LLEGE-LATIN -SEBJES
Lindsay's
Latin Inscriptions
(Eciu
Rmrrtfci
ALLYN AND BACON'S COLLEGE LATIN SERIES
UNDER THE GENERAL EDITORSHIP OF
CHARLES E. BENNETT AND JOHN C. ROLFE
HANDBOOK
OF
LATIN INSCRIPTIONS
ILLUSTRATING THE HISTORY OF
THE LANGUAGE
BY
W. M. LINDSAY, M.A.
FELLOW OF JESUS COLLEGE, OXFORD
ALLYN AND BACON
Boston anti Chicago
COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY
ALLYN AND BACON.
OAF
Norfoooti
J. S. Gushing & Co. - Berwick & Smith
Norwood Mass. U.S.A.
PREFACE.
WHILE writing my Short Historical Latin Grammar,
I often wished that there was a suitable collection of
specimens of Latin, chronologically arranged, to which
the student might be referred. The proposal of
Messrs. Allyn and Bacon, that a Handbook of Latin
Inscriptions illustrative of the history of the language
should be compiled for their educational series, was
therefore very welcome. From merely turning over
the pages of a book of this kind one will sometimes
learn more than from the most elaborate array of rules,
just as the successive pictures of a panorama are often
more instructive than the showman's lecture.
In a few cases, where it seemed advisable, documents
which cannot strictly be called ' Inscriptions ' have been
included (Nos. 4, 65, 67, 78, 83, 84). The expression of
long i by i with an apex, instead of by the tall form of
the letter, in Chap. III., is a concession to typographical
convenience.
W. M. LINDSAY.
OXFORD, ENGLAND, August, 1897.
iii
CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGB
I. THE EARLIEST PERIOD AND THE BEGINNING OF LIT-
ERATURE ......... 1
II. THE PERIOD OF THE REPUBLICAN LITERATURE . . 47
III. THE AGE OF CICERO AND THE EARLY EMPIRE.
CLASSICAL LATIN ....... 94
IV. IMPERIAL AND LATE LATIN ...... 114
INDEX 131
HANDBOOK
OF
LATIN INSCRIPTIONS.
CHAPTER I.
THE EARLIEST PERIOD AND THE BEGINNING OF
LITERATURE.
1. Latin belongs to the same family of languages as
Greek, and the farther back we can trace the Latin
speech, the more we find it resembling the Greek forms
and inflexions. But there was one thing which, century
by century, altered more and more the appearance of
Latin words, and that was the Latin accent. The Latin
accent was, like ours, an accent of stress. The accented
syllable was uttered so strongly as to spoil the clear
utterance of the following syllables ; and just as in our
own language the noun ' minute/ derived from Latin
minutum, has come to be pronounced ' minit ' instead of
t minute,' so too in Latin a word like genos came to be
pronounced indistinctly, incorrectly, irrationally, as genus.
The cause of the change is the same in the Latin as in
the English word. We use most of the breath at our
disposal in uttering the first syllable of the word ' minute/
1
2 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
and leave the following syllable without a chance of
being properly pronounced. Precisely in the same way
the Roman put the strength of his voice into the utter-
ance of the first syllable of genos, with the result that
the second syllable was not given its full, proper sound
of -nos, but was hurried over in such a fashion that the
sound that reached the ear was rather -nus than -nos.
But there is this difference between the Latin language
and our own. Though we have long since abandoned
the correct pronunciation ' minute' and have universally
adopted the careless utterance ' minlt,' we still keep the
old spelling. A Roman, however, spelled as he pro-
nounced; so that when he became conscious that the
way in which he pronounced genos was really with the
sound of u not of o in the second syllable, he gave up
the old spelling genos and adopted a new spelling, genus.
That is what is meant by saying that Roman spelling
was phonetic, while ours is traditional.
2. Of the alterations undergone by Latin words and in-
flexions from one century to another, the most noticeable
were the changes in unaccented vowels, such as the vowel
of the second syllable of genos, Class. Lat. genus. If we
remove these alterations and restore the words to their
proper vocalism, the affinity of Latin with Greek is
much more easy to perceive. The older form of genus,
namely genos, is exactly identical with the corresponding
Greek word yeVo?, if we pronounce the Latin word as the
Romans pronounced it, with ' hard ' g. Again, the Latin
Second Declension looks as if it were different from the
Greek; for the typical Latin ending is -us, while the
The Earliest Period. 3
Greek is -os. But here, too, it is merely the Latin
weakening of unaccented vowels that has effaced the
resemblance. Before the Latin stress-accent on the first
syllable had fully exerted its weakening influence on
the second, a word like dolus was pronounced and spelled
dolos, with the same ending -6s as Greek So'Aos or any
other noun of the Second Declension. Thus the farther
back we go in the history of the Latin language, the
more we find its forms resembling the Greek vocalism ;
and in studying Latin forms we must always bear in
mind that the great influence at work in changing their
appearance was the Latin accentuation.
3. What, then, were the rules of Latin accentuation,
and at what periods in the history of Eome did it bring
about these alterations in the vowels of unaccented syl-
lables ?
At some very early time, it is impossible to say pre-
cisely when, every Latin word was accented on the
first syllable. The Perfect of folio, for example, had
the accent on the syllable fe-, and that is why the
second syllable whose proper pronunciation was -fall-
(with an a) came, in time, to be pronounced and spelled
-fell- (with an e). We, with an accent of much the same
type as the Koinan, can easily realize how fefalli passed
gradually into fefelli; for in our own pronunciation of
words like 'prevalent' we see the same weakening,
hurrying over, or slurring of the unaccented syllable.
Similarly, the old name Numasio- became Numesio-, and
in time (see 6) Numerio-.
At what time it was that this practice arose of throw-
4 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
ing the weight of the voice on the first syllable of each
and every Latin word we cannot tell, nor yet at what
precise period the new fashion came in of accenting the
antepenultimate syllable where the penult was short and
the penult itself where it was long. The new fashion is
the rule of Classical Latin; e.g. dedecoris, Gen. of dedecus,
is accented on the antepaenultima because the paenultima
is a short syllable, while decoris, Gen. of decor, having a
long penult, is accented on the penult. We may guess
that the change a gradual, not a sudden, one took
place about 350-250 B.C., and that words like Numerius,
that is to say, words of four syllables with the first three
short, were still later in succumbing to the new tendency.
The accent probably persisted on the first syllable of
such words (cf. our ' capitalist ') till the beginning of the
first century B.C. But we know that the < Older Law of
Accentuation/ as it is called, was long enough in prac-
tice to leave its mark, where possible, on the second
syllable of each and every word of the language. It is
the syllable immediately following the accented syllable
which in a language with stress-accentuation is always
the chief sufferer. The old Latin accent being, as we
have seen, on the first syllable of each word, it was the
second syllable of the word which lay most exposed to
its masterful influence. The only kind of second sylla-
bles which resisted that influence successfully were
syllables which had a long simple vowel. Decedo, for
example, preserved its second syllable unimpaired, but
de-caido became deceido, then decido; and de-cddo became
decedo, then decido. Sometimes the short vowel was
The Earliest Period. 5
driven out of its place altogether; re-peperi became
repperi, and re-tetuli, rettuli.
The effect of this ' Old Law of Accentuation ' on the
language was enormous. Every word which had a short
second syllable had that syllable effaced by Syncope or
else altered by Vowel-weakening, an a becoming an e
(later i, see below). Every word which had a diphthong
in the second syllable had that diphthong altered; ai
to ei (later written and pronounced i), au (through eu ?)
to ou (later written and pronounced u).
4. The adoption of the new law of accentuation, the
'Paenultima Law,' as it is called, did not arrest the
process of Vowel-weakening. In the course of the third
century B.C. we see e reduced to i ; concedo (earlier con-
cado) becomes concido; aget, 3d Sg. Pres. Ind., becomes
agit. 0, when unaccented, sinks to u\ genos becomes
genus. The precise rules of Vowel-weakening and Syn-
cope cannot be given here. They may be learned from
historical grammars such as my Historical Latin Gram-
mar, ch. ii. 12 sqq., Bennett, Appendix, 71 sqq.
5. In the first part of the period illustrated in this sec-
tion, we must think of the language as dominated by the
' Older Law of Accentuation/ with an accent of stress
on all first syllables, an accent which gradually weak-
ened or effaced the vowel of the second syllable. And
not merely the second syllable, but the final syllable too
suffered under the overpowering influence of the stress-
accentuation of the beginning of the word. Ai in a final
syllable became in time ei (Class. Lat. ), and oi suffered
the same change. Thus the I of the Nom. Plur. of the
6 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Second Declension, which was pronounced ei up to about
150 B.C. and was written ei even later, was originally oi.
The Dat. Abl. Plur. of the same Declension ended origi-
nally in -ois, which passed by the usual Vowel-weaken-
ing to -eis, Class. Lat. -is. The -ai of the Dat. Sg. of
the Third Declension became -ei, Class. Lat. -i, and so
on. Our oldest inscription (No. 1) belongs to a time
when this Vowel-weakening had not so far developed as
to be recognized in the spelling : thus we have Numasio-,
not Numesio-; fefdked, not fefeked.
6. We cannot assign a date to the earliest examples of
Vowel-weakening. But another phonetic change, which
effected almost as great an alteration in the appearance
of Latin words, we can date with some probability.
Between vowels an s became r in Latin, a process called
' Ehotacism/ in the course of the fourth century B.C., just
as in Greek an s in the same position became at first h,
then was dropped. If we eliminate these changes from
the Latin and Greek case-forms of a word like genos,
yc'vos, we see how similar is the early declension in the
two languages :
Singular :
Nona, genos (7^05) which became genus (7^05),
Gen. (1) genesis " " generis,
(2) genesos (7^e<ros) " " generus, an occasional form
Dat. genesai " " generei (Class. Lat. generl),
Loc. genesi (7^0-1) " " genere (7^" then ytvei),
in Latin with Ablative
use, in Greek with Dative.
The Earliest Period.
Plural:
Nom. genesa (ytveo-a) which became genera (7^ea, then
Gen. genesom (yevfowv) " " generom, then generum
(yevtuv, then yev&v),
and so on.
Our two oldest Latin inscriptions (Nos. 1 and 2) belong
to a time when this change of intervocalic s to r had not
yet been effected. Thus we have Numasio- for Class.
Lat. Numeric-, Toitesior not -eria-.
7. Another characteristic of this early period is that
the diphthongs still remained intact. For the Latin
diphthongs, even when in the accented syllable, came
in course of time to have their true pronunciation modi-
fied. The true, original pronunciation gave the diph-
thong the combined sound of its separate elements. Oi
was pronounced with the sound of o immediately fol-
lowed by the sound of i ; ai with the sound of a immedi-
ately followed by the sound of i. But in time the
neighbourhood of i affected the o, and the o came to be
pronounced like German 6; then the i sunk to e, and
this 6e, written oe, came finally to be uttered as if it
were the simple vowel u. The root of the word Toitesia-
is apparently the same word with which we are familiar
in Classical Latin under the form tutus. Similarly the a
of ai became a under the influence of the neighbouring i ;
then the i sunk to e, and what was originally ai came to
be pronounced ae and written ae; while the last stage
of all, the descent into the simple vowel-sound e, was
reserved for the Post-classical period.
This, then, constitutes an unfamiliar feature of the
8 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
older language, the retention of the diphthongs in their
original form, ai, oi, ou, and so on. Cf. my Historical
Grammar, eh. x. 11, Bennett, App., 80 sqq.
8. With the forms of the letters in which the language
was written at this early epoch we need not much con-
cern ourselves, for the object of our study is the history
of the language itself, and not the history of its writing.
But it may be mentioned that the Romans took their
alphabet bodily from the Greek colonists who were their
neighbours, and adopted the habit of writing in the first
instance for the purpose of trading with them. The
early Latin alphabet is thus nothing but the Greek
alphabet; and though on Greek soil these early forms
of letters developed in one direction and on Latin soil
in another, the Greek and Latin alphabets with which we
are familiar still shew enough resemblance to convince
us of their original identity. The Romans retained Q,
the Greek Koppa, a letter which went out of use in the
Attic alphabet, but they dropped letters like Theta and
Phi, which had no sounds in the Latin pronunciation to
correspond to them. To express the peculiarly Roman
sound / they used at first the Greek combination of the
Digamma, the sign of our sound of w, with the sign for
our sound of h. These two signs in the old Greek alpha-
bet were F and H, and the combination FH expressed a
sound occasionally found in early Greek words which
came near the early Roman sound of /. Thus in our
earliest Latin inscription the ancient Perfect (3d Sg.)
of facio, viz. fefakeid is written FHEFHAKED, with the
/-sound expressed by the double sign FH. The incon-
The Earliest Period. 9
venience of having a double symbol for a single sound
led to the dropping of the second element, so that F
became the Latin letter to express the sound /. The E
in the last syllable of FHEFHAKED probably expresses
the sound of the diphthong ei, for in the early Greek
alphabet the letter E stood for what would in the Attic
Greek of Demosthenes' time be written (1) e, (2) rj, (3) .
The K of FHEFHAKED is another feature of early
Latin writing. The Greek Kappa expressed the sound in
Greek that corresponded to the Latin ' unvoiced ' guttural,
and was at first always used in this function. But the
Greeks pronounced their /c-sound in a way that seemed to
a Eoman ear as much like a 0-sound as a fc-sound ; and so
a Greek word like Kvfapvu was written by the Eomans in
their own characters with a g, guberno. The result of this
want of clear distinction between the k- and the #-sound
in Greek pronunciation was that the Eomans used the
letter Gamma, written C or < in the early Greek alpha-
bet, as often for a fc-sound as for a g- sound, and in course
of time came to drop almost entirely the symbol K, using
C to express both the A>sound and the ^-sound. When
at last the necessity for distinguishing these sounds
forced itself upon them, instead of reverting to the old
usage of K for the &-sound and C for the (/-sound, they
invented a new symbol for the #-sound by adding a stroke
to the C. That is the origin of the Eoman letter G. See
my Historical Grammar, ch. i. 5, Bennett, App., 1, 3.
