Gellius IV: Litterae, Rufinus, et Bucephalas Gellius|Book IV|Letters|Rufinus|and|Bucephalus Gellius IV: Letters, Rufinus, and Bucephalus

III.15. 3 III.15. Exstare in litteris perque hominum memorias traditum, quod repente multis mortem attulit gaudium ingens insperatum interclusa anima et vim magni novique motus non sustinente. to stand out|in|writings|and through|of men|memories|having been handed down|which|suddenly|many|death|brought|joy|immense|unexpected|having been cut off|soul|and|force|great|new|movement|not|sustaining It is recorded in writings and through the memories of men that suddenly many found immense unexpected joy in death, as the soul was cut off and could not withstand the force of a great and new movement. 1 Cognito repente insperato gaudio exspirasse animam refert Aristoteles philosophus Polycritam, nobilem feminam Naxo insula. Recognized|suddenly|unexpected|joy|to have breathed out|soul|reports|Aristotle|philosopher|Polycrites|noble|woman|Naxos|island 1 Aristotle the philosopher reports that Polycritus, a noble woman from the island of Naxos, suddenly expired due to unexpected joy. 2 Philippides quoque, comoediarum poeta haut ignobilis, aetate iam edita, cum in certamine poetarum praeter spem vicisset et laetissime gauderet, inter illud gaudium repente mortuus est. Philippides|also|of comedies|poet|not|unknown|age|already|published|when|in|contest|of poets|beyond|hope|had won|and|very happily|rejoiced|in the midst of|that|joy|suddenly|died|was 2 Philippides, a not insignificant poet of comedies, already of mature age, when he had unexpectedly won in a contest of poets and was rejoicing very happily, suddenly died amidst that joy. 3 De Rhodio etiam Diagora celebrata historia est. From|Rhodes|also|Diagoras|celebrated|history|is 3 A celebrated story about Diagoras also comes from Rhodes. Is Diagoras tris filios adulescentis habuit, unum pugilem, alterum pancratiasten, tertium luctatorem. |Diagoras|three|sons|of young men|had|one|boxer|another|pankratiast|third|wrestler Diagoras had three sons, one a boxer, another a pankratiast, and the third a wrestler. Eos omnis vidit vincere coronarique Olympiae eodem die et, cum ibi cum tres adulescentes amplexi coronis suis in caput patris positis saviarentur, cum populus gratulabundus flores undique in eum iaceret, ibidem in stadio inspectante populo in osculis atque in manibus filiorum animam efflavit. He|all|saw|win|and be crowned|at Olympia|the same|day|and|when|there|with|three|young men|embracing|crowns|their|on|head|father|placed|were rejoicing|when|the people|rejoicing|flowers|from all sides|at|him||there|in|the stadium|watching|people|in|kisses|and|in|hands|of his sons|soul|breathed out He saw them all win and be crowned at Olympia on the same day, and when there, the three young men embraced their father with their crowns placed on his head, while the joyful crowd threw flowers at him from all sides; there, in the stadium, with the people watching, he breathed his last in the kisses and hands of his sons. 4 Praeterea in nostris annalibus scriptum legimus, qua tempestate apud Cannas exercitus populi Romani caesus est, anum matrem nuntio de morte filii adlato luctu atque maerore affectam esse; sed is nuntius non verus fuit, atque is adulescens non diu post ex ea pugna in urbem redit: anus repente filio viso copia atque turba et quasi ruina incidentis inopinati gaudii oppressa exanimataque est. Furthermore|in|our|annals|written|we read|at what|time|near|Cannae|army|of the people|Roman|was defeated|is|old woman|mother|messenger|about|death|of the son|having been brought|grief|and|sorrow|affected|to be|but|that|message|not|true|was|and|that|young man|not|long|after|from|that|battle|into|the city|returned|old woman|suddenly|son|having been seen|abundance|and|crowd|and|as if|ruin|of something unexpected|unexpected|joy|overwhelmed|and lifeless|is 4 Furthermore, we read in our annals that at the time when the Roman people's army was defeated at Cannae, an old mother was affected with grief and sorrow upon hearing the news of her son's death; but that news was not true, and that young man returned to the city not long after that battle: the old woman, suddenly seeing her son, was overwhelmed and struck down by the abundance and crowd of unexpected joy, and she fainted.

