The Death of Pliny the Elder

Grammar Notes,
1 ut, starts a purpose clause with the verb
scribam

exitum translate about the…

quó, translate just like ut above with the

verb possis

3 erat referring to Pliny the Elder

Misení Locative case

imperió imperium literally translates as ‘right to

rule’
Pliny the Elder not only commanded the
fleet, he was the ultimate authority
over it.

4 horá…septimá Ablative of Time

5 indicat begins Indirect Speech

6 eruditissimó viró Dative case going back to eí

magna propiusque noscenda Refers back to

nubem
(nubés, nubis, f.)
7 vellem Imperfect subjunctive of velle. See next
note.

rogat begins Indirect Question, which

uses a regular
subjunctive form of a verb, not an
infinitive like Indirect Speech. Translate
the subjunctive verb in an Indirect
Question as you do in a Purpose Clause.

ille refers to Pliny the Elder

in remedium here = as a cure

agrestium analyze the form of this 3rd declension noun

dictitábat begins Indirect Speech with the infinitive

relictós (esse)

desertás…villás Accusative Subject of continuing

Indirect
Speech (dictitábat) and the infinitive
ardere (‘to burn’)

quiétí Dative form of quiés, quiétis, f.

‘quiet’
How does the literal Latin differ from
what we would naturally say in English?

Word order et quidem quiévit verissimó somnó

verus literally ‘true’, here = ‘sound’ Superlative

use above.
meatus animae supply ‘his’

quí referring to meatus animae

illí referring to Pliny the Elder

gravior et sonantior referring to meatus animae

ab eís referring to those other people who

accompanied Pliny the Elder

quí liminí obversabantur clause of eis

audiébatur subject of verb is preceding meatus

animae