In the Dvenos Inscription (No. 2) the #-sound of virgo
and the fc-sound of cosmis are written with the same
letter C or <, while the fc-sound of pakari is expressed
10 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
by K; so that this inscription gives us a good example
of the early indiscriminate use of these letters. We
must not, however, suppose that virgo was pronounced
with the o or fc-sound. Though written -CO it was pro-
nounced -GO, just as the names Gains and Gnaeus in
Classical Latin were in abbreviations written in the old-
fashioned style (7., On., though they were never pro-
nounced with any but the 0-sound.
9. Of the forms of Declension and Conjugation which
may have prevailed in this earliest period, we can say
little. It is a common case in the history of a language,
that its early stages are marked by an abundance of
forms of which, in later stages, only ' the fittest ' survive.
How many and how various modes of declining ISTouns
and Pronouns and of conjugating Verbs may have sunk
in the 'struggle for existence 7 before we have sufficient
records of the language, we cannot tell. Our earliest
inscription shews us a Perfect of facio whose existence
we should never have guessed, had it not been thus
accidentally preserved to us. Fefakei was an old by-
form of fekei (Class. Lat. /eci), as pepigi is of pegi. But
how many similar by-forms the Perfects of other Verbs
may have had, it is impossible to say. It is a significant
fact that our second oldest inscription, the Dvenos In-
scription, though nearly every letter of it can be deter-
mined with exactness, is yet in great part unintelligible
to us. We cannot with certainty assign to some of
its forms equivalents in Classical Latin.
10. But from the middle of the third century B.C.
we have more material for ascertaining the actual forms
The Earliest Period.
11
of the early language, and can draw up paradigms of the
Declensions in some such shape as this :
First Declension, e.g. terra.
Nom.
SING.
terra, then terra
Gen. (1) terras (cf. class, paterfamilias)
(2) terrai, then terrai
Dat. terrai, which became (1) terra,
afterwards dropped, (2) terrai
Ace. terrdm, then terrdm
Abl. terrdd
PLUR.
Nom. terrai, then
terrai
Gen. terrdsom, then
Zerrarom
Dat. Abl. terrais, then
ferrets
Ace. terras
Second Declension, e.g. dolos (class, dolus).
SING. PLUR.
Nom. M. dolos Nom. M. doloi, then dolei ~
(N. cZonom) (N. dona, then dona)
Gen. cZoZi Gen. (1) dolom, then doZom
(2) dolosom, then a*oZorom
Dat. doidi, which became (1) Dat. Abl. dolois, then doZeis
a"oZd, (2) doloi, after-
wards dropped
Ace. dolom Ace. doZos
Voc. dole
Abl. ooZod*
Third Declension, e.g. genos (class, genus).
SING.
Nom. N. genos
M.F. (maer, orator, warns)
Gen. (1) geneses, then generis
(2) genesos, then generos,
afterwards dropped
PLUR.
Nom. N. genesd, then grenera,
grenera
M.F. (wares (?), naves)
Gen. genesom, then grenerom
12 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
SING. PLUR.
Dat. genesai, then generei Dat. Abl. genesibos, then
Ace. (matrem, navim*) Ace. (matres,
Abl. (1) genesl, then generi
(2) genesid, then generid
Demonstrative Pronouns :
ho-, h6-, ' this ' 61-so- , ' that '
SING.
Nona. M. he-ce (1) olios, (2) olio, then oZZe
F. hdi-ce olid, then oZZa
M. hod-ce, hocce ollod
Gen. hoios (?) olloios, then olleios
Dat. Acn'-ce (?) oZZoi, then oZZei
Loc. Aei-ce (the class. ollei (cf. t7/i Plaut. = class.
Adv. hie here ') i7Zic ' there ')
Ace. M. hon-ce ollom
F. hdn-ce olldm, then -am
Abl. M.N. hod-ce, hocce ollod
F. hdd-ce, hacce olldd
PLUR.
Nom. M. hoi, then Aei (unac- olloi, then oZZetf
cented)
F. hdi, with Particle ftai'-ce oZZai, with Particle olldi-ce
N. AoY-ce (1) olid, (2) olldi-ce
Gen. M.N. hosdm, then hordm olldsdm, then ollorom
F. hdsom, then harom olldsdm, then ollarom
Dat. Aois | then /tei's (un- ollois
Abl. / Aai's I accented) o^ai's /
Ace. M. Aos oZZos
F. Ms oZZas
The older language allowed the Particle -ce to be added
or left out at will, e.g. 0. Lat. haec, hae Fern. PI.
The Earliest Period. 13
Relative, Indefinite (Interrogative) Pronoun :
quo- qui-
SlNG.
Nom. M. quiPi, then quei (unaccented) qui-s
F. qud-i
N. quo-d qui-d
Gen. quo-eios, then quoios
Dat. quo-eiei, then quoiei
Ace. M. quern
F. gwam, then
Abl. M.N.
V.
PLUR.
Nom. M. gwoi, then quei (unaccented) ques
F. qudi
N. gwai
Gen. M.N. quosom, then quorom
F. qudsom, then quarom
' \ quois, then gweis (unaccented) quibus
ADI. J
Ace. M.
F.
11. For the Verb we may construct a paradigm like
this :
PRES. IND. ACTIVE. PRES. IND. PASSIVE.
1st Sg. lego 1st Sg. legor
2d Sg. legestf) 2d Sg. (1) legeso (?), then legese, legere
(2) legeres
3d Sg. leget(i) 3d Sg. legetor
1st PI. legemos 1st PI. legemor
2d PI. legetes 2d PI. legemenoi, then -ei
3d PI. legont(l} 3d PI. legontor
14 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
12. At the time when the imitation of Greek literature
was begun by Livius Andronicus, c. 250 B.C., the older
law of accentuation, by which the first syllable of every
word received the accent ( 3), had been replaced by the
new law, the law which remained in force in classical
Latin. By the new law the accent fell on the paenultima,
if the paenultima were long, and on the antepaenultima
if the paenultima were short. The older accentuation,
however, as we have seen, still persisted in four-syllabled
words of the scansion \j w w ^, e.g. fdcilius, bdlineum
(class, balneum), vigilia, which did not become fadlius,
vigilia, etc., till the first century B.C. It is easy to see
how the change from the old to the new Accentuation
Law would gradually be effected. Long words like
tempestatibus would at all times have two accents, a main
accent and a secondary, just as long words with us, e.g.
' characteristic,' have a secondary accent on the first
syllable, ' char-, 7 as well as the main accent on the penult.
Under the Old Law of Accentuation the main accent
belonged to the initial syllable 'tern.-,' the secondary
accent would fall on the antepenultimate syllable ' -sta-.'
Under the new law the main accent was transferred to
the antepenultimate, the secondary to the initial syllable.
So that the change from the old to the new accentuation
in such a word as tempestatibus would be merely the
change from tempestatibus to tempestdtibus.
13. In any account of the accentuation of a language
this secondary accent, though it is to be found in all
languages, is seldom mentioned. It is the main accent
which is thought of and spoken of as 'the accent 7 of the
The Beginning of Literature. 15
word. The secondary accent of Latin words, however,
seems to have played a part in that curious primitive
metre which was employed by the Romans in their rude
native poetry before the introduction of the artificial
metres of the Greeks, and which held its place beside
these foreign importations for a considerable time. It is
known as the Saturnian Metre, and seems to have been,
like our own metres, regulated by the accent of the word
and not by the quantity (long or short) of the syllable.
The Saturnian line probably consisted of two portions,
the first syllable of the line being invariably accented.
The first contained, as a rule, seven syllables, always
with three accent-beats. The second contained, as a
rule, six syllables, always with two accent-beats. The
prevailing type (see Amer. Journ. Phil., vol. xiv.) is :
xx(,) xx, xxx I xxx, xxx
dabunt malum Metelli || Naevio poetae,
though another type is occasionally found :
f / / / /
xx(,) xx, xxx xxxx, xx
prim(a) incedit Cereris || Proserpina puer.
The secondary accent is recognized in this metre in this
way. Of the three accents in the first half of the line
and of the two accent-beats in the second half, any one
may be a secondary accent. For example, in the Scipio
Epitaph, No. 25, the first half of one line is made up of
the words
dedet Tempestatebus,
16 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
that is dedit Tempestatibus i he presented to the Divinities
of the Storm.' Here we have the requisite number of
accent-beats in the hemistich, three in all ; but they are
not three main accents. There are two main accents,
the accent on the first syllable of dedet and that on the
antepaenultima of Tempestatebus ; but the third, the
accent on the first syllable of this word, is a secondary
accent.
14. The secondary accent plays a part, too, in the
phonetic changes of the language, for the vowels of the
syllables on which it fell were not weakened or synco-
pated like the unaccented vowels. The process of Vowel-
weakening which began a century or more before (see
3) continued in operation after the beginning of Eoman
Literature. Unaccented 6 was weakened to u, e.g. genus
from older genos (cf. Gk. y/os), dolus from older dolos
(cf. Gk. SoAos), a weakening which was probably fully
effected in pronunciation by the end of the third century
B.C., though the older spelling was often retained. In-
deed, in words where an unaccented 6 was preceded by
the spirant u (v), a spirant which had the sound of our
to, e.g. deiuds, a god, the spelling with o was retained
down to the beginning of the Empire, through a desire
to avoid the use of two it's side by side, deiuus (diuus).
However, in pronunciation deiuds may very likely have
become deiuus at the same time as dolos became dolus. As
early as the time of Plautus we find that the last syllable
has been reduced from the sound -uus (-vus) to -us j for it
must have been from some form like deius that the short-
ened form of the word deus arose. Similarly bouom
The Beginning of Literature. 17
(Gk. /?O(/:)CDI/) Gen. Plur. of bos became by the Latin
Phonetic law which shortened every long vowel before
a final -m, bouom, and this unaccented 6 passed in pro-
nunciation to u, with the result that bouum became
bourn.
Unaccented e was similarly weakened to i. Generis,
for example, is the new form of generes, originally
geneses ( 6). An unaccented d which had before the
beginning of the Roman literature sunk to e, was accord-
ingly now reduced a stage further to i. But before r or
a consonant-group the e-sound remained. Peperi ffom
pdrio did not become pepiri, like cecidi from cddo. Remex
from remus and ago did not become remix; though
before a single consonant we find i in remigo, etc.
Before a labial (&, p, m) the weakened vowel took the
form u, which acquired the sound of short German ii,
and in time came to be pronounced and written i. The
change to i occurred earliest where the next syllable con-
tained an i which preceded a vowel, e.g. surripio from rdpio
(cf. surrupui in Plautus), incipio from cdpio (cf. occupo).
15. At the same time that unaccented e became I and
unaccented 6 became u, we find accented e and 6 in
certain positions passing into the same vowel-sounds.
Thus e became i before ng in words like tingo (Gk.
Teyyco) ; o became u before ng in words like unguis (Gk.
ow). See Latin Language, ch. iv. 11, 20; Bennett,
App., 73, 76.
18 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
INSCRIPTIONS.
I. The " Praenestine fibula," a brooch [fibula] found at
Praeneste (perhaps fifth cent. B.C.). (C.I.L. xiv. 4123.}
Manios med fefaked Numasioi,
Manius me fecit Numeric. ^ * ^jpTi
' Manius made me for Numerius.'
This is our oldest inscription. The vowels are not
yet weakened in the syllable following the accent, which
would fall at this period on the first syllable of each
word ( 3), e.g. Nilmasioi. Thus we have fefaked, but
not yet 'fefeked'; Numasioi, but not yet 'Numesioi.'
The first of these words, fgfaked, is a by-form, which
soon became obsolete, of the classical Perf . of facio, cor-
responding to pepigi beside pegi; the second, Nfimasioi,
is the Dative of a derivative from the root of the name
Numa, which became in Latin Numerio-, and in other
dialects Numisio-. Our inscription is earlier than the
change of s between vowels to r ( 6).
The style of its writing is very ancient, for the redu-
plication syllable fe is separated from the rest of the
word, and the sound / is expressed by FH, the Greek
digamma, followed by the sign for h. This appears to
have been the earliest method of expressing the sound
/, a sound made at this time with the two lips, not with
the upper teeth and the lower lip. This bilabial f-
sound, which may be compared to the sound we make
with our lips in blowing out a candle, was, in the Greek
writing of the time, expressed by this combination of
of
* The Beginning of Literature. 19
* - 1 \J
the digamma with the letter H, a letter which was after-
wards used as a symbol of the long e-sound, but whose
earlier use was as a symbol of the breathing. In course
of time the Romans came to drop the second half of
this double symbol FH, and retained only the sign F
( 8). On the terminations -OB of Maiiios. -d of med, -ed
(for -eid) of fefaked, -oi, a diphthong, of Numasioi, see
2, 19, 8, 10.
II. The "Dvenos bowl/ 7 a triple sacrificial bowl, found /^
at Rome. (Egbert, Introd. Study Lat. Inscr:, p. 16.)
loueis (? -nes) at delink qoi med mitat nei ted endo cosmis
Virco sied asted noisi Ope^ Toitesiai pakari uois JDuenos
med feced (? feked) en Manom einom dienoine med Mano
il Cj ff fflut^v. /^^tUt ^stsi~~ WcL* /b^-^ I
stated,' 1 (rertiapsVa'riy 6urtn ceriTB.c.)
