Scurra

Nec semel inrisus triviis

And he who has once been fooled (tr. Henry Rushton Fairclough)

Hoc exemplo significat numquam postea crediturum quem esse etiam vera dicenti ei, qui falsis rebus omnia fidei argumenta consumpserit. hinc etiam proverbium natum est “qui semel scurra, numquam pater familias.”
(Porphyrius, Comm. in Hor. Epist. 1.17.58)

By this example [Horace] shows that one will never be believed in the future, even if he is telling the truth, if he has wasted his credibility in telling lies. Hence the proverb has arisen: “Once a scurra*, never a pater familias.”

* A scurra is a fashionable city idler, a man-about-town.

(tr. Christopher Francese, with his note)

Daimonōnta

Demon_of_Calicut

Ἐν νυκτὶ μέσῃ καὶ ἐν ἀφεδρῶνι καθεζομένῳ τῷ Δεξιανῷ ἐφίστησι δαιμονῶντα ἄγριόν τινα καὶ λυσσητῆρα, ὡς ἐξαίφνης αὐτὸν τοῦ παρεστῶτος αἰσθόμενον, τοῦτο μὲν ὡς ἐν βαθεῖ καὶ ἀφεγγεῖ σκότῳ, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὡς πνευματιῶντα καὶ βλέποντα καὶ φθεγγόμενον μανικά, ἐκπλαγῆναί τε καὶ περιδεῆ καὶ ἔντρομον γενέσθαι, καὶ ὅλον πληρωθῆναι δείματός τε καὶ ἱδρῶτος. ἐκ δὴ τοῦ τοιούτου φόβου ἡ κεφαλὴ ἅμα τῷ αὐχένι τῆς οἰκείας ὥσπερ ἕδρας καὶ τάξεως ἀπολισθήσασα, καὶ τῶν σπονδύλων οὐκ ἐναρμονίων ἔτι περιολισθαινόντων ἀλλήλοις, περίτρομός τε ἦν καὶ συχνότερον περὶ αὐτὴν ἐκραδαίνετο, ὡς κοινὸν εἶναι πένθος τοῖς θεωμένοις αὐτόν.
(Miracles of Saint Thekla 7)

In the middle of the night, while Dexianos was seated on the privy, there stood before him a demonic creature, wild and raving mad. As soon as he perceived it standing next to him – <he knew it was there> because, even though he was sitting in pitch black darkness, <he could see> it was panting, leering, and making insane noises – he was stupefied and trembled with fear, completely overwhelmed with dread and drenched with sweat. And because of his great fright, his head and his neck slipped from their normal base and position, and the vertebrae were no longer aligned and slipped out of joint with one another, his head trembled and was shifting all around. As a result, there was common grief among those who saw him <in this state>. (tr. Alice-Mary Talbot & Scott Fitzgerald Johnson)

Sanus

Sanus homo, qui et bene valet et suae spontis est, nullis obligare se legibus debet, ac neque medico neque iatroalipta egere. hunc oportet varium habere vitae genus: modo ruri esse, modo in urbe, saepiusque in agro; navigare, venari, quiescere interdum, sed frequentius se exercere; siquidem ignavia corpus hebetat, labor firmat, illa maturam senectutem, hic longam adulescentiam reddit.
(Celsus, De Medicina 1.1)

A man in health, who is both vigorous and his own master, should be under no obligatory rules, and have no need, either for a medical attendant, or for a rubber and anointer. His kind of life should afford him variety; he should be now in the country, now in town, and more often about the farm; he should sail, hunt, rest sometimes, but more often take exercise; for whilst inaction weakens the body, work strengthens it; the former brings on premature old age, the latter prolongs youth. (tr. Walter George Spencer)

Puerperii

arrtilce1babies

Aristoteles philosophus memoriae tradidit, mulierem in Aegypto uno partu quinque pueros enixam, eumque esse finem dixit multiiugae hominum partionis neque plures umquam simul genitos compertum, hunc autem esse numerum ait rarissimum. sed et divo Augusto imperante qui temporum eius historiam scripserunt ancillam Caesaris Augusti in agro Laurente peperisse quinque pueros dicunt eosque pauculos dies vixisse; matrem quoque eorum, non multo postquam peperit, mortuam monumentumque ei factum iussu Augusti in via Laurentina, inque eo scriptum esse numerum puerperii eius, de quo diximus.
(Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae 10.2)

The philosopher Aristotle has recorded that a woman in Egypt bore five children at one birth; this, he said, was the limit of human multiple parturition; more children than that had never been known to be born at one time, and even that number was very rare. But in the reign of the deified Augustus the historians of the time say that a maid servant of Caesar Augustus in the region of Laurentum brought forth five children, and that they lived for a few days; that their mother died not long after she had been delivered, whereupon a monument was erected to her by order of Augustus on the via Laurentina, and on it was inscribed the number of her children, as I have given it. (tr. John C. Rolfe)

Ēschalle

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Ἣ δ’* ὑποκυσαμένη τέκεν Αἰακὸν ἱππιοχάρμην…
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ’ ἥβης πολυηράτου ἵκετο μέτρον,
μοῦνος ἐὼν ἤσχαλλε· πατὴρ δ’ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε,
ὅσσοι ἔσαν μύρμηκες ἐπηράτου ἔνδοθι νήσου,
τοὺς ἄνδρας ποίησε βαθυζώνους τε γυναῖκας.
οἳ δή τοι πρῶτοι ζεῦξαν νέας ἀμφιελίσσας,
πρῶτοι δ’ ἱστί’ ἔθεν νηὸς πτερὰ ποντοπόροιο

* sc. Αἴγινα.

