prudentia, -ae f.
discretion, good sense.
novi, novisse, notum (defective verb)
know, know of; experience; it has only perfect system forms:
translate in present system.
patior, pati, passus sum
allow, permit; suffer, endure;take infinitive consume with
accusative subject te.
prosum, prodesse, profui, profuturum
benefit, profit, be useful; profuturo: future
active participle modifying maerore, with nihil as
the direct object.
maeror, maeroris m.
grief, mourning, sorrow; ablative of means.
consumo, -ere, -sumpsi, -sumptum
consume, devour, exhaust, destroy, wear away, squander.
cuius: introduces a relative clause; the antecedent is exemplum suum.
etiam conjunction
even, also, likewise.
spectator, -oris m.
observer; onlooker.
vir, viri m.
husband; man; hero.
amitto, -ere, -missi, -missum
lose; let go; understand ea (his aunt) as
the subject.
avunculus, avunculi m.
maternal uncle (mother’s brother or mother’s sister’s husband);
the antecedent of cui.
nubo, nubere, nupsi, nuptum + dative
marry, put on the veil (for); the verb is used for women; virgo is
in apposition with ea, the unexpressed subject of
the verb.
quidem adverb
in fact; even; translate with ipsa for emphasis.
navigatio, navigationis f.
voyage, navigation, sailing.
luctus, luctus m.
grief, sorrow, mourning.
metus, metus m.
fear, anxiety.
evinco, -ere, -vici, -victum
overcome; prevail over.
tempestas, tempestatis f.
storm, weather, season; with evictis, an
ablative absolute.
naufragus, -a, -um
shipwrecked; ruined; modifies the unexpressed subject ea.
eveho, -ere, -vexi, -vectum
carry out; corpus eius is the object.
multus, -a, -um
many; here a substantive adjective (note the gender); genitive
of possession with opera.
egregius, -a, -um
extraordinary, distinguished, excellent.
iaceo, -ere, -ui, --
lie, be neglected; modified by quam as an
exclamation. With in obscuro = be poorly known,
lie in darkness.
huic: understand feminae (his aunt); object of contigisset.
simplex, icis
pure; natural; plain, simple.
admiror (1)
admire, wonder at; admirandis virtutibus =
gerundive (denotes obligation), an ablative of cause after simplex,
describing in what way the former time was simple.
contingo, -ere, -tigi, -tactum + dative
be granted to; come to pass; happen; contigisset =
pluperfect subjunctive in the protasis (supposition) of a contrary-to-fact
condition.
antiquitas, antiquitatis f.
antiquity, the good old days; modified by illa simplex.
ingenium, -i n.
ability, talent.
certamen, certaminis n.
contest; rivalry; struggle, combat; modified by quanto. Seneca
asserts that in former times artists would have competed with each
other to immortalize his aunt’s heroism.
celebro (1)
celebrate, honor, glorify; celebraretur is
imperfect subjunctive in the apodosis (conclusion) of a contrary-to-fact
condition. Seneca's praises his aunt for her conduct as uxor.
oblitus, -a, -um + genitive.
forgetful; modifies quae (its antecedent
is uxor).
inbecillitas, inbecillitatis f.
weakness, feebleness; a prejudice applied globally to women’s
body, mind, and emotions.
metuo, metuere, metui, --
fear, be afraid, dread; metuendi ... maris = genitive
of the gerundive (implies a sense of obligation) after oblita.
firmissimus, -a, -um, superlative of firmus
strong, powerful, constant; understand viris, dative
of agent after metuendi.
sepultura, sepulturae f.
burial; grave; ablative after pro (= on
behalf of).
obicio, obicere, obieci, obiectum + dative
expose/subject (something/someone) to; the direct
object is caput (metaphorically life); the
indirect object = periculis.
dum conjunction
while; introduces a temporal subordinate clause. Seneca uses
the historic present tense to make his point particularly strong.
funus, funeris n.
funeral, burial; funeral rites; death.
suo: understand funere. The word order places her intention before her fear, which the chiasmus (with funere nihil at its center) emphasizes: cogitat de viri funere nihil de suo timuit.
nobilito (1)
make known, make famous, ennoble;understand illa
femina as the subject of the verb and omnium [poetarum].
coniunx, -iugis m. f.
consort; husband; wife.
vicarius, -a, -um
substitute, taking the place of someone else; in apposition
with se, object of dedit. The allusion
is to the famous myth of Alcestis (click on SPQR icon), who offered to die in place of
her husband Admetus.
amplior, -ius comparative of amplus, -a, -um
greater, more splendid; amplius is a neuter
adjective functioning as a noun. The phrase hoc amplius estis
paralleled by maior est in the next clause.
discrimen, discriminis n.
danger; crisis, critical moment.
quaero, -ere, quaesivi, quaesitum
look for, seek; quaerere is a predicate
infinitive explaining hoc amplius est.
qui: introduces a relative clause; its antecedent is amor.
par, paris
equal; with periculo, an ablative of instrument.
minor, minus comparative form of parvus, -a,
-um
less; direct object of redimit.
redimo, -ere, -demi, -demptum
buy back, recover.
post preposition + accusative
after; behind.
nemo, -inis m.f.
no one, nobody; also as an adjective: no (see below).