.4. ' ' * * V '
Jovios (?) ad deos qui me mittet (? mittat), ne te indo
comis Virgo sit, adstet, nisi Opem Tuteriae *pacrem vis., ,
Benus me fecit in Manum enim. Die noni me Mano
stato (i.e. sistito).
v ; n rt^- -
( Who offers me to the Gods of the Sky, may Proserpine
f>' not be kind to thee, nor stand by thee, unless thou /._.
wouldst have the Help of Tuteria propitious. Benus
made me for Manus indeed. On the ninth day set me
(as offering) to Manus. 7
Neither the meaning nor the division into words of
>'this inscription is certain. The rendering of it given
above understands it to prescribe that the bowl is to
if be used only in offerings to Manus, one of the Di Manes,
or gods of the lower world, but to none of the gods
20 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
of the upper air. An exception is made in the case of
Ops Tuteriae, apparently a religious designation of the
same kind as the priestly invocations which Aulus Gel-
lius (xiii. 23. 2) has preserved for us : Luam Batumi,
Salaciam Neptuni, Horam Quirini, Virites Quirini, Maiam
Volcani, Heriem Junonis, Moles Martis Nerienemque
Martis.
Einom seems to be used like Virgil's enim in the line :
tibi enim, tibi, maxima Juno, mactat (A. viii. 84).
The active use of sto is characteristic of Early Latin.
Cf . Jupiter Stator i the stayer of the rout/ procul abstan-
dus est (amor) Plaut. Trin. 264, etc. The neuter sense
appears in asted. Duenos would be in Class. Lat. Benus,
and is a proper name connected with the Adj. bonus (cf.
bene), the old form of which was duonus (see my Hist.
Gram. ch. x. 13). Nei, afterwards ra, is used in the
sense of Class. Lat. ne; cf. Virg. A. iii. 683 ni teneant
cursus. Fakari(m) is, in the above rendering, supposed
to be Ace. Sg. of a El-stem Adj. from the root of pax,
meaning ' propitious. 7 This Adj. stem pacri- is common
in this sense in other dialects of Italy; but in Latin
literature we have no example of the Adj., though the
Noun paXy in the sense of i divine favour,' is common
enough; e.g. Plaut. Trin. 837 ni tua pax propitia foret
praesto; Virg. A. x. 31, sine pace tua atque inuito
numine. This use of a parasitic vowel between c and r
is, however, un-Latin, and pakari may represent an Adj.,
pacarem. The formation of noisi is doubtful, but the
sense of nisi is, rightly or wrongly, usually given to it.
With Nei . . . asted, compare the Greek formula ewAarov
The Beginning of Literature. 21
rvxot &-rj[jLr)Tpos KOL Ko'pas. The word comis had, in later use,
the more homely sense ' civil ' j but cf . the oracle of Marcius
(Livy, xxv. 12), ludi qui quotannis comiter Apollini fiant.
Archaic features of this inscription are : (1) the use of
q for qu in qoi ; (2) the distinction of the lending of the
3d Sg. Subj. mitat (which probably has the Fut. sense,
an early sense of the Subjunctive Mood), and the d-ending
of the 3d Sg. Opt. sied, asted (which here, it should be
noticed, have the true Optative use, ( I pray that Proser-
pine may not be kind to thee, may not stand by thee -"),
and of the 3d Sg. Perf. Ind. feked ; (3) the' retention of
the group sm, e.g. cosmis, Class. Lat. comis; (4) the use
of the letter C for the fc-sound, cosmis, as well as the
{/-sound, uirco; (5) the retention of s between vowels, e.g.
Toitesiai. Whether any method is followed in the use
of the guttural-symbols, c in cosmis, uirco, k in pakari,
and either c or k in feced (? feked), is not easy to say
( 8). Nor is the use of the diphthongs quite clear in
noisi, einom, noine. Vowel-weakening appears in the
post-tonic syllable of Toitesiai if this represent an earlier
Toitasia- (cf. the dialectal name Tutisulanus), but not in
the monosyllabic diphthong qoi.
In contrast with the Praenestine Fibula, notice feced
for the other's fefaked ( 9) and the Dat. Sg. in -o, Mano,
for the other's -oi, Numasioi ( 10).
loueis or loues, apparently Ace. Plur. Masc. of the
I0-stem Jovio-, an Adj. derived from the root dyew-
(Gk. Zeus, Lat. Ju-piter), the original sense of which was
'the sky.' We find mention of various di Jovii on in-
scriptions, e.g. Venerus Joviae (see No. 51 a), Herculi Jovio,
22 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
etc. at. On this by-form of ad, see 20 ; Lot. Language,
chap. ii. 76. deiuos. The diphthong ei has not yet
passed into i ( 5). qoi. This is the older form of the
diphthong. The weakened form, ei, which properly be-
longed to the unaccented use of the Relative, became in
time the universal form, whence Class. Lat. qul ( 5).
med, see 19. mitat, Class. Lat. mittat, probably with
the sense of mittet. Double consonants were written
with the single letter till the time of Ennius ( 17). nei
(see above), ted, old form of te, as med of me ( 19). endo,
later indo, indu, a Prep, compounded of in (older en,
cf. Gk. lv) and a lost Prep, do (cf. donee). See my Hist.
Gram. ch. viii. 18. Notice, how the Prep, stands
between the Adj. and Noun, loueis at deiuos (Hist.
Gram. ch. viii. 1), and follows its Pronoun, ted endo
(cf. mecum, tecum), but precedes its Noun when no Adj.
is used, en Manom. On sied, see Hist. Gram. ch. vi. 13.
asted for adst-. Already at this early period the group
dst is reduced to st, though grammatical purists at a
later age restored the full form of the Prep, in these
compounds. Noisi is difficult to explain. The true pre-
cursor of Class. Lat. nisi (nisi) would be nesei. Ope.
Why Ope and pakari should not have the final m ex-
pressed in writing, while Manom and einom have, is
hard to say, unless the reason lay in the consonant-
initial of the following word t-, v-, while Manom is fol-
lowed by a vowel-initial and einom is ' in pausa,' at the
end of a sentence.
Toitgsiai. On oi, later u, see 7. The Gen. ending
is disyllabic, -ai ; see 10.
The Beginning of Literature. 23
pakari. The explanation of this word is very doubtful.
uois, supposed to be Class. Lat. vis.
Duenos. For -os see 2. Pronounce du- like our dw- (see
above), feked. On the termination see 8. n, see 14.
Manom. On the termination see 2. The stem mano-
stands to the stem mdni- of Manes, immanis as sdcro- of
sacer to sacri- of porci sacres ' pigs for sacrifice ' (Plaut.).
einom. The exact relation of this word to enim is not
clear. The true representative of einom would be in
Class. Lat. mum. dienoine, a Locative, the -e of noine
apparently representing the diphthong ei ( 8). The two
words die and noine form one word-group, to judge from
the remark of Aulus Gellius (x. 24. 7): 'diequinte' et
' diequinti ' pro adverbio copulate dictum est, secunda in
eo syllaba correpta. See my Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 11.
statod. On the -d see Hist. Gram. ch. vi. 14.
We may eke out these scanty remains of the very
earliest period with the corrupt and uncertain fragments
of some religious hymns, which belong to the same
remote stage of antiquity:
III. The Carmen Arvale, inscribed among the Acta
Collegii Fratrum Arvalium of 218 A.D., discovered at
Borne. (C.I.L. i. 28.)
' %. <ty$ **"' &^"i^t.
1. enos Lases iuuate,-
enos Lases iuuate.
enos Lases innate,
2. nene lue rue Marmar sins incnrrere in pleofis,
neue lue rue Marmar sins incnrrere in pleoris,
neue lue rue Marmar sins incurrere in pleoris,
24 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
3. satur fu fere Mars limen sali sta berber,
satur fu fere Mars limen sali sta berber.
satur fu fere Mars limen sali sta berber,
f
4. semunis alternei aduocapit conctos.
semunis alternei aduocapit conctos.
semunis alternei aduocapit conctos,
5. enos Marmor iuuato.
enos Marmor iuuato.
enos Marmor iuuato.
>t
6. triumpe,
triumpe.
triumpe,
triumpe.
triumpe.
Neither the reading nor the sense of the above is at
all certain. The Carmen Arvale was probably like the
Carmina Saliaria <vix sacerdotibus suis satis intellecta'
(Quintilian, i. 6. 40) ; and the difficulty is increased for
us by the fact that the workman who has carved the
inscription has made a number of blunders, which we
have to emend as best we can. The subjoined rendering
is therefore only tentative :
1. nos(?), Lares, juvate. 2. neve* luem, ruem, Marmar, sine
incurrere in -plures. 3. satur esto, fere Mars, limen sali, siste
verber. 4. semones alternatim advocabit cunctus. 5. nos(?),
Marmor, juvato. 6. triumphe!
How much of all this is genuine Early Latin, and how
much is the mere jingling perversion of old phrases by
The Beginning of Literature. 25
priests who did not understand them, it is difficult to
say. The mere fact that Lases (with s retained between
vowels) and pleoris (with intervocalic s turned to r) occur
in the same inscription shews us that it has not been
preserved unchanged.
enos. The very first word offers a difficulty. It is
generally rendered nos. But the parallel of (e)^ in
Greek from the root (e)mo- does not quite warrant the
inference of (e)no in Latin from the root of the 1st Plur.
Pron. Perhaps enos iuuate represents en nos iuuate, i.e.
*injuvate nos (cf. adjuvate nos). On the Tme'sis see Hist.
Gram. ch. vii. 1, and 011 the absence of double con-
sonants in early writing, 17.
lue(m) rue(m), Ace. Sg. of Verbal Nouns from luo and
TUO, lues and rues. The Asyndeton, luem ruem for luem
et ruem, is a feature of Ante-classical Latin, sins is gen-
erally explained as an athematic 2d Sg. of sino with
Imperative sense, often called < Injunctive ' (cf. Gr. 8o-s).
Mannar is apparently some reduplicated form of the
name Mars. The forms Mars and Marmor also occur in
the hymn, and the variation looks like a piece of genuine
ancient usage. For we know from passages like Horace
(S. ii. 6. 20 ; C. S. 15-16) how important it was regarded
to address a deity on each occasion by the fitting name :
(S. ii. 6. 20) Matutine pater seu Jane libentius audis.
(C. S. 15-16) sive tu Lucina probas vocari, Seu Genitalis.
When the consonant r occurred in two neighbouring
syllables of a word, one r was often dropped, e.g. in-
creb(r)esco, praest(r)fyiae. Hence Ma(r)mers.
26 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
pleoris is certainly the spelling of the carver, but the
form that preceded Class. Lat. plures was ploer- (not
pleor-), the earlier stage of which was plois- ( 6, 7).
fu is athematic 2d Sg. Imperative of 0. Lat. fuo, whence
Class. Lat. fui (Hist. Gram. ch. vi. 8). limen sail seems
to be merely limen sali ' leap over the threshold ' ; and
sta berber is perhaps a mere Late Latin misspelling of
sta verber, ' stay thy scourge.' The translation stafervere
< desist from raging/ or better (with the active use of
stare, p. 20, above) ' cause raging to stop,' leaves us to
explain how berber can represent Class. Lat. fervere or
0. Lat. fervere. Semunis is generally equated with the
sememes aut semideos mentioned by Martianus Capella
(ii. 156), semo apparently standing for semi-homo (cf.
nemo). Another rendering is 'the Sowers' (cf. semen).
alternei is Loc. Sg. used as an Adverb ' alternately,' like
alternis (Loc. Plur.) in Virg. aduocapit differs from Class.
Lat. advocabit only in its p instead of b. conctos is Nom.
Sg. Masc. On the termination see 2, and on -one- for
Class. Lat. -unc- 14. triumpe. The use of ph is not
found till the end of the Kepublic ( 23).
IV. The Carmina Saliaria, we have seen, were styled
by Quintilian <vix sacerdotibus suis satis intellecta.'
Horace speaks of them in the same way (Epp. ii. 1.
86):
iam Saliare^ Numae carmen qui laudat et illud,
quod mecum ignorat, solus uolt scire uideri.
We have a few scanty fragments preserved by the
quotation of Grammarians, fragments of doubtful text
M~>o rrv
y
Beginning of Literature.
? \ %-"*'
and still more doubtful meaning, such as the follow-
~(a) diuom tempta (? leg. patrem) cante, diuom deo supplicate, "
divorum patrem ( T) canite, divorum deo ( ? deum) sup-
plicate.
This is a line from the Hymn to Janus. Cante seems
to be a syncopated form of canite; cf. caldus, a by-form
of calidus, current at the end of the Eepublican period.
(b) ; . . Sancus lanis es, duonus Oerus es, duonus lanusque
fpomeliosum recum,
Sancus Janis es, bonus Cerus es, bonus Janusque
meliorum regum.
This is another line from the Janus Hymn.
lanis is a by-form of Janus, as Manes Plur. is of Manus
(No. 2). On duonus see Hist. Gram. p. 155. Cerus, con-
nected with creo, is explained by Roman Grammarians as
creator. The same word, or a word from the same root,
appears in dialectal divinity-names like Cerfo-, Cerso-, etc.
On the s of -meliosum see 6. The first syllable may be
the old Preposition po (cf. Gk. OTTO), a by-form of ab,
seen in po-situs, po-lio, po-lubrum, a wash-basin (Hist.
Gram. ch. vii. 2). recum. On p for g see ( 8. ^
3 ' i
(c) tquomne tonas, Leucesie, prai tet tremonti , , ,
cum tonas, Lucesie, praetremunt te.
quomne, an old form of cum (quom) augmented by the
particle -ne. The eu of Leucesie (connected with lux) is
1 1 mark the specially doubtful words with an obelus.
