemadmodum sine adiutorio ignis nihil calidum est, nihil sine aere frigidum; ita honesta et turpia virtutis ac malitiae societas efficit.

Non est…quod: idiom meaning, “There is no reason why…”: takes subjunctive.
quid contingere tibi velis, quid optes: indirect questions dependent on eligas.
in totum...per maxima: in totum = adverbial "completely". per maxima (sc. honesta) modifies acto.
acto viro: dative  with turpe "a bad thing (for)," modified by in totum iam per maxima.
fatigare: infinitive subject of turpe est. deos is its direct object.
si intellexeris bona esse, quibus admixta virtus est, turpia (sc. esse), quibus malitia coniuncta est: a future more vivid conditional. Also an indirect statement (bona esse and turpia (esse) dependent on intellexeris). The relative clauses are in the indicative because they are not part of the indirect speech, but rather the author is presenting their contents as facts. (BA 448)
quemadmodum ... quemadmodum ...; ita ...: correlatives "just as ... (and) just as ...; so ... ."
quod: pronoun with the antecedent nihil
obscuri: partitive genitive with aliquid.
virtutis ac malitiae: genitives modifying societas.

[6] Knowledge is good, while ignorance is bad. Knowledge and lack of ignorance will make your soul great and invulnerable and will lead you not to judge the things you choose or reject as bad or good. Those external things are indifferent. Although work is an indifferent, choose it.

Quid ergo est bonum? Rerum scientia. Quid malum est? Rerum imperitia. Ille prudens atque artifex pro tempore quaeque repellet aut eliget; sed nec quae repellit timet nec miratur quae eligit, si modo magnus illi et invictus animus est. Summitti te ac deprimi veto. Laborem si non recuses, parum est; posce.

Quid ergo est bonum? Rerum scientia. Quid malum est? Rerum imperitia: anaphora (repetition of an initial element) and antithesis (juxtaposition of opposing elements), both common in Seneca.
pro tempore: idiomatic phrase, "according to circumstances."
si modo magnus illi et invictus animus est: Protasis of a present open conditional.
Illi: dative of possession.
Laborem si non recuses: although the present subjunctive makes this look like a future less vivid conditional, the second person subjunctive recuses is really a generalizing use of the subjunctive. What is more, although parum est looks like a normal apodosis, it is not the logical consequence of the protasis. Not refusing labor does not result in it being too little. Rather not refusing labor is itself too little. Seneca could have said laborem non recusare parum est and it would mean the same thing.
posce: imperative.

[7] Trifling or superfluous work is no worse than noble work. Tolerantia is a quality of the soul that encourages you to perform difficult tasks.

'Quid ergo?' inquis 'labor frivolus et supervacuus et quem humiles causae evocaverunt, non est malus?' Non magis quam ille, qui pulchris rebus impenditur, quoniam animi est ipsa tolerantia, quae se ad dura et aspera hortatur ac dicit, 'quid cessas? non est viri timere sudorem'.

Quid: take both to mean “why?” This begins the first of two examples of prosopopoeia (addressing someone absent) in this letter (the second is in §9).
inquis: this marks the arrival of the nameless interlocutor, or adversarius, an imaginary perosn who creates opportunities for the author to say what he wants to say. (Wilson, 434)
viri: Predicate genitive.

[8] Perfected virtue is a balance and a life thoroughly consistant and constant with itself. Virtue cannot obtain without knowledge and philosophy, the greatest good.

