Notes to Seneca, Ad Helviam 19.4-7

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.

tamen  adverb
nevertheless.

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.

opus, operis n.
work, labor.

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.

mare, maris m.
sea.

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.

sepulcrum,  -i n.
grave; tomb.

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.

vito (1)
avoid, evade.

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.

velut adverb
just as, as if.

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).