miror (1)
be amazed at, surprised at; wonder; miretur is
a jussive subjunctive with nemo as the subject.
sedecim undeclinable number
sixteen; with annos it is the antecedent
of quibus.
ob/ptineo, -ere, -tinui, -tentum
be in charge of; govern; occupy. Seneca’s uncle was Governor
of Egypt, an imperial province whose governor was appointed directly
by the emperor.
conspicio, -ere, -spexi, -spectum
catch sight of; observe, see; gaze at. Understand ea (Seneca’s
aunt) as the subject; notice how his words respectfully cloak her
identity while celebrating her agency.
provincialis, provincialis m.
provincial; person living in the provinces; modified by neminem.
admitto, -ere, -misi, -missum
let in, admit; allow.
peto, -ere, petii/petivi, petitum
seek, ask for, demand; translate petit as
historic present tense.
itaque conjunction
and so, therefore.
loquax, -acis
talkative, chattering.
contumelia, contumeliae f.
abuse, insult, affront.
praefectus, praefecti m.
governor; commander.
ingeniosus, -a, -um
naturally suited to; clever, gifted; followed by in +
accusative (for; in regard to).
qua . . .qui: the antecedent of qua is provincia; the second relative pronoun is the subject of vitaverunt and effugerunt.
culpa, culpae f.
blame, offense, fault.
effugio, -ere, -fugi, --
flee from; escape.
infamia, infamiae f.
disgrace, infamy, dishonour; note the rhetorical balance
and word order of the opposing clauses.
unicus, -a, -um
only, sole, unique; unicum exemplum = Seneca’s
aunt.
sanctitas, sanctitatis f.
purity, integrity, piety, sacredness.
suspicio, -ere, -spexi, -spectum
look up to, admire; the subject is still provincia.
quod n. relative pronoun
that which; what; it refers to the following clause beginning omnem
verborum ....
difficillimus, -a, -um superlative form of difficilis,
-e
troublesome, difficult, hard; with indirect object illi
[provinciae].
periculosus, -a, -um
dangerous.
sal, salis m.
wit (literally, salt).
placeo, placere, placui, placitum + dative
please; give pleasure to; cui is the object
pleased.
licentia, licentiae f.
freedom, license, disorderliness.
contineo, -ere, -tinui, -tentum
restrain, hold back; limit; in parallel construction with suspexit, the
subject is provincia.
similis, simile + dative
like, similar; read similem [feminam] illi [feminae].
quamvis + subjunctive
although; followed by speret.
spero (1)
hope for, look forward to; note the interlocking word order
of the opposing clauses: numquam speret, semper optat.
opto (1)
wish for, desire; choose, select.
probo (1)
approve of, commend; probasset is the contracted
form of probavisset whose subject is provincia.
plus, -uris comparative of multus, -a, -um;
more; note the parallel construction with hoc est
amplius above.
ignoro (1)
have no knowledge of; be ignorant/unaware of; understand illam.
ideo adverb (= id + eo)
for the reason (that); followed by a result clause introduced
by ut.
refero, -ferre, tuli, latum
repeat; refer to.
laus, laudis f.
praise; the antecedent of quas.
exsequor, -sequi, -secutus/a sum
rehearse, carry out; follow, go along with; subjunctive in
a result clause introduced by ut.
circumscribo, -ere, -scripsi, -scriptum
restrict, confine; abridge; cheat; the infinitive is used
as a noun, the predicate of est.
parce adverb
moderately, sparingly.
transcurro, -ere, -curri, cursum
run past; infinitive used as a noun, the subject of est; quas (= eius
laudes) is the direct object.
intellego, -ere, -lexi, -lectum
understand; parallel to exsequar in a result
clause introduced by ut, followed by indirect statement
(esse feminam).
animus, -i m.
mind, soul, heart; courage; with magni, genitive
of description referring to feminam. Often written
as one word: magnanimus = brave.
comes, -itis m./f.
companion; attendant; follower; in apposition with ambitio and avaritia.
potentia, -ae f.
power, force;influence; rule.
pestis, pestis f.
curse, plague, destruction; parallel with comites,
it is in apposition with ambitio and avaritia.
vinco, -ere, vici, victum
conquer, defeat; note how non ...vincerunt encloses
all the subjects of the relative clause introduced by quam (the
direct object of the verb).
exarmo (1)
remove ship’s tackle; disarm; weaken; modified by iam,
it is an ablative absolute with nave.
specto (1)
observe, watch, see; [eam] spectantem is
the direct object of deterruit, taking its own direct
object: naufragium suum.
deterreo, -ere, -ui, -itum
prevent, deter; frighten away; with quominus +
subjunctive (quaereret) = from.
exanimis, -e
lifeless; breathless.
haereo, -ere, haesi, haesum
cling to, adhere, stick; haerens refers
to his aunt, the unexpressed subject of non quaereret.
quemadmodum interrogative adverb
in what way, how; followed by imperfect subjunctives in indirect
question (exiret, efferret).
inde adverb
from there; understand the shipwreck or the ship.
exeo, -ire, -ivi, -itum
escape; leave, go out.
effero, -ferre, extuli, elatum
carry out, bring out; understand exanimum virem
(effere is the verb used for bearing a body to the
grave).