tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223599132024-03-18T23:43:04.368-04:00MARGINALIANotes, observances, and commentary from a retired, high school Latin teacher.Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-25481089375564299222023-09-14T10:01:00.011-04:002023-09-14T10:11:13.787-04:00Freshwater Crabs Live Beneath the Ruins of Rome<p>Every so often there appears a news story of classical interest which seems so unusual that you need to check the sources to make sure that the claim is true, and this is one of those:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.italymagazine.com/italy/lazio/giant-crabs-colonise-rome-s-ancient-ruins" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target=""><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1001" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5AiRfVBZS9DR_1DpGcjnFVV0GI-TpFTaYQiDSpaMTw3x967eHwc40O17gWq6UXVPxGdMMI0tGHeYNNZHjsLZsEaUpSYa4MP2TiADRCr8MX79HSVLsLOY_hpyXh9r_iSuaWJyZvaIRtCQjzgKw6NbOOn5-nPlYXEbZiXE7RowTu4papfpAwXY/w576-h414/Roman%20Crabs%202.png" width="576" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span>Click <a href="https://www.italymagazine.com/italy/lazio/giant-crabs-colonise-rome-s-ancient-ruins" target="_blank">here</a> to get a better view and to read the article.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While the ruins beneath the Forum of Trajan seem to be the most populated, the crabs can be found in the sewers, in particular the remains of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloaca_Maxima" target="_blank">Cloaca Maxima</a>, which still drains this area of the city.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Click on this link to get a good view of Emanuele Biggi's <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-gladiator-crab.html" target="_blank">award-winning photograph</a> of the Gladiator Crab.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many are the wonders of this world!</div><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-86837086255250746612023-08-11T15:37:00.002-04:002023-08-11T15:37:13.101-04:00Evander Mourns the Death of His Son Pallas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNVUVoCJ-A7EahfH-TNJY0QQbyOZp3ZYLMAXvUI4X1NkZ_yulLE2q1HDuSHwq_PRpBANarXCL2r1GXKZAxlQnYuwpkerHej2csvUor07M-KLgYN0JIGBiCZVoxqBHODJhbpGGeNoKdH5kGFcDkivaDRHAY3rz4P-Aax_PaA2zDLOwNBZwdHTP/s800/2002.2895.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNVUVoCJ-A7EahfH-TNJY0QQbyOZp3ZYLMAXvUI4X1NkZ_yulLE2q1HDuSHwq_PRpBANarXCL2r1GXKZAxlQnYuwpkerHej2csvUor07M-KLgYN0JIGBiCZVoxqBHODJhbpGGeNoKdH5kGFcDkivaDRHAY3rz4P-Aax_PaA2zDLOwNBZwdHTP/s320/2002.2895.jpeg" width="202" /></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; text-align: left; text-wrap: nowrap;">Evander Mourning Over the Body of his Son, Pallas, Aeneid: Book XI,<br />from Les Oeuvres de Virgile, after Charles-Nicolas Cochin, the younge</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; text-align: left; text-wrap: nowrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">r</span></span></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">This is follow-up is a companion piece to the post published on June 18: "<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/2/blog/post/edit/22359913/7986332107752662819" target="_blank">Evander Begs Jupiter for his Son's Safe Return</a>".</p><p style="text-align: left;">In Book XI, lines 148-163, of Vergil's <i>Aeneid</i>, Evander mourns his son Pallas killed in combat:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>At non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,<br />sed venit in medios. Feretro Pallante reposto<br />procubuit super atque haeret lacrimansque gemensque,<span> </span><span>150<br /></span>et via vix tandem voci laxata dolore est:<br />"Non haec, o Palla, dederas promissa parenti,<br />cautius ut saevo velles te credere Marti.<br />Haud ignarus eram quantum nova gloria in armis<br />et praedulce decus primo certamine posset. <span> <span> </span><span> </span></span><span>155<br /></span>Primitiae iuvenis miserae bellique propinqui<br />dura rudimenta, et nulli exaudita deorum<br />vota precesque meae! Tuque, o sanctissima coniunx,<br />felix morte tua neque in hunc servata dolorem!<br />Contra ego vivendo vici mea fata, superstes <span> </span><span> </span><span>160<br /></span>restarem ut genitor. Troum socia arma secutum<br />obruerent Rutuli telis! Animam ipse dedissem<br />atque haec pompa domum me, non Pallanta, referret!"</blockquote><p>And my translation:</p><p></p><blockquote>Yet no force can hold back Evander,<br />But he comes into their midst. He threw himself<br />onto Pallas laid out on a litter, crying and groaning he clings,<br />and after a hard while he finds a way to utter from grief:<br />“O Pallas, you had not given these promises to your father,<br />that you would want to entrust yourself more warily to savage Mars,<br />I was by certainly not ignorant how much new glory there is in arms<br />and how much very sweet pride there can be in your first fight.<br />The wretched firsts of youth and the hard first attempts at war nearby,<br />no gods heard my vows and my prayers!<br />And you, O most holy wife, were lucky to die<br />and to have saved yourself from this grief!<br />As for me I have overcome my fates by stay alive,<br />so that I might remain a father surviving my son.<br />The Rutulians with their weapons should have overwhelming me having followed <br />the allied arms of the Trojans. I myself should have given my soul<br />and this procession should be carrying me home, not Pallas!</blockquote>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-46566796164627619202023-08-03T14:30:00.000-04:002023-08-03T14:30:17.688-04:00Sage Advice for the Traveler<div style="tab-stops: decimal .5in left .75in; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOQExC7_6W8USumKyANBHvQOS86T-LsoDVh8GUVySNDS6LzpaTcYvQnUAllIuYrwSAoW9hXA56PM1qxE20skYO29ivl7HaOJtkmxxTtT9DUQ31vlBbsZMd4AiULAWbw4QFpkDzt75PsMgExaAGMrJ5uUpaoBz8zQB7HyC5FpiJ-axJV4c4hBh/s396/villav.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="396" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOQExC7_6W8USumKyANBHvQOS86T-LsoDVh8GUVySNDS6LzpaTcYvQnUAllIuYrwSAoW9hXA56PM1qxE20skYO29ivl7HaOJtkmxxTtT9DUQ31vlBbsZMd4AiULAWbw4QFpkDzt75PsMgExaAGMrJ5uUpaoBz8zQB7HyC5FpiJ-axJV4c4hBh/s320/villav.gif" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Villa Vergiliana: https://www.vergiliansociety.org/villa/</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I was a student in college, I had the privilege, in the fall of 1985, of spending a semester abroad in Rome at the <a href="https://thecentrorome.org/" target="_blank">Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS)</a>, more affectionately called the Centro. While we were on a two-week excursion to southern Italy and Sicily, we stayed a few nights at the <a href="https://www.vergiliansociety.org/villa/" target="_blank">Villa Vergiliana</a> near Pozzuoli and Naples. While there, I found on the bulletin board this practical list, which should be considered by all who set out for vacation:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Ten Commandments of Travel</span></b></div><o:p><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><li><span style="text-align: center;">Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou
hast left them at home - for thou
hast left thy home to find things different.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Thou shalt not take things too seriously - for a carefree mind is
the beginning of a happy vacation.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Thou shalt not let other tourists get on your nerves - as thou art paying out good money to have a good
time.<br /><br /></span></li><li>Remember thy passport where it is at all times - for a man without
a passport is a man without a country.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Blessed is the man who can make change in any language - for, lo, he shall not be cheated.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Blessed is the man who can say "Thank You" in any
language - it shall be worth more than
many tips.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Thou shalt not worry. He that worrieth hath no pleasure - and few things are ever fatal.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Thou shalt not judge a people of a country by one person with whom thou hast had trouble.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="text-align: center;">Thou shalt not make thyself too obviously American - when in Rome,
do somewhat as the Romans do.<br /><br /></span></li><li>Remember thou art a guest in every land - and he that treats his host with respect shall be treated as an
honored guest.</li></span></ol></div></o:p></div><p style="text-align: left;">
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<br /><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-79863321077526628192023-06-18T12:34:00.001-04:002023-06-18T21:09:30.715-04:00Evander Begs Jupiter for his Son's Safe Return<p>On this Father's Day 2023, a quick look around the internet reveals that the theme of the relationship between fathers and their sons are a ripe topic for exploration in Vergil's <i>Aeneid</i>. As I surveyed the options form this work, one scene stood out as particularly poignant: the passage in Book VIII where Evander bids a sad, foreboding farewell to his son Pallas as he sets out with Aeneas to battle. Evander is too old and infirm to lead and teach his son himself, so he has entrusted this task to the surrogate Aeneas.</p><p>In Book VIII, lines 558-584, Evander begs Jupiter for his son's safe return:</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><blockquote>tum pater Evandrus dextram complexus euntis<br /> haeret inexpletus lacrimans ac talia fatur:<br /> 'o mihi praeteritos referat si Iuppiter annos,<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>560<br /> qualis eram cum primam aciem Praeneste sub ipsa<br /> stravi scutorumque incendi victor acervos<br /> et regem hac Erulum dextra sub Tartara misi,<br /> nascenti cui tris animas Feronia mater<br /> (horrendum dictu) dederat, terna arma movenda—<span> </span>565<br /> ter leto sternendus erat; cui tunc tamen omnis<br /> abstulit haec animas dextra et totidem exuit armis:<br /> non ego nunc dulci amplexu divellerer usquam,<br /> nate, tuo, neque finitimo Mezentius umquam<br /> huic capiti insultans tot ferro saeva dedisset<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>570<br /> funera, tam multis viduasset civibus urbem.<br /> at vos, o superi, et divum tu maxime rector<br /> Iuppiter, Arcadii, quaeso, miserescite regis<br /> et patrias audite preces. si numina vestra<br /> incolumem Pallanta mihi, si fata reservant,<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>575<br /> si visurus eum vivo et venturus in unum,<br /> vitam oro, patior quemvis durare laborem.