Pliny Epistulae VII. xxvii.
Commentary by: Kyle Cornman, revised by Jacques Bailly
Text Taken From: Loeb Classical Library

C. Plinius Surae Suo S.
[1] Et mihi discendi et tibi docendi facultatem otium praebet. Igitur perquam velim scire, esse phantasmata et habere propriam figuram numenque aliquod putes an inania et vana ex metu nostro imaginem accipere. [2] Ego ut esse credam in primis eo ducor, quod audio accidisse Curtio Rufo. Tenuis adhuc et obscurus, obtinenti Africam comes haeserat. Inclinato die spatiabatur in porticu; offertur ei mulieris figura humana grandior pulchriorque. Perterrito Africam se futurorum praenuntiam dixit: iturum enim Romam honoresque gesturum, atque etiam cum summo imperio in eandem provinciam reversurum, ibique moriturum. [3] Facta sunt omnia. Praeterea accedenti Carthaginem egredientique nave eadem figura in litore occurrisse narratur. Ipse certe im­plicitus morbo futura praeteritis, adversa secundis auguratus, spem salutis nullo suorum desperante proiecit. [4] Iam illud nonne et magis terribile et non minus mirum est quod exponam ut accepi? [5] Erat Athenis spatiosa et capax domus sed infamis et pestilens. Per silentium noctis sonus ferri, et si attenderes acrius, strepitus vinculorum longius primo, deinde e proximo reddebatur: mox adparebat idolon, senex macie et squalore confectus, promissa barba horrenti capillo; cruribus compedes, manibus catenas gerebat quatiebatque. [6] Inde inhabitantibus tristes diraeque noctes per metum vigilabantur; vigiliam morbus et crescente formidine mors sequebatur. Nam interdiu quoque, quamquam abscesserat imago, memoria imaginis oculis inerrabat, longiorque causis timoris timor erat. Deserta inde et damnata solitudine domus totaque illi monstro relicta; proscribebatur tamen, seu quis emere seu quis conducere ignarus tanti mali vellet. [7] Venit Athenas philosophus Athenodorus, legit titulum auditoque pretio, quia suspecta vilitas, percunctatus omnia docetur ac nihilo minus, immo tanto magis conducit. Ubi coepit advesperascere, iubet sterni sibi in prima domus parte, poscit pugillares stilum lumen, suos omnes in interiora dimittit; ipse ad scribendum animum oculos manum intendit, ne vacua mens audita simulacra et inanes sibi metus fingeret. [8] Initio, quale ubique, silentium noctis; dein concuti ferrum, vincula moveri. Ille non tollere oculos, non remittere stilum, sed offirmare animum auribusque praetendere. Tum crebrescere fragor, adventare et iam ut in limine, iam ut intra limen audiri. Respicit, videt agnoscitque narratam sibi effigiem. [9] Stabat innuebatque digito similis vocanti. Hic contra ut paulum exspectaret manu significat rursusque ceris et stilo incumbit. Illa scribentis capiti catenis insonabat. Respicit rursus idem quod prius innuentem, nec moratus tollit lumen et sequitur. [10] Ibat illa lento gradu quasi gravis vinculis. Postquam deflexit in aream domus, repente dilapsa deserit comitem. Desertus herbas et folia concerpta signum loco ponit. [11] Postero die adit magistratus, monet ut illum locum effodi iubeant. Inveniuntur ossa inserta catenis et implicita, quae corpus aevo terraque putrefactum nuda et exesa reliquerat vinculis; collecta publice sepeliuntur. Domus postea rite conditis manibus caruit. [12] Et haec quidem adfirmantibus credo; illud adfirmare aliis possum. Est libertus mihi non inlittera­tus. Cum hoc minor frater eodem lecto quiescebat. Is visus est sibi cernere quendam in toro residentem, admoventemque capiti suo cultros, atque etiam ex ipso vertice amputantem capillos. Ubi inluxit, ipse circa verticem tonsus, capilli iacentes reperiuntur. [13] Exiguum temporis medium, et rursus simile aliud priori fidem fecit. Puer in paedagogio mixtus pluribus dormiebat. Venerunt per fenestras (ita narrat) in tunicis albis duo cubantemque detonderunt et qua venerant recesserunt. Hunc quoque tonsum sparsosque circa capillos dies ostendit. [14] Nihil notabile secutum, nisi forte quod non fui reus, futurus, si Domitianus sub quo haec acciderunt diutius vixisset. Nam in scrinio eius datus a Caro de me libellus inventus est; ex quo coniectari potest, quia reis moris est summittere capillum, recisos meorum capillos depulsi quod imminebat periculi signum fuisse. [15] Proinde rogo, eruditionem tuam intendas. Digna res est quam diu multumque consideres; ne ego quidem indignus, cui copiam scientiae tuae facias. [16] Licet etiam utramque in partem (ut soles) disputes, ex altera tamen fortius, ne me suspensum incertumque dimittas, cum mihi consulendi causa fuerit, ut dubitare desinerem. Vale.