Huc et illud accedat, ut perfecta virtus sit aequalitas ac tenor vitae per omnia consonans sibi, quod non potest esse, nisi rerum scientia contingit et ars, per quam humana ac divina noscantur. Hoc est summum bonum. Quod si occupas, incipis deorum socius esse, non supplex.

et: adverbial "too," "also."
accedat: jussive subjunctive. Although active in Latin, it is often best translated as English passive "be added."
ut perfecta virtus sit: nominal ut clause, subject of accedat. If there is a comma after ut virtus sit, the ut clause becomes a result clause, and aequalitas ac tenor are the subject of accedat. Not having the comma and treating this as a nominal ut clause makes this look like a definition of virtue, not just an aspect of it. Cf. letter 66§6.
quod: introduces a causal clause
ars: also the subject of contingit. This "art" is philosophy.
noscantur: subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic: such clauses can often be interpreted as the equivalent of result or purpose clauses.
Quod si occupas, incipis deorum socius esse: an open present conditional.

[9]A procuratorship will not help achieve virtue, but nature will. Virtue could potentially make one equal to the gods.

'Quomodo' inquis 'isto pervenitur?' Non per Poeninum Graiumve montem nec per deserta Candaviae, nec Syrtes tibi nec Scylla aut Charybdis adeundae sunt, quae tamen omnia transisti procuratiunculae pretio: tutum iter est, iucundum est, ad quod natura te instruxit. Dedit tibi illa, quae si non deserueris, par deo surges.

isto: indirect object with the intransitive verb pervenitur.
Poeninum Graiumve montem:  Alpes Poeninae = the Mont Blanc-Monte Rosa section on the French-Italian border. Alpes Graiae = the St. Bernard section located in France, Italy and Switzerland, separated from the Poeninae by the Duria Bautica valley. From this, one might conclude that Lucilius held a procuratorship there.
Candaviae: a mountain range between Epirus and Macedonia. Again, perhaps a clue that Lucilius held a procuratorship of one of the provinces. The use of the partitive genitive with a neuter plural noun are not found in prose before Seneca. (Summers, lv)
Syrtes: the notoriously dangerous shoals and shallows of the Libyan continental shelf of North Africa. Possibly referring to a procuratorship in Africa.
tibi: Dative of Agent with the passive periphrastic.
Scylla: sea monster with 12 feet and 6 heads who lurked in a cave situated on the cliff opposite Charybdis.
Charybdis:a sort of whirlpool in a narrow channel of the sea opposite Scylla; it sucks in and casts out 3 times a day. Odysseus escapes this peril by clinging to a tree that grows above it. Odyssey XII. 201-259.
adeundae sunt: Gerundive in a passive periphrastic construction with Syrtes, Scylla and Charybdis as the subjects.
transisti: syncopated perfect of transeo (2)
procuratiunculae: feminine diminutive from procuratio. “a small procuratorship”. Construe with pretio. Based on this passage (and little else), it was believed that Lucilius was the procurator of Alpes Graiae, Epirus or Macedonia, Africa and Sicily during the reign of Nero. Given that Seneca moves smoothely from known actual contemporary geography to mythical places, it may be that the places chosen are merely "the boondocks" or stand-ins for various possible procuratorships that one might receive rather than references to actual procuratorships that Lucilius received.
pretio: ablative of price
illa: pronoun with the antecendent natura. This personifies natura.
si non deserueris, par deo surges: Future more vivid conditional.

[10] Reputation, possessions, and appearance will not make you god-like, because god does not have them. These things will not bring you virtue.

Parem autem te deo pecunia non faciet: deus nihil habet. Praetexta non faciet: deus nudus est. Fama non faciet nec ostentatio tui et in populos nominis dimissa notitia: nemo novit deum, multi de illo male existimant, et impune. Non turba servorum lecticam tuam per itinera urbana ac peregrina portantium; deus ille maximus potentissimusque ipse vehit omnia. Ne forma quidem et vires beatum te facere possunt; nihil horum patitur vetustatem.

deus nihil habet: supply pecuniae with nihil.
Praetexta: the toga praetexta was worn by current and former curule magistrates. Curule magistracies included the dictatorship, the consulship, the interregnum, the censorship, the praetorship, and the curule aedileship. The toga praetexta was also worn by upper class boys under the age of 16. It is believed that Lucilius held one of these positions and thus wore the toga praetexta.
tui: objective genitive.
Non turba…portantium: supply parem te deo non faciet.
Ne…quidem: idiom meaning “not even”.