<br /> sin aliquem infandum casum, Fortuna, minaris,<br /> nunc, nunc o liceat crudelem abrumpere vitam,<br /> dum curae ambiguae, dum spes incerta futuri,<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>580<br /> dum te, care puer, mea sola et sera voluptas,<br /> complexu teneo, gravior neu nuntius auris<br /> vulneret.' haec genitor digressu dicta supremo<br /> fundebat; famuli conlapsum in tecta ferebant.</blockquote><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>And my translation here:<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Then father Evander, having embraced his son, and weeping uncontrollably,<br />clings to the right hand of the one departing and says such things:<br />“O, if Jupiter should return to me my past years,<br />the sort I was when I laid low the front line beneath Praeneste herself<br />and as victor set fire to the heap of shields<br />and sent King Erulus beneath Tartarus with this right hand,<br />to whom at birth his mother Feronia had given three lives<br />(horrible to say), three arms had to be moved --<br />three times he had to be laid low by death; then nevertheless<br />this right hand took away all his lives and stripped just as many arms:<br />now I should not ever be torn away from from your sweet embrace,<br />son, and Mezentius, insulting his neighbor’s very existense, would not have given<br />so many cruel funerals by his sword,<br />he would not have deprived this city of so many citizens.<br />But you, gods above, and you especially, Jupiter, the ruler of the gods,<br />take pity, I beg, on this Arcadian king<br />and hear this father’s prayers. If your divinities<br />keep my Pallas safe, if the fates keep him safe,<br />if I live to see him and to meet him again,<br />I beg for life, I agree to endure whatever hardship you wish.<br />But if you, Fortune, threaten some unspeakable disaster,<br />now, O let it be permitted to destroy this cruel life now,<br />while cares are uncertain, while hope for the future is unsure,<br />while I hold you, dear boy, in my embrace, you, my last, lone delight,<br />and may some too painful message not wound my ears.”<br />The father poured out these words in his last parting;<br />and his attendants carried him, having collapsed, home.</blockquote><p></p><p></p><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-48297022460944232862023-04-30T19:50:00.004-04:002023-04-30T19:56:06.957-04:00Orpheus: "I was thinking about you. And music."<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmh1vEkIv8A0kScaQ9bpC1ZkB4ISgRXTo5Gen4HsZGAneix9dfRVeLPJfH87YfqXsIulKR6MAKNmmDNV0NPmxg7J0SkMwyJ6GupD17HcOcPeM9TAzq2vXsrGNmndzcsWMPUCZZ-7-h7pK2iABpDhm92rcnrrsEF_s7tef3MB-46_-wPNl0w/s3862/image_50426369.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3862" data-original-width="2208" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmh1vEkIv8A0kScaQ9bpC1ZkB4ISgRXTo5Gen4HsZGAneix9dfRVeLPJfH87YfqXsIulKR6MAKNmmDNV0NPmxg7J0SkMwyJ6GupD17HcOcPeM9TAzq2vXsrGNmndzcsWMPUCZZ-7-h7pK2iABpDhm92rcnrrsEF_s7tef3MB-46_-wPNl0w/s320/image_50426369.JPG" width="183" /></a>My wife and I took a trip across Afton Mountain to the <a href="https://americanshakespearecenter.com/" target="_blank">American Shakespeare Center</a> in Staunton, VA. Performances at the ASC take place in the <a href="https://americanshakespearecenter.com/blackfriars-playhouse/" target="_blank">Blackfriars Theater</a>, billed as the world's only reproduction of the late 16th/early 17th century indoor theater used by Shakespeare to stage many of his performances. Watching a play in this unique venue is an experience not to be missed.</p><p></p><p>We were not there to take in one of their performances of Shakespeare, which (I must say) are always outstanding, but their production of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurydice_(Ruhl_play)" target="_blank">Sarah Ruhl's <i>Eurydice</i></a>. This modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth was familiar, interesting, and, at times, a little bizarre.</p><p>First, the familiar. All the elements of the ancient myth are there. Without giving anything away, I can reveal that Eurydice dies on her wedding day and ends up in the Underworld. Orpheus, heartbroken, works to find his way back to his bride, only to lose her again when a misstep on their exit nullifies the deal Hades made for her release.</p><p>The interesting element comes from the story being told from the point of view of Eurydice. She arrives in the Underworld after a long and tiring journey. After having been bathed in the river (which is obviously the Lethe, but never mentioned by name), she arrives unable to speak, remember her name, or even recognize anyone or anything. She is greeted by the shade of her father, who takes on the task of teaching her who she is, who they are (and were), and about her love and marriage to the musician Orpheus. It was fascinating, and a little touching, to watch Eurydice learn and grow, until she almost reaches the level of consciousness when she died.</p><p>Finally, the bizarre, and again I will try not give too much away about some other characters, namely the chorus and Lord of the Underworld. The chorus is played admirably by three individuals who represent rocks in the Underworld. They do not so much comment on the thoughts and actions of Eurydice as they try to teach her the rules of dead and existing in the Underworld. They are affected by Orpheus' sad music and, at one point, are so overcome that they roll across the stage and exit. They do provide an important part of the story, but I kept thinking that this is what it must have been like to watch a beatnik performance way back in the early 1960s. The Lord of the Underworld was portrayed as a childish, creepy individual "who is starting to grow" and "ready to become a man." It was uncomfortable watching his performance, as (I believe) it should have been. My wife commented on the way home that this whole character could have been removed, and the play would have continued on without him.</p><p>In all, this was a great performance, and I was glad to have seen it. This work fits right in with the recent publications of ancient myths and stories from the female perspective, and illustrates well the power of myth to remain timeless and meaningful, not matter the age.</p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-32205853721036727602023-04-21T12:31:00.004-04:002023-04-21T12:31:54.530-04:00Felicem, Roma, diem natalem!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd0HMxjFrN5SYNUAwhSCo721LuNCoHH_Obi7rctbXJ7mp3RnuYRxFfT0V9i5Vehj3W0_o7l9hOEsWRrv7I9LTy-HMxDBGcrwA6yGJZwRnVF5Ypbui1sTimkx8Nxtw7PfrIeUri4Kn2cHWAFiEtHtejbLmj4BGNZT7AwayGBFsAdSlm64Iyg/s745/edwards-s-romulus-kills-remus-for-jumping-the-unfinished-city-walls-of-their-settlement-on-palatine-hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="745" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd0HMxjFrN5SYNUAwhSCo721LuNCoHH_Obi7rctbXJ7mp3RnuYRxFfT0V9i5Vehj3W0_o7l9hOEsWRrv7I9LTy-HMxDBGcrwA6yGJZwRnVF5Ypbui1sTimkx8Nxtw7PfrIeUri4Kn2cHWAFiEtHtejbLmj4BGNZT7AwayGBFsAdSlm64Iyg/s320/edwards-s-romulus-kills-remus-for-jumping-the-unfinished-city-walls-of-their-settlement-on-palatine-hill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Ancient and modern Rome has always considered April 21 to be the date of its founding. In honor of this auspicious day, I have read <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovid" target="_blank">Ovid</a>'s version of the founding of this city and provided my own translation.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">From Book IV, lines 807-862, of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasti_(poem)" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Fasti</a>:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>Urbis origo<br /> venit; ades factis, magne Quirine, tuis.<br />iam luerat poenas frater Numitoris, et omne<br /> pastorum gemino sub duce volgus erat;<br />contrahere agrestes et moenia ponere utrique<br /> convenit: ambigitur moenia ponat uter.<br />'nil opus est' dixit 'certamine' Romulus 'ullo;<br /> magna fides avium est: experiamur aves.'<br />res placet: alter init nemorosi saxa Palati;<br /> alter Aventinum mane cacumen init.<br />sex Remus, hic volucres bis sex videt ordine; pacto<br /> statur, et arbitrium Romulus urbis habet.<br />apta dies legitur qua moenia signet aratro:<br /> sacra Palis suberant; inde movetur opus. <span style="font-size: x-small;">820</span><br />fossa fit ad solidum, fruges iaciuntur in ima<br /> et de vicino terra petita solo;<br />fossa repletur humo, plenaeque imponitur ara,<br /> et novus accenso fungitur igne focus.<br />inde premens stivam designat moenia sulco;<br /> alba iugum niveo cum bove vacca tulit.<br />vox fuit haec regis: 'condenti, Iuppiter, urbem,<br /> et genitor Mavors Vestaque mater, ades,<br />quosque pium est adhibere deos, advertite cuncti:<br /> auspicibus vobis hoc mihi surgat opus.<br />longa sit huic aetas dominaeque potentia terrae,<br /> sitque sub hac oriens occiduusque dies.'<br />ille precabatur, tonitru dedit omina laevo<br /> Iuppiter, et laevo fulmina missa polo.<br />augurio laeti iaciunt fundamina cives,<br /> et novus exiguo tempore murus erat.<br />hoc Celer urget opus, quem Romulus ipse vocarat,<br /> 'sint' que, 'Celer, curae' dixerat 'ista tuae,<br />neve quis aut muros aut factam vomere fossam<br /> transeat; audentem talia dede neci.'<br />quod Remus ignorans humiles contemnere muros<br /> coepit, et 'his populus' dicere 'tutus erit?'<br />nec mora, transiluit: rutro Celer occupat ausum;<br /> ille premit duram sanguinulentus humum.<br />haec ubi rex didicit, lacrimas introrsus obortas<br /> devorat et clausum pectore volnus habet.<br />flere palam non volt exemplaque fortia servat,<br /> 'sic' que 'meos muros transeat hostis' ait.<br />dat tamen exsequias; nec iam suspendere fletum<br /> sustinet, et pietas dissimulata patet;<br />osculaque adplicuit posito suprema feretro,<br /> atque ait 'invito frater adempte, vale',<br />arsurosque artus unxit: fecere, quod ille,<br /> Faustulus et maestas Acca soluta comas.<br />tum iuvenem nondum facti flevere Quirites;<br /> ultima plorato subdita flamma rogo est.<br />urbs oritur (quis tunc hoc ulli credere posset?)<br /> victorem terris impositura pedem.<br />cuncta regas et sis magno sub Caesare semper,<br /> saepe etiam plures nominis huius habe;<br />et, quotiens steteris domito sublimis in orbe,<br /> omnia sint umeris inferiora tuis.</blockquote><p>And now my translation, which (I must admit) I have rendered a bit more freely than I have allowed my in the past: </p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ff00fe; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #ff00fe;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>…The beginning of the City has come;<br />be present for your deeds, great Quirinus!<br />The brother of Numitor had paid for his crimes,<br />and every flock of shepherds was under twin leadership;<br />each one decided to gather the rustic folk and build walls:<br />“There is no need for any argument,” said Romulus;<br />“There is great faith in birds: let’s see what the birds
