GCSE Latin- Pliny the Younger, Letters 9.33 TRANSLATION

C PLINIUS CANINIO SUO S.

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

Pliny sends greetings to his friend Caninius

I have come across a story which is true but very like a fictitious one, and worthy of that very pleasing, very elevated and clearly poetic intellect of yours. I came across it, moreover, while various marvellous events were being related over dinner on this side and that.

magna auctori fides: tametsi quid poetae cum fide? is tamen auctor, cui bene vel historiam scripturus credidisses.

There is great reliability in the author, and yet what have poets to do with reliability? However, the author is such a person whom you would have well believed even if you were going to write history.

est in Africa Hipponensis colonia mari proxima. adiacet navigabile stagnum; ex hoc in modum fluminis aestuarium emergit, quod vice alterno, prout aestus aut repressit aut impulit, nunc infertur mari, nunc redditur stagno.

In Africa there is the colony of Hippo, very close to the sea. A navigable lagoon lies by, from this an estuary flows out like a river, which alternately, depending on whether the tide has either ebbed or flowed in, is now carried into the sea or restored to the lagoon.

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

Here, people of all ages are attracted by their enthusiasm for fishing, sailing and also swimming, most of all boys, whom leisure time and sport stimulate.

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

To advance into the deepest water brings these boys glory and courage: the winner is the one who has left both the shore and those swimming together with him the furthest behind.

hoc certamine puer quidam audientior ceteris in ulteriora tendebat. delphinus occurrit, et nunc praecedere puerum nunc sequi nunc circumire, postremo subire deponere iterum subire, trepidantemque perferre primum in altum, mox flectit ad litus, redditque terrae et aequalibus.

In this competition a certain boy more daring than the rest was making his way into the further parts [of the sea]. A dolphin met him and now went in front of the boy, now followed him, now circled him [and] finally went under him, put him down and then went under him again, and carried the frightened boy first out to the deep water, soon turned towards the shore and returned him to the land and his peers.

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

The story spread throughout the colony; everyone ran together, regarded the boy himself as a prodigy, questioned him, listened to him and told the story [to others].

postero die obsident litus, prospectant mare et si quid est mari simile. natant pueri, inter hos ille, sed cautius. delphinus rursus ad tempus, rursus ad puerum. fugit ille cum ceteris.

On the next day they thronged the shore, they looked out to the sea and [if there is] anything like the sea. The boys swam, the original one among them, but more cautiously. The dolphin [returned] on time again, again back to the boy. He fled with the others.

delphinus, quasi invitet et revocet, exsilit mergitur, variosque orbes implicat expeditque. hoc altero die, hoc tertio, hoc pluribus, donec homines innutritos mari subiret timendi pudor.

The dolphin, as if inviting him [to approach] and calling him back, leapt out and dived down and winds and unwinds different loops [around him]. On the next day, on a third day and on many more days [he did] this until shame of being afraid came over the men who were brought up near the sea.

accedunt et alludunt et appellant, tangunt etiam pertrectantque praebentem. crescit audacia experimento.

They approached [the dolphin], played with it and called it, even touching it and handling it as it offered itself [to them]. Their boldness increased with experience.

maxime puer, qui primus expertus est, adnatat nanti, insilit tergo, fertur referturque, agnosci se amari putat, amat ipse;

In particular, the boy who was the first to have experienced it, swam by [the dolphin] as it swam alongside, leapt on to its back, was carried to and fro, and considered himself to be recognised and loved, and he himself loved [the dolphin];

neuter timet, neuter timetur; huius fiducia, mansuetudo illius augetur. nec non alii pueri dextra laevaque simul eunt hortantes monentesque.

neither feared, neither was feared; the confidence of the boy and the tameness of the dolphin increased. Beside, other boys went together with them on the right and left, urging him on and warning him.

ibat una (id quoque mirum) delphinus alius, tantum spectator et comes. nihil enim simile aut faciebat aut patiebatur sed alterum illum ducebat reducebat, ut puerum ceteri pueri.

Another dolphin (this, also, is surprising) went along with them, but only as a spectator and companion. For it neither did nor allowed anything similar, but accompanied that other dolphin back and forth, just as the other boys accompanied the boy.

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

It [is] unbelievable, but as true as the previous events, that the dolphin, who carried and played with the boys, became accustomed even to be dragged out onto land, and when it had been dried out on the sands and become hot, rolled back into the sea.

constat Octavium Avitum, legatum proconsulis, in litus educto religione prava superfudisse unguentum, cuius illum novitatem odoremque in altum refugisse, nec nisi post multos dies visum languidum et maestum

It is agreed that Octavius Avitus, deputy of the proconsul, having bought the dolphin onto the shore, in a perverse show of religion, poured perfume over it, and that the dolphin fled from the strangeness and the smell of this perfume back into deep water, and, not seen except many days later, was sluggish and sad.

mox redditis viribus priorem lasciviam et solita ministeria repetisse

But soon, when its strength was restored, it resumed its former playfulness and accustomed functions.

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

All the magistrates flocked together to the sight, because of whose arrival and moderate stay the town began to be exhausted by new expenses.

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

Finally, the place itself began to lose its peace and seclusion: it was resolved that the reason why people were flocking to [the town] should be secretly killed.

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

With what compassion will you mourn these events, with what ability will you adorn and exalt them! Farewell.