[11] What we must seek out is a thing which does not come to be The things left to time and chance should not be sought because we don't have control over them, we only have control over our animus. This virtuous animus is obtainable by everyone, whether they are an eques or a slave. Seneca ends with an observation that becoming godlike does not require that one be made of gold or silver, which most people consider substances of highest worth, but rather that one be made of whatever sort of stuff can be made god-like.

Quaerendum est, quod non fiat in dies eius, cui non possit obstari. Quid hoc est? Animus, sed hic rectus, bonus, magnus. Quid aliud voces hunc quam deum in corpore humano hospitantem? Hic animus tam in equitem Romanum quam in libertinum, quam in servum potest cadere. Quid est enim eques Romanus aut libertinus aut servus? Nomina ex ambitione aut ex iniuria nata. Subsilire in caelum ex angulo licet. Exsurge modo

            et te quoque dignum
Finge deo.

Finges autem non auro vel argento; non potest ex hac materia imago deo exprimi similis; cogita illos, cum propitii essent, fictiles fuisse. Vale.

Quaerendum est: Gerundive in a passive periphrastic construction
quod non fiat in dies eius, cui non possit obstari: hard to translate into English without abandoning Latin syntax.  fiat "comes to be" "becomes" is subjunctive because quod introduces a relative clauses of characteristic relying on quaerendum est. eius "of a thing/of that" is predicate genitive with fiat (for example, the clause fit Caesaris, in which Caesaris is a predicate genitive, means 'literally' "comes to be of Caesar," but in better English means "comes to be characteristic of Caesar," "comes to be under Caesar's power," "comes to belong to Caesar" or the like). eius is also the antecedent of cui, which is dative because obstari "withstand" "resist" takes the dative. As a passive, obstari is impersonal, but cui can be translated as its subject in English (Ille mihi obstat means "He blocks me," but mihi ab illo obstatur means "I am blocked by him"). Although obstari is the subject of possit, in English translation, non possit can either be treated as impersonal, "It is not possible to resist" or with obstari as its subject ("resisting is not possible").
sed hic rectus, bonus, magnus: supply est. Asyndeton (lack of connectives such as "and"), which Seneca employs frequently for brevity. (Summers, xc-xciii)
aliud ... quam: remember that aliud is like a comparative ("other ... than").
voces: potential subjunctive.
tam…quam ... cadere: correlative tam ... quam "as much ... as". potest cadere must be understood three times, with in equitem Romanum, with in libertinum, and with in servum.
eques Romanus aut libertinus aut servus? nomina: in modern English, eques Romanus, libertinus, and servus could be put in quotation marks because nomina refers to them as words, just as 'sanguine' is in the question "What does the word 'sanguine' mean?"
nomina…nata: supply sunt. nata is a predicate adjective with nomina just as 'born' is in "This is an idea born from... ."
angulo: not the traditional meaning of "a corner" but "an out-of-the-way place"
licet: impersonal usage.
quoque: adverbial
et te quoque dignum / finge deo: a direct quotation from Vergil's Aeneid VIII. 364-365. Seneca frequently quotes others, especially Vergil. (Summers, li), but his quotations are "sometimes lifted misleadingly out of their contexts to provide support for [his] doctrine." (Coleman, 280)
deo: take with dignum.
illos…fictiles fuisse: indirect statement dependent on cogita. illos = the gods. This calls to mind the "Golden Age", when Prometheus formed man in the likeness of the gods out of clay. To Stoics the gods were nature; since clay is part of the earth, it is also part of nature and subsequently the gods. If a man was to make himself from clay as men from the Golden Age were, he would align himself with nature and thus the gods. (More on philosophy and nature can be found in Seneca's Epistula Moralis XC)
cum propitii essent: temporal cum clause referring to past action.


References

Allen, Joseph Henry. Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2006.