have to say.”<br />The matter is agreed: one goes to the rocks of the woodsy
Palatine;<br />the other heads to the top of the Aventine in the morning.<br />Remus sees six birds, this guy twelve in a row;<br />the agreement stands, and Romulus has control of the city.<br />A suitable day is chosen to mark the place for the walls
with a plow:<br />the sacred rites of Pales were going on; then they get to
work.<br />A ditch is made in the solid rock. They fill it with fruits<br />and earth gathered from neighboring territories;<br />The ditch is filled with dirt, and an altar is placed on the
pile,<br />and a kindled fire burns on the new hearth.<br />Then, pressing down the handle of his plow, he traces out
walls with his furrow;<br />a white cow with a snow-white bull brought the yoke.<br />These were the words of the king: “Jupiter and Father Mars<br />and Mother Vesta, be present for the founding of our city,<br />and whatever gods it is right to invite, pay attention,
everyone:<br />let me do my work with you as my presiders.<br />May the age for this city and the power of this land as
ruler be long,<br />and let the rising and setting day be under her power.”<br />That one was praying, and Jupiter thundered his omens<br />on the left and sent lightning bolts to the left in the sky.<br />From this good omen the happy citizens lay the foundations,<br />and in no time at all there was a new wall.<br />Celer, whom Romulus himself had summoned, urges on this work,<br />and he had said, “Celer, may those things be your concerns,<br />and do not let anyone cross these walls or ditch made from
the plow;<br />kill anyone daring such things.”<br />Remus, not aware of this, began to despise these lowly
walls,<br />and said, “The people will be safe with these?”<br />And quickly he leapt over: Celer attacks the offender with a shovel;<br />Remus bloody falls to the hard ground.<br />When the king learned of this, he fights back his rising
tears<br />and keeps the pain shut away in his heart.<br />He does not show his grief openly and feigns strength,<br />and says, “Likewise to any enemy who crosses my walls.”<br />However he gives him funeral rites; he is no longer able<br />to hold back his tears, and his hidden devotion is made obvious;<br />and he gave kisses to the funeral bier having been set down,<br />and said, “my brother, unwillingly taken from me, farewell!”<br />He anointed his limbs about to burn: Faustulus and Acca<br />having let down her hair in grief, did the same as Romulus.<br />Then those not yet having been made Quirites wept for the
youth;<br />the last flame was placed beneath the pyre wet with tears.<br />The city rises (who could have believe any of this then?),<br />about to place its foot as victor over all the lands.<br />May you rule the world and may you always be under the power
of great Caesar,<br />and may you often have more of this name name also;<br />and, as long as you stand high over a conquered world,<br />may all else be lower than your shoulders.</blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-43625703166762065152023-04-03T12:17:00.000-04:002023-04-03T12:17:09.665-04:00"Division is Destruction"<p>The Vatican Museum's <a href="https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/03/07/fragments-of-parthenon-sculptures-are-to-be-returned-from-the-vatican-in-the-next-few-days/" target="_blank">decision to return artwork from the Parthenon</a> to Athens unfortunately has not provided any incentive for the British Museum to follow suit.</p><p>I remember when I was a student in an art history class way back in the mid-80s, the professor stated one of the primary reasons for the existence museums is to preserve and protect art and artifacts from around the world. The idea was that all of the works of one artist or monument or culture should not be contained in one location, but should be distributed to museums and collections around the world in order to insure their survival. To have all of the works of Monet, for example, in one location made the likelihood of their destruction, by man or natural disaster, possible. This statement does carry some truth, BUT the artifact itself should not be hacked up to be dispersed like pieces of cake.</p><p>Catherine Titi argues <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2023/03/31/parthenon-marbles-integrity-monuments/" target="_blank">in her latest article</a> that "to divide is to destroy":</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: times;">The division of the Parthenon marbles between two museums can only be compared to the fragmentation of a monument. Can we imagine the Sistine Chapel split in two? Michelangelo’s famous fresco The Creation of Adam divided, God’s outstretched hand separated from that of Adam to whom it gives life?</span></blockquote><p>Do read the article and give some thought to the matter. The Parthenon deserves to be made as whole as possible and preserved, not scattered around the museums of the world. </p><p></p><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-18118476880234790482023-03-18T12:21:00.002-04:002023-03-18T12:21:41.868-04:00Vatican To Return Fragments of the Parthenon<div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNsjAYcaJs-PUMaS2uzW9btYI84GkkfeKE9Po4hcFGbwmH7OeechzGUhCNB3BIFMd8uFPjdpTUmQm0TYcRXfMXi4k6OWzTZIwAy-uJAA_M-6gaD-A-efyk_NNcCXNYXhmzj8MGXNoJA-2lZlZZDe01Cb6MQ_Yq5oVY1KO6_NEnoh8h8SRmLw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="900" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNsjAYcaJs-PUMaS2uzW9btYI84GkkfeKE9Po4hcFGbwmH7OeechzGUhCNB3BIFMd8uFPjdpTUmQm0TYcRXfMXi4k6OWzTZIwAy-uJAA_M-6gaD-A-efyk_NNcCXNYXhmzj8MGXNoJA-2lZlZZDe01Cb6MQ_Yq5oVY1KO6_NEnoh8h8SRmLw=w400-h204" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Photograph of the the Vatican fragments (courtesy of </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;">Kathimerini</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"> newspaper) frpm the Greek City Times article (referenced below)</span></span></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pope Francis has decided that it is time for the Vatican to return some fragments from the Parthenon in Athens. The Greek City Times reported <a href="https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/03/07/fragments-of-parthenon-sculptures-are-to-be-returned-from-the-vatican-in-the-next-few-days/" target="_blank">this development</a> after a recent visit by the Pope to Greece. Even though the article reports that the Pontiff does not intend this move to be seen as a prod to the British Museum to return <a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/contested-objects-collection/parthenon-sculptures" target="_blank">the Elgin Marbles</a>, one can hope that it provides another example and opportunity to review and reconsider <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/uk-prime-minister-rishi-sunak-no-return-parthenon-marbles-greece-1234660406/" target="_blank">the ongoing dispute</a>. </div></span></div></div>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-89817014923499498782023-03-13T15:55:00.001-04:002023-03-14T12:25:53.897-04:00Did the Greeks Found Rome?<div>An <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2023/02/22/greek-city-rome-before-romans/" target="_blank">article in the Greek Reporter</a> reminds us that the story of Romulus and Remus is not the only one to consider when pondering the founding of Rome:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>...what many people do not know is that Greek legend tells us that [the city founded by Romulus] was not actually the first settlement that existed on the Palatine Hill. Before Rome, there was a Greek city which existed in the same place.</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRID62h7kjkdc8wbAKzwl-0IeUPwrGBKfDQJ-ZCSzJzS3oVY8_qnXa1wt9VaXl0OtzvQ1xDyKTl8ES3Je64gXtFWifcPj6iJANPyQWfH0BUV_4aB07QDcKVzXiwNYGFfbOTh51NrhqZNbU8al1ohe_9ouXv3kvxzJNrn4r9LMUhyxD-3GbMA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRID62h7kjkdc8wbAKzwl-0IeUPwrGBKfDQJ-ZCSzJzS3oVY8_qnXa1wt9VaXl0OtzvQ1xDyKTl8ES3Je64gXtFWifcPj6iJANPyQWfH0BUV_4aB07QDcKVzXiwNYGFfbOTh51NrhqZNbU8al1ohe_9ouXv3kvxzJNrn4r9LMUhyxD-3GbMA" width="311" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Romulus and Remus, the Lupercal, Father Tiber, and the Palatine on a relief from a pedestal dating to the reign of Trajan (AD 98-117). By Marie-Lan Nguyen (2006), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1233398</span></div></div></div>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-79739552090199219472023-03-12T15:13:00.000-04:002023-03-12T15:13:01.140-04:00Suetonius Describes the Death of Caesar<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmwP2FBwi2Ek2r-A933h9F-9n85BqqbOrEFFry3y4MxU_QdFQSdmvrEvpMm7W1Wz5Lo8pCIh923Kv07R648ZypoLJIYHyD0-hrUhfDAnUHbUO88cW-QCK99fg77ZXBAdIQRabV5pLdB6WdgCMohMyoEl8r0UdlUWIDhmTvCdnPrzdz2go6ZA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="2048" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmwP2FBwi2Ek2r-A933h9F-9n85BqqbOrEFFry3y4MxU_QdFQSdmvrEvpMm7W1Wz5Lo8pCIh923Kv07R648ZypoLJIYHyD0-hrUhfDAnUHbUO88cW-QCK99fg77ZXBAdIQRabV5pLdB6WdgCMohMyoEl8r0UdlUWIDhmTvCdnPrzdz2go6ZA" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The Ides of March are nearly upon us, so I thought I would mark the occasion with a reading of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suetonius" target="_blank">Suetonius</a>' description of the assassination of Julius Caesar. So many people today know of this episode from history through Shakespeare's telling of the tale, but it is obvious, after reading the passage below, that the bard was familiar with this passage (Suetonius, <i>Divus Iulius</i>, 82):</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>Assidentem conspirati specie officii circumsteterunt, ilicoque Cimber Tillius, qui primas partes susceperat, quasi aliquid rogaturus propius accessit renuentique et gestu in aliud tempus differenti ab utroque umero togam adprehendit: deinde clamantem: 'ista quidem vis est!' alter e Cascis aversum vulnerat paulum infra iugulum. Caesar Cascae brachium arreptum graphio traiecit conatusque prosilire alio vulnere tardatus est; utque animadvertit undique se strictis pugionibus peti, toga caput obvoluit, simul sinistra manu sinum ad ima crura deduxit, quo honestius caderet etiam inferiore corporis parte velata. Atque ita tribus et viginti plagis confossus est uno modo ad primum ictum gemitu sine voce edito, etsi tradiderunt quidam Marco Bruto irruenti dixisse: καὶ σὺ τέκνον; Exanimis diffugientibus cunctis aliquamdiu iacuit, donec lecticae impositum, dependente brachio, tres servoli domum rettulerunt. Nec in tot vulneribus, ut Antistius medicus existimabat, letale ullum repertum est, nisi quod secundo loco in pectore acceperat.