Letter to Scaeva: How to Deal with Great Men — Horace, Epistles Book 1 (1.17.1–1.17.62), Latin & English

Quamvis, Scaeva, satis per te tibi consulis et scis,

Although, Scaeva, you consult for yourself sufficiently well and know

quo tandem pacto deceat maioribus uti,

in what manner indeed it is proper to treat your superiors,

disce, docendus adhuc quae censet amiculus, ut si

learn what your little friend, who still needs to be taught, thinks, as if

caecus iter monstrare velit;¹ tamen aspice si quid

a blind man wished to show the way; yet see if we too

et nos, quod cures proprium fecisse, loquantur.

speak anything that you would care to make your own.

Si te grata quies et primam somnus in horam

If a pleasing rest and sleep until the first hour

delectat, si te pulvis strepitusque rotarum,

delights you, if the dust and noise of wheels,

si laedit caupona, Ferentinum ire iubebo,

if the tavern offends you, I will bid you go to Ferentinum;

nam neque divitibus contingunt gaudia solis,

for joys do not fall to the rich alone,

nec vixit male, qui natus moriensque fefellit.²

nor has he lived badly who has been born and died unnoticed.

si prodesse tuis pauloque benignius ipsum

If you wish to benefit your people and to treat yourself

te tractare voles, accedes siccus ad unctum.³

a little more genially, you, dry, will approach the anointed.

“Si pranderet holus patienter, regibus uti

“If Aristippus could dine on herbs patiently, he would not wish

nollet Aristippus.” “si sciret regibus uti,

to use kings.” “If he knew how to use kings,

fastidiret holus qui me notat.” utrius horum

he who censures me would despise herbs.” Teach me which of these two

verba probes et facta doce, vel iunior audi

men’s words and deeds you approve, or, as a junior, hear

cur sit Aristippi potior sententia, namque

why the opinion of Aristippus is preferable; for

mordacem Cynicum sic eludebat, ut aiunt:

he used to elude the biting Cynic in this way, as they say:

“scurror ego ipse mihi, populo tu;⁴ rectius hoc et

“I play the buffoon for myself, you for the people; this

splendidius multo est. equus ut me portet, alat rex,

is much more right and splendid. That a horse may carry me, and a king feed me,

officium facio; tu poscis vilia, verum

I perform my duty; you beg for cheap things, but are

dante minor, quamvis fers te nullius egentem.”

inferior to the giver, although you boast that you need nothing.”

omnis Aristippum decuit color et status et res,

Every color, state, and circumstance suited Aristippus,

temptantem maiora, fere praesentibus aequum,

as he aimed at greater things, yet was mostly content with the present;

contra, quem duplici panno patientia velat,

on the other hand, him whom patience clothes in a double rag,

mirabor, vitae via si conversa decebit.

I shall wonder if a changed way of life will suit.

alter purpureum non exspectabit amictum,

The one will not wait for a purple cloak,

quidlibet indutus celeberrima per loca vadet,

clothed in whatever he pleases, he will go through the most crowded places,

personamque feret non inconcinnus utramque;

and will sustain either role not awkwardly;

alter Mileti textam cane peius et angui

the other will avoid a cloak woven at Miletus worse than a dog and a snake,

vitabit chlamydem, morietur frigore, si non

he will die of cold if you do not

rettuleris pannum. refer et sine vivat ineptus.

return his rag. Return it, and let the fool live.

Res gerere et captos ostendere civibus hostis

To perform deeds and show captive enemies to the citizens

attingit solium Iovis et caelestia temptat:

reaches the throne of Jupiter and aims at heavenly things:

principibus placuisse viris non ultima laus est.

to have pleased leading men is not the lowest praise.

non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum.

It does not happen to every man to reach Corinth.

sedit qui timuit ne non succederet. “Esto.