Summary
Pliny asks Lucius Lucilius Sura, a prominent Roman official and close friend to Emperor Trajan, to tell him whether he believes in ghosts, and relates three ghost stories that Pliny himself finds credible. The first concerns a magistrate, one Curtius Rufus, who is perhaps the historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, probably 1st c. CE, or his father. Roughly the same story is told by Tacitus at Annals XI.21. Rufus encounters a larger-than-life woman who says she is 'Africa' come to foretell Rufus' ascent to office and demise. The second concerns an Athenian haunted mansion. Clattering chains kept occupants from sleeping, until the philosopher Athenodorus solves the problem. The third involves Pliny himself: many of his slaves woke to find their heads shaved. They saw the culprits, men in white tunics, appear and escape out the window in their dreams. This, Pliny claims, was an auspicious sign that he had miraculously escaped being brought up on charges around that same time.

Commentary:

[1] Pliny offers only two alternatives: phantasmata exist and have their own shape and some divinity of their own or they are empty and get their appearance from our fear.
 It is not clear what each option really means, how they differ, or why they are the only options. The word numen, translated above as "divinity," can also mean "power," "will," or "authority." The word phantasmata is a Greek plural and means "appearances" "manifestations," "apparitions," or "visions."

[1] Et mihi discendi et tibi docendi facultatem otium praebet. Igitur perquam velim scire, esse phantasmata et habere propriam figuram numenque aliquod putes an inania et vana ex metu nostro imaginem accipere.

discendi... docendi facultatem: gerunds and objective genitives dependent on facultatem "an opportunity for learning... an opportunity for teaching..." velim: potential subjunctive "I would like." velim scire... putes: velim scire introduces indirect question (hence subjunctive putes). Omission of an interrogative question word (utrum 'whether') is normal when there is an alternative question later (here introduced by an). esse phantasmata [...] accipere: indirect speech, governed by putes. an: the "or" of indirect question: putes carries over from the previous indirect question.

[2] Pliny cites as evidence for his belief that phantasmata exist what happened to Curtius Rufus (whose identity is uncertain). A figure of Africa appeared to him and made predictions about him.

[2] Ego ut esse credam in primis eo ducor, quod audio accidisse Curtio Rufo. Tenuis adhuc et obscurus, obtinenti Africam comes haeserat. Inclinato die spatiabatur in porticu; offertur ei mulieris figura humana grandior pulchriorque. Perterrito Africam se futurorum praenuntiam dixit: iturum enim Romam honoresque gesturum, atque etiam cum summo imperio in eandem provinciam reversurum, ibique moriturum.

esse: must mean "exist" here, dependent on credam. ducor: "I am lead" ut... credam: result clause "to believe." in primis: "especially," "first and foremost, primarily." eo... quod...: "by that, which... ." quod ... accidisse: indirect speech introduced by audio. Tenuis adhuc et obscurus: i.e. when he was still young and unknown: modifies an understood Rufus. comes: in apposition to Curtius Rufus: it is often easiest to translate such appositives preceeded by "as," for which there need be no separate Latin word. obtinenti: dative object of haeserat: this dative modifies the governor whose staff Rufus was on (governors "obtained" obtinenti their province): translate as "the one obtaining." Inclinato die: ablative of time when. offertur ei:  compount verbs often take dative, as here. humana: ablative of comparison, with grandior and pulchrior. Perterrito: indirect object, referring to Rufus. Africam se futurorum praenuntiam dixit: Africam and praenuntiam are in apposition to reflexive se, the subject of the indirect speech; in English we might say "she said she was Africa, a foreteller of ...." iturum... gesturum... reversurum... moriturum: future infinitives of continued indirect speech (assume esse with each). Romam: accusative of place whither, needing no preposition. honoresque gesturum: honorem gerere = "hold office." cum summo imperio: "with highest authority," i.e. as governor.

[3] All the predictions came true. The same figure appeared again.

[3] Facta sunt omnia. Praeterea accedenti Carthaginem egredientique nave eadem figura in litore occurrisse narratur. Ipse certe im­plicitus morbo futura praeteritis, adversa secundis auguratus, spem salutis nullo suorum desperante proiecit.

omnia: refers to all the prediction in §3. accedenti... egredientique...: dative objects of occurrisse, both referring to Rufus. Carthaginem: accusative of place to which, governed by accedenti. nave: ablative of separation. eadem figura... occurrisse narratur: eadem figura is the subject: we might expect an impersonal "it is narrated that a figure..," but we have the 'personal' construction "the same figure is said to ... ." ipse: Rufus. im­plicitus morbo: literally "entangled with disease," meaning "having fallen ill." futura... adversa...: accusative objects of auguratus. praeteritis... secundis...: ablatives of means. nullo... desperante: ablative absolute. suorum: Rufus' family or retinue.