28 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
strange, for I.-Eur. eu became ou in Latin. Tet is a way
of writing ted, like at for ad, p. 22. In tremonti we have
apparently the oldest form of the 3d Plur. -onti (cf. Dor.
Gk. -OVTL, Att. -overt), which became, with loss of final -i,
tremont, then tremunt ( 14). In Early Latin an enclitic
Pronoun, etc., was placed between the Prep, and the Verb
in a Compound Verb, e.g. prae te tremunt for praetremunt
te, sub vosplaco for supplico vos, ob vos sacro for obsecro vos.
(d) pilumnoe poploe (? leg. pilumnoi poploi),
pilumni populi. fc^^h k^\r^
This is an epithet of the Romans, 'the javelin-armed
tribes/
Pilumnoi is Nom. Plur. in -oi ( 10) of a word derived
hompilum, a javelin. Poplo- is a by-stem ofpopulo-.
Vases, mirrors, and jewel-boxes found at Praeneste,
which date from the fourth century onwards, have early
Latin inscriptions of a dialectal type. (C.I.L. i. 43 sqq. ;
xiv. 4094 sqq.)
V. Praenestine Vases : 'fr
h ^ A V^
(a) Belolai pocolom, (d) Yolcani pocolom.
Bellulae poculum. Vulcani poculum.
(6) Lauernai pocolom. (e) Aisclapi pocolom.
Lavernae poculum. Aesculapii poculum.
(c) Saeturni pocolom, (/) Salutes pocolom,
Saturni poculum. Salutis poculum.
These are all (except possibly the first) vases be-
longing to temples, and inscribed with the name of the
deity to whose temple they belonged. In the Rudens
The Beginning of Literature. 29
of Plautus there is a mention of sacra urna Veneria, a
vessel belonging to the temple of Venus, and inscribed
with the name of the goddess. Sceparnio, who has been
helping one of the attendants at the temple to draw
water, finds himself left alone with the vessel in his pos-
session, and is afraid he may get into trouble (v. 478) :
nam haec litteratast, eapse cantat cuja sit.
"for it is lettered and itself proclaims its owner's name."
On the Genitive terminations, see 10. Saeturno- is
the older form of the name of the god Salurno-, found
also in the Saliar Hymns, according to Festus : qui deus
in Saliaribus Saeturnus nominatur, videlicet a sationibus.
Aisdapio- is Class. Lat. Aesculapius (Dor. Gk. '
VI. Praenestine Mirrors :
(a) Uenos Diouem Prosepnai, (d) Oastor Amucos Polouces,
Venus Jovem Proserpinae Castor, Amycus, Pollux.
(sc. conciliat).
(6) Mirqurios Alixentrom, (e) luno louei Hercele,
Mercurius Alexandrum. Juno Jovi Herculem.
$J t . jXiC-'V '*'
(c) Poloces Losna Amuces, (/) Oanumede Diespater Oupido
Pollux, Luna, Amycus. Menerua.
Ganymedes, Jupiter, Cu~
pido, Minerva.
it> JK
The backs of these bronze mirrors have figures of deities,
with the name written beside each figure. We thus get
an interesting glimpse at the early popular (apparently dia-
lectal) names of the Greek deities. Prosepna- is nearer
c
30 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
the Dor. Gk. Uepa-e^ovd than the Class. Lat. Proserpina,
which has been altered on the false analogy of proserpo.
The Dative case Prosepnai was at one time read as Fro-
sepnais, a curl of the goddess' hair being mistaken for
the letter s. Hence in some text-books the imaginary
"Gen. Sg. of the 1st Decl. in -ais." Mirqurios is with
its i for e a dialectal form like Rustic Latin stircus for
stercus (see No. 33). Alixentrom with its tr probably repre-
sents the actual pronunciation, for the group dr seems to
have become tr in Latin, e.g. atro- for *adro-, nutrix for
*nudrix, etc. (but quadra, etc.). *Poludouces would be
the earliest representative on Latin soil of TIoAvSev/oys
(on ou for eu, see 7) ; then, with Syncope of the second
syllable ( 3), *Poldouces, which would become Pollouces,
the Polouces of (d) (on I for II, see 17). The o of
Poloces of (c) is a dialectal equivalent of ou. Losna has
the same dialectal o for ou. The original form would be
*Louxna, whence has come the Class. Lat. Luna ( 22).
On the c of Canumede, see 8. Menerua, probably still a
quadrisyllable, was originally *Menes-ua ( 6), the vowel
of the first syllable being afterwards changed perhaps
by false analogy of minor, ' the lesser deity/
VII. Praenestine jewel-boxes (cistae).
(a) Dindia Macolnia fileai dedit,
Dindia Magulnia Jtliae dedit.
Nouios Plautios med Eomai fecid,
Novius Plautius me Bomae fecit.
The Beginning of Literature. 31
Tho different spelling of the terminations of dedit and
fecid is curious. Fileai is perhaps dialectal foijiliai. On
med see 19, and on Romai (Locative), class. Romae, 7.
These jewel-boxes usually have elaborate carving on
the lid, sometimes with names indicating the personages
delineated. Among these early (dialectal) forms of the
names of gods and heroes found on Praenestine cistae may
be mentioned : Aciles Achilles, Tondms Tyndareus, Acme-
meno Agamemnon, pater poumilionom pater pumilionum,
1 the father of the dwarfs ' (on -om Gen. Plur. see 2),
Oinumama Unimamma, ( an Amazon.'
A Praenestine cista (probably later in date than
others) in a French collection has a curious kitchen
scene, with words attributed to the various personages en-
gaged in cooking (Melanges d'Archeologie, 1890, p. 303):
(b) feri porod cofeci made mi recie
feri porro confeci made ( ? -t) mi regie
' strike away ' ' I have done ' < boil (? it boils)
nobly for me '
misc sane asom fero j,/^ confice piscim
A. Qi ^Lc^^v*^* * "jC^
misce sane assum (arsum) fero confice piscem
'yes! give 'I am carrying 'get the fish done'
me wine ' this to the fire '
P y' ; "
the whole being entitled coenalia, cenalia Neut. Plur., ' a
dinner scene.'
The variety of spelling between cofeci and confice ( 22),
porod, recie, and sane ( 19) is probably not due to mere
carelessness of orthography, but represents the tendencies
32 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
of the pronunciation of the day. On the single r of
porod, see 17, and on the Ablatival d, 10. If misc
is not a miswriting for misce, it must come from a 3d
Conj. *misco, Imperat. misce (on the dropping of final
e, see below, 21). On the single s of asom, see IT,
and on -ora, 2. Piscim shews the true Ace. ending of
I-stems, often altered to the -em of Cons. Stems (Hist.
Gram. ch. iii. 8). The spelling coenalia is interesting,
for it proves that even at this early period the Latin cena
had been wrongly connected with the Greek
VIII. Dedicatory inscription from the grove of Diana
at Nemi. (C.I.L. xiv. 4182 a.)
Diana M, Livio M, f, praitor dedit,
Dianae M. Livius M(arci) f(ilius) praetor dedit.
On the Dat., Diana, see 10. Final -s is often
omitted in the Nom. Sg. of I0-stems on early inscrip-
tions. It seldom lengthens a short syllable by ' position '
in Early Latin Poetry ( 20). Final -m was at all times
weakly pronounced, so that it merely nasalized the pre-
ceding vowel. It is often omitted on early inscriptions,
as well as on late ( 20, 27).
IX. On lip of bronze vase. (Ephemeris Epigraphica,
ii. 299.)
Q, Lainio Q, f, praifectos protrebibos fecit,
Q. Laenius Q. f. praefectus pro tribubus fecit.
The Beginning of Literature. 33
The writing of the Prep, along with its Noun, pro-
trebibos, corresponded to the pronunciation, for Prep,
and Noun formed a single word-group. It was the
practice down to late times (see my Hist. Gram. ch. ii.
11). The classical spelling tribubus did not express
the sound in the classical period of the second syllable,
but was a grammarian's device to distinguish, e.g. arcubus
4th Decl. from arcibus 3d Decl. The spelling here with
i seems to shew that the weakening of unaccented u to i
( 14) had begun early. On the ending -&QS of the Dat.
Plur. see 2.
X. A dedication-tablet, found near Praeneste. (C.I.L.
i. 187.)
M, Mindios L, fi, P, Oondetios Va, fi, aidiles uicesma parti
Apolones dederi,
M. Mindius L. fi., P. Conditius Va(lerii) fi. aediles vice-
simam partem Apollinis (" belonging to Apollo ") dederi
(sc. aedi).
uicesma(m), with its Syncope of the penultimate vowel,
is not a pure Latin form, parti(m). On this old Ace. of
pars, preserved in the Adverb partim (cf . maximam par-
tem used adverbially), see above, 10. Apolones (on I
for U see 17) preserves the Greek declension of the
name, like Castoris. On the Gen. termination -es, see
10. If dederi be a true form, the -e of Class. Lat.
dedere must have come from an original I. (On dialectal
dedro ' dederunt,' see No. 29, below.)
34 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
XL Dedicatory inscription found in Picemim. (C.LL.
i. 181.)
L, Terentio L, f. L, Aprufenio 0, f. L. Turpilio 0, f. M, Albani
L, f, T. Munatio T, f, quaistores aire moltaticod dederont,
L. Terentius . . . M. Albanius . . . quaestores aere mul-
tatico (from the money raised by fines) dederunt.
On the Abl. forms airg and moltaticod see 10. The
Nom. Sg. Albani(s) represents a common declension of
I0-stems (Hist. Gram. ch. iii. 6). On the dropping of
final s see 20, and on the o of molta-, 15.
XII. On a small pillar found at Tusculum. (C.LL. i.
63.)
M, Pourio 0, f, tribunes militare de praidad Maurte dedet.
M. Furius C(aii) f(ilius) tribunus militaris de praeda
Marti dedit.
The loss of final -s in Fourio (on the diphthong see
7) and militare shews the tendency of the pronuncia-
tion of the day (see below, 20). praidad shews the
old d termination of the Abl. Sg. ( 10) and the diph-
thong ai ( 7). Whether Maurte is meant for Mavurte,
i.e. Mavorti, or represents a vowel sound which became
a in Marti, is hard to say. On the -et of dedet, a spell-
ing of -eit, as the -te of Maurte is of -tei, see 8.
XIII. On a dedicatory bronze plate found at Nemi.
(C.LL. xiv. 4269.)
0. Manlio Aci. , , , cosol pro poplo Ariminesi,
C. Manlius Aci(dinus) consul pro populo Ariminensi.
The Beginning of Literature. 35
This is not the consul of 179 B.C., but a magistrate
(consul) of Ariminum. The lettering of the dedication
is ancient ; but an Abl. like poplo without final d is not
a feature of inscriptions of this time (see on No. 34).
A mark of inscriptions belonging to the close of the
second century is the use of u for the older o in final
syllables. Examples of the encroachment of the younger
form are :
XIV. Dedicatory inscription, found at Jlome. (Not.
Scav. 1890, p. 10.)
. . . [Trejbonius Q, f, Numisio Martio donom dedit meretod,
. . . Trebonius Q. f. Numisio Martio donum dedit merito.
Notice [Tre]bonius with u beside donom with o. Nu-
misio is a dialectal form, the true Latin equivalent being
Numerius (see on No. 7, above). On the e of meretod and
the Abl. -dsee 14, 19.
XV. Dedicatory inscription, companion to the above.
(C.LL. i. 190.)
Numisio Martio M, Terebonio 0. 1, donnm dat libens merited.
Numisio Martio M. Trebonius C. l(ibertus) donum dat
libens merito.
The i of libens and merited are spellings which did not
come into general use till a later time. On this, the
inscription of a freedman, they are not inconsistent with
antiquity. The spelling Terebonio with parasitic vowel
between t and r is another mark of plebeian authorship.
36 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
XVI. Dedicatory inscriptions on a pillar found at
Praeneste. (C.I.L. xiv. 2891-3.)
(a) L, Gemenio L, f, Pel, Hercole dono et dat hibs merto pro
sed sueque ede leigibus ara Salutus,
L. Geminius L. /. Pel(igna, sc. tribu) Herculi donum :
et dat libens merito pro se suisque eisdem legibus
(' on the same conditions ') aram Salutis.
(b) Q, K, Oestio Q, f, Hercole donu dedero,
Q. (et) K(aeso) Cestius Q. f(ilii) Herculi donum de-
derunt.
Both these inscriptions have dialectal deflections from
pure Latin ; lubs should be lubes (on es for ens, see 22) ;
merto should be mereto ; sueque and ede should be suesque,
esde (?) ; leigibus should probably be legibus, and dedero,
dederont (cf. No. 29 below).
On the o of Hercole, see 14. Throughout the inscrip-
tion the diphthong ei is written e ( 8). On sed, see
19, and on -us (older -os) of Salutus, 10. For Cestio
(apparently Cestios, Nom. Sg.) we should expect the
Nom. Plur., according to the Latin usage. Notice the
intrusion of the ' modern ' u ( 14) in leigibus, donu (in).
XVII. Dedicatory inscription, found in the sacred
grove of Diana at Nemi. (C.I.L. xiv. 4270.)
Poublilia Turpilia On, uxor hoce seignum pro On, filiod Dianai
donum dedit,
Publilia Turpilia On. uxor hoc signum pro Cn. filio Dianae
donum dedit.
The Beginning of Literature. 37
On the ou of Foublilia, see 7. Hoce for hocce ( 7),
a form preserved in the Class. Lat. interrogative hoccine,
(for hocce-ne, 14). The double consonant is still written
single ( 17). The ei of seignum perhaps indicates merely
the e-sound which i (cf. sigillum) received before gn. (See
my Latin Language, ch. ii. 144.) On filiod, see 19,
and on Dianai, 7.