(Hesiod, Catalogue of Women fr. 145)

She became pregnant and bore Aeacus who delighted in the battle-chariot. . .*
But when he reached the full measure of lovely puberty,
he was distressed at being alone; so the father of men and of gods
turned all the ants that were within the lovely island
into men and deep-girdled women.
These were the first to fasten together swaying ships,
and the first to set up sails, the sea-crossing boat’s wings

* After this line an unknown number of lines may be missing.

(tr. Glenn W. Most, with his note)

Pereat

waakhond

O pereat quicumque legit viridesque smaragdos
et niveam Tyrio murice tingit ovem.
addit avaritiae causas et Coa puellis
vestis et e rubro lucida concha mari.
haec fecere malas; hinc clavim ianua sensit
et coepit custos liminis esse canis.
sed pretium si grande feras, custodia victa est
nec prohibent claves et canis ipse tacet.
heu quicumque dedit formam caelestis avarae,
quale bonum multis attulit ille malis!
hinc fletus rixaeque sonant, haec denique causa
fecit ut infamis nunc deus erret Amor.
(Tibullus 2.4.27-38)

Oh let whoever gathers the deep green emeralds perish,
or dyes the snowy fleece with Tyrian purples.
Silks of Cos and bright pearls from the Red Sea
are the cause of greed in girls.
They make them wicked: because of them the door
knows the key, and the dog’s set to guard the threshold.
But if you bear great gifts the watchman’s conquered,
keys don’t prevent it, the very dog is silent.
Ah, whichever god gave beauty to the greedy girl,
what good he brought wholly to grief!
From it weeping and squabbling rises, in short it’s why
the God of Love wanders now in infamy.
(tr. Tony Kline)

Tractaticius

heliogabalus_med

Nomen eius, id est Antonini, erasum est senatu iubente remansitque Varii Heliogabali, si quidem illud adfectato retinuerat, cum vult videri filius Antonini. appellatus est post mortem Tiberinus et Tractaticius et Impurus et multa, si quando ea erant designanda quae sub eo facta videbantur. solusque omnium principum et tractus est et in cloacam missus et in Tiberim praecipitatus. quod odio communi omnium contigit, a quo speciatim cavere debent imperatores, si quidem nec sepulchra mereantur qui amorem senatus populi ac militum non merentur.
(Historia Augusta, Vita Heliogabali 17.4-7)

His name, that is to say the name Antoninus, was erased from the public records by order of the senate – though the name Varius Elagabalus was left -, for he had used the name Antoninus without valid claim, wishing to be thought the son of Antoninus. After his death he was dubbed the Tiberine, the Dragged, the Filthy, and many other such names, all of which were to signify what seemed to have been done during his rule. And he was the only one of all the emperors whose body was dragged through the streets, thrust into a sewer, and hurled into the Tiber. This befell him as the result of the general hatred of all, against which particularly emperors must be on their guard, since those who do not win the love of the senate, the people, and the soldiers do not win the right of burial. (tr. David Magie)

Anankē

. . . ἰσχυρὰ γὰρ ἐπικρατεῖ ἀνδρὸς Ἀνάγκη,
ἥ ῥ’ οὐδ’ ἀθανάτους ὑποδείδιεν, οἵ τ’ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ
ἔκτοσθεν χαλεπῶν ἀχέων οἴκους ἐκάμοντο.
(Philitas fr. 11)

. . . for mankind is in thrall to strong Necessity,
Who fears not even gods, who on Olympus’ peak
Away from pain and anguish built their homes.
(tr. Jane L. Lightfoot)

Melle

honey-pot

Sed veluti pueris absinthia taetra medentes
cum dare conantur, prius oras pocula circum
contingunt mellis dulci flavoque liquore,
ut puerorum aetas improvida ludificetur
labrorum tenus, interea perpotet amarum
absinthi laticem deceptaque non capiatur,
sed potius tali facto recreata valescat,
sic ego nunc, quoniam haec ratio plerumque videtur
tristior esse quibus non est tractata, retroque
volgus abhorret ab hac, volui tibi suaviloquenti
carmine Pierio rationem exponere nostram
et quasi musaeo dulci contingere melle,
si tibi forte animum tali ratione tenere
versibus in nostris possem, dum perspicis omnem
naturam rerum, qua constet compta figura.
(Lucretius, De Rerum Natura 1.936-950)

But as with children, when physicians try to administer rank wormwood, they first touch the rims about the cups with the sweet yellow fluid of honey, that unthinking childhood be deluded as far as the lips, and meanwhile may drink up the bitter juice of wormwood, and though beguiled be not betrayed, but rather by such means be restored and regain health, so now do I: since this doctrine commonly seems somewhat harsh to those who have not used it, and the people shrink back from it, I have chosen to set forth my doctrine to you in sweet-speaking Pierian song, and as it were to touch it with the Muses’ delicious honey, if by chance in such a way I might engage your mind in my verses, while you are learning to see in what shape is framed the whole nature of things. (tr. William Henry Denham Rouse, revised by Martin Ferguson Smith)

Candelabrus

s06san3

Tam magnus ex Asia veni, quam hic candelabrus est. ad summam, quotidie me solebam ad illum metiri, et ut celerius rostrum barbatum haberem, labra de lucerna ungebam. tamen ad delicias ipsimi annos quattuordecim fui. nec turpe est quod dominus iubet. ego tamen et ipsimae satis faciebam. scitis, quid dicam.
(Petronius, Sat. 75.10-11)

When I came from Asia I was the size of this here lampstand. In fact, every day I used to measure myself next to it, and so I’d get a beard on my beak faster, I smeared my lips with lamp oil. Still I was the toyboy of the Mister for 14 years. It’s not disgusting, what your owner orders. But me, I was satisfying the Mrs, too. You all know what I mean. (tr. Amy Richlin)