Coleman, Robert. "The Artful Moralist: A Study of Seneca's Epistolary Style." The Classical Quarterly 24.2 (1974): 276-89. JSTOR. Web. 1 Nov. 2009. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/638489>.

Mountford, James, ed. Bradley's Arnold Latin Prose Composition. Mundelein: Bolchazy-Carducci, Inc., 2008.

Summers, Walter C. Select Letters of Seneca. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1962.

Wilson, Marcus. "Rhetoric and the Younger Seneca." A Companion to Roman Rhetoric (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World). By William J. Dominik and Jonathon Hall. Grand Rapids: Blackwell Limited, 2007. 425-38.

Vocabulary
    
ac = atque, and
accedo, accedere, accessi, accessum, come in addition, be added (active in Latin, passive in English)
adeo, adire, adivi (-ii), approach, go to
adiutorium, -i, n., help, assistance
admiror (1), admire
admisceo, admiscere, admixi, admixtum, mix in, add
adprobo (1), approve, favor
aequalitas, -atis, f., uniformity
aer, aeris, m., air
agnosco, recognize, make out, identify
ago, agere, egi, actum, accomplish, do; drive
amantissimus, -a, -um, superlative of amans, amantis, loving, affectionate
ambitio, -onis, f., striving, flattery, suing for office, desire for honor
angulus, -i, m., corner
animus, -i, m., soul
argentum, -i, m., silver
ars, artis, f., art, skill
artifex, -icis, m., artist, professional, master craftsperson
asper, aspera, asperum, harsh, troublesome, cruel
at, but
atque, and
ater, atra, atrum, black
auris, -is, f., ear
aurum, -i, m., gold
autem, but, and, however
beatus, -a, -um, blessed, happy
blandus, -a, -um, flattering, pleasant, agreeable
bonus, -a, -um, good
cado, cadere, cecidi, casum, fall
caelum, -i, n., heaven
calco (1), tread underfoot, trample
calidus, -a, -um, hot
Candavia, a mountainous district of Illyria
causa, -ae, f., cause
cera, -ae, f., wax
cesso (1), stop, cease
Charybdis, a mythical whirlpool near Scylla
circumsono (1), sound, resound
clamo (1), shout
clivus, -i, m., hill
cludo, cludere, clusi, clusum, close, shut
cogito (1), think
congero, congerere, congessi, congestum, bring together, collect
coniungo, coiungere, coniunxi, coniunctum, join, combine
conor, conari, conatus, try
consono (1), agree, be consistent with (+dat.)
contemptio, -onis, f., contempt, scorn
contemptus, -a, -um, despised
contingo, contingere, contigi, contactus, happen to one
corpus, corporis, n., body
culpo (1), blame, find fault with
deprimo, deprimere, depressi, depressum, depreciate, oppress, suppress
desero, deserere, deserui, desertum, leave, give up, abandon
desertus, -a, -um, deserted, desert, waste, lonely
desidero (1), want, desire, miss
dies, diei, f. or m., day
dignus, -a, -um, worthy (+ abl.)
dimitto, dimittere, dimisi, dimissum, disperse, scatter, send out
do, dare, dedi, datus
durus, -a, -um, hard
efficio, efficere, effeci, effectus, bring about, accomplish
eligo, eligere, elegi, electum, choose, elect, select
enim, for (the conjunction)
eques, equitis, m., member of the equestrian order
ergo, therefore, thus
etiamnunc= etiam nunc
evenio, evenire, eveni, eventum, happy, occur
evoco (1), call forth
exhibeo, exhibere, exhibui, exhibitum, reveal, show
existimo (1), form an opinion, believe
expavesco, expavescere, expavi, dread, fear greatly
exprimo, exprimere, expressi, expressus, portray, express
exsupero (1), climb to the top of
exsurgo, exsurgere, exsurrexi, rise up, stand up
