Notes to Ausonius, Parentalia 19

tu: The poet summons a woman of virtue to bid farewell to the virtuous Pudentilla.

Pudentilla,  -ae f.
Proper name, appropriate to a matrona: the feminine diminutive of the adjective pudens describes a woman who is modest, decent, restrained, and behaves as custom dictates, as the poet will explain.

adfor/affor (1 deponent)
address; speak to; imperative mood.

supremus, -a, -um
last, final; highest, greatest; ablative of means. See also line 10.

probitas, -atis f.
goodness, uprightness, honesty; understand curam.

frugi indeclinable adjective
frugal, honest, discreet, temperate.

probus, -a, -um
proper, excellent.

laetus, -a, -um
cheerful; pleasing.

pudicus, -a, -um
modest, virtuous, pure.

decorus, -a, -um
beautiful, elegant, seemly.

coniugium, -i n.
union, marriage; husband, wife.

Sanctus, -i m.
upright; blameless; sacrosanct; blessed. Flavius Sanctus, Pudentilla's husband for whom Ausonius also wrote a dirge (Parentalia 18).

iugiter  adverb
perpetually, continually; unfailingly.

inviolatus, -a, -um
unharmed; it can modify either Pudentilla or praeconia.

tueor, tueri, tu(i)tum
guard;,protect; watch, gaze upon.

castus, -a, -um
morally pure, guiltless.

praeconium, -i n.
commendation.

rego, -ere, rexi, rectum
manage, control; rule; guide.

opes, -um f. pl.
wealth, resources.

proprius, -a, -um
one’s own; special.

otium, -i n.
leisure, inactivity; in poetry it is often in the plural. Otia is the object of the ablative absolute agente viro. Healthy Roman men were expected to engage in negotia (care of their estates and political affairs). Wives were known to administer family properties while their husbands were away on business or on assignment, but this situation was unusual.

ideo adverb
for that reason.

exprobro (1) + dative
reproach; cast in the teeth; upbraid; the participle refers to Pudentilla, the unexpressed subject of rexit.

frons, frontis f.
forehead, brow; appearance.

obduco, -ducere, -duxim, -ductum
darken; cover over; close; the ablative absolute with fronte, in reference to Pudentilla, indicates a physical expression of anger: thunderous.

maritus, -i m.
husband.

quod conjunction
the fact that; followed by the imperfect subjunctive gereret.

gero, -ere, gessi, gestum
conduct, manage, administer.

solus, -a, -um
alone.

heu interjection
alas!

nimium adverb
too; too much.

iuvenis, -is
young; modifies Pudentilla, as do laeta and patiens.

natus, -i m.
son.

superstes, -stis
surviving; witness; ablative absolute with nato atque viro.

patior, -i, passus/a sum
endure (patiently); bear, support.

obeo, -ire, -ivi, -itum
meet with, come up against; the direct object is fata suprema.

unanimis, -e
of one mind, in accord, harmonious.

quondam adverb
once; formerly; because at this point both are deceased.

germana, -ae f.
full sister; i.e., having the same father and mother.

Sabina = Ausonius' wife (nostrae).

inoffensus, -a, -um
not harmed; without obstruction. Mihi is dative of reference with inoffenso, an ablative absolute with nomine. Ausonius appears to be saying that he didn't mind calling her sister.

soror, -oris f.
sister; the word was used for a birth sister as well as for a half-sister or sister-in-law. Adoptions and remarriages after death or divorce produced Roman families not very different from our own blended families.

manes, -ium m. pl.
the spirits of the dead; ashes.

placidus, -a, -um
gentle, quiet, calm, mild, peaceful.

pius, -a, -um
devoted, tender, good; with cura, the subject of retractat and colit.

retracto (1)
recollect; deal again with; occupy oneself with.

for, fari, fatum
speak, talk; say, tell; fantis is the genitive singular of the present participle following honore.

honor, -oris m.
tribute; honor.

colo, -ere, -ui, -itum
look after; cherish; remember; followed by the accusative of person and ablative of means. Naming the dead is a tribute, but particularly in the case of Pudentilla's name, the object of fantis and colit.

Notes to Ausonius, Parentalia 21

notitia, -ae f.
acquaintance; knowledge.

exilis, -e
meager, short.

nobis: 1 pl. reflexive pronoun, dative of reference; the plural is used for the singular.

tecum = cum te, preposition with the ablative, as also in line 2 (cumque tuo coniuge).

plane  averb
completely;certainly; plainly.

coniunx, -iugis m. f.
wife; husband; spouse; ablative following cum.

nullus, -a, -um
not any, no; understand notitia.

verum conjunction
but (adding to what has been said); but in fact (offering a contrasting fact).

adfinis/affinis, -e
related by marriage; a relative.

quoque adverb
also, too.

Regulus, -i m.
a petty king, chieftain; a cognomen used by many Roman families because of its proud history. Minucius Regulus is the husband of Attusia Lucana Talisia.

sortior, -iri, -itus
receive; acquire; assign, obtain by lot; the object of stringamus, sortitos includes both Attusia and Regulus.

vocabulum, -i n.
word; it is the direct object of sortitos.  Ausonius refers either to their names or their connections to him: affinis, soror.

stringo, -ere, strinxi, strictum
touch upon, treat briefly; independent (hortatory) subjunctive, the subject is Ausonius.

maestus, -a, -um
sorrowful, sad, dejected, melancholy; placed between stringamus and carminis, it reflects on both.

obsequium, -i n.
consideration; service (here, funeral).

quamvis adverb
however much; although.

Santonicus, -a, -um
pertaining to the Santoni, a people of Aquitania (now Saintes).

procul adverb
at a distance, far.

tellus, -uris f.
earth, land, country.

iaceo, -ere, iacui
lie; lie dead; be situated.

pervenio, -ire, -veni, -ventum
come to; arrive; reach.

exsequialis, -e
funereal.



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