</i></blockquote><p></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>Fuerat animus coniuratis corpus occisi in Tiberim trahere, bona publicare, acta rescindere, sed metu Marci Antoni consulis et magistri equitum Lepidi destiterunt. </i></blockquote><p></p><p>I translate this into English as,</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The conspirators, with the appearance of duty, gathered around him (Caesar) as he was sitting down, and immediately Tillius Cimber, who had chosen the first role, approached nearer, as if about to ask something, and, as Caesar was dismissing him and, with a gesture, waving him off to another time, he grabbed his toga by each shoulder: then, with Cesar shouting, "This indeed is violence!" one of the Casci, standing behind, wounded him a little below the throat. Caesar grabbed Casca's arm and stabbed it with a stilus. and then having tried to jump up he was prevented by another wound; and as he noticed on all sides that he was being attacked by drawn daggers, he covered his head with his toga, at the same time with his left hand he drew down the lap to the bottom of his legs, in order that he might fall more decently, with also the lower part of his body covered. And in this way he was stabbed with twenty-three blows, with only one groan, without a word, given at the first blow, although certain ones have related that he had said to Marcus Brutus rushing toward (him): "You too, son?" He lay lifeless for quite a while with all the others scattering, until three young slaves placed him on a litter, with an arm hanging down, and carried him back home. And, as his doctor Antistius estimated, not any of his so many wounds was found lethal, except the one he had received in the second place on his chest.</p><p>It had been the intention of the conspirators to drag the body of the deceased into the Tiber River, to confiscate his property, and to cancel his business in the senate, but because of the fear of Marc Antony, the consul, and of Lepidus, the <i>magister equitum</i>, they stopped.</p></blockquote><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-80673059396661410492023-03-11T14:02:00.002-05:002023-03-18T16:55:19.943-04:00St. Patrick Writes About Himself<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvLs74yETcW09YBX104ribyPAZCzQATyr_0WvCXSsmQgXc4Yc39AV7JEDX8c8r7sRQ7xRAqv9T6UBGcOJynYkvURy8l8Vy_w45HRfESjWAdiK3GzZLxevaW9e-TFfpWWlyJe2JcD-HCB357EX-k3-jpnAyWN57G0Rg1azTYwtIOqmR3xLw2g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvLs74yETcW09YBX104ribyPAZCzQATyr_0WvCXSsmQgXc4Yc39AV7JEDX8c8r7sRQ7xRAqv9T6UBGcOJynYkvURy8l8Vy_w45HRfESjWAdiK3GzZLxevaW9e-TFfpWWlyJe2JcD-HCB357EX-k3-jpnAyWN57G0Rg1azTYwtIOqmR3xLw2g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjsXHvNLyErRTlAmKxBiR325qYmiYEs7ynMIZQ79-w7nYp2AoQnud6suWr95bTWveJArlsJcOB7IrcGE3jB-nuV-lygWEj4YmtsNhuQ5NUu4VqyfXJrCHf0tJFAnruFF94LSDvu2rk-tXkMYk737vBMW-WJNX0vLTnuRDWrYXxfNgCcZd9aQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjsXHvNLyErRTlAmKxBiR325qYmiYEs7ynMIZQ79-w7nYp2AoQnud6suWr95bTWveJArlsJcOB7IrcGE3jB-nuV-lygWEj4YmtsNhuQ5NUu4VqyfXJrCHf0tJFAnruFF94LSDvu2rk-tXkMYk737vBMW-WJNX0vLTnuRDWrYXxfNgCcZd9aQ=w140-h141" width="140" /></a><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would take a look at some of the fifth-century Latin written by this remarkable individual and patron saint of Ireland. Take a look at the very useful website <a href="https://www.confessio.ie/#" target="_blank">St. Patrick's <i>Confessio</i></a>, which allows one to "[r]ead what St. Patrick actually wrote in his own words."</div><p></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i>Epistola ad milites Corotici, X</i></p><p><i>Numquid sine Deo vel secundum carnem Hiberione veni? Quis me compulit? Alligatus sum Spiritu ut non videam aliquem de cognatione mea. Numquid a me piam misericordiam quod ago erga gentem illam qui me aliquando ceperunt et devastaverunt servos et ancillas domus patris mei? Ingenuus fui secundum carnem; decorione patre nascor. Vendidi enim nobilitatem meam -- non erubesco neque me paenitet -- pro utilitate aliorum; denique servus sum in Christo genti exterae ob gloriam ineffabilem perennis vitae quae est in Christo Iesu Domino nostro.</i></p></blockquote><p><i></i></p><p>Here is the <a href="https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/epistola_latin#10" target="_blank">source of the text</a>; the translation below is my own.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>A letter to the soldiers of Coroticus (10)</p><p>Is it possible that I came to Ireland without God, even following my own flesh? Who compelled me? I have been so bound by the Spirit that I do not see anyone of my own family. Is it possible that I grant holy mercy from myself towards that people who once captured me and killed the enslaved men and women of my father's house? I was a free-born according to the flesh; I was born from my father, a decurion. Indeed I sold my noble status for the service of others -- I am not ashamed of this and I do not regret it; accordingly I am a servant in Christ for people of a foreign land on account of the indescribable glory of everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ, our Lord.</p></blockquote>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-10176624639400372792023-03-04T10:04:00.002-05:002023-03-04T10:07:22.495-05:00Remains from the Temple of Vespasian<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKFxQXzpWoz6kcNw9pLkgZYr3NyJSwTt07NapnKQ5yCp9zqtVqZJSMlXJ8nKXXzXrhLH7XDXRcUqFw7WOj_CP_Z8wm8BOYXUbCZOxlqZR64uA3VB5xC6zYIqz8IAbUmseMqybfdxKZQUluJVU5lXEwrX2OVA8iJbbLvNSm5XGF4DHwQfYkA/s4000/Entablature%20from%20Temple%20of%20Vespasian.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKFxQXzpWoz6kcNw9pLkgZYr3NyJSwTt07NapnKQ5yCp9zqtVqZJSMlXJ8nKXXzXrhLH7XDXRcUqFw7WOj_CP_Z8wm8BOYXUbCZOxlqZR64uA3VB5xC6zYIqz8IAbUmseMqybfdxKZQUluJVU5lXEwrX2OVA8iJbbLvNSm5XGF4DHwQfYkA/s400/Entablature%20from%20Temple%20of%20Vespasian.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I was looking through a folder of photographs from a trip to Rome in 2014 and came across this interesting pic of a well-preserved portion of the entablature of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Vespasian_and_Titus" target="_blank">Temple of Vespasian and Titus</a> in the Roman Forum. The piece itself is now on display in the Capitoline Museum, and from the appearance of the archway to the back of this image, I am thinking it is located in the portion of the museum which is housed in the remains of the Tabularium, which overlooks the ruins of the Forum.</p><p>For a lot of good information about how this portion of the frieze survived and what is depicted by the images carved there, take a look at <a href="http://www.libraryofsymbolism.com/images/newletters/pdf_romantemples.pdf" target="_blank">this report</a> from the Library of Symbolism.</p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-9847818390431311722023-03-02T13:47:00.005-05:002023-03-11T14:02:50.442-05:00Venus Pays a Visit to Jupiter<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ99VW5q0O_-IlLcitoU91fXWD34vEdoATFXA3uK6yMSE8K7UwkyJs8wADyzANgb4y6QVlgqJnNEhAf8_zD1ktlg753YaFxO81VTKk-xl8KzpmS5W_-gZay-rJl6703IGqbZlt4bfDReBKwZXIW4Eyl7GBhivLEiytxqzossdUtcFe4d1N5Q/s4032/image_67187713.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ99VW5q0O_-IlLcitoU91fXWD34vEdoATFXA3uK6yMSE8K7UwkyJs8wADyzANgb4y6QVlgqJnNEhAf8_zD1ktlg753YaFxO81VTKk-xl8KzpmS5W_-gZay-rJl6703IGqbZlt4bfDReBKwZXIW4Eyl7GBhivLEiytxqzossdUtcFe4d1N5Q/s400/image_67187713.JPG" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I posted this pic of the conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter on the evening of March 1, 2023 on my other social media and added the caption, "Jupiter and Venus canoodling in the heavens this evening." Even better, a few fellow Latin teachers suggested this passage from Vergil's <i>Aeneid</i> in which Venus visits Jupiter and pleads for rest and safety for her long-suffering Trojans:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Atque illum talis iactantem pectore curas<br />tristior et lacrimis oculos suffusa nitentis<br />adloquitur Venus: 'O qui res hominumque deumque<br />aeternis regis imperiis, et fulmine terres,<br />quid meus Aeneas in te committere tantum,<br />quid Troes potuere, quibus, tot funera passis,<br />cunctus ob Italiam terrarum clauditur orbis?<br />Certe hinc Romanos olim, volventibus annis,<br />hinc fore ductores, revocato a sanguine Teucri,<br />qui mare, qui terras omni dicione tenerent,<br />pollicitus, quae te, genitor, sententia vertit?<br />Hoc equidem occasum Troiae tristisque ruinas<br />solabar, fatis contraria fata rependens;<br />nunc eadem fortuna viros tot casibus actos<br />insequitur. Quem das finem, rex magne, laborum?...<br />Hic pietatis honos? Sic nos in sceptra reponis?'</p><p class="poem">Olli subridens hominum sator atque deorum,<br />voltu, quo caelum tempestatesque serenat,<br />oscula libavit natae, dehinc talia fatur:<br />'Parce metu, Cytherea: manent immota tuorum<br />fata tibi; cernes urbem et promissa Lavini<br />moenia, sublimemque feres ad sidera caeli<br />magnanimum Aenean; neque me sententia vertit.<br />Hic tibi (fabor enim, quando haec te cura remordet,<br />longius et volvens fatorum arcana movebo)<br />bellum ingens geret Italia, populosque feroces<br />contundet, moresque viris et moenia ponet,<br />tertia dum Latio regnantem viderit aestas,<br />ternaque transierint Rutulis hiberna subactis.<br />At puer Ascanius, cui nunc cognomen Iulo<br />additur,—Ilus erat, dum res stetit Ilia regno,—<br />triginta magnos volvendis mensibus orbis<br />imperio explebit, regnumque ab sede Lavini<br />transferet, et longam multa vi muniet Albam.<br />Hic iam ter centum totos regnabitur annos<br />gente sub Hectorea, donec regina sacerdos,<br />Marte gravis, geminam partu dabit Ilia prolem.<br />Inde lupae fulvo nutricis tegmine laetus<br />Romulus excipiet gentem, et Mavortia condet<br />moenia, Romanosque suo de nomine dicet.<br />His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora pono;<br />imperium sine fine dedi. Quin aspera Iuno,<br />quae mare nunc terrasque metu caelumque fatigat,<br />consilia in melius referet, mecumque fovebit<br />Romanos rerum dominos gentemque togatam:<br />sic placitum. Veniet lustris labentibus aetas,<br />cum domus Assaraci Phthiam clarasque Mycenas<br />servitio premet, ac victis dominabitur Argis.<br />Nascetur pulchra Troianus origine Caesar,<br />imperium oceano, famam qui terminet astris,—<br />Iulius, a magno demissum nomen Iulo.<br />Hunc tu olim caelo, spoliis Orientis onustum,<br />accipies secura; vocabitur hic quoque votis.