[4] Pliny introduces a yet more horrifying vision.
[4] Iam illud nonne et magis terribile et non minus mirum est quod exponam ut accepi?
nonne... est: direct question expecting an affirmative "is it not...?" magis terribile: note that Latin can use magis to create comparatives, here to contrast with minus mirum. quod exponam: agrees with illud, mirum and terribile, referring to the story to come in §5-11. ut: ut + indicative is sometimes simply "as."

[5] In an Athenian house, the ghost of an old and horrifying man kept appearing.
[5] Erat Athenis spatiosa et capax domus sed infamis et pestilens. Per silentium noctis sonus ferri, et si attenderes acrius, strepitus vinculorum longius primo, deinde e proximo reddebatur: mox adparebat idolon, senex macie et squalore confectus, promissa barba horrenti capillo; cruribus compedes, manibus catenas gerebat quatiebatque.
Athenis: ablative of place where. Athenae is a plural place name. pestilens: the house is destructive for inhabitants. ferri: genitive. si attenderes... reddebatur: past general condition (used of repeated actions in the past: A&G §514D2b, with imperfect subjunctive in the protasis and imperfective indicative in the apodosis. strepitus: nominative. longius primo, deinde e proximo: chiasmus (an a-b-b-a pattern) of time and space phrases "far off at first, then from close by." adparebat... gerebat quatiebatque: the start of a long chain of imperfective indicatives, continuing from the above conditional, marking habitual occurrence. macie et squalore: ablatives of means. promissa barba horrenti capillo: abl. abs. cruribus... manibus: ablatives of place where.

[6] Those living there suffered fearful sleeplessness so bad that disease and death resulted, and so the house was abandoned and put up for sale.
[6] Inde inhabitantibus tristes diraeque noctes per metum vigilabantur; vigiliam morbus et crescente formidine mors sequebatur. Nam interdiu quoque, quamquam abscesserat imago, memoria imaginis oculis inerrabat, longiorque causis timoris timor erat. Deserta inde et damnata solitudine domus totaque illi monstro relicta; proscribebatur tamen, seu quis emere seu quis conducere ignarus tanti mali vellet.
Inde: zooms out from the the apparition to its effects on the lives of the tenants, "from that point, from then on... ." inhabitantibus: dative of agent: A&G 375a says it is common with any passive in later authors. noctes per metum vigilabantur: where this Latin, taken literally, says the nights 'were watched/were stayed awake,' good English says that people 'stayed awake all night.' per metum  is causal per "out of fear" rather than simply "in fear": prepositions are often idiomatic. crescente formidine: ablative absolute. causis: ablative of comparison, governed by comparative longior. longior... erat: 'be longer' = 'last longer.' Deserta... damnata... totaque... relicta: all in agreement with domus; supply est with each. solitudine: ablative of means, with damnata.proscribebatur... seu... seu...: indirect question "if ... or ..." or "in case... or... ." The subject of proscribebatur is "it," namely emere and conducere. Hence imperfect subjunctive vellet. quis: following seu, take as aliquis.

[7] A philosopher named Athenodorus came and rented the house and spent a night. This probably refers to one of at least 2 philosophers named Athenodorus, both Stoics, both from the 1st c. BCE: Athenodorus Cananites and Athenodorus Cordylion.
[7] Venit Athenas philosophus Athenodorus, legit titulum auditoque pretio, quia suspecta vilitas, percunctatus omnia docetur ac nihilo minus, immo tanto magis conducit. Ubi coepit advesperascere, iubet sterni sibi in prima domus parte, poscit pugillares stilum lumen, suos omnes in interiora dimittit; ipse ad scribendum animum oculos manum intendit, ne vacua mens audita simulacra et inanes sibi metus fingeret.
Athenas: accusative of place to which. auditoque pretio: ablative absolute. quia suspecta vilitas: supply est. percunctatus omnia docetur: doceo takes acc. of the person taught and acc. of the thing taught. In the passive, one acc. remains acc., here omnia. nihilo minus... tanto...: nihilo minus means "nevertheless," with nihilo being an ablative of degree of difference, as is tanto: here the author makes a clever play between "nevertheless" and "all the more" (tanto magis, which is literally "so much more"). immo: 'nay': frequently used to correct something just said. coepit advesperascere: "begin to become evening" is a bit redundant. iubet... poscit... dimittit: subject is Athenodorus. The verbs are in asyndeton (i.e. without connecting et, -que, etc.), which is good standard prose in Latin, rare in English. iubet sterni: iubet introducing indirect speech with infinitive verb. sterni: literally "that there be laid" (sc. a bed). pugillares stilum lumen: more asyndeton: good Latin style. suos: referring to Apollodorus' retinue or servants. animum oculos manum: more asyndeton, all objects of intendo. ad scribendum: accusative gerund "(he attends (intendit)) to writing." ne... fingeret: negative purpose clause with imperfect subjunctive fingeret. audita: literally "things heard," parallel to simulacra et inanes metus, all objects of fingeret. sibi: dative of disadvantage.

