Latin Poetry Podcast

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Laberius

Some fragments of the mime writer Laberius,  from O. Ribbeck, Scaenicae Romanorum Poesis Fragmenta, vol. 2 Comicorum Romanorum Fragmenta, 3rd ed. Leipzig: Teubner, 1897:

Amore cecidi tamquam blatta in peluim (Virgo, p. 358)

Vix sustineo lassas clunes (Aries, p. 340)

Sequere <me> in latrinum, ut aliquid gustes ex Cynica haeresi (Compitalia, p. 345)

Necesse est multos timeat quem multi timent. (ex incertis fabulis, p. 361)

Uxorem tuam / et meam novercam consectari lapidibus / a populo video (ex incertis fabulis p. 363)

There is a tad more information about Laberius on Wikipedia here, but somebody, preferably Costas Panayotakis, who has written a new edition and commentary on Laberius’s fragments, needs to revise and expand it.

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Quintilian on pausing

Pacing: Quintilian on pauses in Aeneid 1.1–8 (Inst. 11.3.33–38, trans. Russell)

Arma virumque cano,/ Troiae qui primus ab oris/
Italiam/ fato profugus/ Lavinaque venit
litora,/ multum ille et terris iactatus et alto . . .

Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae./

Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso . . .

Elisions:

However, though words must be pronounced in full, it is tiresome and offensive to put a value on every letter . . . For one thing, vowels often coalesce, and some consonants are suppressed when a vowel follows . . . multum ille et terris illustrates both points. (33–34)

Sense Pauses:

We must also note where our speech should be left in the air . . . and where it should be brought to rest. Arma virumque cano is left in the air, because virum belongs to what follows, giving us virum Troiae qui primus ab oris, after which there is another suspension; for, although where he came from and where he arrived are two different things, yet we do not need punctuation here, because both are covered by the same verb, venit. (35–36)

There is a third pause at Italiam, because fato profugus is parenthetical and interrupts the continuity of Italiam Lavinaque. For the same reason, there is a fourth pause at profugus, after which comes Lavinaque venit litora, where we do at last need some punctuation, because a new sentence begins at this point. (37)

Even when there is punctuation, the time we give to it may be shorter or longer, according to whether it marks the end of a phrase or of a thought. Thus I shall take a new breath immediately after the punctuation at litora, but when I come to atque altae moenia Romae, I shall pause and wait to make a fresh beginning. (37–38)

Pausing without breathing:

Pauses sometimes occur, even in long periods, without a new breath. The sentence beginning in coetu vero populi Romani, negotium publicum gerens, magister equitum and so on [Cicero, Philippics 2.63], has many Cola (there are a number of thoughts, one after another) but only one Period; so it is a case for short pauses between these phrases, not for breaking up the structure of the whole. (39)

Breathing without pausing:

Conversely, it is sometimes necessary to recover breath without a perceptible pause . . . because if we regain our breath awkwardly, this produces just as much obscurity as faulty punctuation. (39)

The necessity of proper pausing:

Virtue of punctuation is perhaps a small thing; but without it there can be no other virtue in pleading (virtus autem distinguendi fortasse sit parva, sine qua tamen esse nulla alia in agendo potest). (39)

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Aen.1.1-11

This is a re-posting of an older installment that some people have had trouble finding.

Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit
litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem,               5
inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum,
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.

Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso,
quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus
insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores               10
impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?

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Seneca Oedipus 960-979

violentus audax vultus, iratus ferox                              960
iamiam eruentis; gemuit et dirum fremens
manus in ora torsit. at contra truces
oculi steterunt et suam intenti manum
ultro insecuntur, vulneri occurrunt suo.
scrutatur avidus manibus uncis lumina,                              965
radice ab ima funditus vulsos simul
evoluit orbes; haeret in vacuo manus
et fixa penitus unguibus lacerat cavos
alte recessus luminum et inanes sinus
saevitque frustra plusque quam satis est furit.                              970
tantum est periclum lucis? attollit caput
cavisque lustrans orbibus caeli plagas
noctem experitur. quidquid effossis male
dependet oculis rumpit, et victor deos
conclamat omnis: ‘parcite en patriae, precor:                              975
iam iusta feci, debitas poenas tuli;
inventa thalamis digna nox tandem meis.’
rigat ora foedus imber et lacerum caput
largum revulsis sanguinem venis vomit.

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Vergil Aeneid 2.199-227

Hic aliud maius miseris multoque tremendum
obicitur magis atque improuida pectora turbat.               200
Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,
sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.
ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta
(horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues
incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt;               205
pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque
sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum
pone legit sinuatque immensa uolumine terga.
fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arua tenebant
ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni               210
sibila lambebant linguis uibrantibus ora.
diffugimus uisu exsangues. illi agmine certo
Laocoonta petunt; et primum parua duorum
corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque
implicat et miseros morsu depascitur artus;               215
post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem
corripiunt spirisque ligant ingentibus; et iam
bis medium amplexi, bis collo squamea circum
terga dati superant capite et ceruicibus altis.
ille simul manibus tendit diuellere nodos               220
perfusus sanie uittas atroque ueneno,
clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:
qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram
taurus et incertam excussit ceruice securim.
at gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones               225
effugiunt saeuaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,
sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.