<br />Aspera tum positis mitescent saecula bellis;<br />cana Fides, et Vesta, Remo cum fratre Quirinus,<br />iura dabunt; dirae ferro et compagibus artis<br />claudentur Belli portae; Furor impius intus,<br />saeva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus aenis<br />post tergum nodis, fremet horridus ore cruento.'<br /></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote><p class="poem" style="text-align: left;">Vergil's <i>Aeneid</i> I.227-241, 253-296</p></blockquote></blockquote><p class="poem"></p><p class="poem">And here is my translation:</p><p class="poem"></p><blockquote><p class="poem">And so Venus, rather sad and swollen around her eyes glistening with tears,<br />pleads with that one pondering such concerns in his heart:<br />"Oh you who rule the affairs of men and gods with everlasting power,<br />and you who strike fear with the lightning bolt,<br />what so great offense has my Aeneas, what have the Trojans,<br />been able to commit against you, for whom, having suffered so many deaths,<br />the whole, wide world is closed because of Italy?<br />You actually promised that after this there would be Romans one day,<br />in the coming years, that after this they would be the leaders,<br />rising from the renewed blood of the Trojans,<br />who would hold the sea, the lands under all their domain.<br />What notion has changed your mind, father?<br />On my end I was soothing this fall and the sad ruins of Troy,<br />weighing out their past fates against future ones;<br />now the luck fortune pursues these men driven by so many misfortunes.<br />When will you, great king, bring an end to their sufferings?<br />This is their reward for our dutifulness? This is how you put us in power?"</p><p class="poem">Smiling down at her, the father of men and gods,<br />with that expression, by which he calms the sky and storms,<br />gave a kiss to his daughter, and then says these words:<br />"Don't be afraid, Cytherea: the fates of your people remain unchanged for you;<br />you will see the city and the promised walls of Lavinium,<br />and you will carry great-souled Aeneas on high to the stars of heaven;<br />and no notion changes my mind. This one will wage a huge war<br />for you in Italy (for I will prophesy, since this concern worries you,<br />and I will reveal further things unknown), and he will defeat fierce peoples,<br />and put in place customs and walls for these men,<br />until a third summer has seen him ruling in Latium,<br />and a third winter has passed with the Rutulians subdued.<br />But the boy Ascanius, who now is called Iulus,<br />-- he used to be Ilus, while the kingdom of Troy stood --,<br />will fill out thirty great years in power with the months rolling along,<br />and he will move the kingdom from the seat of Lavinium,<br />and he will build Alba Longa with much strength.<br />Here now it will be ruled for three hundred whole years<br />beneath the race of Hector, until Ilia, a queen, a priestess,<br />pregnant by Mars, will give birth to twin offspring.<br />From that point Romulus, happy in the tawny hide of a nursemaid wolf<br />will continue the race, and will found the walls of Mars,<br />and he will name his people Romans after his own name.<br />I do not put limits or a timeframe on this things;<br />I have granted rule without end. Indeed harsh Juno,<br />who now wears out the sea and lands and heaven with fear<br />will change her plans for the better, and along with me<br />she will cherish the Romans as the masters of all things<br />and the toga-clad race: in this way it will be pleasing.<br />The time will come in the passing years,<br />when the House of Assaracus will hold sway over Phthia<br />and famous Mycenae, and it will be lord over the conquered Greeks.<br />A Trojan Caesar will be born from a glorious family,<br />who extends the empire to the ocean, and his fame to the stars,<br />-- he will be called Iulius, a name sent down from great Iulus.<br />One day you, untroubled, will welcome him, laden with the spoils<br />of the East, to the heavens; he, too, will be called upon by prayers.<br />Then these harsh ages will become calm with wars put aside;<br />grey-haired Faith, and Vesta, Quirinus with his brother Remus,<br />will give laws; the dire gates of War will be shut by iron<br />and close-fitting locks; wicked Madness, sitting inside<br />on top of savage arms, and bound by a hundred bronze knots<br />behind his back, will roars horribly from his bloody mouth."</p></blockquote>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-9439409546875454602023-03-01T08:33:00.001-05:002023-03-11T14:03:25.736-05:00That March Boy Martial<p>Today is March 1st, the birthday of the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis, commonly called Martial. I would often teach about Martial and his poetry to my Latin students as they were making the transition between textbook Latin and authentic Latin literature.</p><p>In honor of the poet's birthday, here is the less-than-humble epigram he wrote to introduce his work:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Hic est quem legis ille, quem requiris,</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">toto notus in orbe Martialis</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">argutis epigrammaton libellis:</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">cui, lector studiose, quod dedisti</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">uiuenti decus atque sentienti,</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">rari post cineres habent poetae.</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p> Martial, <i>Epigrams</i> I.1 </p><p>And my translation:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Here's that guy you read, who you're looking for,</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Martial, known in the whole, wide world</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">for his witty little books of epigrams.</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">The props you have given him, eager reader,</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">while still alive and awake,</div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">few poets get after they're dead. </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Here is the information about his life and works I would distribute to my students:</div><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">Marcus Valerius Martialis, known commonly as Martial,
perfected the Latin epigram as a literary artform. He penned well over 1,500
poems, each one on a single, specific topic. His work became popular among the
Romans and was imitated by the poets of the empire and Renaissance and it still
serves as the model for writers of epigrams today.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>HISTORY AND CAREER</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Martial was born around AD 40 in Bilbilis in the Roman <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">province</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Hispania</st1:placename></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was given the cognomen Martialis because
he was born on the Kalends of March. After spending most of his life in and
around <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>, he
returned to his hometown late in life and died there around 104.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After receiving a good education, Martial made his way to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city> in about 64. There he made the acquaintance of several of the
notable authors of the day, including Juvenal and fellow Spaniards Quintilian,
Seneca the Younger, and Lucan. He quickly learned of life in the center of the
empire after both Seneca and Lucan were ordered to commit suicide upon being
linked with the conspiracy of Lucius Calpurnius Piso in 65.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Martial, of humble, provincial origins, had to rely upon his
writing talent to make ends meet in the big city. In his own poetry he writes
of being poor and having to climb up three flights of stairs to his humble
apartment. He also writes that his patrons were not very generous. As his fame
grew, his conditions improved and he makes mention of a small house on the
Quirinal Hill and a cottage in nearby Nomentum, a small town in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Latium</st1:place></st1:country-region>. He was also
awarded the honorary rank of military tribune and, although not married, was
granted the <i>ius trium liberorum</i>, giving
him tax exemption and other privileges usually reserved for fathers of three
children.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>HIS WORKS</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The term epigram comes from the Greek <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">epi</i> meaning “upon” and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphein</i>
meaning “to write.” Its origins lie in the precision and economy of inscriptions
on monuments and tombstones, but it was later developed into its own genre by
the Greeks. Before Martial, Catullus from the 1<sup>st</sup> century BC, reigned
as the king of epigrams, often writing about love and hate and the struggles
with his relationships. Following Catullus’ inspiration, many writers of the
late republic and early empire penned epigrams, but very few of their works
have survived. Martial perfected the form, writing to the point and without the
weighty mythological similes and allusions so common in Latin lyric and epic
poetry. Many of his poems consist of a single couplet with only a few exceeding
twenty lines. Most of his epigrams are written in elegiac couplets; a sixth in
hendecasyllabics, some 80 are choliambics, a few in iambics and hexameters.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Martial’s first known work was the <i>Liber Spectaculorum</i>, a collection of poems commemorating the
opening of the Colosseum in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>
in AD 80. Thirty-six of the poems have survived, most of them praising the
emperor Titus and providing valuable information about his inaugural games.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Around 84, Martial published a series of elegiac couplets
used as labels on gifts given to friends and guests attending banquets during
the Saturnalia. These gifts included food, drinks, clothing, stationary,
furniture, toys, artwork, pets, and even slaves. Later, these epigrams would
become Books XIII and XIV of his complete collection of <i>Epigrams</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the ensuing years 86-98, Martial produced eleven volumes
of his most famous work of <i>Epigrams</i>. Like
all good authors, Martial wrote about the world around him, including the
memorable characters and follies he saw every day in the bustling, cosmopolitan
streets of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>.