[8] The ghost appears to Athenodorus.
[8] Initio, quale ubique, silentium noctis; dein concuti ferrum, vincula moveri. Ille non tollere oculos, non remittere stilum, sed offirmare animum auribusque praetendere. Tum crebrescere fragor, adventare et iam ut in limine, iam ut intra limen audiri. Respicit, videt agnoscitque narratam sibi effigiem.
quale ubique: Bailey suggests "just like anywhere else." silentium noctis: supply erat. concuti... moveri... tollere... remittere... offirmare... praetendere... crebrescere... adventare... audiri: all historical infinitives, short staccato phrasing to build suspense leading up to the appearance of the spirit. Ille: Apollodorus. fragor: subject of historical infinitive crebescere. iam ... iam ...: "now ... now ... ." ut... ut... : "as (if)." Respicit, videt agnoscitque: at the height of the suspense, three verbs introduce the appearance of the spectre, all at the beginning of the sentence in the historical present. narratam: modifying effigiem, literally "told" but in better English "described (to him)."

[9] The specter beckons, Athenodorus tells her to wait, the specter rattles her chains, so Athenodorus follows it.
[9] Stabat innuebatque digito similis vocanti. Hic contra ut paulum exspectaret manu significat rursusque ceris et stilo incumbit. Illa scribentis capiti catenis insonabat. Respicit rursus idem quod prius innuentem, nec moratus tollit lumen et sequitur.
Stabat innuebatque: verbs again in emphatic initial position: subject is the apparition. digito: ablative of instrument. similis vocanti: nominative similis with dative participle vocanti. Hand gestures differ from culture to culture, but often function similarly (here for summoning). Hic: subject switches to Athenodorus: hic is like Grk. ὁ δέ. ut... exspectaret: indirect command governed by significat. ceris et stilo: dative objects of incumbit; wax-coated tablets and a stylus were common writing tools. Illa: subject switches to the specter. capiti: insonabat takes the dative capiti, the head of gen. scribentis (Athenodorus). catenis: ablative of instrument. Respicit... tollit... sequitur: resumed historical presents: subject is Athenodorus. idem quod prius innuentem: the specter (innuentem) is the object of respicit, and the relative quod has no verb (supply innuebat or the like). nec: nec modifies moratus "delaying" and means "and not" rather than "nor" or "neither."

[10] The specter leads Athenodorus to a certain place and disappears. Athenodorus marks the spot.
[10) Ibat illa lento gradu quasi gravis vinculis. Postquam deflexit in aream domus, repente dilapsa deserit comitem. Desertus herbas et folia concerpta signum loco ponit.
illa: once again effigies, fem., even though the specter was identified in §5 as a senex confectus). lento gradu: ablative of manner. vinculis: ablative of means. deflexit: after several historical infinitives, historical presents, and imperfect verbs, we get an perfect tense and then a historic present deserit. comitem: refers to Athenodorus. Desertus: Athenodorus is subject again. signum: in apposition to herbas et folia concerpta. Although it is good English to say "He put x there, a sign," it is much more common to say "He put x there as a sign." Both would be fine ways to translate here: Latin usually has no word for 'as' in this situation. loco: ablative of place where.

[11] Magistrates are called and they dig up bones there, which they bury properly. Thus the house is rid of the specter.
[11] Postero die adit magistratus, monet ut illum locum effodi iubeant. Inveniuntur ossa inserta catenis et implicita, quae corpus aevo terraque putrefactum nuda et exesa reliquerat vinculis; collecta publice sepeliuntur. Domus postea rite conditis manibus caruit.
Postero die: ablative of time when. adit ... monet: Athenodorus is subject. magistratus: accusative plural, 4th declension, object of adit. monet ut illum locum effodi iubeant: monet “advise” introduces an indirect command with an ut and subjunctive iubeant, which in turn takes an accusative + infinitive indirect command, locum effodi. quae ... nuda et exesa: accusative relative, direct object of corpus ... putrefactum reliquerat: antecedent is ossa. aevo terraque: ablatives of means, with putrefactum. vinculis: ablative of instrument, dependent on exesa or perhaps implicita. collecta: sc. ossa. rite conditis manibus: careo takes ablative manibus, which are modified by the causal circumstantial participle phrase rite conditis.

