§6

Perpetua is Sentenced

Alio die cum pranderemus, subito rapti sumus ut audiremur. Et pervenimus ad forum. Rumor statim per vicinas fori partes cucurrit et factus est populus immensus.  Ascendimus in catastam.  Interrogati ceteri confessi sunt. Ventum est et ad me. Et apparuit pater ilico cum filio meo et extraxit me de gradu dicens: “Supplica. Miserere infanti.” Et Hilarianus procurator, qui tunc loco proconsulis Minuci Timiniani defuncti ius gladii acceperat, “Parce,” inquit, “canis patris tui, parce infantiae pueri. Fac sacrum pro salute imperatorum.” Et ego respondi, “Non facio.” Hilarianus “Christiana es?” inquit. Et ego respondi, “Christiana sum.” Et cum staret pater ad me deiciendam, iussus est ab Hilariano proici et virgā percussus est. Et doluit mihi casus patris mei quasi ego essem percussa; sic dolui pro senectā eius miserā. Tunc nos universos pronuntiat et damnat ad bestias; et hilares descendimus ad carcerem. Tunc quia consueverat a me infans mammas accipere et mecum in carcere manere, statim mitto ad patrem Pomponium diaconum, postulans infantem. Sed pater dare noluit. Et quomodo Deus voluit, neque ille amplius mammas desideravit neque mihi fervorem fecerunt ne sollicitudine infantis et dolore mammarum macerarer.

Nota

prandeo, prandēre, prandi, pransum - to eat a morning or midday meal

rūmor, -ōris m. - rumor, hearsay

catasta, -ae f. - platform (where slaves were sold)

ilico - to that place

extraho, -trahere, -traxi, -tractum - to drag from (ex • traho, trahere, traxi, tractum)

supplico (1) - to kneel down, beg humbly

misereor, misereri, miseritum - to pity (+ dat.)

Hilarianus, -i m. - Hilarianus

procurator, -oris m. - procurator (provincial governor)

proconsul, proconsulis m. - proconsul (a former consul granted a governorship) 

Minucius Timinianus, Minuci Timiniani m. - Minucius Timinianus, proconsul

defunctus, -a, -um - dead

ius gladii: lit. “the right of the sword,” the power of life and death over his subjects

infantia, -ae f. - infancy

Christianus, -a , -um - Christian

ad me deiciendam: “to throw me off” (gerundive with ad to express purpose, see Unit 10)

proicio, -icere, -ieci, -iectum - to throw forth (pro • iacio, iacere, ieci, iactum)

percutio, -cutere, -cussi, -cussum - to strike

virga, -ae f. - rod, stick

quasi: often introduces a contrary to fact statement, and, in this case, the verb will be subjunctive

senecta, -ae f. - old age

pronuntio (1) - to announce a sentence on (+ acc.)

consueo, -suere, -suevi, -suetum - to accustom

Pomponius, -i m. - Pomponius (a deacon in her group of catechumens)

diaconus, -i m. - deacon

dare: supply infantem

fervor, -oris m. - heat, boiling heat (often when mothers stop nursing abruptly, their breasts will become filled to excess, which can bring about a fever)

sollicitudo, -tudinis f. - concern

macero (1) - to exhaust, wear down

§7a

Perpetua’s Second Vision (Dinocrates)

Post dies paucos, dum universi oramus, subito mediā oratione profecta est mihi vox et nominavi Dinocraten. Et obstipui quod numquam mihi in mentem venisset nisi tunc, et dolui commemorata casus eius. Et cognovi me statim dignam esse et pro eo petere debere. Et coepi de ipso orationem facere multum et ingemescere ad Dominum.  Continuo ipsā nocte ostensum est mihi hoc. Video Dinocraten exeuntem de loco tenebroso ubi et conplures erant, aestuantem valde et sitientem, sordido cultu et colore pallido; et vulnus in facie eius, quod cum moreretur habuit. Hic Dinocrates fuerat frater meus carnalis, annorum septem, qui per infirmitatem facie canceratā male obiit ita ut mors eius odio fuerit omnibus hominibus. 

profecta est mihi: compound verbs sometimes take the dative case (See Unit 9)

nomino (1) - to call by name

Dinocrates, -is m. - Dinocrates, Perpetua’s younger brother who died at the age of seven probably of cancer.