His subject matter includes poignant anecdotes and affections for true friends,
acquaintances, admirable heroes from Roman history, faithful wives and slaves, the
joys of country life and his Spanish homeland.
He is better known for his commentary on the seedier inhabitants of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>: fortune-tellers,
drunks, lovers, critics, and hypocrites. He also wrote in praise and complaint
about his patrons and fellow poets. Finally, as a dutiful client, some of his
poems are addressed to the emperor Domitian. They are marked by obvious
flattery or overt praise, most likely as a means of insuring preservation and
support from the principate.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A large number of Martial’s epigrams are obscene, causing
him to preface several of his books with defensive comments and he cites Catullus
as a precedent. Perhaps in response to criticism, he dedicated Book V to <i>matronae puerique virginesque</i> and Book
VIII has no poems on objectionable subjects. While most of his poems are
addressed to an individual, many of the names are probably pseudonyms. He wrote
that it was his custom<i> parcere personis,
dicere de vitiis</i> = “to spare the people but reveal their vices.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Around 100, Martial had exhausted his material and tired of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>. He returned to
Bilbilis and settled down comfortably on a farm given to him by a patroness. It
was there that he wrote his twelfth book in the winter of 101. While the
specific date is not known, Pliny the Younger, in one of his epistles, praises
Martial and mentions his death in 104.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>SOURCES</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lilian Feder, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The <st1:place w:st="on">Meridian</st1:place> Handbook of Classical Literature</i>. <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>: New American
Library, 1986.</p><p class="MsoNormal">M. C. Howatson, ed., <i>The
Oxford Companion to Classical Literature</i>, 2<sup>nd</sup> edition. <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>: <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Oxford</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>
Press, 1989.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-69324712907741579452023-02-28T15:39:00.000-05:002023-02-28T15:39:04.526-05:00All About That JCL Motto: A Keynote Address<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC5_-2As48N-EpesbQD03PUQytESyATZ7v_lfIcWgW_Ryzxm_aW-dHH_pgdsvzU7ld9UfzTuHq5lpYhrherjZEOZ939ughA4O39HwMdwpXO_8cJFqiOjpA25QTngVuWf89FmAnW1Hx2W8C4iTZ4i0MTw4pncTBXZurWYCbip1upQTVHGVFQ/s2141/JCL_wreath.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2141" data-original-width="2130" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC5_-2As48N-EpesbQD03PUQytESyATZ7v_lfIcWgW_Ryzxm_aW-dHH_pgdsvzU7ld9UfzTuHq5lpYhrherjZEOZ939ughA4O39HwMdwpXO_8cJFqiOjpA25QTngVuWf89FmAnW1Hx2W8C4iTZ4i0MTw4pncTBXZurWYCbip1upQTVHGVFQ/w199-h200/JCL_wreath.png" width="199" /></a></div><p>Last fall, I was invited to give the keynote address at the 2022 Virginia Junior Classical League Convention in Richmond. Here is the fleshed out version of the presentation given by outline:</p><p>"Thank you, Chloe (VJCL President who had just introduced me)! <i>Salvete, omnes! Quid agitis?</i> I am honored to be the keynote speaker for this 70th anniversary of the Virginia Junior Classical League Convention. I never expected I would be here today, speaking before such an enthusiastic gathering of Latin students and teachers -- I must admit that I am a bit flattered that you still want to hear from me -- nor had I ever expected to be attending a VJCL convention in the past. As a high school student, I didn't even know about JCL and all its activities. As a college student, I still didn't know about all the fun and camaraderie. As a first-year teacher? Nope, still not aware of the JCL love. But everything changed my second year after I changed schools. David Winn, my colleague at a neighboring school in my new school system, introduced me to the glory that is JCL, and I ended up attending 31 state conventions and even four national ones. In order to discover these new experiences, I had changed my location, changed my mindset, opened myself up to new ideas, and here I am 35 years later.</p><p>JCL's theme for 2022-2023 is <i>caelum, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt</i>. This passage comes from Horace's <i>Epistles </i>I.11 and, in order to fully its meaning, you have to read this line in the context of the entire poem -- context is important for almost everything in our lives. Here's an outline of the poem addressed to a certain Bullatius:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Lines 1-10: Horace asks Bullatius about his impressions of all those famous and fancy cities in the Greek East</li><li>Lines 11-21: Horace reminds Bullatius that he is and, therefore, we are responsible for our own happiness</li><li>Lines 22-30 (the section from which our theme arises): Horace advises Bullatius to enjoy each hour as it passes -- an echo of his <i>carpe diem</i> theme in his <i>Odes</i>.</li></ul><div>Now, what is the context of our theme and what does it all mean? Again, <i>caelum, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt</i>, and here is my translation of the last section of this <i>Epistle</i>:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You be <b>thankful </b>for whatever time god has granted you</div><div style="text-align: center;">and do not put sweet things off until next year,</div><div style="text-align: center;">so that, wherever you have been, you can say that you <b>lived happily</b>;</div><div style="text-align: center;">for if <b>reason </b>and <b>discretion </b>carry away our <b>troubles</b>,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and not a place looking out over a wide stretch of sea,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>those, who <u>rush</u> across the sea, change their <u>location</u>, not their <u>mindset</u>.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Idle busyness</b> troubles all of us; with ships and chariots</div><div style="text-align: center;">we seek to live well. What you seek is right here,</div><div style="text-align: center;">it's at Ulubrae, if you keep a level head.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Note: Ulubrae is a tiny village, literally a back-water, located on the Pomptine Marshes near Rome and famous for its incessantly noisy frogs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, what is the relevance of this theme to us as we celebrate all things JCL? There is a big, beautiful world out there -- go experience it! In other words, when in Rome, do (somewhat) as the Romans do. But, keep yourself grounded with the comforts and familiarity of home. You must enjoy life as it comes, as you have it, as you know it -- seize the day! Don't go rushing off to new places simply expecting things to be different -- you can change your sky, your location (<i>caelum</i>), but to live the happy life, you have to change what's inside you, you mind, your heart, your mindset (<i>animus</i>).</div><p></p><p>So, on that note, I wish you a fun, exciting, and educational VJCL convention! Thank you!"</p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-13305567756740045372023-02-27T15:21:00.003-05:002023-02-27T15:21:43.486-05:00Do Not Seize the Day<p>It seems today is the day for classical literacy. Behold this humorous take on the whole <i>carpe diem</i> theme:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Iu0m33Sfpz9_VWo93XUfoZMG4HT7-4fAsUAXbDlPzOi04TL2M3KEqYQS-bOtw-UbeYmQ_XDfJULqnmhMw87bovXP2Trvbk0ve7ri2P9BHXc2-2wYJsGWzBBz74zR3DBg0wFGeAayM-ac1jb6eswRj9ROqT-axS0u7MdSfm4FHBLlu4Vfww/s960/Do%20not%20seize%20the%20day%20meme.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="960" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Iu0m33Sfpz9_VWo93XUfoZMG4HT7-4fAsUAXbDlPzOi04TL2M3KEqYQS-bOtw-UbeYmQ_XDfJULqnmhMw87bovXP2Trvbk0ve7ri2P9BHXc2-2wYJsGWzBBz74zR3DBg0wFGeAayM-ac1jb6eswRj9ROqT-axS0u7MdSfm4FHBLlu4Vfww/w434-h380/Do%20not%20seize%20the%20day%20meme.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-30446191281396930952023-02-27T15:00:00.004-05:002023-02-27T15:02:25.201-05:00ad nauseam<p>I came across "<i>ad nauseam"</i> twice this morning in my readings. The Latin phrase means "to the point of sickness or disgust," particularly referring to seasickness, that wretching result experienced by those sailing upon a fitful sea. It is used adverbially (I never stopped to think about its part of speech) to indicate that some action has gone on far too long and is beginning to make the recipient ill, or wish they were sick to make a hasty exit.</p><p>Attempting to find a classical source for this phrase, I entered into the <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/" target="_blank">Perseus Digital Library</a> which holds allows scholars to search Greek and Latin texts for words exactly like this, and I found no such occurrence from the ancient world.</p><p>The online <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/" target="_blank">Merriam-Webster Dictionary</a> indicates that the phrase was first used in 1644, but does not cite any context or source. Furthermore, the entry for <i>ad nauseam</i> in the online <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/" target="_blank">Collins Dictionary</a> offers this nifty chart of how often this phrase appears throughout the history of literature:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSxVmeOPFka2U-X_tf54z2dJ6Y6kcewvLqvNLV7VyMjczXed7V5AcDSXOOCwSK-ZboZ08K8S097HHUCLR_HMFo_G82ByRBp0MIF79k7MBoVd220PLQ6ZpGVdhExhmzW1Vta2KSuYTkTSX5gnql-C3u8AQ5lO9RVPHD893_mWjxTORqk7eNw/s828/ad%20nauseam%20usage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="828" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSxVmeOPFka2U-X_tf54z2dJ6Y6kcewvLqvNLV7VyMjczXed7V5AcDSXOOCwSK-ZboZ08K8S097HHUCLR_HMFo_G82ByRBp0MIF79k7MBoVd220PLQ6ZpGVdhExhmzW1Vta2KSuYTkTSX5gnql-C3u8AQ5lO9RVPHD893_mWjxTORqk7eNw/w500-h210/ad%20nauseam%20usage.png" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Who would have thought that <i>ad nauseam</i> would have its hey-day in the early to mid-20th century?</p><p>This phrase sounds a but hyperbolic, but I have had the experience of enduring a situation which lasted well to the point of sickness. I once was in Rome with my students on a guided tour, on which the clueless tour guide marched us directly up the stairs in the Colosseum to a sunny, open spot in a ruined vault and then lectured us about the history of Rome. We stood crowded together in the hot, Italian sun for nearly an hour. At the end of this history lesson which droned on <i>ad nauseam</i>, we were hot, a little burned, sweating, becoming dizzy, and a bit nauseous. Needless to say, we had to nudge him along from this lecturn and move us on to more interesting things.</p><p>Finally, while rooting around and looking for interesting things about <i>ad nauseam</i>, I came across a fun entry from Heidi Stevens at the <i>Chicago Tribune</i>: <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-tribu-words-work-ad-20110504-story.html" target="_blank">give it a read</a>.