XVIII. Dedicatory inscription. (Cagnat, L'Annee
Epigraphique, 1890, No. 85.)
Aiscolapio donom L, Albanius K, f, dedit,
Aesculapio donum L. Albanius K. f. dedit.
For Aiscolapio cf . the note on Aisclapi of No. 5 e.
Two nearly contemporary inscriptions, whose date can
be fixed, differ in their spelling of -os, -om, etc.
XIX. Dedicatory inscription on an altar found at
Kome; 217 B.C. (C.LL. 1. 1503.)
Hercolei sacrom M, Minuci 0. f. dictator uouit,
Herculi sacrum. M. Minucius C. f. dictator vovit.
Minuci is the Nom. Sg. form of Minucio- that was used
in ordinary speech, where also Minucim replaced Minu-
cium (cf. Albani, No. 11). On the o of Hercolei, sacrom,
see 14 ; and on the Dat. Sg. ending -ei, 5.
XX. Found at Eome ; c. 211 B.C. (C.LL. i. 530.)
M, Claudius M, f, consol Hinnad cepit,
M. Claudius M. f. consul ex Henna cepit.
38 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Livy (xxiv. 39) tells us of the capture of Henna, in
Sicily, by M. Claudius Marcellus. The use of the double
consonant in the spelling of the town's name is interest-
ing, for it is the earliest example of this practice on
a Latin inscription ( 17); though it is hardly a fair
example, since it may be a mere reproduction of the
Greek mode of spelling the name. The reason why
Hinna, and not Henna) is written is not clear. Possibly
the i reflects the Greek pronunciation of as close e.
(But cf. didit, No. 22, and see the remark on No. 24.)
The variation, -us and -ol, reappears in another inscrip-
tion of the same consul :
XXI. Found at Eome; c. 211 B.C. (C.LL. i. 531.)
Martei M, Claudius M. f, consol dedit,
Marti M. Claudius M. f. consol dedit.
It is also seen in an inscription of 200 B.C.
XXII. Found in the sacred grove of Diana at Nemi.
(C.LL. xiv. 4268.)
0, Aurilius 0, f, praitor itenim didit eisdim consol probavit,
C. Aurelius C. f. praetor iterum dedit; idem consul probavit.
The I of Aurilius may exemplify that change of e to
I seen in delinio for delenio, etc. (Hist. Gram. ch. ii.
15 ; B. App. 90.) On eisdim, see 22.
XXIII. On a dedicatory bronze plate, found at Tibur,
we have two inscriptions, one, with -us } -u(m) for -os, -ora,
apparently somewhat later than the other (C.LL. i. 62).
The Beginning of Literature.
(a) 0, Placentios Her. f. Marte sacrom,
C. Placentius Her(ii) f. Marti sacrum.
(b) 0. Placentius Her. f. Marte donu dede.
C. Placentius Her. f. Marti donum dedit.
On donu and dede, see 20.
The same change is noticeable on the Scipio epitaphs,
the three of which that belong to the third century I
arrange in order of probable priority. 1
XXIV. Epitaph of L. Cornelius Scipio, consul 259 B.C.
(C.LL. i. 31.)
L. Oornelio L. f. Scipio aidiles cosol cesor.
L. Cornelius L. f. Scipio aedilis consul censor.
.
The -les for -Us in aidiles and the e of Tempestatebus
in No. 25 are due to the confusion between e and i at
this period when unaccented e was passing into i ( 14).
r Epitaph of the same. (C.LL. i. 32.)
hone oino ploirume cosentiont Eomai
duonoro optumo fuise uiro
rf~ Luciom Scipione filios Barbati
consol censor aidilis hie fuet apud uos
hec cepit Corsica Aleriaque urbe
dedet Tempestatebus aide meretotil,
hunc unumplurimi consentiunt Romae
bonorum optimum fuisse virum
Lucium Scipionem : filius Barbati
1 There is no reason to believe that each Scipio epitaph belongs to
the date of the decease of the Scipio it commemorates.
40 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
consul, censor, aedilis hie fuit apud vos :
hie cepit Corsicam Aleriamque urbem :
dedit Tempestatibus aedem merito.
oino(m) (on the diphthong see 7) is the same forma-
tion as Gk. oLvr) the ace, Engl. ' one/ from the same root
as Gk. oTos, alone, ploirume Nom. Plur. Masc. (on -e for -ei
see 8) shews the old form of Class. Lat. plurimo-, the still
older form of which had plois-, not ploir- (see my Hist.
Gram. ch. iv. 3). cosentiont retains the o of the termi-
nation which soon after this time became -unt ( 2).
Romai is Locative ( 7). duonoro(m). duono- is the old
form of the stem bono-, found also in Livius Andronicus'
Odyssey :
simul duona eorum portant ad nauis
(see above, p. 20, on the name Dueno-, and for the change
of du- to b-, Hist. Gram. ch. x. 13). The Gen. Plur.
ending -orom, earlier -osom, and later -drum, belonged at
first to Pronouns only, but was extended to Adjectives
(as duonoro here), and from Adjectives to Nouns, until
it finally expelled altogether the true Noun and Adj.
ending -dm, later -urn (Hist. Gram. ch. iii. 6). uiro
may be Gen. Plur. with this true Noun ending or Ace. Sg.
Livy (xxix. 14. 8) tells us that this title was conferred
by the Senate in 204 B.C. on P. Scipio Nasica : Qudi-
caverunt eum esse) virum bonorum optimum. consol
censor. Notice the retention of n before s in contrast
with cosentiont v. 1 and of cosol cesor of No. 24. The
uncertainty about the spelling of such words is seen also
in cofeci and confice of No. 7 b. fuet. On e see 8.
The Beginning of Literature. 41
hgc. The Pronoun is here emphatic, and retains the
form un weakened by loss of accent ( 14), while in v. 4
it has the unaccented form hie. Corsica (m) Aleria(m)que
urbe(m) ' Corsica and Aleria its chief town.'
This campaign of Scipio's is mentioned by several
historians, e.g. Livy, Epit. 17, L. Cornelius consul in
Sardinia et Corsica contra Sardos et Corsos et Hannonem
Poenorum ducem feliciter pugnavit. Aleria is the Eoman
form of the Greek name 'AAaAia with Z-r for l-l (Hist.
Gram. ch. ii. 8 ; B. App. 99) and with Vowel-weaken-
ing in the second syllable, 2.
meretod. On e in the second syllable see 14; and
'on the Abl. -d, 10.
j& 1 XXVI. Epitaph of L. Cornelius Scipio Barbatus;
consul 298 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 30.)
*
Gnainod patre prognatus fortis uir sapiensque
quoius forma uirtutei parisuma fuit
consol censor aidilis quei fuit apud uos
K \i ^\ V ^
Taurasia Oisauna Samnio cepit
subigit omne Loucanam opsidesque abdoucit, 1
*' 4 "
Cornelius Lucius Scipio Barbatus,
Gnaeo patre prognatus fortis vir sapiensque,
cujus forma virtuti parissima fuit,
consul, censor, aedilis qui fuit apud vos,
Taurasiam, Cisaunam, Samnium cepit,
subigit omnem Lucanam obsidesque abducit.
i It is possible that abdoucit has been corrected to abdoucsit
(aljdaxit) on the stone.
42 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
In the first line we seem to have left the region of
Early Latin and to find ourselves in the Classical Age,
for -os has been replaced by -us in the termination of the
Nom. Sg., ou by u in the name Lucius. But traces of
the earlier spelling remain in the other lines. Gnaiuod.
The father's name is given in the antique form, though a
still older spelling had the letter <7 instead of G ( 8),
whence the contraction, prevalent even in the Classical
Age, Cn. for Gnaeus, like C. for Gains. On the diph-
thong ai see 7 ; on the v, lost in the Classical form
Gnae(v)us, 14; and on Abl. -d, 19. patrg is the
Locative, originally patrl ( 10), which in the 3d Decl.
usurped the place of the Ablative in Consonant Stems.
On quoius see 10. and on uirtutei 3. parisuma. The
Superlative of par is rare. We find it also in a line of
Plautus (Owe 506):
eodem hercle vos pono et paro : parissumi estis hibus,
along with two other rare forms, the verb paro, -are, I
make equal, I equate, and 0. Lat. hibus for his Dat. Abl.
Translate : " indeed I put you in the same box and count
you alike: you are exactly like them." quei with the
weakened form of the diphthong, a form belonging to the
unaccented use of the Kelative ( 3), whereas in the Dvenos
inscription (No. 2) we had the unweakened form quoi
(written qoi). Samnio may be Abl., "took T. and C. from
Samnium," in which case one Ablative of the inscription,
Qnaiuod, would have the old ^-termination, while the other
lacked it. But it may also be Accusative with omne sup*
plied from the next line : omne Samnium, omnem Lucanam.
The Beginning of Literature. 43
Notice that final -m is dropped in this inscription when
the next word begins with a consonant.
Taurasia and Cisauna were apparently towns in
Samnium.
Loucanam, sc. terrain.
opsides. On the spelling ps see Hist. Gram. ch. ii.
10. Abdoucit. The u of Class. Lat. duco represents
the early diphthong eu ? which became in Latin ou
( 7) ; for the Indo-European form of the verb was
*deuco (Germ, ziehe, Goth, tiuha).
XXVII. Epitaph on the son of Scipio Africanus Major.
(C.I.L. i. 33.)
qnei apice insigne Dialis flaminis gesistei
Mors perfecit tua ut essent omnia breuia
honos fama uirtusque gloria atque ingenium
quibus sei in longa licuiset tibe utier uita
facile facteis superases gloriam maiorum.
qua re lubens te in gremiu Scipio recipit
terra Publi prognatum Publio Oorneli,
qui apicem, insigne Dialis Jlaminis, gessisti,
Mors perfecit tua ut essent omnia brevia,
honos,fama virtusque, gloria atque ingenium;
quibus si in longa licuisset tibi uti vita,
facile factis superasses gloriam majorum.
quare libens te in gremium, Scipio, recipit
terra, Publi, prognatum Publio, Corneli.
I place this epitaph here in order to keep it beside the
other Scipio Epitaphs, though it is probably a good deal
44 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
later. It has few features of antiquity except the avoid*
ance of writing a double consonant in gesistei, licuiset,
and superases (but essent). The diphthong ei, quei (p. 42),
gesistei, sei, facteis ( 5), has not yet passed into I ( 7).
In tibe the e may be the old method of writing ei ( 8),
but is more likely to be e, a substitute for I ( 21).
The following ancient inscriptions from the grove of
Pisaurum may find a place here, at the close of this
section. They cannot be called pure Latin inscriptions,
but represent rather the dialectal variety spoken in
Picenum, with final s dropped even after a long vowel,
and with clipped form of the 3d Plur. ending of Verbs.
(C.LL. i. 167 sqq.) : -
XXVIII. lunone re[gina] matrona Pisaurese dono dedrot,
Junoni reginae matronae Pisaurenses dono
dederunt.
matrona(s) is the dialectal Nom. Plur. of the 1st DecL,
which in Latin was superseded by the Pronominal
Plural in -ai (see my Hist. Gram. ch. iii. 4). It drops
final -s like Pisaurese (s).
XXIX. Matre Matuta dono dedro matrona M', Curia Pola
Liuia deda.
Matri Matutae dono dederunt matronae, M(ania)
Curia Polla Lima dederunt.
On the Dat. Matuta, see 10. deda(nt) is some dia-
lectal d-Preterite like Lat. era-s, daba-s, etc. (see my Hist.
Gram. ch. vi. 8). Like dedro(nt) it drops final -nt.
The Beginning of Literature. 45
XXX. (a) Dein[os] Nouesede,
(6) T. Popaio Pop. f,
(a) Dim Novensiles.
(b) T. Poppaeus Pub(lii) j.
Deiuos is Nom. Plur. (with the dialectal ending -6s) like
NouesSde(s). The latter shews -es- for -ens- ( 22).
The inscription on the Columna Rostrata also deserves
a place here. For though in its present form it is a
restoration made at the time of the Emperor Claudius,
it doubtless retains a great deal of the old inscription,
and is appealed to by Quintilian as evidence of Early
Latin (Inst. i. 7. 12, Latinis veteribus <d' plurimis in
verbis adjectum ultimum, quod manifestum est etiam
ex columna rostrata, quae est Duellio in foro posita).
A good deal of it is lost. (C.LL. i. 195) :
XXXI. . . . nouem castreis exfociont Macelamque . . .
pucnandod cepit enque eodem macistratud . . . rem nauebos
marid consol primes . . . clasesque nauales primes ornauet
. . . cumque eis nauebos claseis Poenicas omnis . . . maxu-
mas copias Oartaciniensis praesented . . . dictatored olorom
inaltod marid pucnandod . . . uique naueis cepet cum socieis
septeresmom . . . triresmosque naueis . . . quoque naualed
praedad poplom, etc.
[post dies] novem castris effugiunt. Macellamque [vi~\
pugnando cepit, inque eodem magistratu [bene'] rem navibus
mari consul primus \_gessit], classesque navales primus orna-
vit [paravitque~\, cumque eis navibus classes Punicas omnes,
[item} maximas copias Carthaginienses praesente (i.e. im-
46 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
perante) [Hannibale] dictators illorum in alto man pug-
nando [vicif], vique naves cepit cum sociis, septiremem
[unam quinqueremesque~\ triremesque naves, . . . [primus]
quoque navali praeda populum [donavit~\ y etc.