[12] Another story: one of Pliny's freedmen, sleeping with his younger brother, thinks he sees someone come and cut his hair and, sure enough, the next morning he finds his hair cut and hair on the floor.
[12] Et haec quidem adfirmantibus credo; illud adfirmare aliis possum. Est libertus mihi non inlittera­tus. Cum hoc minor frater eodem lecto quiescebat. Is visus est sibi cernere quendam in toro residentem, admoventemque capiti suo cultros, atque etiam ex ipso vertice amputantem capillos. Ubi inluxit, ipse circa verticem tonsus, capilli iacentes reperiuntur.
haec: object of adfirmantibus. adfirmantibus: credo takes a dative object of person trusted. illud: contrasting with haec, illud “the following” refers to the final story to come. Est libertus mihi: mihi amicus est = “I have a friend.”  hoc: abl. object of cum, refers to the libertus. eodem lecto: ablative of place where. Is visus est sibi: Latin prefers to say "he seemed to himself," where English prefers "it seemed to him that he... ." residentem, admoventemque... amputantem: all modify quendam "someone."  Ubi inluxit: literally "when it dawned," i.e. when morning came.

[13] A little while later the same thing occurred in a dormitory, but there were two hair-cutters this time.
[13] Exiguum temporis medium, et rursus simile aliud priori fidem fecit. Puer in paedagogio mixtus pluribus dormiebat. Venerunt per fenestras (ita narrat) in tunicis albis duo cubantemque detonderunt et qua venerant recesserunt. Hunc quoque tonsum sparsosque circa capillos dies ostendit.
Exiguum temporis medium: = "a little of time between": perhaps erat/fui should be understood here. Cf. Virgil Aeneid 9.395 nec longum in medio tempus. fidem fecit: "leant credence” “reinforced belief in." priori: priori refers to the occurrence in §12 and is the dative object of fidem fecit.  puer ... mixtus pluribus: an otherwise unidentified boy among many (boys). duo: subject of duo and modified by in tunicis albis. cubantem: referring to the puer. qua: "the means by which" namely the 2 fenestrae through which the 2 people came: singular feminines of means such as this one are said to have an understood via. circa: adverbial rather than prepositional. dies ostendit: personification of dies. Note that ostendit takes two pairs of double accusatives, hunc tonsum and capillos sparsos.

[14] Pliny jokes that the only upshot of these incidents was that he was not brought to trial under Domitian: papers accusing Pliny were among Domitian's papers when he died. Letting one's hair grow long was a sign of being an accused person. So Pliny's joke is that somehow his slaves' mysterious haircuts indicated that Pliny was out of danger.
[14] Nihil notabile secutum, nisi forte quod non fui reus, futurus, si Domitianus sub quo haec acciderunt diutius vixisset. Nam in scrinio eius datus a Caro de me libellus inventus est; ex quo coniectari potest, quia reis moris est summittere capillum, recisos meorum capillos depulsi quod imminebat periculi signum fuisse.
secutum: supply est. quod non fui: quod + indicative = "(the fact) that." futurus: a circumstantial participle modifying the unexpressed subject of fui, literally "(although) about to be" ("although" because circumstantial participles can be concessive and that makes best sense here). futurus is also  the equivalent of a contrafactual apodosis to the following protasis si Domitianus … vixisset. sub quo: like English "under," sub is used to denote the time of someone's power. si [...] vixisset: past contrafactual protasis. ex quo: literally "from which": the antecedent of quo is the whole content of the preceding clause, namely that the booklet was found.
reis moris: moris is a genitive of characteristic indicating that summittere capillum is "of the character" to reis, which is a dative of reference indicating that the moris belongs to reis: the dative of reference is similar to a genitive of possession but one might not want two genitives in a row. Cf., however, Cicero's moris esse Graecorum ... (against Verres 2.1.66.11) 'that it is characteristic of Greeks... ." summittere capillum: "to let one's hair grow long," an infinitive subject of est. recisos... capillos... signum fuisse: acc. recisos capillos + inf. fuisse + predicate accusative signum, indirect speech introduced by coniectari. depulsi... periculi: objective genitive with signum "sign of danger having been staved off." quod: antecedent is periculum.

[15] Pliny asks Sura to carefully look into the questions raised in this letter.
[15] Proinde rogo, eruditionem tuam intendas. Digna res est quam diu multumque consideres; ne ego quidem indignus, cui copiam scientiae tuae facias.
rogo... intendas: intendas is an indirect command with no subordinating ut/ne and hence called a 'semi-indepedent' subjunctive. Digna... quam: relative clause of result; the antecedent is res. ne ego quidem indignus: supply sum. cui... facias: another relative clause of result with subjunctive verb.

