Latin literature - Pliny

C. PLINIUS CANINIO SVO S.

Gauius to his dearest Caninius. Greetings.

incidi in materiam veram sed simillimam fictae, dignamque isto laetissimo altissimo planeque poetico ingenio; incidi autem, dum super cenam varia miracula hinc inde referuntur.

I stumbled upon a true subject but it was very similar to fiction, and clearly worthy of that happy and deep poetic talent; however I stumbled upon it while different marvels were being reported from here and from there over dinner.

magna auctori fides: tametsi quid poetae cum fide?

The author is very reliable: although what has a poet got to do with reliability?

is tamen auctor, cui bene vel historiam scripturus credidisses.

However the author is that man whom you might have trusted well, even when you’re about to write history.

est in Africa Hipponensis colonia mari proxima.

There is the colony of Hippo very near the sea in Africa.

adiacet navigabile stagnum; ex hoc in modum fluminis aestuarium emergit, quod vice alterna, prout aestus aut repressit aut impulit, nunc infertur mari, nunc redditur stagno.

It lies next to a navigable lake ;an estuary like a river flows out from this, which alternatively, as the tide either ebbs or flows, now flows into the sea, now returns to the lake

omnis hic aetas piscandi navigandi atque etiam natandi studio tenetur, maxime pueri, quos otium lususque sollicitat.

Here, all ages are held by the enthusiasm for fishing, sailing and even swimming, most greatly the boys, who are attracted by leisure and sport.

his gloria et virtus altissime provehi: victor ille, qui longissime ut litus ita simul natantes reliquit.

These boys’ boast and courage is to swim far out into the deepest water: the winner is that boy who leaves both the shore and the swimmers very far behind at the same time

hoc certamine puer quidam audentior ceteris in ulteriora tendebat.

In this competition, a certain boy, more daring than the other boys, was heading out into further waters.

delphinus occurrit, et nunc praecedere puerum nunc sequi nunc circumire, postremo subire deponere iterum subire,

He met a dolphin and now it goes before the boy, now it follows, now it goes around, at last it takes the boy on its back, puts him down and takes the boy on its back again

trepidantemque perferre primum in altum, mox flectit ad litus, redditque terrae et aequalibus.

and first carries him terrified into the deep water and then soon it turned back to the shore and gave the boy back to the land and his companions.

serpit per coloniam fama; concurrere omnes, ipsum puerum tamquam miraculum adspicere, interrogare audire narrare.

The story spread through the colony, they all hurried together, they all looked at the boy himself as if he was a miracle, they asked questions, they heard and they told.

postero die obsident litus, prospectant mare et si quid est mari simile.

On the following day, they took over the shore, they looked out over the sea and anything similar to the sea.

natant pueri, inter hos ille, sed cautius.

The boys swam but among these boys, that boy swam more cautiously.

delphinus rursus ad tempus, rursus ad puerum. fugit ille cum ceteris.

The dolphin came at that same time again to that boy again. That boy fled with the rest.

delphinus, quasi invitet et revocet, exsilit mergitur, variosque orbes implicat expeditque.

The dolphin, as if inviting him and calling him back, leapt up and dived down and it wove and uncoiled various circles.

hoc altero die, hoc tertio, hoc pluribus, donec homines innutritos mari subiret timendi pudor.

This happened on another day, this happened on a third day, this happened on more days until the shame of being afraid came over the men brought up on the sea.

accedunt et adludunt et adpellant, tangunt etiam pertrectantque praebentem.

They approached the dolphin, and played with it and spoke to it, even touching and stroking the offering dolphin it.

crescit audacia experimento.

The boldness grew with experience.

maxime puer, qui primus expertus est, adnatat nanti, insilit tergo, fertur referturque,

Especially the boy who had already experienced this swam to it, he leapt onto its back, he was carried out and brought back,

agnosci se amari putat, amat ipse; neuter timet, neuter timetur; huius fiducia, mansuetudo illius augetur. 

he thought that he himself was recognised and loved by the dolphin, he himself loves the dolphin; neither was scared, neither was feared, as the trust of this boy increased, the tameness of this dolphin was also increased.

nec non alii pueri dextra laevaque simul eunt hortantes monentesque.

And also the other boys went on the at the same time on the right and left, encouraging and advising.

ibat una (id quoque mirum) delphinus alius, tantum spectator et comes.

It was going alongside another dolphin only as a spectator and companion (it was also wonderful).

nihil enim simile aut faciebat aut patiebatur, sed alterum illum ducebat reducebat, ut puerum ceteri pueri.

For the dolphin was neither doing nor enduring anything similar but that dolphin led the other and led it back as that boy did to the other boys.

incredibile, tam verum tamen quam priora, delphinum gestatorem collusoremque puerorum in terram quoque extrahi solitum, harenisque siccatum, ubi incaluisset in mare revolvi.

It was incredible, however as truthful as before, that the dolphin, which was the carrier and companion of the boys, was accustomed to also being dragged onto land and having been dried on the sand, when it got hot, it was accustomed to being rolled back into the sea.

constat Octavium Avitum, legatum proconsulis, in litus educto religione prava superfudisse unguentum,

It is known that Octavius Avitus, the legate of the proconsul, had poured an ointment with abnormal superstition on the dolphin, having been drawn out onto the shore

cuius illum novitatem odoremque in altum refugisse, nec nisi post multos dies visum languidum et maestum, mox redditis viribus priorem lasciviam et solita ministeria repetisse.

this dolphin fled from that unusual treatment and odour into the deep sea, and not until many days after was it seen, lacking energy and sad, but soon, with its energy restored, it was agreed that it resumed its prior playfulness and usual services.

confluebant omnes ad spectaculum magistratus, quorum adventu et mora modica res publica novis sumptibus atterebatur.

All the magistrates were flocking to the sight, with the arrival and staying of these magistrates, the small community was worn down by the new expenses.

postremo locus ipse quietem suam secretumque perdebat: placuit occulte interfici, ad quod coibatur.

Finally the place itself was losing its peace and privacy: it was decided to kill, in secret, that thing to which there was a gathering.

haec tu qua miseratione, qua copia deflebis ornabis attolles! vale.

With what compassion, with what eloquence, you will bewail, you will embellish, you will elevate these things! Goodbye.