</p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-79101422402468390412023-02-25T09:08:00.001-05:002023-03-04T10:10:01.796-05:00Short, Doable Latin<p style="text-align: left;">David Pellegrino, a retired, high school Latin teacher who lives in Upstate New York, occasionally shares on Facebook "short, doable Latin," which teachers can use with their students. Here is his post from Friday, February 24:</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i></i></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Cicero Basilo sal.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Tibi gratulor, mihi gaudeo; te amo, tua tueor; a te amari et, quid agas quidque agatur, certior fieri volo.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Cicero, <i>Ad Familiares</i> VI.15</p></blockquote><p>I particularly like the passage's variety of pronouns, something students frequently need to review: <i>tibi</i>, <i>mihi</i>, <i>te</i>, and <i>a te</i>, not to mention the substantive use of the possessive adjective <i>tua</i>. Reading this letter also gives the opportunity to review the subjunctive use of the indirect question: <i>quid agas quidque agatur</i> set up by the Latin idiom <i>certior fieri</i>. There is a lot of Latin packed into this brief missive.</p><p>Here is my literal translation in the Latin word order:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Cicero to Basilus greetings. To you I give thanks; for myself I rejoice; you I love, your things I watch over; by you to be loved and, what you are doing and what is being done, more certain to be made I want."</blockquote><p></p><p>Now here is my polished translation:</p><p></p><blockquote>"Greetings to Basilus from Cicero! Congratulations to you! I am so happy! I love you and am taking care of your personal affairs. I hope the feelings are mutual. Let me know how you're doing and what's going on."</blockquote><p></p><p>Apparently this is the congratulatory message sent by Cicero to one Lucius Minucius Basilus, one of the conspirators who is taking refuge or has fled after the assassination of Julius Caesar. This context explains the expressions of congratulations, thanks, and affection for Basilus from Cicero, who was no fan of Caesar or his politics.</p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-25107746161101373722023-02-24T15:08:00.001-05:002023-03-04T10:11:45.641-05:00The Emperor Decius Still Looks On<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4Wqgv9IULFAPauQ_KeTWADhJpqIWrmLwuTT9jkwBsuYgtzOCM-Rh_heXXt9ASqJpxB4jjpsm0hIGEPEf5GpHX-J2m7lGk9VsBUatfiTDNef4JYX01_c_mfmnQaEyQ62URvp_1rLNCPxDGCqlfZOJXvaQk2v4iLVf6fdOGu9ItEeZmne2rg/s4000/Capitoline%20Bust.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4Wqgv9IULFAPauQ_KeTWADhJpqIWrmLwuTT9jkwBsuYgtzOCM-Rh_heXXt9ASqJpxB4jjpsm0hIGEPEf5GpHX-J2m7lGk9VsBUatfiTDNef4JYX01_c_mfmnQaEyQ62URvp_1rLNCPxDGCqlfZOJXvaQk2v4iLVf6fdOGu9ItEeZmne2rg/s320/Capitoline%20Bust.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />A bust of the Roman emperor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decius">Decius</a>, who ruled during the mid-3rd century CE. I captured this image in the <a href="https://www.museicapitolini.org/en">Capitoline Museums</a> during my last visit to Rome in 2014. I love the angle and the contrast between the light and shadows.<p></p>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-21310325365773053722023-02-23T23:31:00.006-05:002023-02-23T23:31:56.083-05:00Otium cum dignitateRetirement came easily, more easily than I had expected or ever planned. When I began my teaching career in 1987, retirement was far from my thoughts, as it should have been. The end was far too final and much too far away to be considered. In subsequent years, when retirement was mentioned or experienced by colleagues, I replied that this was not in the realm of possibility for me, and, besides, what would I do? How would I spend my time? How could I ever afford it? I would often say that I would teach as long as I could and they would have to drag me out of the classroom.<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfFGCQe6lu1qLrcwBX3Y6OuGHFmSxX3EJCD2TVqH-LetY9Meyw6OPqDl-GIuh440vi9gZCIuy8ehdHglYoEXzQx_pwOO65BzW6sucWumxiaven19C9KJbF1FdqEKVKka6wJjZ05sJAS9aWaMghbm-8V6oUiU7NxQNWOu0zBHhLYhNCYrBrA/s2221/Umbrella%20Pine%20in%20Ostia.JPG" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1941" data-original-width="2221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfFGCQe6lu1qLrcwBX3Y6OuGHFmSxX3EJCD2TVqH-LetY9Meyw6OPqDl-GIuh440vi9gZCIuy8ehdHglYoEXzQx_pwOO65BzW6sucWumxiaven19C9KJbF1FdqEKVKka6wJjZ05sJAS9aWaMghbm-8V6oUiU7NxQNWOu0zBHhLYhNCYrBrA/s200/Umbrella%20Pine%20in%20Ostia.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Fast forward to 2021. The world was different, and I had changed, too, having grown older, wiser, and more experienced, but frustrations, disillusionment, and the constant grind was wearing me down. Teaching and learning and life were nothing like they were back in the '80s. Sometimes I thought that those issues which distracted from my ability to make a positive difference came from my failure to completely grow and adapt to the world changing around me. Other times I thought the opposite, that I was doing the right thing in the best way, and the world was failing to conform to me. I guess this statement says a lot about the accuracy of my thoughts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beginning around 2015, teaching started to become more difficult for me, socially, physically, emotionally, and practically. Demands from students, parents, and administrators continued to increase. There were increasingly more distractions, more discouraging criticism from local, state, and national politics, leading to less accountability for real growth by students, resulting in much less satisfaction and enjoyment.</div><div><br /></div><div>My final day in the classroom was Thursday, March 12, 2020. The reports of the spread of COVID-19 were becoming more dire and frightening. My school division closed all its schools for that Friday (yes, the 13th) before spring break scheduled for the next week. They would soon add an extra week to spring break in an attempt to give the spread of this disease time to level off and begin to decline. The pandemic was upon us. We would not return to school for the rest of the school year. Attempts were made to provide work and enrichment, but very few students participated. We all know the stories.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the 2020-2021 school year, a year like no other for teachers, students, and parents, I spent the first semester teaching online from home. Because of health concerns exacerbated by some medical conditions, I opted to isolate myself from possible exposure to the coronavirus. Teaching remotely was not an easy task. I had some students (some physically attending school and just as many tuning in from home) at my high school and, due to declining enrollment, others at a neighboring middle school. This teaching assignment with two schools give rise to different class schedules, nine different preparations, different online platforms, and wholly different expectations. To be sure, it became tedious, overwhelming, and wholly unsustainable.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the second semester I was among the lucky few who, with a letter from my physician, were granted the extension to continue teaching from home. I continued to press forward through a heavily-adapted curriculum, trying to remain upbeat and positive, and even offering after-school activities for those few students who wanted to keep the Latin Club alive. But I knew that I could not continue like this, then things started to happy quickly. At an annual meeting with our financial advisor, I commented, half-jokingly, that I would like to retire, an idea I didn't think possible because of the financial uncertainties. He crunched the numbers and said confidently, "Yeah, you can do that. We can make that work." I was surprised and even relieved, but I did not hesitate. My reply was, "Great! Let's make it happen!" I contacted our school system's Human Resources Department and got started on the paperwork, which was a more complicated task that I had anticipated, but it really didn't matter. I had made my decision to bring my teaching career to a close and working through the bureaucracy was going to be well worth it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Almost a year to the day of that last time in my classroom, during the second spring break of teaching during the pandemic, I returned to school with my wife and son. I entered my room, which had now been reassigned to an English teacher, and packed up my belongings which had been moved to the side and the back. We hauled off my books, posters, toys, and other personal items from there and from storage, and then I snapped the last photograph, locked the door, and left the building, without seeing or speaking to anyone. I wanted to leave quietly.</div><div><br /></div><div>I finished out this last semester, struggling to keep the students moving forward. I didn't make any formal announcement about not coming coming back the next year until word got out, as it it typically does. I can still remember that last day in late May as vividly as my very first one 34 years earlier. There are certain things you can never forget. I finished that last day, trying to impart some final words of wisdom to my students, but not really meeting with success. The "final bell" rang, the students signed out, and I shut down Google Classroom. I turned off my computer. I was done.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I walked into my classroom for the very time, I didn't know or care what my last day teaching would be like, but I know neither I nor anyone else would have anticipated how teaching would work during a global pandemic. Indeed, these circumstances hastened my exit and made it a much more logical decision to make. It provided an easy and logical end to my career.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFxz7wBXSKOceYoEDsmRfnkd_joFPK7DevdSZOjFcvVEUZQMpW2mGRarnS8gLnyBoy63B-7o9ZT1pGyRQr0qKC-So5WIFBrzcSOAj0tIomzJ4YOY1RoNjIJ9-DGETpdR31nIqMYPPzgzzA0orl1OQBM7LQKk0eiNCqjdK1k9wwovVZ8miHw/s4032/image_67147521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFxz7wBXSKOceYoEDsmRfnkd_joFPK7DevdSZOjFcvVEUZQMpW2mGRarnS8gLnyBoy63B-7o9ZT1pGyRQr0qKC-So5WIFBrzcSOAj0tIomzJ4YOY1RoNjIJ9-DGETpdR31nIqMYPPzgzzA0orl1OQBM7LQKk0eiNCqjdK1k9wwovVZ8miHw/w240-h320/image_67147521.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-48343876132444636152023-02-22T23:24:00.005-05:002023-02-23T20:36:23.784-05:00Many Happy ReturnsI am returning to my blog after a nearly five-year hiatus. Of course this statement is technically correct, but I notice I really haven't published more than 10 posts a year since 2011, and that was 12 years ago. I am also quite surprised to see that it has been a little over 17 years since I started this whole on-again, off-again venture. I must admit that my writing has often been abandoned but not entirely forgotten. These breaks from writing have not been intentional, but, as a teacher, penning your thoughts and sharing them to the world has always been one of those activities which has always taken a back seat to more pressing and necessary tasks. Now, though, the urge to write and compose and post has returned. We'll see how this goes.