IV.8. IV8 IV.8. Quid C. Fabricius de Cornelio Rufino homine avaro dixerit, quem cum odisset inimicusque esset, designandum tamen consulem curavit. What|Gaius|Fabricius|about|Cornelius|Rufinus|man|greedy|he said|whom|although|he hated|and enemy|was|to be designated|nevertheless|consul|he arranged What C. Fabricius said about Cornelius Rufinus, a greedy man, whom he hated and was an enemy of, yet he made sure he was nominated consul. 1 Fabricius Luscinus magna gloria vir magnisque rebus gestis fuit. Fabricius|Luscinus|great|glory|man|great|deeds|accomplished|was 1 Fabricius Luscinus was a man of great glory and had accomplished great deeds. 2 P. Cornelius Rufinus manu quidem strenuus et bellator bonus militarisque disciplinae peritus admodum fuit, sed furax homo et avaritia acri erat. Publius|Cornelius|Rufinus|by hand|indeed|vigorous|and|warrior|good|military|discipline|skilled|very|was|but|thieving|man|and|greed|sharp|was 2 P. Cornelius Rufinus was indeed vigorous in hand and a good warrior, very skilled in military discipline, but he was a greedy man and had a sharp avarice. 3 Hunc Fabricius non probabat neque amico utebatur osusque eum morum causa fuit. This|Fabricius|not|approved|nor|friend|used|and hated|him|of morals|reason|was 3 Fabricius did not approve of him nor did he associate with him, and he was a burden to him because of his character. 4 Sed cum in temporibus rei difficillimis consules creandi forent et is Rufinus peteret consulatum competitoresque eius essent inbelles quidam et futtiles, summa ope adnixus est Fabricius, uti Rufino consulatus deferretur. But|when|in|times|of the situation|most difficult|consuls|to be created|were|and|he|Rufinus|sought|consulship|and his competitors|his|were|unworthy|certain|and|futile|utmost|effort|straining|was|Fabricius|that|Rufinus|consulship|be granted 4 But when it was a time of great difficulty for the election of consuls and Rufinus was seeking the consulship, and his competitors were some weak and worthless men, Fabricius strenuously worked to ensure that the consulship was granted to Rufinus. 5 Eam rem plerisque admirantibus, quod hominem avarum, cui esset inimicissimus, 6 creari consulem vellet, "malo," inquit "civis me compilet, quam hostis vendat". That|matter|most|were admiring|because|man|greedy|to whom|was|most hostile|to be elected|consul|would want|I prefer|he said|citizen|me|crushes|than|enemy|sells 5 This matter, admired by many, because a greedy man, who was his greatest enemy, wanted to be elected consul, "I would rather," he said, "be overwhelmed by a citizen than sold by an enemy." 7 Hunc Rufinum postea bis consulatu et dictatura functum censor Fabricius senatu movit ob luxuriae notam, quod decem pondo libras argenti facti haberet. This|Rufinus|afterwards|twice|consulship|and|dictatorship|having completed|censor|Fabricius|from the senate|removed|on account of|luxury|stigma|because|ten|by weight|pounds|of silver|earned| 7 This Rufinus, after having served as consul and dictator twice, was removed from the Senate by the censor Fabricius due to a charge of luxury, because he possessed ten pounds of silver. 8 Id autem, quod supra scripsi Fabricium de Cornelio Rufino ita, uti in pleraque historia scriptum est, dixisse, M. Cicero non aliis a Fabricio, sed ipsi Rufino gratias agenti, quod ope eius designatus esset, dictum esse refert in libro secundo de oratore. That|however|which|above|I wrote|Fabricius|about|Cornelius|Rufinus|thus|as|in|most|history|written|is|to have said|Marcus|Cicero|not|by others|by|Fabricius|but|to him|Rufinus||giving|because|help|his|designated|was|said|to be|he reports|in|book|second|about|orator 8 However, what I wrote above about Fabricius saying this regarding Cornelius Rufinus, as it is written in most histories, M. Cicero reports in the second book of the Orator that it was said not by others on behalf of Fabricius, but by Rufinus himself thanking him for having been designated with his help.