[16] Pliny tells Sura to look at the matter from both sides, but to make his opinion clear.
[16] Licet etiam utramque in partem (ut soles) disputes, ex altera tamen fortius, ne me suspensum incertumque dimittas, cum mihi consulendi causa fuerit, ut dubitare desinerem. Vale.
Licet... disputes: concessive licet “although, even if” + pres./pf. subjunctive. utramque in partem: refers to each (uterque) side (pars) of an argument. ut: with indicative = "as." ex altera tamen fortius: sc. disputeas: Pliny implores Sura to come down on one side. ne... dimittas: negative purpose clause mihi: dative of possession with causa consulendi: objective genitive with causa, which is the subject of fuerit, and the predicate of fuerit is the cause ut dubitare desinerem, although it is possible that causa is the predicate and the ut clause is the subject: it makes little difference as to meaning.

Bibliography:
Shackleton Bailey, D. R. Propertiana. Cambridge, England, 1956.

Vocabulary:
abscedo, abscedere, abscessi, abscessus, depart, go off
ac = atque
accedo, accedere, accessi, accessus, approach, reach
accido, accidere, accidi, occur, happen
accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptus, hear, learn of
acrius comp. adv., (rather) sharply/closely
ad + acc., to, towards
adeo, adire, adivi, aditus, approach, go to
adfirmo (1), assert, maintain
adhuc, still, up to that point
admoveo, admovere, admovi, admotus, approach; bring one thing to another
adpareo, aparere, apparui, apparitus, appear
advento (1), approach
adversus, -a, -um, adverse, hostile, set opposite
advesperascit, advesperascere, advesperavit, impersonal evening approaches
aevus, aevi m., time
agnosco, agnoscere, agnovi, agnitus, recognize
albus, -a, -um, white
aliquis, aliquae, aliquid, someone, something
alter, -a, -um, one, the other
amputo (1), prune, cut off
animus, animi m., spirit, mind
area, areae f., vacant place, h. courtyard
attendo, attendere, attendi, attentus, pay attention
audio, audire, audivi, auditus, hear
auguro (1), predict, foretell
auris, auris f., ear
barba, barbae f., beard
capax, large, roomy
capillus, capilli m., hair
caput, capitis n., head
careo, carere, carui, caritus, be without, be free of
catena, catenae f., chain
causa, causae f., cause, reason
cera, cerae f., wax
cerno, cernere, crevi, cretus, discern, perceive
certe, adv. surely, certainly
circa + acc., around
coepio, coepere, coepi, coeptus, begin
colligo, colligere, collegi, collectus, gather, collect
comes, comitis m., companion
compes, compedis f. fetters (for feet)
concerpo, concerpere, concerpsi, concerptus, pluck off
concutio, concutere, concussi, concussum, shake violently
condo, condere, condidi, conditum, h. bury
conduco, conducere, conduxi, conductus, h. rent
conficio, conficere, confeci, confectus, diminish
coniecto (1), conjecture, infer, conclude
considero (1), consider, examine, investigate
consulo, consulere, consului, consultus, take counsel from, seek advice of
contra adv., in turn
copia, copiae f., h. opportunity; + dat. access to
corpus, corperis n., body
crebesco, crebescere, crebui, creber frequent + -esco causative infix, become (more) frequent
credo, credere, credidi, creditus
cresco, crescere, crevi, cretum, grow, augment
crus, cruris n., leg
cubo (1), sleep
culter, cultri m., knife, razor
damno (1), damn, doom
de + abl., h. concerning
deflecto, deflectere, deflexi, deflexus, bend/turn away
dein = deinde
deinde, then, from there, thereafter
demitto, demittere, demisi, demissus, cast down; meddle with
depello, depellere, depuli, depulsus, drive away, divert
desero, deserere, deserui, desertus, leave, abandon
desino, desinere, desii, desitus, desist, leave off, cease
despero (1), dispair of, have no hope of
detondeo, detondere, detondi, detonsus, shave, cut off
dies, diei m., day
digitus, digiti m., finger
dignus, -a, -um, deserving
dilabor, dilabi, dilapsus sum, dissolve, scatter, disapear
dimitto, dimittere, dimis, dimissus, send away, dismiss
dirus, -a, -um, fearful
disco, discere, didici, discitus, learn
disputo (1), argue, debate
diu, adv. (for a) long (time)
diutius, comp. (for a) longer (time)
doceo, docere, docui, doctus, teach, inform
domus, domus f., house
dormio, dormire, dormivi, dormitus, sleep
dubito (1), doubt
duco, ducere, duxi, ductus, lead, guide
duo, duae, duo, two
effigies, effigiei f., likeness, image, effigy