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After opening my neglected blog yesterday, and then resetting the password to regain the ability to make edits, I began to tinker with the site, make some updates, and reread some of my old posts. Oh boy, I really do need to revise and polish some of those earlier articles! The biggest change I made to the site, though, (and this is a doozy) is the addition of the adjective "retired" to the phrase "high school Latin teacher" in the subtitle. Much more about that news later!Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-35891315673892592102018-06-18T20:48:00.003-04:002023-02-21T23:02:25.158-05:00Calling for a CullingHello! My name is Mark, and I am hoarder of classroom materials.<br />
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I finished the annual task of packing up and cleaning out my classroom today. For the very first time I chose to leave the posters on the walls, if for no other reason than I did not want to spend the extra time to take them down.<br />
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Everything but the furniture must be hauled out by the teachers so that the floors can be cleaned, stripped, and waxed. Fortunately the custodians handle the task of moving the desks, shelves, filing cabinet, and closet on (wheels). All of this is accomplished by a couple weeks before the start of school, and then we haul everything back in and set things back in order.</div>
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After I moved my last cart of books and boxes, I noticed that I have much more than a small amount of stuff squirreled away. Take a look:</div>
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Yes. Count them. Six cubbies, three cabinets, and spillage out into the floor. All filled with boxes of books, files, desk accessories, decor, toys, arts and crafts supplies, etc. Looking closer will reveal sets and backgrounds from at least two homecoming floats. All of this useful and important in its own time and place, but a pain to pack and move when the building is dark and silent.</div>
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I had planned to spend a part of this year to set it all out and then to find it a better home or send it into the trashcan. The goal was reduce my stash to fewer cubbies... but it somehow grew to more! I now admit that I do have a problem. I had set out a special shelf this year marked with a sign reading GRATIS. The idea was place items free for the taking by any student, visitor, or teacher. This process began with good intentions, but as the work and activities grew, the environment withdrew into the background. Sometimes there were piles and stacks to navigate, but never did it stand in the way of our missions.</div>
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Something's gotta give, though. I will make it a priority to sift through all these items and keep only which contributes directly to the teaching of six Latin classes or the running of an active Latin Club. After all, having too much stuff can stand in the way of effective use of fewer, higher-quality items. It is time to sift, cull, trash, and give away things that are no longer making the cut. I have gather these items for 31 years. It is time to apply the notion that less is more.</div>
Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-86416547002092307592018-06-11T21:49:00.000-04:002018-06-11T21:50:07.669-04:00Greener Grasses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just returned home from a farewell dinner for two Latin colleagues leaving our school system at the end of the week. Each one is departing for pastures expected to have greener grass, albeit decidedly different flavors.</div>
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My first colleague will be leaving her high school program after fourteen years. She taught all levels of Latin, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate, an occasional middle school class, and a fairly active Latin Club and certamen teams. She became department chair and the odd combination of classes and duties began to compound and overwhelm her. She has a husband and two young children. She has opted to leave these burdens behind and will replace them with what will surely be a two-hour commute each way. She will have a lighter teaching load and enjoy higher pay.</div>
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My second colleague will be leaving behind his middle school position after only three years of teaching, admittedly not even enough time to get really get his teaching chops established. He has wrangled middle-schoolers in Latin I, Latin IA, Latin IB, Latin II, and Introduction to World Languages. These combinations of classes, including the nature of these young students, has also worn on him. He will be leaving teaching behind for new and different opportunities. He looks forward to greater freedom, less grief, and more chances to explore and grow.</div>
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To lose a fourteen-year veteran is a real loss... loss of experience, continuity, and institutional memory; yet losing a three-year beginning is just as frustrating. The departure of new teachers is a very real problem and threatens our profession. Good Latin teacher are difficult to find in the first place, but then to lose them too soon compounds the problem. Each one has made his and her own decision, and I do not begrudge them their choices at all. Indeed, there may even be a little bit of envy.</div>
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As I mentioned in my last post, this has not been a good year for me. Besides missing four weeks of teaching due to medical leave and recovery this spring, as well as time out for conferences and the graduations of both my daughter from graduate school and son from college, there were some classes where my personality and that of my students did not match up well, and some students even rejected any enthusiastic attempt to learn and grow. I hope to pursue these dynamics in later posts. I am just about to complete my thirty-first year of teaching. At one point the notion of retirement surfaced and I rejected it because I could not stand the idea of leaving in a negative note, and indeed I had unfinished business. As the year began to wind down and the frustrations that come with formalized testing, certification, and administrative demands, I began to seriously consider retirement at the end of next year. Thirty-two years in any profession is respectable, is it not? I signed my electronic contract thinking that I might wrap things up on my own terms and leave at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. After all, my certification will be due, our curriculum is changing with a requisite alteration of teaching philosophy, and we are getting new textbooks. Sounds like a good time to depart, does it not? Then I made the fateful move... out of curiosity I checked the pay scale, just to see what my final paychecks would look like. I was floored! In only eight more years, my pay was scheduled to increase by more than $18,000! How tempting! How exciting! In order to keep seasoned, experienced teachers, the pay increases significantly up until it freezes at 40 years of service. This put the breaks on any thoughts of retirement for the moment, but I am a bit disappointed in myself because suddenly I am choosing to stay not just because I want to teach, but that I am reaching for the money.</div>
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My two colleagues and I have noticed the greener grasses growing in other pastures or even in our own field. Is it really greener though? Does it taste any different or nourish our bodies or souls any better? At the moment, only time will tell.</div>
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More about retirement later. </div>
Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-77274756074967059922018-06-10T15:47:00.005-04:002018-06-10T16:07:57.114-04:00All Things Considered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">As exam week rolls into view, I find it necessary to take stock of this year which, I must admit, has not been a good one, either for me or for some of my students. I am returning to Marginalia as a means of reviewing, organizing, and analyzing what went right and what went wrong in my classroom and inside my head. I am being purposely vague at the moment; just laying out a general road map of personal discussion. Welcome back to me!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">P.S. I will also be editing this blog: making updates, deleting nonsense, and adding commentary. I was surprised to find that I started this twelve years ago, and it has been dormant for much of that time. Perhaps it is time to erupt.</span></div>
Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22359913.post-60519425018831764302016-02-07T09:43:00.002-05:002023-03-11T14:04:00.745-05:00Erotion's ParentsThe other day in Latin III, my students asked a question that made me realize something about Martial's poem V.34 about the death of Erotion. The parents of this very young slave are dead.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">Hanc
tibi, Fronto pater, genetrix Flaccilla, puellam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> oscula
commendo deliciasque meas,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">parvola
ne nigras horrescat Erotion umbras<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> oraque
Tartarei prodigiosa canis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">Impletura
fuit sextae modo frigora brumae, 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> vixisset
totidem ni minus illa dies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">Inter
tam veteres ludat lasciva patronos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> et
nomen blaeso garriat ore meum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;">Mollia
non rigidus caespes tegat ossa nec illi,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 150%;"> terra,
gravis fueris: non fuit illa tibi. 10</span></div>
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In line 1, there has been mention of the chiasmus that exists in <i>Fronto pater, genetrix Flacilla</i> and how this reflection of word order suggests that the mother and father are facing each other, perhaps consoling each other in their grief. I generally like this suggestion and agree with it, even using this phrase as an excellent example of the poetic device and how it works. What is more interesting to me, though, is the placement of <i>Hanc</i> and <i>puellam</i> at the beginning and ending of the line, completely surrounding her huddled parents. To me this arrangement illustrates that Erotion exists in a world outside her parents. If her parents were alive, wouldn't "this girl" be more comfortable and loved by the placement between her father and mother?<br />
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When reading the poem, we do not learn by the persona, presumably Martial, that Erotion has died until the third line. He sets up the image of a sweet girl by mentioning her <i>oscula</i> and <i>delicias</i> until line 3, a jarring revelation when we realize that she, quite young (<i>parvola</i>) will be shuddering at the "dark shadows" which will be surrounding her, quite literally. Notice the arrangement of <i>nigras...umbras</i> physically around the shuddering girl (<i>horrescat Erotion</i>). The whole image is reinforced in line 4 with the realization that she will have to make her way past Cerberus (<i>Tartarei...canis</i>).<br />
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Therefore, if Martial is entrusting the care of Erotion to her parents (<i>tibi...commendo</i>, lines 1-2) before she her soul makes the journey to the Underworld, it only logically follows that Fronto and Flacilla are already there, waiting to receive her on the other side.<br />
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I think I overlooked this interesting point in the past because I was so eager to get to Martial's "gotcha" at the end of the poem and show my students the poet's poignant conclusion:<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mollia non rigidus caespes tegat ossa nec illi,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> terra, gravis fueris: non fuit illa tibi. 10</span></div>
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"Do not let rough sod cover her gentle bones, earth, nor lie heavy upon her; she was not heavy upon you."<br />
Mark A. Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03339375274062593045noreply@blogger.com2