obstipesco, -stipescere, -stipui - be amazed (no passive forms)

mihi in mentem: mihi is a dative of possession

venisset: quod can either take the subjunctive or the indicative.  The subjunctive is used here, however, in a contrary to fact condition.  “He would have never come into my mind, if (he had) not at that time.”

commemor (1) - to recall (+ genitive)

petere pro eo: peto (II.B.2.b) with pro means “to pray for”

ingemesco, -gemescere, -gemui, -gemitum - to groan, cry with anguish

continuo - constantly

tenebrosus, -a, -um - dark, gloomy

conplures, -a - many

aestuo (1) - to burn, be hot

valde - intensely (irregular adv. of validus)

sitio, -ire, -ivi - to be thirsty

sordido cultu et colore pallido: use the standard translation of the ablative “with” for this ablative of quality.

sordidus, -a, -um - dirty

cultus, -us m. - clothes

pallidus, -a, -um - pale

carnalis, -e - of the flesh

annorum septem: use the standard translation of the genitive “of” with this genitive of quality.

septem - seven

infirmitas, -tatis f. - sickness

canceratus, -a, -um - cancerous

obeo, -ire, -ii, -itum - to die, to pass away

odio...omnibus hominibus: odio is a dative of purpose, expressing the end result of the verb, and can be translated as “the cause of hatred.”  This is often accompanied by another dative of the person affected, which uses a standard translation of the dative as “for.”  Used together they are called a “double dative.”

§7b

Perpetua Prays for Dinocrates

Pro hoc ergo orationem feceram; et inter me et illum grande erat diastema ita ut uterque ad invicem accedere non possemus. Erat deinde in illo loco ubi Dinocrates erat piscina plena aquā, altiorem marginem habens quam erat statura pueri; et extendebat se Dinocrates quasi bibiturus. Ego dolebam quod et piscina illa aquam habebat et tamen propter altitudinem marginis bibere non poterat. Et experrecta sum, et cognovi fratrem meum laborare. Sed fidebam me profuturam esse labori eius. Et orabam pro eo omnes dies quousque transivimus in carcerem castrensem. Munere enim castrensi eramus pugnaturi: natale tunc Getae Caesaris. Et feci pro illo orationem die et nocte gemens et lacrimans ut mihi donaretur.

grandis, -e - large

diastema, diastematis n. - space, distance

uterque: nominative with the subject “we” to mean “each of us.”

piscina, -ae f. - pond

statura, -ae f. - stature, height

extendo, -tendere, -tendi, -tensum - to stretch out  (ex • tendo, tendere, tetendi, tentum)

bibo, bibere, bibi, bibitum - to drink

altitudo, -tudinis f. - height, depth

fido, fidere, fisum - to trust, have confidence (semi-deponent)

quousque - until what time? (quo • usque)

castrensis, -e - of a camp, military

eramus pugnaturi: translate as “we were going to fight.”.

natalis, -e - of birth; (natale [die]) - “birthday”

gemo, gemere, gemui, gemitum - to groan

lacrimo (1) - to weep, cry

§8

Perpetua's Third Vision (Dinocrates II)

Die quo in nervo mansimus, ostensum est mihi hoc. Video locum illum quem retro videram et Dinocraten mundo corpore bene vestitum refrigerantem; et ubi erat vulnus video cicatricem, et piscinam illam, quam retro videram, summisso margine usque ad umbilicum pueri; et aquam de eā trahebat sine cessatione. Et super marginem fiala aurea plena aquā. Et accessit Dinocrates et de eā bibere coepit; quae fiala non deficiebat. Et satiatus accessit aquā ludere more infantium gaudens. Et experrecta sum. Tunc intellexi translatum eum esse de poenā.

nervus, -i m. - cord, nerve (in nervo - “in prison” or “in the stocks”)

retro - before

vestio, -ire, -ivi, -itum - to clothe

cicatrix, cicatricis f. - scar

summitto, -mittere, -misi, -missum - to send up, raise (sub • mitto, mittere, -misi, -missum)

umbilicus, -i m. - navel

cessatio, -tionis f. - cessation

fiala, -ae f. - cup

satio (1) - to fill, satisfy

accessit: here translate as “began”

ludo, ludere, lusi, lusum - to play

transfero, -ferre, -tuli, -latum - to carry over, transfer (trans • fero, ferre, tuli, latum)