effodio, effodere, effodi, effossus, dig out
egredior, egredi, egressus, leave, go out of
emo, emere, emi, emptus, buy
enim, for, since
eruditio, eruditionis f., education, erudition
etiam, even, also
exedo, exedere, exedi, exesus, eat up, devour, consume
exiguus, -a, -um, paltry, small
expono, exponere, exposui, expositus, set forth, h. tell
exspecto (1), wait
facultas, facultatis f., opportunity; ability
fenestra, fenestrae f., window
ferrum, ferri n., iron
fides, fidei f., faith, trust
figura, figurae f., shape, form, figure
fingo, fingere, finxi, fictus, make (up)
folium, foliae n. leaf
formido, formidinis f., dread, fear
forte, adv. perhaps
fortius, adv. h. more forcefully
fragor, fragoris m., crash, uproar
frater, fratris m., brother
gero, gerere, gessi, gestus, (of clothes) wear; (of office) to hold/carry out
gradus, gradus m. step
grandis, grande, large
gravis, grave, heavy
habeo, habere, habui, habitus, have
haereo, haerere, haesi, haesus, keep close to, cling to, follow
herba, herbae f., grass
hic, haec, hoc, this
honor, honoris m., office; esteem, reputation
horreo, horrere, horrui, horrentus, stand on end
humanus, -a, -um, (of a) human
iaceo, iacere, iacui, iacitus, lie
iam, adv., at this point (in time), now
ibi, there
idem, eadem, idem, same
idolon n., From Grk. εἴδολον ghost, phantom
igitur, therefore
ignarus, -a, -um, unknowing, ignorant
imago, imaginis f., ghost, apparition
immineo, imminere, impend, be imminent
immo, no indeed, nay
imperium, imperii n., command, empire
implico (1), enfold, entangle, envelope, grasp
in + abl. in
inanis, inane, hollow, empty; inane, foolish
incertus, -a, -um, uncertain
inclino (1), turn; (of the sun) to set
incumbo, incumbere, incumbui, lean into; bend forward
inde, thence, thenceforth
indignus, -a, -um, unworthy, undeserving
inerro (1), wander in
infamis, infame, disreputable, infamous
inhabito (1), inhabit, occupy, dwell in
initio adv., at first
inliteratus, -a, -um, unlearned, uneducated
inluceo, inlucere, light up; (of a day) to break
innuo, innuere, innui, innutus, make a gesture/sign
insero, inserere, insevi, insitus, put in
insono (1), sound on; resound
intendo, intendere, intendi, intentus, stretch out; direct attention towards
interdiu adv., during the day
interior, interius, inner
intra + abl., within, inside
invenio, invenire, inveni, inventus, discover
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, he/she/it him/her/it-self
iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussus, bid, order
lectus, lecti m., bed
lego, legere, legi, lectus- read
lentus, -a, -um, slow
libellus, libelli m., booklet, pamphlet, petition
libertus, liberti m., freedman
licet, impersonal it is allowed/permitted
limen, liminis n., threshold
litus, litoris n., beach
locum, loci n., place
longior comp., longer
longius comp. adv., h. further off
lumen, luminis n. light
macies, maciei f. leanness; poverty
magis adv., more
magistratus, magistratus m. magistrate, public official
malus, -a, -um, bad, evil
manes, manium m. pl., shades, spirits
manus, manus f., hand
medium, medii n., center; interval
memoria, memoriae f., memory
mens, mentis f., mind
metus, meti m., fear, dread
minor, minus, comp. less
misceo, miscere, miscui, mixtus, mix, (inter)mingle
moneo, monere, monui, monitus, h. advise
monstrum, monstri n. monster; evil omen
morbus, morbi, m., disease
morior, moriri, mortuus (moriturus, fut. ptcpl.), die
moror, morari, moratus sum, delay, linger
mors, mortis f., death
mos, moris m., custom
moveo, movere, movi, motus, move
mox adv., soon
mulier, mulieris f. woman
multus, -a, -um, much, a lot
narro (1), tell
navis, navis f., ship
nonne, whether (not) exspects affirmative answer
notabilis, notabile, notable, remarkable
nox, noctis f., night
nudus, -a, -um, bare
numen, numinis n., divine power
obscurus, -a, -um, unknown, obscure
obtineo, obtinere, obtinui, obtentus, possess, hold; acquire
occurro, occurrere, occurri, occursum, fall in, meet
oculus, oculi m., eye
offero, offerre, obtuli, oblatus, offer, present; h. appear
offirmo (1), make firm, steel
omnis, omne, all
ossum, ossi n., bone
ostendo, ostendere, ostendi, ostentus, show, expose
otium, otii n., free time, leisure
paedagogium, paedagogii n., from Grk. παιδαγωγεῖον training school for young servants/slaves
pars, partis f., part; side of an argument
paulum adv., a little (while)
per + acc., through