Archaic features of the above are the use throughout
of the letter C both for the sound c and the sound g, the
expression of double consonants by single, the Abl.
ending -d in altod, marid, pucnandod, etc., the use of -que
for ' and ' to the exclusion of et (' also '), the literal sense
of prae-sented ' being in command/ the employment of o,
e for the classical u, i, in -out 3d Plur. -bos Abl. Plur., -os
Nom. Sg., -rom Gen. Plur., en Prep. ; also of ei for class. I
in castreis, socieis, and so on. But pseudo-archaisms are
interspersed, e.g. exfociont for exfuciont (with Indo-
European Uj cf. Gk. 6<f>vyov), dictatored (cf. praesented)
for dictatore (-n) or dictatond ( 10). The termination of
praedad is antique, but not the diphthong, which should
be ai ( 7) (cf. praesented).
Macella was a town in Sicily. The only instance of a
Gen. Plur. of the 2d Decl. is olorom (i.e. ollorom), illorum,
where the ending -orom is quite in place, the word being
a Pronoun (p. 40). inaltod. Notice the writing of the
Prep, along with its Adj. (cf. p. 32). septeresmom . . .
triresmosque. The esm (class, em, 22) is the ancient
spelling; but whether the use of the Masc. form be a
genuine ancient construction or an imitation of the
Greek, is difficult to say. On poplom cf. No. 4 d.
CHAPTER II.
THE PERIOD OP THE REPUBLICAN LITERATURE.
16. The reduction of Diphthongs, even in the accented
syllable, was steadily carried on throughout this period.
Ai became ae about the beginning of the second century,
though the older form is often retained, especially in state
inscriptions, laws, and the like. Ei did not wholly sink
to I till about 150 B.C. On inscriptions previous to that
time, such as the S. C. de Bacchanalibus (No. 37), a
state inscription, and therefore carefully written, we find
ei kept clearly separate from I. The old expression of
the diphthong ei by the letter e ( 8) went out of use
about the end of the third century B.C. Ou began to
be pronounced and spelled u about the same time, though
this older spelling, too, is retained in laws and inscrip-
tions of a ceremonious character. Oi became oe, as ai
became ae, and passed in pronunciation into a simple
vowel-sound, written u, about the beginning of the second
century. (For these and other changes see mjHist. Gram.
ch. x. 11.)
17. A result of the weakening of the diphthong ei
to the sound i was that the long vowel I was often
written ei for the sake of distinction from i (e.g. No.
44). This practice came in about the middle of the
47
48 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
second century and remained till the beginning of the
Empire ; though from the time of Sulla I is usually indi-
cated by a tall form of the letter, e.g. M EN DlCVS. The
poet Accius (died c. 90 B.C.) introduced the practice of
expressing the length of other vowels by writing them
double, e.g. PAASTORES, SEEDEM, a practice which
was retained for some time after his death. The doub-
ling of consonants in writing had been previously brought
into fashion by the poet Ennius, and continued ever
afterwards to be the regular usage of Latin spelling.
18. Another affection that the language suffered in
the course of this period was the shortening of certain
long vowels when final or when preceding certain final
consonants. Before final -ra a long vowel had been
shortened even earlier. The -dm (Gk. -on/) of the Gen.
Plur. had become -dm, which, being an unaccenteu
syllable, was reduced to -urn. And final -a had been
shortened before the beginning of Roman literature in
the Nom. Sg. of the 1st Decl., etc. In no extant Latin
poetry is there any certain trace of the original quantity
terra, etc. (cf. Gk. x^P")- Long vowels in final syllables
were most readily shortened by Roman lips in iambic
words, e.g. fuga (Gk. <j>vyrj, <vyd), where the short but
accented first syllable exercised a shortening effect on
the following long syllable. This law of Latin pronun-
ciation is known as the Law of Breves Breviantes (Hist.
Gram. ch. ii. 16). So we may suppose that the
shortening of final -a began with iambic words like fuga,
and from them gradually extended to all Nominatives
of the 1st Decl. Plautus, whose poetry follows the
Republican Period. 49
ordinary, everyday pronunciation of actual life, usually
employs shortened forms like cave, abl, etc., especially
of such words as would be rapidly uttered in discourse,
e.g. Adverbs like modo, probe (cf. Class. Lat. male, bene,
never male, bene). At a later period the shortening of
final -o was extended from words of Iambic form, e.g.
eo, voco, ddbo, to all words, in precisely the same fashion
as the shortening of -a had been effected in the third
century B.C. But this shortening of -o was not fully
accomplished till the Empire ; cf . esto, etc., in Ovid.
This shortening of long vowels when final or when
preceding a final consonant was another result of the
Latin stress accentuation ( 1). The final syllable being
unaccented did not get its full and proper utterance.
But the shortening was often aided by the character of
the final consonant before which it stood. We ourselves
find it difficult to give a vowel the same lengthened pro-
nunciation before a final t as before a final d. We do
not make the o of ' note ' so long as the o of ( node.' To
a Roman, too, final t exercised a shortening influence
over a preceding long vowel ; and by about the middle
of the second century B.C. (posterior, that is to say, to
the time of Plautus) we find the pronunciation estab-
lished of terret for older terret (cf. terres), curat for older
curat (cf. curds), etc. Slightly later came the shortening
of long vowels before final r, e.g. curer for older curer
(cf. cureris), calcar from older calcar (originally calcdre,
sc. ferrum ' the iron attached to the heel ' ), orator for
older orator (cf. oratoris, Gk. prJTup). L had the same
shortening effect as r, as we see from tribunal from
50 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
tribundl(e), etc. That these consonants, however, did
not produce this result wholly of themselves, but were
helped by the unaccented nature of the final syllable, we
can see from monosyllables like par, sol, which being
accented retain the long quantity.
19. Stress-accentuation must also have had something
to do with an earlier phonetic change, the loss of final d
after a long vowel, which took place about the beginning
of the literary period. The Latin Abl. Sg. originally
ended in d, e.g. terrad, dolod, etc. ; and in the elevated
poetry of Livius Andronicus and Naevius there are traces
of the older form of Abl. Thus a Saturnian line of
Naevius has the Abl. Troiad < from Troy ' :
x- x x- ^- x-
noctu Troiad exibant || capitibus opertis,
' they passed from Troy in the night, veiling their heads.'
But there is probably no trace of it in Plautus, certainly
none in his dialogue verses. On the S. C. de Bacchanali-
bus (No. 37) of 186 B.C., two years before the death of
Plautus, it is invariably written, a practice quite in
keeping with the archaic orthography of a state decree.
On the earlier and less formal edict of Aemilius Paulus
(No. 34) it is not found. By this loss of final d after a
long vowel the Abl. Sg. of the Declensions came to
end in -d, -d, -I, -u, -e, instead of -ad, -od, -id, -ud, -ed.
Such Adverbs as were originally Ablative were similarly
affected, e.g. suprd(d), extrd(d), porro(d), facillime(d).
And -tod, -ntod of the 3d Sg. and 3d Plur. Imperat. were
reduced to -to, -nto, e.g. esto, sunto. Monosyllables like
the Ace. and Abl. of the Personal Pronouns med, ted, sed,
Republican Period. 51
retained their d longer, though the d has quite disap-
peared by the middle of the second century. On the
other hand, hand, which in early literature appears as
hand before an initial vowel and hau before an initial con-
sonant (cf . our ' an ' and ' a ' ), e.g. hand ignoro, hau scio,
managed to retain its final d in the classical language.
20. The weak sound of a final consonant and its
liability to be affected by a following initial consonant
is reflected in the interchange which we find on inscrip-
tions of all periods between final t and final f d. The pro-
nunciation would doubtless be, for example, at templum,
etc., but ad delubrum, etc. ; and in consequence we find
the Prep, sometimes written at, sometimes ad (cf. aput
and apud, set and sed) ; while in carelessly written in-
scriptions a final -t is often dropped, e.g. dede for dedet
(= dedeit), class, dedit (No. 23). Final -m had a very
weak pronunciation, shewing its presence, in fact, only
in the nasal sound given to the preceding vowel, so that
-om would have in Latin a sound like French ' on.' It is
omitted again and again on the oldest, as on the Post-
classical inscriptions. Final -s after a short vowel is
scarcely allowed in the early poetry to give length by
' position > to its syllable when the next word begins with
a consonant. Even Catullus in one epigram scans tu
ddbis supplitium, a scansion which we generally indicate
by substituting an apostrophe for the s : tu dab? suppli-
cium. Cicero tells us that in his time the failure to give
clear enunciation to a final s had come to be considered
subrusticum ; and this corrected pronunciation seems to
have found its way into Vulgar Latin too, for the Romance
52 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
languages shew traces of a final -s, e.g. Fr. sommes from
Lat. sumus.
21. Final vowels, too, suffered from the stress on the
initial syllable of the word. A final e (which often has
taken the place of a final I, e.g. triste for *tristi, mite for
*miti; contrast Gk. tSpt, Neut. of I-stem) came to be
dropped, especially in words which were in ordinary
utterance closely joined with a following word; thus
neque became nee, atque became ac (for *atc\ the Im-
peratives dice, duce, face became die, due, fac, etc. See
my Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 12.
22. Another change accomplished at this period is the
change of vo- to ve-, e.g. versus for vorsus, vester for vaster.
Scipio Africanus Minor is said to have brought in the
new fashion. Another was the loss of g in the initial
group gn, e.g. natus for gnatus, which reminds us of our
own loss of k in kn-, e.g. know (pronounced like 'no'),
knee, etc. Plautus and Terence seem to use the spelling
gnatus for the Noun, natus for the Participle.
The loss of s, with compensatory lengthening, before
a voiced consonant was of earlier date, e.g. dumus for
dusmus (Liv. Andr. has dusmo (Adj.) in loco, 'in a bushy
place '), Idem for is-dem (Cicero mentions this latter spell-
ing. There was a similar treatment of x (= cs), e.g. edlco
for exrdico. But in these compounds the original form
was often restored from a sense of their etymology.
Similarly n, which was in pronunciation dropped before
s, f, with lengthening of the vowel, was usually restored
in the standard orthography, at least of Classical Latin;
e.g. consulo, pronounced cosulo, probably with nasalized o.
Republican Period. 53
(A) EARLIER PART.
This part is marked by the dropping of final d after
a long vowel in writing, as it had been already dropped
in pronunciation, and by the introduction of the double
writing of double consonants.
XXXII. The Spoletium Inscription (a notice hung up
in a sacred grove at Spoletium in Umbria). (C.LL. xi.
4766.)
honce loucom nequis niolatod neque exuehito neque exferto
quod louci siet neque cedito nesei quo die res deina anua net,
eod die quod reidinai causa fiat sine dolo cedere licetod, seiquis
uiolasit loue bouid piaclum datod. seiquis scies uiolasit dolo
malo louei bouid piaclum datod et a, 000 moltai suntod, eius
piacli moltaique dicatore exactio estod,
hunc lucum nequis violate neque evehito neque efferto
quod luci sit neque caedito, nisi quo die res divina annua
fiet Eo die quod rei divinae causa fiat sine dolo caedere
liceto. Siquis violassit (violaverit), Jovi bove piaculum
dato. Siquis sciens violassit (violaverit) dolo malo, Jovi
bove piaculum dato et a(eris) CCC multae sunto. Ejus
piaculi multaeque dicatori ( ?) exactio esto.
Here final -d after a long vowel is sometimes written,
sometimes dropped, with no apparent method. Double
consonants are still written single, e.g. anua, uiolasit.
One form is dialectal and not genuine Latin, viz. cedere
instead of caidere; for in the Umbrian dialect of Latin
ae was already pronounced e, a pronunciation which in
time affected the Latin of the capital and of the whole
Roman world. (See the last section of this book.)
54 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
honce. The full form is suitable to a solemn notice of
this kind, though in actual talk the final e would be
always dropped ( 21). On 6 for Class. Lat. u, see 14.
uiolatod. This Imperative ending -tod is said to have
been originally the Abl. Sg. of the Demonstrative
Pronoun, *tod, meaning 'from that,' ' thereupon.'
Hence the use of this form for the 2d Sg. Fut.
Imperat., e.g. Hor. (7. iii. 14. 23:
si per invisum mora janitorem
fiet, abito,
abito, originally obi-tod, meaning i depart thereupon.'
louci must be Gen. of Possession, 'what belongs to the
grove.' The Locative 'in the grove' (cf. humi,
Corinthi) would at this early time be spelled loucei.
siet (Hist. Gram. vi. 13), a common form in Plautus,
is almost an exact counterpart of the Greek ely,
which represents an original (o-)t^(r). The Indo-
European Optative Act. of Athematic Verbs shewed
ie in the Sg., I in the Plur. 0. Latin sies and sitis
retain this old distinction; but in time the i of the
Plur. encroached on the Sg. too, and so in Class. Lat.
sim, sis, sit replace siem, sies, siet.
nSsei is the older form of nl-si (m-si), in which the e
has become I through Vowel- weakening in this unac-
cented word ( 14), and ei has become 1. (Cf. p. 20
on noisi of the Dvenos inscription.)
res deina. Res divina, the common Latin phrase for a sacri-
fice, has this disyllabic form of the Adj. also in Plautus:
quae dum rem din am faceret cantaret mihi,
Republican Period. 55
a shortening due to the Latin tendency to pronounce
ivl as i (cf. sis for si vis). The form of the phrase
on its recurrence in this inscription is interesting,
reidinai, for it indicates that res divina in pronuncia-
tion made one word like respublica, etc. See my Hist.
Gram. ch. ii. 11.
sei, class, si, was originally a Locative Sg. of the Pronoun
stem so- 'that/ lit. <in that (case).' (Hist. Gram. ch.
ix. 13.) On the termination of loue, see 8 (contrast
louei, below).
bould. Bov- is really a Consonant-stem and not an
I-stem, as we see from its Gen. Plur, bo(v)-um not bovi-
um. But it here shews the I-stem Abl. ending -id
( 10). This form adds a fresh illustration of the con-
fusion of Consonant and I-stems of the 3d Decl. (Hist.