This text is from the Latin Library

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maior inest vis illa homini, quae flatile virus 531

ingerit et tenuem tenui facit aëre mentem.

Parthica non aeque ventos transcurrit harundo,

cuius iter nullus potis est compredere visus;

praepes enim volucres dum pinnis transvolat auras, 535

improvisa venit, nec stridor nuntiat ante

adventum leti, quam pectoris abdita rumpat

securam penetrans medicato vulnere vitam.

sed magis aligera est magis et medicata sagitta,

quam iacit umbrosi dominatio lubrica mundi 540

eludens excussa oculos calamique volantis

praepete tanscursu cordis penetralia figens.

nec segnis natura animae est aut tarda cavendi

vulneris, ignitum quoniam deus indidit olli

ingenium purum, sapiens, subtile, serenum, 545

mobile, sollicitum, velox, agitabile, acutum,

factorem modo casta suum veneretur et ipsi

militet ac victum proculcet sobria mundum

nil de pestiferis opibus aut falsificatis

terrarum spoliis stulto oblectamine libans, 550

ne sub fasce iacens alieno et dedita regno

non queat argutas hostis vitare sagittas.

Text: J. Bergman, Aurelii Prudentii Clementis Carmina = CSEL vol. 61 (Vienna and Leipzig: Hoelder-Pichler-Tempsky, 1926)

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Pugna Murium et Mustelarum

Cum victi mures mustelarum exercitu
(historia, quorum et, in tabernis pingitur)
fugerent et artos circum trepidarent cavos,
aegre recepti, tamen evaserunt necem:
duces eorum, qui capitibus cornua
suis ligarant ut conspicuum in proelio
haberent signum quod sequerentur milites,
haesere in portis suntque capti ab hostibus;
quos immolatos victor avidis dentibus
capacis alvi mersit tartareo specu.
Quemcumque populum tristis eventus premit,
periclitatur magnitudo principum,
minuta plebes facili praesidio latet.

Text: Giannina Solimano, Fedro: Favole (Rome: Garzanti, 1996)

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http://blogs.dickinson.edu/latin-poetry-podcast/files/2009/07/horace-odes-130.mp3

O Venus, regina Cnidi Paphique,

sperne dilectam Cypron et vocantis

ture te multo Glycerae decoram

transfer in aedem

fervidus tecum puer et solutis

Gratiae zonis properentque Nymphae

et parum comis sine te Iuventas

Mercuriusque

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Carminis inceptor mihi Jupiter; auspice terras

linquo Iove; excelsam reserat dux Iupiter aethram

imus in astra Iovis monitu; Iovis omine caelum,

et Iovis imperio mortalibus aethera pando.

Hic statio, hic sedes primi patris; iste paterni   5

principium motus, vis fulminis iste corusci,

vita elementorum, mundi calor, aetheris ignis,

astrorumque vigor, perpes substantia lucis,

et numerus celsi modulaminis; hic tener aer,

materiaeque gravis concretio; sucus ab alto    10

corporibus caelo; cunctarum alimonia rerum;

flos et flamma animae, qui discurrente meatu

molis primigenae penetralia dura resolvens

implevit largo venas operatus amore,

ordinis ut proprii foedus daret; iste calorem,   15

quo digesta capax solidaret semina mundus,

inseruit. rite hunc primum, medium, atque supremum

vox secreta canit sibi; nam permixtus utrimque,

actor agendorum, propriique patrator amoris,

et mundi vere pastor sacer. Hic chaos altum    20

lumine perrumpit; tenebrarum hic vincula primus

solvit, et ipse parens rerum fluitantia fixit.

……

Hoc duce per tumidi ferimur freta gurgitis; isto  41

praeceptore solum gravibus versamus aratris;

iste modum statuit signis; hic rebus honorem

infundit; tenebris hic interlabitur aethrae,

viscera et aethereos animans genitabilis artus.   45 

A bit more info. on Avienus is here. The text I used was that of Despois and Saviot (Paris: Panckoucke, 1843), available here through Google books.

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Hoc carmen, haec ara, hic cinis

pueri sepulcrum est Xantiae,

qui morte acerba raptus est,

iam doctus in compendia

tot literarum et nominum

notare currenti stilo

quod lingua currens diceret.

iam nemo superaret legens,

iam voce erili coeperat

ad omne dictatum volans

aurem vocari at proximam.

heu morte propera concidit

arcana qui solus sui

sciturus domini fuit.

note: the slight spelling irregularities in the Latin are present in the original inscription, which was found at Cologne: CLE 219 = CIL 13.8355 = ILS 7756 = Courtney, Musa Lapidaria 131. In my discussion I refer to Quintilian, The Orator’s Education 10.3.18 ff., and to William Fitzgerald, Slavery and the Roman Literary Imagination (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp. 14-15.The image is a detail of so-called “circus monument” from Neumagen; relief as a whole depicts a commercial scene, probably selling of goods and keeping accounts (3rd c. AD; Trier, Landesmuseum. photo: Barbara McManus, 1988)

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