Fuscus, a good friend of
Pliny, asks how Pliny spends his day at his summer-house in Toscana. What
follows is an elaborate list of activities during the day of a rich – very rich
– man. At his disposal were lots of slaves, among them a secretary to whom he
dictated his letters, actors and musicians. Further a private hippodrome and a
private bathhouse. As a chroniqueur of daily life and teller of anecdotes Pliny
never disappoints.
IX.36
C. PLINIUS FUSCO SUO S.
[1] Quaeris, quemadmodum in
Tuscis diem aestate disponam. Evigilo cum libuit, plerumque circa horam primam,
saepe ante, tardius raro. Clausae fenestrae manent; mire enim silentio et
tenebris ab iis quae avocant abductus et liber et mihi relictus, non oculos
animo sed animum oculis sequor, qui eadem quae mens vident, quotiens non vident
alia. [2] Cogito, si quid in manibus, cogito ad verbum scribenti emendantique
similis, nunc pauciora nunc plura, ut vel difficile vel facile componi tenerive
potuerunt. Notarium voco et die admisso quae formaveram dicto; abit rursusque
revocatur rursusque dimittitur. [3] Ubi hora quarta vel quinta (neque enim
certum dimensumque tempus), ut dies suasit, in xystum me vel cryptoporticum
confero, reliqua meditor et dicto. Vehiculum ascendo. Ibi quoque idem quod
ambulans aut iacens; durat intentio mutatione ipsa refecta. Paulum redormio,
dein ambulo, mox orationem Graecam Latinamve clare et intente non tam vocis
causa quam stomachi lego; pariter tamen et illa firmatur. [4] Iterum ambulo
ungor exerceor lavor. Cenanti mihi, si cum uxore vel paucis, liber legitur;
post cenam comoedia aut lyristes; mox cum meis ambulo, quorum in numero sunt
eruditi. Ita variis sermonibus vespera extenditur, et quamquam longissimus dies
bene conditur. [5] Non numquam ex hoc ordine aliqua mutantur; nam, si diu iacui
vel ambulavi, post somnum demum lectionemque non vehiculo sed, quod brevius
quia velocius, equo gestor. Interveniunt amici ex proximis oppidis, partemque diei
ad se trahunt interdumque lasso mihi opportuna interpellatione subveniunt. [6]
Venor aliquando, sed non sine pugillaribus, ut quamvis nihil ceperim non nihil
referam. Datur et colonis, ut videtur ipsis, non satis temporis, quorum mihi
agrestes querelae litteras nostras et haec urbana opera commendant. Vale.
quemadmodum:
how, in what way
aestas –atis
(f.): summer
diem dispono:
to arrange the day
evigiilio (-are): to wake up
cum libuit:
as it pleased (me)
plerumque:
often
horam primam:
in summer around 6 a.m. (look at the link below for further information)
saepe: often
tardius:
later
clausus:
closed (The bedrooms in Pompeian houses…and in Italy ...up to this day, go far
to prove that man can live without oxygen. Elmer Truesdel Merril, Selected
Letters of the Younger Pliny (London, 1924)
mire:
wonderful, astonishing
silentio et tenebris ab iis quae avocant abductus: in the silence and darkness/shadows I am separated
from the things which divert (me)
mihi relictus:
left to myself
non oculos animo sed animum oculis sequor: i.e. In this darkness he is able to think and
imagine (I follow (sequor secutus)
with my eyes my mind/thoughts.)
quae mens (videt)
quotiens: as often as
cogito: i.e.
thinking of what to write
quid in manibus:
engaged in something
ad verbum: word
by word
emendo (-are): to improve
paucus:
little, few
ut:
according to
componi tenerive: to be written down or to be kept in memory
notarius:
secretary, stenographer
die admisso:
after having let in daylight
formo (-are): composed (in the mind)
rursus:
again
dimitto dimisi dimissum: to send away
hora quarta vel quinta: see link
dimetior dimensum: to measure out
dies:
weather
suadeo suasi suasum: to recommend, urge
xystus: an
open colonnade or portico, or a walk planted with trees
cryptoporticusa:
a covered gallery, hall
confero: to
bring oneself, go
relicta:
what has been left, remains
meditator meditatus: to consider
vehiculum ascendo: Pliny had a private hippodrome
ibi: there
idem (facio)
iaceo iacui:
to lie down, rest
duro (-are): to continue
intentio –onis
(f.): concentration
reficio refeci refectum: to renew
paulum: a
little
redormio:
i.e. a siesta
clare et intente: clear and concentrated (with lego)
non tam vocis causa quam stomachi: not so much because of the voice, as for the stomach
(reading aloud – the normal procedure- was also recommended by physicians for a
better digestion.)
