Avunculus Meus Translation

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ante lucem

Before daybreak

ibat ad Vespasianum imperatorem

he used to go to the emperor Vespasian,

(nam ille quoque noctibus utebatur),

(for he too used to make use of the nights),

deinde ad officium sibi delegatum.

then [he would carry out] the duty assigned to him.

reversus domum

On his return home

reliquum tempus studiis dabat.

he used to give the remaining time to [his] studies.

saepe post cibum

Often, after a meal,

qui veterum more

which in the custom of [his] forefathers

interdiu levis et facilis erat

was taken during the day, light and easily [digested],

si quid otii erat,

if he had any leisure time

aestate

in the summer,

iacebat in sole,

he used to lie in the sun;

liber legebatur,

a book was read [to him]

adnotabat excerpebatque.

and he used to take notes and extracts [from it].

nihil enim legit

For he never read anything

quod non excerperet;

which he did not take extracts from;

dicere etiam solebat

he was even in the habit of saying

nullum librum esse tam malum

[that] there was no book so bad

ut non aliqua parte prodesset.

that it was not of use in some part.

post solem

After the sun

plerumque aqua frigida lavabatur,

he usually bathed in cold water,

deinde gustabat

then he had a snack

dormiebatque minimum;

and napped briefly;

mox quasi alio die

soon, as [if it was] on another day,

studebat in cenae tempus.

he studied until dinner time.

super cenam

Over dinner

liber legebatur adnotabatur,

a book was read [and] notes were taken,

et quidem cursim.

albeit somewhat rapidly.

haec inter medios labores urbisque fremitum.

[He did] this amid the bustle of the city and in the midst of [other] work.

in secessu

Away from the city

solum ... tempus eximebatur

the only time he was taken away

balinei ... studiis

from his studies [was] at the baths

cum dico 'balinei',

[and] when I say "baths"

de interioribus loquor;

I am speaking of the inner rooms;

nam dum destringitur tergiturque,

for while he was being rubbed down and dried,

audiebat aliquid aut dictabat.

he used to listen to something or dictate.

in itinere

On a journey,

quasi solutus ceteris curis,

as if freed from other concerns,

huic uni vacabat:

he would devote [himself] to this one [thing]:

ad latus

at his side,

cum libro et pugillaribus,

with a book and writing tablets,

notarius ... cuius manus hieme manicis muniebantur,

[would be] a secretary, whose hands were protected by long sleeves in the winter,

ut ne caeli quidem asperitas

so that not even the harshness of the weather

ullum studii tempus eriperet;

[could] take away any [of his] time for study;

qua ex causa Romae

for this reason, [when] in Rome,

quoque sella vehebatur.

he was also carried about in a litter.

repeto me correptum ab eo,

I remember [that] I was scolded by him,

quod ambularem:

because I was walking:

'poteras' inquit 'has horas non perdere';

he said, 'you ought not to waste these hours';

nam perire omne tempus arbitrabatur,

for he thought [that] all time was wasted,

quod studiis non impenderetur.

which was not devoted to study.

vale.

Farewell.