ago, -ere, egi, actum
pass, reach (in reference to time); the subject is Julia.

tricesimus, -a, -um
thirtieth

aetas, aetatis f.
age; life.

supersum, -esse, -fui, --
survive; remain; imperfect subjunctive in a conditional clause.

vergo, -ere, --, --
move downward; draw near the end of (time of life); modifies aetatis.

senium, -i n.
old age. Life-expectancy in early imperial Rome was much less than today; the age of forty was considered the beginning of old age.

indulgentia, -ae f.
indulgence; favor; kindness followed by the genitives fortuna and patris.

tam…quam
as much as; translate as though one word when you reach quam.

abutor, -i, -usus sum + ablative
squander; take advantage of; misuse.

alioquin adverb
in other respects, otherwise; in general.

litterae, -arum f. pl.
literature.

eruditio, -onis f.
learning; culture.

quod= (id) quod
a thing which. The antecedent is both her love of learning and her culture, which, because they are considered as a single aspect of her personality, are summed up by the singular quod. When abstract nouns differ in gender as here (amor is masculine, eruditio is feminine), a neuter pronoun may be used to refer to both.

domus, -us and -i f.:
house, home; family (of Augustus).

praeterea adverb
besides, moreover, henceforth.

mitis, -e
gentle, mild.

humanitas, -atis f.
human nature/ character; humane nature/ character, kindness.

minime adverb
least; not at all.

ingens, -entis
huge, mighty, great.

gratia, -ae f.
kindness; favor; popularity.

concilio (1)
win over, attract; commend; endear.

miror (1 deponent)
be amazed; wonder at.

vitium, -i n.
fault; vice.

pariter adverb
equally.

diversitas, -atis f.
condition of being different; state of being opposite.

Section 3

semel adverb
once; a single time.

praecipio, -ere, -cepi, -ceptum
instruct, advise; admonish.

temperatus, -a, -um
moderate, controlled.

gravitas, -atis f.
seriousness; strictness.

sermo, -onis m.
speech; conversation.

moderor (1 deponent)
guide; have control of; restrain; temper, moderate. moderaretur: understand an ut clause of indirect command.

profusus, -a, -um
immoderate, extravagant.

cultus, -us m.
way or manner of living.

perspicuus, -a, -um
conspicuous; evident.

comitatus, -us m.
company; associates; friends.

idem adverb
likewise.

nepos, -otis m.
grandson.

turba, -ae f.
crowd, throng: Julia and Agrippa had two sons and two daughters; a third son was born after Agrippa died (d. 12 BCE).

respicio, -ere, -spexi, -spectum
look to, consider.

repraesento (1)
bring back (before the mind’s eye), make present again.

dubito (1)
doubt, wonder.

pudicitia, -ae f.
modesty, chastity.

erubesco, ere, erubui
blush, turn red; i.e., because the children resembled their father, Agrippa.

Section 4

blandior, -iri, blanditus/a sum
flatter, coax; deceive or delude oneself; followed by an indirect statement.

laetus, -a, -um
cheerful, exuberant. Supply esse; predicate adjective modifying animum.

animus, -i , m.
mind, outlook. Subject of esse, modified also by liberum below.

usque ad adverb
up to the point of.

species, -ei f.
appearance, shape.

procacitas, -atis f.
shamelessness, impudence, impertinence.

reatus, -us m.
accusation, charge; in the ablative case following [animum] liberum [esse] (liber + ablative = free from), parallel to laetum ...animum above.

maiores, -orum m. pl.
ancestors.

Claudia Quinta: the matron whose story Ovid narrates in Fasti IV.291-328. Her reputation was cleared when she single-handedly freed the boat, grounded in the Tiber at Ostia, carrying the cult statue of the Magna Mater to Rome in 204 BCE (see WRW, pp. 119 ff). Statius, Silvae I.2.245-6 alludes to it, perhaps in tribute to Ovid. She appears on the altar of the priestess Claudia Syntyche (a descendant?) and in a 15th century painting by Neroccio de’ Landi above her story.

delicatus, -a, -um
spoiled; dainty, tender.

necesse adverb
by necessity.

Section 5

venerat (from venio): the subject is Julia.

licentior, -oris, comparative of licens
unrestrained, free in conduct; indecent, in bad taste.

vestitus, -us m.
dress, style of dressing.

taceo, -ere, tacui, tacitum
be silent; say nothing.

muto (1)
change, alter; the subject is Julia.

cultus, -us m.
cultivation (of the land); care (of the person), hence: style of dress; attire; refinement.

posterus, -a, -um
the next, following.

mos, -oris m.
nature, manner.

adfecto (1)
strive after, aim at; affect.

severitas, -atis f.
seriousness, austerity; ablative of cause after laetum.

complector, -plecti, plexus/a sum
a embrace, clasp.

contineo, -ere, -tinui, -tentum
keep in; restrain.

dolor, -oris m.
pain, sorrow.

probabilior, -oris, comparative form of probabilis
acceptable, worthy of being approved.

desum, -esse, -fui, -futurum + ablative (of separation)
fail; lack.

patrocinium, -i n.
advocacy, defense.

orno (1)
dress, adorn; with oculis in the dative case.

vir, viri m.
man; husband; understand oculis. Julia cleverly does not use the less ambiguous word for husband, maritus, which may or may not have been whom she meant.

Section 7

mature adverb
early.

coepio, -ere, coepi, coeptum
begin.

cani, -orum m. pl.
grey hair, white hair.

lego, -ere, legi, lectum
choose, select; here, pluck, pull out.

soleo, -ere, --, solitum
solitus be in the habit, be accustomed.

subitus, -a, -um
unexpected, sudden.

interventus, -us m.
appearance.

aliquando adverb
once.

opprimo, -ere, -pressi, -pressum
surprise.

ornatrix, -icis f.
hairdresser; dressing woman.

dissimulo (1)
ignore; pretend not to notice.

deprehendo, -ere, -hendi, -hensum
caught, detect, discover.

extractus, -a, -um (from extraho)
prolong, waste (in reference to time).

induco, -ere, -duxi, -ductum
introduce.

aliquot indeclinable adjective
some.

canus, -a, -um
grey, white.

malo, malle, malui, --
prefer, would rather.

calvus, -a, -um
bald.

cum temporal, with the subjunctive (respondisset)
when.

mendacium, -i n.
lie.

illi: to her (Julia).

obicio, -ere, -ieci, -iectum
expose, reproach.

cito adverb
soon, quickly.

Section 9
cum…mirarentur: subjunctive in a cum circumstantial clause.

quomodo adverb
how, in what manner.

conscius, -a, -um
aware of, having knowledge of; followed by the genitive (ei). Understand erant.

flagitium, -i n.
disgraceful action, shameful behavior.

pario, -ere, peperi, partum
give birth to; produce; subjunctive in indirect question after quomodo.

similis, -e
like, similar, followed by the dative case (Agrippae).

quae: Julia; it introduces a relative clause within an indirect question and thus its verb (faceret) is in the subjunctive by attraction.

vulgo adverb
common, in public, openly.

potestas, -atis f.
power; opportunity; occasion; potestatem corporis sui: possession of her body; sexual access to her body.

navi plena: ablative of description.

vector, -oris m.
passenger; some prominent names reputed to be Julia’s lovers are: Iullus Antonius, Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, T. Quinctius Crispinus, Appius Claudius Pulcher, Cornelius Scipio, and, it was rumored, Ovid himself. At least one lover, Sempronius, was exiled, and one, Jullus Antonius, was put to death.

Close this window after each use.