- Source
- Horace, Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica. Fairclough, H. Rushton (Henry Rushton), editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1.9.1-1.9.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Horace explains the circumstances under which he felt compelled to recommend his friend Septimius to Nero (Tiberius), and asks Nero to accept him into his circle as a reliable companion.
Septimius, Claudi, nimirum intellegit unus,
Septimius, Claudius, surely understands alone,
quanti1 me facias, nam cum rogat et prece cogit
how highly you value me; for when he asks and compels me by his prayer,
scilicet ut tibi se laudare et tradere coner,
namely, that I should try to praise him and recommend him to you,
dignum mente domoque legentis2 honesta Neronis,
as one worthy of the mind and house of Nero, who chooses what is honorable,
munere cum fungi3 propioris censet amici,
since he thinks that I perform the office of a closer friend,
quid possim videt ac novit me valdius ipso.
he sees what I can do and knows me better than I know myself.
multa quidem dixi cur excusatus abirem;
I indeed said many things why I should go away excused;
sed timui mea4 ne finxisse minora putarer,
but I feared lest I should be thought to have feigned my own influence to be less,
dissimilator opis propriae, mihi commodus uni.
a dissembler of my own power, useful to myself alone.
sic ego, maioris fugiens opprobria culpae,
Thus I, fleeing the disgrace of a greater fault,
frontis ad urbanae5 descendi praemia, quod si
have descended to the rewards of city assurance. But if
depositum laudas ob amici iussa pudorem,
you approve of shame laid aside at the bidding of a friend,
scribe tui gregis hunc et fortem crede bonumque.
enroll this man in your flock, and believe him to be brave and good.
- 1.9.2quanti
Genitive of value. Together with facias (subjunctive in indirect question), it forms the indirect question clause functioning as the object of intellegit.
- 1.9.4legentis
Genitive of the present participle, modifying Neronis. Here, legere means 'to choose' or 'select', characterizing Nero as one who carefully selects honorable people.
- 1.9.5munere cum fungi
The deponent verb fungi governs the ablative (munere). The subject accusative of the infinitive fungi is an omitted me.
- 1.9.8mea
Neuter plural accusative, referring vaguely to the author's own resources or influence. It serves as the direct object of finxisse in a double accusative construction with minora.
- 1.9.11frontis ad urbanae
Literally 'of an urban forehead', a metaphorical expression for 'audacity' or 'social assurance', referring to the boldness required to solicit favors in metropolitan high society.