Gram. ch. iii. 8. The Consonant-stems properly used
for their Ablative the Locative Case, which ended
in -i, later -e, so that we should expect to find here
bovl or rather boue ( 21).
piaclum. The -clum of piaclum and similar words, origi-
nally -tlom, is a quite different termination from the
Diminutive -culus, -culum of puer-culus, mel-culum, etc.,
which was originally -co-Ids, -co-lom. But the tendency
in pronunciation to facilitate the pronunciation of -clum
by means of a parasitic vowel assimilated the two
endings, so that Class. Lat. piaculum seems to have
the same termination as a Diminutive like mel-culum
(cf. poplo- No. 4, pocolom No. 5, and see my Hist.
Gram. ch. ii. 12; B. App. 91).
scies. On the dropping of n before s, see 22.
56 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
uiolasit. The O. Lat. Verb-forms in -assim, -essim, etc.,
e.g. amassim, prohibessim, are really Optatives of the
same Tense of which forms in -asso, etc., e.g. amasso,
are Subjunctives (with Future meaning, Hist. Gram.
ch. vi. 13). The Optative sense is the usual one with
the forms in -sim. Thus bene sponsis beneque volueris
was a formula of frequent use in the Augural prayer ;
another early prayer shews Juppiter prohibessis scelus,
etc., etc. But they have also, as here, a conditional
sense. In the classical language they were replaced
in their Optative use by the Pres. Subj., and by the
Perf. Subj. in their Conditional use. See my Hist.
Gram. ch. vi. 13.
dicatore (on this Dat. Sg. ending see 8) may be a mis-
writing for dictatore. But it is possible that the Verb
dicare (cf . indicare) had a Verbal Noun dicator.
Beside this we may put another inscription of the
same purport, though more influenced by dialectal forms,
and possibly of an earlier date :
XXXIII. The Luceria Inscription, from Luceria in
Apulia, on the borders of the Oscan Samnium. (Eph.
Epigr. n. 298.)
in hoce loucarid stircus nequis fundatid neue cadauer
proiecitad neue parentatid, seiquis aruorsu hac faxit in ium
quis uolet pro ioudicatod n, L. manum iniectio estod, seiue
magisteratus uolet moltare licetod.
in hoc lucari (luco) stercus nequis fundet neve cadaver
proiciat neve parentet. Siquis adversum hac fecerit, in
Republican Period. 57
eum quisquis volet projudicato. N(ummum) L manum
injectio esto. Sive magistratus volet multare, liceto.
The curious Verb-forms fundatid, proiecitad, and paren-
tatid are dialectal. They remind us of the Oscan forms
with t or U corresponding to Latin ss; so that fundatid,
parentatid might be in genuine Latin fundassit and paren-
tassit, while proiecitad might correspond to a suppositions
projecissat, like incipissat. Dialectal, too, is the i of stir-
cus and the parasitic vowel of magisteratus (cf. No. 15).
Indications of the date of the inscription' are hoce for
hocce (originally hod-ce, 10), with single consonant
written for double, in and iniectio with e weakened to I.
Notice the omission of final ra in aruorsu(m), and the
spelling ium for eum. Points of grammar that require
comment are (1) the Adverbial group aruorsu(m) hac
with the Abl. Sg. Fern, of the Pronoun, like praeter hac,
praeterea, etc. (cf . aruorsum ead, No. 37) ; (2) the Ace.
manum governed by the Verbal Noun iniectio, like
Plautus' quid tibi hanc tactio est ? ' what do you mean
by touching this lady? 7 On the form ar- for ad- in
aruorsu(m) see Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 8.
XXXIV. Decree of Aemilius Paulus, found in Spain.
(189 B.C.) (O.I.L. n. 5041.)
L, Aimilius L, f, inpeirator decreiuit utei quei Hastensium
seruei in turri Lascutana habitarent leiberei essent agrum
oppidumque quod ea tempestate posedisent item possidere
habereque iousit dum poplus senatusque Romanus uellet,
Act, in castreis a,d, xii K, Febr,
58 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
L. Aemilius L. /. imperator decrevit uti qui Hastensium
servi in turri Lascutana habitarent liberi essent: agrum
oppidumque quod ea tempestate possedissent item pos-
sidere habereque jussit dum populus senatusque Eomanus
vellet. Act(um) in castris a(nte) d(iem) xii K(alendas)
Febr(uarias).
The discovery of this inscription upset Kitsch!' s theory
that final -d after a long vowel was still pronounced in
the time of Plautus. Belying on the fact that d in the
Abl. Sg. and 3d Sg. Imperat. is unfailingly written
throughout the Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus, a
decree of 186 B.C., two years before the death of Plautus,
Eitschl argued that the d must have been still pro-
nounced in these forms in the language of Plautus' day,
and that when an Abl. is followed by a word begin-
ning with a vowel in a line of Plautus there was not
necessarily hiatus. The discovery, however, of this
decree of Aemilius Paulus, with its omission of Abl. -d,
shews that the retention of the letter on the Senatorial
Decree is a mere piece of conservative spelling. Since a
change in spelling always lags behind a change in pro-
nunciation, there is every reason to believe that in the
ordinary everyday talk of Plautus' time Ablatives like
terra, puero, or Imperatives like esto, abito, were pro-
nounced without any final consonant.
The inscription is also interesting in exhibiting the in-
coming fashion of writing double a double consonant.
We have, e.g. posedisent close to possidere. The curious
ei of inpeirator and decreiuit seems to express the same
Republican Period. 59
sound, viz. close e. The old diphthong is still retained in
Aimilius and iousit (on which see No. 37).
To the same year belongs an inscription of M. Fulvius
Nobilior, the patron of the poet Ennius. (C.LL. i. 534.)
XXXV. M, Puluius M, f, Ser, n, cos, Aetolia cepit,
M. Fulvius M. f. Ser. n(epos) co(ri)s(ul) ex
Aetolia cepit.
Here Aetolia, if it be the Abl. as Hinnad of No. 20
indicates, lacks the old final d, like turri^ Lascutana, ea
of the last inscription.
Two years later is a milestone with the name of M.
Aemilius Lepidus, the projector of the Via Aemilia,
found near Bologna; 187 B.C. (C.LL. i. 535.)
XXXVI. M, Aemilius M, f, M, n, Lepidus cos.
CC1 XIIX
M. Aemilius M. f. M. n(epos) Lepidus
co(ri)s(ul).
CCLXVIII
The figures give the number of miles between Kome
and Bononia (now Bologna). Notice the modern form
of the diphthong ai in the name Aemilius ( 16).
Other milestones from the Via Aemilia of the same
date shew the same form of the name.
XXXVII. The Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus,
186 B.C. On a bronze tablet affixed to the wall of a
temple in South Italy. (C.LL. i. 196.)
60 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Q, Maroius L, f, S, Postumius L, f, cos, senatum con-
soluerunt N, Octob, apud aedem Duelonai, Sc, arf, M, Ola.udi
M, f, L, Valeri P, f, Q, Minuci 0, f, De Bacanalibus <yiei
foideratei esent ita exdeicendum censuere, Neiquis eornm
Baoanal habuise uelet, Seiques esent quei sibei deicerent
necesus ese Bacanal habere eeis atei ad pr, urbanum Eomam
uenirent deque eeis rebus ubei eorum verba audita esent utei
senatus noster decerneret dum ne minus senatoribus ade&ent
quom ea res cosoleretur. Bacas uir nequis adiese uelet ceiuis
Komanus neue nominus Latini neue socium quisquam nisei
pr, urbanum adiesent isque de senatuos sententiad dum* ne
minus senatoribus adesent quom ea res cosoleretur iousiset,
Oensuere, Sacerdos nequis uir eset, Magister neque uir
neque mulier quisquam eset, Neue pecuniam quisquam
eorum comoinem habuise uelet neue magistratum neue pro
magistratud neque uirum neque mulierem quisquam fecise
uelet, Neue post hac inter sed coniourase neue comuouise
neue conspondise neue conpromesise uelet neue quisquam
fidem inter sed dedise uelet, Sacra in oquoltod ne quisquam
fecise uelet neue in poplicod neue in preiuatod neue exstrad
urbem sacra quisquam fecise uelet nisei pr, urbanum adieset
isque de senatuos sententiad dum ne minus senatoribus
adesent quom ea res cosoleretur iousiset, Oensuere, Homines
pious V oinuorsei uirei atque mulieres sacra ne quisquam
fecise uelet neue inter ibei uirei pious duobus mulieribus
pious tribus arfuise uelent nisei de pr, urbani senatuosque
sententiad utei suprad scriptum est, Haice utei in couen-
tionid exdeicatis ne minus trinum noundinum senatuosque
sententiam utei scientes esetis, Eorum sententia ita fuit sei
ques esent quei aruorsum ead fecisent quam suprad scriptum
Republican Period. 61
est eeis rem caputalem faciendam censuere, Atque utei hoce
in tabolam ahenam inceideretis ita senatus aiquom censuit
uteique earn figier ioubeatis ubei facilumed gnoscier potisit
atque utei ea Bacanalia sei qua sunt exstrad quam sei quid
ibei sacri est ita utei suprad scriptum est in diebus X
quibus uobeis tabelai datai erunt faciatis utei dismota sient,
Q. Marcius L. f., S(purius) Postumius L. f. cons,
senatum consuluerunt N(onis) Octob. apud aedem Bellonae.
Sc(ribendo) adf(uerunt) M. Claudius M. f., L. Valerius P.
f., Q. Minucius C. f. De Bacchanalibus quifoederati essent
ita edicendum censuere. Nequis eorum Bacchanal habuisse
vellet. Siqui essent qui sibi dicerent necesse esse Bacchanal
habere, ei uti ad pr(aetorem) urbanum Romam venirent,
deque eis rebus, ubi eorum verba audita essent, uti senatus
noster decerneret, dum ne minus senatoribus C adessent
quum ea res consuleretur. Bacchas vir nequis adiisse vellet
civis Romanus, neve nominis Latini, neve sociorum quis-
quam, nisi pr(aetorem) urbanum adiissent, isque de senatus
sententia, dum ne minus senatoribus C adessent quum ea
res consuleretur, jussisset. Censuere. Sacerdos nequis vir
esset. Magister neque vir \neque mulier quaequam esset:
neve pecuniam quisquam eorum communem Jiabuisse vellet,
neve magistratum, neve pro magistratu neque virum neque
mulierem quisquam fecisse vellet. Neve posthac inter se
conjurasse neve convovisse, neve conspondisse, neve com-
promisisse vellet, neve quisquam fidem inter se dedisse vellet.
Sacra in occulto ne quisquam fecisse vellet, neve in publico,
neve in privato, neve extra urbem sacra quisquam fecisse
vellet, nisi pr(aetorem) urbanum adiisset, isque de senatus
62 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
sententia, dum ne minus senatoribus C adessent quum ea
res consuleretur, jussisset. Censuere. Homines plus V
universi, viri atque mulieres, sacra ne quisquam fecisse
vellet, neve interibi viri plus duobus, mulieribus plus tribus,
adfuisse vellent, nisi de pr(aetoris) urbani senatusque sen-
tentia, uti supra scriptum est. Haec uti in contione edicatis
ne minus trinum nundinum, senatusque sententiam uti
scientes essetis. Eorum sententia ita fuit : siqui essent qui
adversum ea fecissent, quam supra scriptum est, eis rem
capitalem faciendam censuere. Atque uti hoc in tabulam
ahenam incideretis: ita senatus aequum censuit; utique
earn figi jubeatis, ubi facillime nosci possit; atque uti ea
Bacchanalia, siqua sunt, extra quam siquid ibi sacri est, in
diebus X, quibus vobis tabellae datae erunt, faciatis uti
dimota sint.
This is a copy of the ' senatus vetus auctoritas de
Bacchanalibus ' mentioned by Cicero (Legg. ii. 15, 37).
Livy (xxxix. 14. 7 ; cf. 17. 4) tells us that in 186 B.C.
the senate determined ' edici in urbe Roma et per totam
Italiam edicta mitti, ne quis qui Bacchis initiatus esset
coisse aut convenisse causa sacrorum velit neu quid talis
rei divinae fecisse/ This inscription is two years earlier
than the death of Plautus (184 B.C.), in whose comedies
we have more than one allusion to the Bacchanalian
orgies and the disfavour in which they were coming
to be held by the government (e.g. Aul 408, Bacch. 53,
Mil 858, 1016, Cas. 980, nam ecastor nunc Bacchae
nullae ludunt). So that this precious record of antiquity
transports us into the very time of Plautus and Ennius,
Republican Period. 63
and gives us a glimpse of the language as it was spoken,
or at least written, at the beginning of the second cen-
tury B.C. Being a formal state document, its forms will
rather be those of a previous generation than the actual
colloquial forms of the speech of the day (on final -d
of Ablatives, etc., see 19).
The older 6 appears instead of the later u in consolue-
nint, cosoleretur, etc. Diphthongs remain in their earlier
shape, e.g. Duelonai, aiquom, etc. ; in particular, the dis-
tinction between diphthongal ei and simply i is observed
in deicerent, beside uenirent, etc. Double consonants,
though doubtless pronounced double, are written single,
the practice of writing them double being a reform of
the poet Ennius ( 17).
Duelonai, class. Bellonae. On du-> class. b- (cf. duonus
and bonus, duis and bis), see my Hist. Gram. ch. x. 13 ;
B. App. 104. 2 c; duellum, the precursor of bellum,
was a disyllabic word, as it is in Plautus. Horace's
duellum (3 syll.) has been called a pseudo-archaism.
