§8.6.23nec procul ab hoc genere discedit metonymia, quae est nominis pro nomine positio, sed, ut ait Cicero, hypallagen rhetores dicunt.
Metonymy does not depart far from this class, which is the placing of one name for another, but, as Cicero says, rhetoricians call it hypallage.
haec inventas ab inventore et subiectas res ab obtinentibus significat: ut
"
Cererem corruptam undis,
"
et
"
receptus
terra Neptunus classes Aquilonibus arcet.
This signifies the things invented by the inventor, and the passive (subject) things by those who possess (obtain) them: as "Ceres spoiled by the waves, "and "receptus terra Neptunus classes Aquilonibus arcet.
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Quod fit retrorsum durius.
"Which, done in reverse, is harsher.
§8.6.24refert autem id quantum hic tropus oratorem sequatur.
But it matters how far this trope may follow the orator.
nam ut Vulcanum pro igne vulgo audimus, et vario Marte pugnatum eruditus est sermo, et Venerem quam coitum dixisse magis decet, ita liberum et Cererem pro vino et pane licentius quam ut fori severitas ferat.
For just as we commonly hear "Vulcan" for fire, and "fought with varied Mars" is learned speech, and it is more decent to say "Venus" than copulation, so to use "Liber" and "Ceres" for wine and bread is more licentious than the severity of the forum would bear.
sicut ex eo, quod continetur, usus recipit bene moratas urbes et poculum epotum et saeculum felix; §8.6.25at id, quod contra est, raro audeat quis, nisi poeta:
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iam proximus ardet Ucalegon.
Just as from that which is contained, usage accepts "well-behaved cities," "a cup drunk up," and "a happy age"; but the contrary, rarely would anyone dare, except a poet: "iam proximus ardet Ucalegon.
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Nisi forte hoc potius est, a possessore quod possidetur, ut hominem devorari, cuius patrimonium consumatur.
"Unless perhaps this is rather the possessed by the possessor, as for a man to be "devoured" whose patrimony is consumed.
quo modo fiunt innumerabiles species.
In which way innumerable species are made.
§8.6.26huius enim sunt generis, cum ab Hannibale caesa apud Cannas sexaginta milia dicimus, et carmina Vergilii Vergilium; venisse commeatus, qui adferantur; sacrilegium deprehensum, non sacrilegum; armorum scientiam habere, non artis. §8.6.27illud quoque et poetis et oratoribus frequens, quo id, quod efficit, ex eo, quod efficitur, ostendimus.
For of this kind it is, when we say that sixty thousand were slain by Hannibal at Cannae, and the poems of Vergil "Vergil"; that "provisions" have come, which are being brought; that "sacrilege" was detected, not "the sacrilegious man"; that one has "knowledge of arms," not "of the art." That also is frequent both to poets and orators, by which we show that which effects from that which is effected.
nam et carminum auctores,
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pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas,
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et
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pallentesque habitant morbi tristisque senectus,
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et orator praecipitem iram, hilarem adolescentiam, segne otium dicet. §8.6.28est etiam huic tropo quaedam cum synecdoche vicinia.
For both the authors of poems say, "pale death knocks with impartial foot at the cottages of the poor, "and "pale diseases and sad old age dwell there, "and the orator will say "headlong anger," "cheerful youth," "slothful leisure." There is also a certain vicinity of this trope with synecdoche.
nam, cum dico vultus hominis pro vultu, dico pluraliter quod singulare est; sed non id ago, ut unum ex multis intelligatur (nam id est manifestum), sed nomen immuto; et cum aurata tecta aurea, pusillum a vero discedo, quia non est nisi pars auratura.
For when I say "vultus" (faces) of a man for "vultus" (face), I speak in the plural what is singular; but I do not act so that one may be understood out of many (for that is manifest), but I change the name; and when I call "gilded roofs" "golden," I depart a tiny bit from the truth, because the gilding is only a part.
quae singula persequi minutioris est curae etiam non oratorem instruentibus.
To pursue these things individually belongs to a too minute care, even for those who are not instructing an orator.
antonomasia, §8.6.29quae aliquid pro nomine ponit, poetis utroque modo frequentissima, et per epitheton, quod detracto eo, cui apponitur, valet pro nomine, Tydides, Pelides: et ex his, quae id quoque sunt praecipua,
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divum pater atque hominum rex; "
et ex factis, quibus persona signatur,
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thalamo quae fixa reliquit
impius.
Antonomasia, which places something instead of a proper name, is most frequent among poets in both ways: both through an epithet, which, when that to which it is applied is removed, stands for the name, as "Tydides" (son of Tydeus), "Pelides" (son of Peleus); and from those which are also principal among these, as: "father of gods and king of men; "and from deeds by which a person is characterized, as: "thalamo quae fixa reliquit impius.
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Oratoribus etiamsi rarus eius rei, §8.6.30nonnullus tamen usus est.
"Although for orators its use is rare, there is nevertheless some use.
nam ut Tydiden et Peliden non dixerint, ita dixerint impios et parricidas; eversorem quoque Carthaginis et Numantiae pro Scipione et Romanae eloquentiae principem pro Cicerone posuisse non dubitem.
For though they would not say "Tydides" or "Pelides," they would say "the impious" and "parricides"; nor should I hesitate to put "the destroyer of Carthage and Numantia" for Scipio, and "the prince of Roman eloquence" for Cicero.
ipse certe usus est hac libertate: non multa peccas, inquit ille fortissimo viro senior magister; neutrum enim nomen est positum et utrumque intelligitur.
Cicero himself certainly used this liberty: "You do not sin in many things," says he, "the elder master" to "a most brave man"; for neither name is placed, and both are understood.
onomatopoeia quidem, §8.6.31id est fictio nominis, Graecis inter maximas habita virtutes, nobis vix permittitur.
Onomatopoeia indeed, that is, the coining of a name, which is regarded among the greatest virtues by the Greeks, is scarcely permitted to us.
et sunt plurima ita posita ab iis, qui sermonem primi fecerunt aptantes adfectibus vocem.
And there are very many words thus established by those who first formed speech, adapting the voice to feelings.
nam mugitus et sibilus et murmur inde venerunt.
For lowing, hissing, and murmur came from thence.
§8.6.32deinde, tanquam consummata sint omnia, nihil generare audemus ipsi, cum multa cotidie ab antiquis ficta moriantur.
Then, as if all things were completed, we ourselves dare to generate nothing, although many words coined by the ancients die daily.
vix illa, quae πεποιημένα vocant, quae ex vocibus id usum receptis quocunque modo declinantur, nobis permittimus, qualia sunt sullaturit et proscripturit; atque laureati postes pro illo lauru coronati, ex eadem fictione sunt.
We scarcely permit ourselves those words which they call "pepoiemena" (coined words), which are inflected (derived) in any way from words received into usage, such as "he wishes to play Sulla" (sullaturit) and "he wishes to make a proscription" (proscripturit); and "laurelled doorposts" for "crowned with laurel" are from the same coining.
§8.6.33sed hoc feliciter evaluit* adoinoia et uio eo ferimus id Graecis ocoeludituinobono eo dure etiam iungere, arquitenentem et videre septentriones videmur.
But this [composition of words] has happily prevailed; [corrupt text] we bear it as the Greeks [corrupt text]; we even seem to join harshly "arquitenens" (bow-bearing) and to see "septentriones" (the seven plow-oxen).