fama, -ae, f., reputation
fatigo (1), tire out
felix, -icis, happy
fero, ferre, tuli, latus, carry; report, say
fictilis, -e, made of clay, earthen; fictile, moldable
fido, fidere, fisus sum, trust, rely upon
fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, form, shape, fashion, make
fio, fieri, factus sum, become, come to be
firmamentum, -i, n., foundation
firmus, -a, -um, strong, firm
forma, -ae, f., physical beauty, good looks
frigidus, -a, -um, cold
frivolus, -a, -um, trifling, sorry, worthless
fundamentum, -i, n., foundation
generosus, -a, -um, noble
Graii, the Greek Alps
honestus, -a, -um, honorable, virtuous
hortor (1), urge
hospitor (1), be a guest
huc, to this
humanus, -a, -um, human
humilis, -e, lowly, small
iam, at this point, now, already
ignis, ignis, m., fire
imago, -inis, f., imitation, copy, likeness
impendo, impendere, impensi, impensum, expend, spend
imperitia, -ae, f., ignorance, inexperience
impetus, -us, m., impulse, urge
impune, without being punished, with no consequences
incipio, incipere, incepi, inceptum, begin
incumbo, incumbere, incubui, incubitum, devote oneself to, take pains with, apply oneself to
iniuria, -ae, f., wrong, injustice, harm
inquam (inquis, inquit), say
insidiosus, -a, -um, deceitful, dangerous, treacherous
inspiro (1), breathe in
instruo, instruere, instruxi, set in order, prepare, fit out
intelligo, intelligere, intellexi, intellectum, understand
invictus, -a, -um, indomitable, invincible
ita, thus, so, in this way
itaque, thus
iter, itineris, n., way, path
iucundus, -a, -um, pleasant
labor, -oris, m., work
lectica, -ae, f., litter, palanquin, portable couch
levis, leve, light, easy to bear
libertinus, -a, -um, of a person who has been freed, freedman, freedwoman
licet, licuit, it is possible
locus, -i, m., space, place
lux, lucis, f. light
magis, more
maior, maius, greater
male, wrongly, incorrectly, badly
malitia, -ae, f., vice, badness; malice
materia, -ae, f., matter, material
maximus, -a, -um, greatest
melior, melius, better
minus, less; not
miror (1), wonder
mixtura, -ae, f., mixture
modo ... modo, at one time... at another time
molior, moliri, molitus, undertake, attempt
mons, montis, m., mountain, mount
natus, -a, -um, born
natura, -ae, f., nature
nemo, neminis, no one
neque, nor; and ... not
nihil, nothing; not a bit
nisi, unless, if ... not
nitor, niteri, nisus/nixus, strive, endeavor, labor
nomen, -inis, n., name
nosco, noscere, novi, notum, in pres., imperf., fut., come to know, get to know ; in the perfect, fut. perf. and pluperf. know
notitia, -ae, f., knowledge, familiarity
nudus, -a, -um, nude
numerus, i, m., number; class, category
nutrio, nutrire, nutrivi, nutritum, nourish, foster, support
obdo, obdere, put x (acc.) against y (dat.), shut y (dat.) with x (acc.)
obscurus, -a, -um, dark, obscure
obsto, obstari, obstiti, obstatum, resist, withstand (+ dat.)
occupo (1), take up, occupy
operosos, -a, -um, busy, industrious
opto (1), wish for, desire
optimus, -a, -um, best
opus, operis, n., task, work
opus est + abl., there is need of
oro (1), pray
ostentatio, -onis, f., showiness
par, paris, equal (+dat.)
parens, parentis, parent
pars, partis, f., part, region
parum, too little, not enough
patior, pati, passus sum, endure, suffer
pecunia, -ae, f., money
peior, peius, worse
peregrinus, -a, -um, foreign
perficio, perficere, perfeci, perfectum, complete, perfect
perfero, perferre, pertuli, perlatus, endure