He sat still who feared lest he should not succeed. “Granted.

quid, qui pervenit, fecitne viriliter?” atqui

What about him who arrived? Did he not act manfully?” And yet,

hic est aut nusquam, quod quaerimus, hic onus horret,

here or nowhere is what we seek. One dreads the burden,

ut parvis animis et parvo corpore maius;

as too great for a small mind and a small body;

hic subit et perfert, aut virtus nomen inane est,

the other undergoes and bears it to the end, or virtue is an empty name,

aut decus et pretium recte petit experiens vir.

or the active man rightly seeks honor and reward.

Coram rege sua de paupertate tacentes

Those who keep silent about their poverty before their king

plus poscente ferent: distat, sumasne pudenter

will bear away more than the solicitor; there is a difference whether you take modestly

an rapias; atqui rerum caput hoc erat, hic fons.

or snatch; and yet this was the head and source of the matter.

“indotata mihi soror est, paupercula mater,

“My sister is portionless, my mother is poor,

et fundus nec vendibilis nec pascere firmus,”

and my farm is neither saleable nor sufficient to feed me,”

qui dicit, clamat, victum date! succinit alter,

he who says this, cries out, “Give me food!” Another chimes in,

et mihi! dividuo findetur munere quadra,

“And me!” The loaf will be split by a divided gift;

sed tacitus pasci si posset corvus,⁵ haberet

but if the crow could feed in silence, he would have

plus dapis et rixae multo minus invidiaeque.

much more food and far less strife and envy.

Brundisium comes aut Surrentum ductus amoenum

He who, led as a companion to Brundisium or pleasant Surrentum,

qui queritur salebras et acerbum frigus et imbres,

complains of the rough roads and bitter cold and rains,

aut cistam effractam et subducta viatica plorat,

or laments a broken chest and stolen travel-money,

nota refert meretricis acumina, saepe catellam,

repeats the well-known tricks of a courtesan, who often weeps for

saepe periscelidem raptam sibi flentis, uti mox

a stolen chain, often for an anklet, so that soon

nulla fides damnis verisque doloribus adsit,

no trust is given to her real losses and true griefs,

nec semel irrisus triviis attollere curat

nor does he who has been once mocked in the crossroads care to lift

fracto crure planum, licet illi plurima manet

a trickster with a broken leg, though many a tear

lacrima, per sanctum iuratus dicat Osirim:

flows from him, and swearing by holy Osiris he says:

credite, non ludo; crudeles, tollite claudum!

“Believe me, I do not play; cruel people, lift up the lame man!”

quaere peregrinum, vicinia rauca reclamat.

“Seek a stranger,” the hoarse neighborhood shouts back.

Syntax notes5 items

1.17.3ut si caecus iter monstrare velit
A conditional clause of comparison using the present subjunctive velit, expressing the hypothetical scenario "as if a blind man wished to show the way." Positioned alongside the participial phrase docendus adhuc, it illustrates the author's self-deprecating analogy.
1.17.10fefellit
The perfect of the verb fallere, used here in an absolute (intransitive) sense to mean "to live unnoticed" or "to escape public attention." This corresponds to the famous Epicurean moral maxim "live in obscurity" (λάθε βιώσας).
1.17.12accedes siccus ad unctum
A contrast between the subject complement siccus ("dry," i.e., poor or sober) and the substantive accusative unctum ("anointed," i.e., wealthy or well-fed). It metaphorically describes the act of seeking patronage and sharing in a rich man's bounty.
1.17.19scurror ego ipse mihi, populo tu
The use of the deponent verb scurror ("to play the buffoon/parasite"). The datives of interest mihi and populo indicate for whose benefit the sycophancy is performed. Aristippus contrasts his self-serving courtliness with the Cynic's display of poverty, which he deems a vanity aimed at the populace.
1.17.50tacitus pasci si posset corvus
A contrary-to-fact conditional sentence in the present, using si with the imperfect subjunctives posset and haberet. Through the fable of the crow, it conveys the moral that if one remains silent and refrains from complaining to a patron, one would receive more and avoid envy and strife.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1.17.1-1.17.62