One of the Latin authors who is but little read, is Pliny
the Elder (AD 23/24 – 79), a prolific writer, but whose writings have not
survived, except the Naturalis Historiae.
This work is an immense encyclopaedia concerning all knowledge about the
natural world, plants, animals, anthropology, minerals etc. which was at his
disposal. He died in 79 AD while investigating the volcanic eruption of the
Vesuvius, before he could complete and edit his encyclopaedia. What he wrote at
that time as natural science is now outdated and mostly only of antiquarian
interest. Still, for people with an antiquarian interest, there is a lot to
enjoy and wonder about in his writings. Take for instance what he has to say about
elephants. Of course we can smile about his assertions; especially that
elephants have some awareness of religion, but what is interesting for a
historian is the fact that non-human beings were credited with such feelings
and so the Naturalis Historia has
turned from a work about nature into a mirror for Roman mentality.
primum: first
of all
sermonis patria:
the language of their country
imperium:
command order
officium:
duty, task
didicere = didicerunt (the memory of elephants is
proverbial)
immo: yes
indeed
rarus: rare
probitas –atis
(f.): honesty
aequitas –atis
(f.): fairness
auctores sunt:
there are writers who etc. The following aci construction depends on an
understood `dicentes’ or a similar
word. Construct : nitescente luna nova greges eorum descendere
in Mauretaniae saltibus ad quendam amnem, cui nomen est Amilo
nitisco: to
begin to shine
grex gregis
(f.) herd
Mauretania:
modern Morocco
saltus –us
(m.): forest, woodland
Amilo: it is
uncertain which river is meant
circumspergo (-sparsi -sparsum) to sprinkle around (circumspargi is medial)
ita salutato sidere:
abl.abs.
vitulus:
male-calf
prae se ferentes:
i.e. with their tusks and trunks
alienae quoque
religionis intellectu: with their understanding for the religious feelings
of others (alienae religionis
probably refers to letting the helmsman (rector)
swear (iusiuro) a save return (reditus -us), which implies a common
reverence for oaths and religion)
transituri:
about to cross over
conscendo
conscendi conscensum: to climb, go aboard
invito: to
request, summon (and of course also `to invite’, but the Latin verb has a
broader range of meaning than its English heir). Here invito is constructed with the ablative: iusiurando an oath to be sworn
fessi aegriudine:
exhausted by disease
quando et:
since even
moles –is
(f.): mass, enormity
infesto: to
disturb, befall, infest
morbus,
disease, illness
supinus: lying
on the back
veluti tellure
precibus allegata: (abl.abs.) as if the earth being adduced (for
assistance) with their prayers (what Pliny wants to say is not quite clear, but
I think he means that strewing herbs on the earth is a religious act for
invoking assistance. Another possibility is that they want the earth to pray
for them, so: adduced for its prayers)
docilitas – tatis
(f.): aptness for being taught
regem: the king
of Persia. Elephants were used in the Persian army, and what Pliny describes
seems to be the lowering of elephants for making it easy to be mounted
genua submittunt:
they lower their knees
porrigo porrexi
porrectum: to offer, present
aro: to
plough, use for ploughing (they were indeed used for ploughing)
minores: the
Indian elephant is smaller than the African
nothus:
bastard from a known father; a Greek word for which the Roman had no
equivalent. PI have no idea where this information comes from, but it could be
that one of the words for elephant (and there a quite a few in India) `naga’
was misunderstood.