pariter: at
the same time
illa = vox
iterum:
again
ungo (ungeo) unxi unctum: to anoint with oil (ungor either passive or, like exerceor,
medial)
exerceor:
taking exercises was recommended before taking a bath (lavo, lavor medial)
ceno: to
dine
lyristes –ae:
luteplayer
meis: his slaves
and freedmen (Pliny was very kind to his slaves and considered them as fellow
humans.)
vespera = vesper
quamquam longissimus dies bene conditur: whatever a very long day, it is closed well
non nunquam:
not never = sometimes
diu: all day,
a little too long
post…demum: (but)
not till after
velocius: a
horse under saddle goes faster than a harnessed
horse
equo gestor:
to ride a horse (gestor medial)
interveniunt:
intervenio refers to an unwelcome,
distracting visit, subvenire (+ dat.)
a pleasant visit
oppidum:
town
ad se traho:
to demand
interdum:
sometimes, now and then
lassus:
tired
opportuna interpellatione: with a welcome interruption
venor venatus:
to hunt
aliquando:
sometimes
pugilaris –is
(n.): writing tablet (Pliny was not a very successful and devoted huntsman, as
he confesses in letter I.6)
ut quamvis:
if in case
referam: if
he catches no game, he has at least something written down to take back home. A
true man of letters!
datur:
subject tempus
colonus:
farmer (working on Pliny’s estate)
agrestes querelae: boorish complaints (agrestis
`belonging to the countryside’, as opposed to urbanus `urbane, civilised’)
commendo (-are): to make agreeable (Pliny uses these querelae as anecdotes for his letters)
Translation by J.B. Furth
(1900)
[36] L To Fuscus.
You ask me how I spend the
day on my Tuscan villa in summer time. Well, I wake at my own sweet will,
usually about the first hour, though it is often before, and rarely later. I
keep my windows shut, for it is remarkable how, when all is still and in darkness,
and I am withdrawn from distracting influences and am left to myself, and free
to do what I like, my thoughts are not led by my eyes, but my eyes by my
thoughts; and so my eyes, when they have nothing else to look at, only see the
objects which are present before my mind. If I have anything on hand, I think
it over, and weigh every word as carefully as though I were actually writing or
revising, and in this way I get through more or less work, according as the
subject is easy or difficult to compose and bear in mind. I call for a
shorthand writer, and, after letting in the daylight, I dictate the passages
which I have composed, then he leaves me, and I send for him again, and once
again dismiss him.
At the fourth or fifth
hour, according as the weather tempts me - for I have no fixed and settled plan
for the day - I betake myself to my terrace or covered portico, and there again
I resume my thinking and dictating. I ride in my carriage, and still continue
my mental occupation, just as when I am walking or lying down. My concentration
of thought is unaffected, or rather is refreshed by the change. Then I snatch a
brief sleep and again walk, and afterwards read aloud a Greek or Latin speech,
as clearly and distinctly as I can, not so much to exercise the vocal organs as
to help my digestion, though it does at the same time strengthen my voice. I
take another walk, then I am anointed, and take exercise and a bath. While I am
at dinner, if I am dining with my wife or a few friends, a book is read to us,
and afterwards we hear a comic actor or a musician; then I walk with my
attendants, some of whom are men of learning. Thus the evening is passed away
with talk on all sorts of subjects, and even the longest day is soon done.
Sometimes I vary this
routine, for, if I have been lying down, or walking for any length of time, as
soon as I have had my sleep and read aloud, I ride on horseback instead of in a
carriage, as it takes less time, and one gets over the ground faster. My
friends come in from the neighbouring towns to see me, and take up part of the
day, and occasionally, when I am tired, I welcome their call as a pleasant
relief. Sometimes I go hunting, but never without my tablets, so that though I
may take no game, I still have something to bring back with me. Part of my time
too is given to my tenants - though in their opinion not enough - and their
clownish complaints give me a fresh zest for my literary work and my round of
engagements in town. Farewell.
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