V.2. V V.2. Super equo Alexandri regis, qui Bucephalas appellatus est. On|horse|of Alexander|king|who|Bucephalus|named|is On the horse of King Alexander, who was called Bucephalus. 1 Equus Alexandri regis et capite et nomine "Bucephalas" fuit. The horse|of Alexander|king|both|by head|and|by name|Bucephalus|was 1 The horse of King Alexander was named "Bucephalus". 2 Emptum Chares scripsit talentis tredecim et regi Philippo donatum; hoc autem aeris nostri summa est sestertia trecenta duodecim. purchased|Chares|wrote|talents|thirteen|and|to the king|Philip|given|this|however|of money|our|total|is|sesterces|three hundred|twelve 2 Chares wrote that it was purchased for thirteen talents and given to King Philip; however, the total amount in our currency is three hundred twelve sesterces. 3 Super hoc equo dignum memoria visum, quod, ubi ornatus erat armatusque ad proelium, haud umquam inscendi sese ab alio nisi ab rege passus sit. Above|this|horse|worthy|memory|seen|which|when|adorned|was|and armed|for|battle|not|ever|to be insulted|himself|by|another|except|by|king|allowed|be 3 It is also noted about this horse that, when adorned and armed for battle, it never allowed itself to be ridden by anyone other than the king. 4 Id etiam de isto equo memoratum est, quod, cum insidens in eo Alexander bello Indico et facinora faciens fortia in hostium cuneum non satis sibi providens inmisisset coniectisque undique in Alexandrum telis vulneribus altis in cervice atque in latere equus perfossus esset, moribundus tamen ac prope iam exsanguis e mediis hostibus regem vivacissimo cursu retulit atque, ubi eum extra tela extulerat, ilico concidit et domini iam superstitis securus quasi cum sensus humani solacio animam exspiravit. This|also|concerning|that|horse|mentioned|is|because|when|sitting|on|it|Alexander|in the Indian war|Indian|and|deeds|doing|brave|against|of the enemies|wedge|not|sufficiently|to himself|providing|had sent in|and having thrown|from all sides|against|Alexander|missiles|wounds|deep|in|neck|and|in|side|horse|pierced|was|dying|nevertheless|and|almost|already|bloodless|from|the midst of|enemies|king|most vigorous|run|brought back|and|when|him|outside|missiles|had lifted|immediately|fell|and|of his master|already|living|safe|as if|with|sense|human|comfort|life|breathed out 4 It is also mentioned about this horse that, while Alexander was riding it in the Indian war and performing brave deeds against the enemy, not taking enough care for himself, he was struck by missiles from all sides, and although the horse was wounded deeply in the neck and side, it nonetheless brought the king back through the midst of the enemies at a very swift pace, and when it had carried him out of the range of the missiles, it immediately collapsed and, with its master still alive, it seemed to breathe its last as if comforted by the solace of human senses. 5 Tum rex Alexander parta eius belli victoria oppidum in isdem locis condidit idque ob equi honores "Bucephalon" appellavit. Then|king|Alexander|having been won|of that|war|victory|town|in|the same|places|founded|and it|on account of|horse|honors|Bucephalus|named 5 Then King Alexander, having achieved victory in that war, founded a town in the same location and named it "Bucephalon" in honor of the horse.