permitto, permittere, permisi, permissum, permit, allow
pervenio, pervenire, perveni, perventum, reach, arrive at
Poeninum (Penninus), part of Alps near St. Bernard
popularis, -e, of the people, common
populus, -i, m., people
porto (1), carry
posco, poscere, poposci, request, ask for
possum, posse, potui, be able
potens, potentis, powerful
praesto, praestare, praestiti, praestatus, + reflexive pronoun, show (oneself), prove (oneself)
praetervehor, praetervectus sum, to drive by, ride by
praetexta (toga), the garb of an adult
precor, precari, precatus sum, pray
pretium, -1, n., price
procuratio, -onis, f., procuratorship
procuratiuncula, -ae, f., little procuratorship
promitto, promittere, promisi, promissum, promise
propitius, -a, -um, favorable, well-disposed
prudens, prudentis, knowing, practiced, versed
publicus, -a, -um, public, open for all
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum, beautiful, fine
quaero, quaerere, quaesivi, quaesitum, seek
quemadmodum, just as
quomodo, how?
quoniam, since
rectus, -a, -um, upright, good, correct
recuso (1), refuse
repello, repellere, reppuli, repulsum, reject, disdain, repulse
rursus, on the other hand
sapiens, sapientis, wise
scientia, -ae, f., knowledge
scopulus, -a, -um, cliff, crag, rock
Scylla, a marine monster opposite Charybdis
sequor, sequi, secutus sum, follow
servus, -i, m., slave
similis, -e, + dat., like, similar
sine +abl, without
societas, -atis, f., association, fellowship, union
socius, -a, - um, allied, ally, associated, associate
spiritus, -us, m., breath
spissamentum, -i, n., plug
splendidus, -a, -um, bright, shiny
strigo (1), give out, lose strength
subsilio, subsilire, subsilui, leap up
sudor, sudoris, m., sweat
summa, -ae, f., sum, height, completion: ad summam, on the whole, in a word
summitto (subm-), sumiittere, summisi, summissum, lower, demean, humble
summus, -a, -um, highest, uppermost
supervacuus, -a, -um, unnecessary, useless, superfluous
supplex, -icis, m., suppliant
surdus, -a, -um, deaf
surgo, surgere, surrexi, surrectus, arise, stand up
suspectus, -a, -um, not trustworthy, suspect
Syrtis, a marine sand bank, especially one near Africa
tam, so much
tam ... quam, as much ... as
tamen, however, nevertheless
tantum, only
tantus, -a, -um, so much, as much
tecum, with you
tempus, temporis, n. time; pro tempore, according to circumstances
tenebrae, tenebrarum, f. pl., darkness
tenor, -oris, m., tenor, career, consistency, steadiness
terra, -ae, f., land, earth (terrae, terrarum, the world)
timeo, timere, timui, fear
tolerantia, -ae, f., enduring
totus, -a, -um, all, whole
tracto (1), grasp, handle, manage
transeo, transire, transivi (-ii), go across, cross
traho, trahere, traxi, tractum, draw, bring along
turba, -ae, f., crowd
turpis, turpe, bad, wrong
tutus, -a, -um, safe
Ulixes, -ei, m., Ulysses
urbanus, -a, -um, urban, of the city
urbs, urbis, f., town, city
utor, usus sum (+abl), use, employ
valeo, valere, valui, be well, be strong
vanus, -a, -um, empty, pointless, fruitless
veho, vehere, vexi, vectum, carry
vel, or; even
veto (1), veto, forbid
vetus, veteris, old
vetustas, -atis, f., age, old age
vincio, vincere, vinxi, vinctus, bind, restrain, tie down
vinco, vincere, vici, victus, overcome, conquer
vires, virium, f. pl., strength
vir, viri, m., man
virtus, virtutis, f., virtue
vis, viris, f., force
vita, -ae, f., life
voco (1), call
voluptas, -atis, f., pleasure
votum, -i, n., vow
vox, vocis, f., voice