On Mar 19, 10:24=A0am, Alastor <ross...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Mar 14, 5:27=A0am, "Ed Cryer" <e...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Iamque opus exegi, quod nec Iovis ira nec ignis
> > nec poterit ferrum nec edax abolere vetustas.
> > *** volet, illa dies, quae nil nisi cor****is huius
> > ius habet, incerti spatium mihi finiat aevi:
> > parte tamen meliore mei super alta perennis
> > astra ferar, nomenque erit indelebile nostrum,
> > quaque patet domitis Romana potentia terris,
> > ore legar populi, perque omnia saecula fama,
> > siquid habent veri vatum praesagia, vivam.
>
> > =A0(And now the work is done, that Jupiter's anger, fire or sword
cannot=
> > erase, nor the gnawing tooth of time. Let that day, that only has
power
> > over my body, end, when it will, my uncertain span of years: yet the
> > best part of me will be borne, immortal, beyond the distant stars.
> > Wherever Rome's influence extends, over the lands it has civilised, I
> > will be spoken, on people's lips: and, famous through all the ages, if
> > there is truth in poet's prophecies, -vivam - I shall live.)
>
> > Ed
>
> > P.S. The translation was taken from Perseus. I'm struck by "quaque
patet=
> > domitis Romana potentia terris," translated by "Wherever Rome's
> > influence extends, over the lands it has civilised".
> > "Domitis" =3D civilised? I think we'd opt for "mastered". But there's
> > something here that's reflected in Vergil's comment on Roman grandeur,
> > in the Aeneid;
> > "tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento
> > (hae tibi erunt artes), pacique imponere morem,
> > parcere subiectis et debellare superbos."
> > (Do thou remember, Romans, to rule the peoples (such will be your
> > talents), and impose the fa****on of peace, to spare the beaten and
bring=
> > down the proud)
> > (my translation)
>
> > It's just completely ****d and undisguised imperialism; no hint of
> > veiling it with any kind of hypocritical altruism; just bring the
> > barbarian buggers to heel!
>
> Nice one, Ed. I've never read Perseus myself and it's very interesting
> that here was another Latin poet who was prepared to trumpet his
> genius, which here is linked with the genius of Rome. Modesty
> certainly wasn't part of the Roman personality. I'm not even sure they
> had a word corresponding to our 'modesty'. My Latin dictionary gives
> me 3 words : modestia, pudor and verecundia, all of which seem to have
> a strong emotive connotation, as in shame, shyness and so on, whereas
> in English 'modesty' seems to signify a more formal kind of self-
> presentation. Maybe 'gravitas' is the nearest Roman equivalent.- Hide
quot=
ed text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Oops, my mistake. It's Ovid and not Persius the satirist (nor even
Perseus the website)! [:(]
I guess he's immortal not out of vanity but because he has compiled a
quite comprehensive record of myths. He was right about that.
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