percunctor, percunctari, percunctatus, learn by inquiry, make inquiry about
periculum, periculi n., danger
perquam, adv. exceedingly, extremely
perterreo, perterrere, perterrui, perterritus, frighten, terrify
pestilens, destructive, unhealthy
phantasma, phantasmatis n., from Gr. φάντασμα apparition, phantom
philosophus, philosophi m., philosopher
pono, ponere, posui, positus, place, set
porticus, porticus f. colonnade, portico
posco, poscere, poposci, demand, request
postea adv., afterwards
posterus, -a, -um, next
praebeo, praebere, praebui, praebitus, offer, proffer
praenuntio (1), foretell, predict
praetendo, praetendere, praetendi, praetentus, stretch forth; probably h. a sense of obstruction
praeterea, adv. additionally, moreover
praeteritum, praeteriti n., the past, what came before
pretium, pretii n., price
primo adv., at first
primus, -a, -um, first, front
prior, prius, earlier, before
proicio, proicere, proieci, proiectus, throw away, give up
proinde, therefore
promitto, promittere, promisi, promissus, send forth
proprius, -a, -um, one's own
proscribo, proscribere, proscripsi, proscriptus, advertise
provincia, provinciae f., province
proximus, -a, -um, nearby; next (to)
publice adv., publically
puer, pueri m., boy; slave
pugillares, pugillarium m. pl., notebook, writing-tablet
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum, beautiful
puto (1), think
putrefacio, putrefacere, putrefeci, putrefactum, rot, putrefy
qualis, quale, such (as)
quamquam, even though
quasi, as if
quatio, quatere, quassus, shake
quia, because, since
quidam, quaedam, quiddam, a certain someone/something
quidem, adv. indeed, in fact
quiesco, quiescere, quievi, quietus, rest, sleep
quoque adv., h. even
recedo, recedere, recessi, recessus, retreat, withdraw
recido, recidere, recidi, recisus, cut back
redeo, redire, redivi, reditus, return, come back
relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictus, leave
remitto, remittere, remisi, remissus, relax, forgo
repente adv., suddenly
reperio, reperire, repperi, reprtus, discover, find
resideo, residere, resedi, resessus, sit, reside
respicio, respicere, respexi, respectus, look around/back
reus, -a, -um, guilty, charged: defendant, accused
revertor, reverti, reversus sum, return
rite adv., with due observances
rogo (1), ask
rursus adv., back; again
salus, salutis f., safety, health
scientia, scientiae f., knowledge
scio, scire, scivi, scitus, know
scribi, scribere, sripsi, scripsus, write
scrinium, scrinii n., briefcase, paper chest
senex, senis m. old (man)
sepelio, sepelire, sepelivi, sepultus, bury, inter
sequor, sequi, secutus sum, follow
significo (1), signify, point out
signum, signi n., sign, marker
silentium n., silence
similis, simile, similar, h. ~ as if
simulacrum, simulacri n., image, spectre
soleo, solere, solui/solitus sum, solitus, be accustomed to, tend to
soles)
solitudo, solitudinis f., solitude, state of being alone/empty
sonus, soni m., sound
spargo, spargere, sparsi, sparsus, scatter, strew
spatior, spatiari, spatiatus sum, go for a walk, stroll about
spatiosus, -a, -um, spacious
spes, spei f., hope
squalor, squaloris m. dirtiness, squalor
sterno, sternere, stravi, stratus, stretch out
stilus, stili m., stylus, pencil (for wax tablets)
sto (1), stand
strepitus, strepitus m., din, noise, racket
sub + abl., lit. below, h. during his term
summitto, summittere, summisi, summissus, (of hair) to allow to grow long
suspectus, -a, -um, suspect, suspicious
suspensus, -a, -um, in suspense
tamen, nevertheless
tempus, temporis n., time
tenuis, tenue, lit. slight, trifling, h. of low rank/profile
terra, terrae f., ground, dirt, soil
terribilis, terribile, horrible, terrible
timor, timoris m., fear
titulus, tituli m., placard, tablet; for-sale-sign
tollo, tollere, sustuli, sublatus, raise, lift up
tondeo, tondere, totondi, tonsus, shave, shear
torus, tori m., h. bed
tristis, triste, sad, unhappy
tum adv., then
tunica, tunicae f., tunic
ubique, anywhere, everywhere
uterque, utraque, utrumque, each of two
vacuus, -a, -um, empty
vale, goodbye
vanus, -a, -um, empty
venio, venire, veni, ventus, come
vertex, verticis m., top
video, videre, vidi, visus, see; in the passive, seem
vigilia, vigiliae f., wakefulness
vigilo (1), stay awake (at night)
vilitas, vilitatis f., cheapness
vinculum, vinculi, n., fetter, chain
vivo, vivere, vixi, victus, live
voco (1), call, harken
volo, velle, volui, wish, want