Bacanalibus, class. Bacchanalibus. The use of h with a
mute to represent the Greek aspirates was not known
till the close of the Republic.
quei, originally the unaccented form ( 5), quoi being the
accented. In foideratei, originally foideratoi, the dif-
ference between the accented and unaccented diph-
thong is exemplified.
neiquis. Nei, later ni, is the 0. Lat. Prohibitive Particle,
used by Virgil < antiquitatis amans ' in A. iii. 686 : ni
teneant cursus.
64 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Bacanal, class. Bacchanal. The final e has already been
dropped ( 21), but the a of the last syllable probably
still retained its long quantity ( 18) ; cf. Plaut. Aul
413 aperitur Bacchanal : adest.
uelet is class, vellet; not vdit, which has I.-Eur. I in the
last syllable, and which would be written uelit on an
inscription of this date.
ques. The distinction between the I-stem qui- (Interrog.,
Indef.) and the 0-stem quo- (Relative) is retained in
Class. Lat. in the Ace. Sg. Neut., quid (Interrog.,
Indef.) beside quod (Rel.), but in early Latin was
kept up in other cases too, such as the Nom. Plur.
Cato's Origines began with the words : siques homines
sunt, quos delectat populi Romani gesta describere.
necesus is said to be a Neuter Noun like opus, genus.
But its exact relation to the form necesse (used by
Plautus), and indeed the precise composition of this
latter form, are doubtful.
eeis. The Demonstrative Pronouns often added to the
-ei (class, -i) of their Nom. Plur. Masc. the -s which was
the Plur. ending of Nouns. Plautus affects these forms
when the Particle -ce is added, hls-ce, illis-ce, etc. ; Virgil
is said to have used the archaic his in Ed. iii. 102:
his certe, neque amor causa est, vix ossibus haerent.
cosoleretur. On the absence of n see 22.
adiesent, class, adiissent. For ii we usually find ie in
Latin, e.g. societas, laniena, beside caritas, ojficina.
But the e of conpromesise below suggests that this e is
a relic of the old use of e for the diphthong-sound ei.
Republican Period. 65
nominus. The I.-Eur. Gen. Sg. of Consonant (3d Decl.)
Stems ended either in -6s, or -6s. The Greeks adopted
the first ending, the Romans the second ( 10), though
in early Latin we find isolated relics of the other form,
a form which may have been long in use in the ple-
beian speech.
socium. Gen. PL ( 10).
senatuoa. On this 4th Decl. Gen., see my Latin Lan-
guage, ch. vi. 21.
iousiset. Apparently the first syllable of the Perfect of
jubeo contained a diphthong originally, so that Class.
Lat. jussi has taken the place of a discarded jusi. We
even find a diphthong in the Present tense, in early
Latin (see ioubeatis, below). This indicates that there
may have been two rival stems, iub- and ioub-, to
which the confusion of quantity has been due.
magister was both Masc. and Fern, in early Latin, like
puer; cf. Naevius, Bell. Pun. ii. (a Saturnian line):
prima incedit Cereris Proserpina puer.
conpromesise, see above on adiesent.
oquoltod. The I.-Eur. root kel-, to hide, began with k,
not q. The spelling here shews that quo and co
had come to have the same sound in Latin, and so
were interchanged. Similarly, the Prep, cum (I.-Eur.
kom) is often written quom in early Latin (e.g. No.
45).
poplicod. This curious spelling popl- is usually referred
to a confusion between publicus (from pubes, long u
and b) and populus (with short o and p).
66 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
extrad. These Adverbs in -a were originally Abl. Sg.
Fern, (see my Hist. Gram. ch. vii. 4), and so appear
in early Latin inscriptions with, a final -d ( 19).
pious. One would expect plois (Hist. Gram. ch. iv. 3).
Some compare the ending of min-us; but ou is more
probably a mere spelling of the sound u ( 16).
oinuorsei is merely a way of writing oinu-uorsei, and was
doubtless pronounced as a quadrisyllable. Before v
the weakened vowel remains u and does not sink to i
as in class, uni-versi. On vo- for class, ve-, see 22.
arfuise, class, adfuisse. On the curious usage at this
time of writing (and pronouncing) r for d before /
and v, see my Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 8. This peculiar-
ity of Old Latin was preserved in the legal formula
SCR ARF., scribendo arfuerunt.
couentionid. Contio was originally co(m)-uentio, as nun-
tius was originally noventius (from novus). Why con-
tio should have o and nuntius the vowel u is not clear.
Possibly the m of com- made the difference. This is
the I-stem Ablative ending -id, quite different from the
Consonant-stem Locative ending (used as Abl.) -*, later
e ( 10).
noundinum, class, nundinum, a Gen. Plur. (cf. socium,
above), which came to be used as Neut. Sg. nundinum,
-i. It is derived from novem and din-, a by-stem of
dies, a day. On ou for earlier ove cf. the remarks
above on the vocalism of contio and nuntius.
acientes esetis. This use of the Pres. Part, with the Sub-
stantive Verb is found in Plautus too, e.g. Poen. 1038.
aruorsum. See on arfuise, above.
Republican Period. 67
ead shews that in praeter-ea, propter-ea, etc., ea is an Abl.
Sg. Fern. Cf. praeter-hac, post-hac, etc., and aruorsu
hoc (No. 33).
suprad. See on exstrad, above.
caputalem. The u has not sunk to i (cf . oinuorsei, above).
hoce, that is hocce ( 17), from older hod-ce ( 10).
facilumed, class, fadllime. These Adverbs in -e were
originally Ablatives. Possibly the 2d Decl. had in
very early times two Ablative endings (1) -od, used for
Nouns and some Adverbs, e.g. modo, cito, etc.; (2) -ed,
reserved for Adverbs only.
potisit, i.e. potis sit. Potis Masc., Fern, (here Fern.), pote
Neut., were originally distinct. In course of time the
Neut. pote came to be used in all cases. Hence class.
potest for pote est, used with all subjects, Masc., Fern.,
or Neut. Virgil employs potis est } e.g. Aen. xi. 148 :
at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere.
tabelai, class, tabellae ' despatches. 7 Tabulae would be
tdbolai (cf. tabolam, above).
dismota, class, dlmota ( 22).
sient, the old 3d Plur. Pres. Subj. (properly Optative) of
sum (see No. 32).
XXXVIII. Dedicatory inscription of a Faliscan ' col-
legium coquorum.' (C.LL. xi. 3078.)
Gonlegium quod est aciptum aetatei agedai,
Opiparum ad ueitam quolundam festosque dies,
Quei soueis argutieis opidque Uolgani
68 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Gondecorant saipisume comumia loidosque,
Ququei hue dederunt inperatoribus summeis,
Utei sesed lubentes beneiouent optantis,
louei lunonei Mineruai Palesce quei in Sardinia sunt donum
dederunt. Magistreis L. Latrius K. f, 0, Saluena Yoltai
f, coiraueront,
Collegium quod est acceptum aetati agendae,
opiparum ad vitam colendam festosque dies,
qui suis argutiis opeque Vulcani
condecorant saepissime convivia ludosque,
coqui hoc dederunt imperatoribus summis (i.e. Jupi-
ter, Juno, Minerva),
ut sese libentes bene juvent optantes.
Jovi Junoni Minervae Falisci qui in Sardinia sunt donum
dederunt. Magistri L. Latrius K(aesonis) f(ilius), C.
Salvenna Vultae f(ilius) curaverunt.
The spelling of this inscription is as faulty as the
metre (Saturnian ?) ; witness g for c in gonlegium, gonde-
corant, Volgani ; also aciptum (for -cept-), ququei (for cog-),
etc. Notice the double consonant in summeis, a doubling
not found in aciptum, etc.
quolundam. The g-guttural of colo (for quolo) is seen in
inquilinus, beside incola.
soueis. Ou was originally the vocalism of the accented,
u of the unaccented, form of this Possessive (I.-Eur.
s(w)e"wo-). The same is true of puer, of which the
older spelling pover occurs in a sentence in Iambic
Republican Period. 69
Senarii designed for a schoolboy's copying lesson
(C.LL. m. p. 962):-
senem seuerum semper esse condecet.
bene debet esse pouero qui discet bene.
Similarly the ov of novus becomes u in the unaccented
form of the word, e.g. de-nuo for de novo.
loidos (see 16), cf. coiraueront, below.
hue is the unaccented form of hoc Ace. Sg. Neut. (for
*lwd-ce, 10). This unaccented form came to be re-
served for the Adverb 'hither' (0. La't. hoc, Hist.
Gram. vii. 5).
magistreis adds the ordinary Nom. Plur. ending -s to the
already formed Plur. in -ei (class, -i) (see eeis, No. 37).
XXXIX. The Dedicatory Tablet of the Vertuleii,
found at Sora. (C.LL. i. 1175; x. 5708.)
M, P, Vertuleieis 0, f.
Quod re sua difeidens asper afleicta
Parens timens heic uouit, uoto hoc soluto,
Decuma facta poloucta, leibereis lubentes
Donu danunt Hercolei maxsume mereto;
Semol te orant se uoti crebro condemnes.
M(arcus), P(ublius) Vertuleii C(ai) f(ilii),
Quod re sua diffidens asper ajflicta
parens timens hie vovit, voto hoc soluto,
decima facta, pollucta, liberi libentes
donum dant Herculi maxime merito;
simul te orant se voti crebro condemnes.
70 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Vertuleieis. On this form of the Norn. Plur. see on
magistreis (No. 38) and cf. leibereis, below.
asper, not aspere, seems to be on the stone. Cf. Virg.
rebus non asper egenis.
heic. The Adv. hie 'here' was originally the Locative
Case of the Pronoun hie, and was spelled with ei, as
here. Similarly illlc ' there' was Loc. of ille (illlc
Plaut.) and was spelled illeic (cf. Gk. e'/cet).
poloucta. Pollucere Herculi decimam was the current
phrase for offering a tithe to Hercules; cf. Plaut.
Stick. 233:
ut decumam partem Herculi polluceam.
Varro L.L. vi. 54 id dicitur ' polluctum,' quod a porri-
ciendo est fictum; quom enim ex mercibus libamenta
projecta sunt Herculi in ararn, turn polluctum est.
danunt. Third Plurals of this formation are a feature of
Old Latin. Cf . Liv. Andr. Odyssey :
partim errant, nequinont Graeciam redife
'they stray in companies, and cannot win back to
Greece,' with nequinont for nequeunt (Hist. Gram. vi.
20).
uoti ... condemnes. Cf . Virg. voti reus and damnabis
tu quoque votis.
XL. Statue of L. Manlius Acidinus, found at Aquileia ;
c. 181 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 538.)
L, Manlius L. f, Acidinus triu uir Aquileiae coloniae deducundae.
L. Manlius L. f. Acidinus triumvir Aquileiae coloniae
deducendae.
Republican Period. 71
The other two commissioners were P. Cornelius Scipio
Nasica and C. Maminius (Livy xl. 34; cf. xxxix. 55).
deducundae. The Gerundive in -undus (originally
-om-do-) existed side by side with the Gerundive in
-endus (originally -em-do-) in early Latin, but was
dropped in the classical period (see my Hist. Gram.
ch. vi. 18).
XLI. Inscription of Claudius Marcellus, found at
Luna; 155 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 539.)
M, Claudius M, f, Marcelus consol itermn,
M. Claudius M. f. Marcellus consul iterum.
This inscription has a more ancient appearance than
the preceding, owing to its retention of the old spellings
consol ( 14) and Marcelus ( 17).
XLII. The Dedicatory Inscriptions of Mummius;
c. 146 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 542 sqq.)
(a) L, Mummi L, f, cos.
ductn auspicio imperioque eius
Achaia capta Oorinto delete
Bomam redieit triumphans ob hasce res bene gestas
quod in bello nouerat hanc aedem et signu
Herculis Victoris imperator dedicat,
L. Mummius L. f. co(n)s(ul)
ductu auspicio imperioque ejus
Achaia capta Corintho deleto,
Romam rediit triumphans. Ob has res bene gestas
quod in bello voverat, hanc aedem et signum
Herculis Victoris imperator dedicat.
72 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
(&) Sancte,
de decuma uictor tibei Lucius Mummius domun
moribus antiqueis promiserat hoc dare sese
uisum animo suo perfecit tua pace rogans te
cogendei dissoluendei tu ut facilia faxseis
perficias decumam ut faciat uerae rationis
proque hoc atque alieis doneis des digna merenti,
Sancte.
de decima victor tibi Lucius Mummius donum
moribus antiquis promiserat hoc dare sese.
Visum animo suo perfecit, tua pace rogans te
cogendi dissolvendi tu ut facilia f axis (i.e. facias).
Perficias decimum ut faciat verae rationis;
proque hoc atque aliis donis des digna merenti.
Mummius, the conqueror of Corinth and Carthage,
offered tithes of his booty to Hercules Victor (see on
No. 39). These two inscriptions are dedicatory verses
accompanying the gifts. It is possible that they are not
the actual lines of Mummius, but a later copy, made
when the inscription was renewed ; for the presence of
ch in Achaia, ph in triumphans (but t in Corinto), at so
early a period is strange.
(a) Mummi(s). On this form of the Nom. Sg. of 10-
stems, see on Minuci, No. 19.
ductu auspicio imperioque. This was a current phrase.
Cf. Plant. Amph. 196:
ductu imperio auspicio suo.
Corinto, Masc. or Neut. ?
redieit. The retention of the diphthong implying long
Republican Period. 73
quantity of the final syllable may be due to the prece-
dence of i, just as diei retains long e, shortened mjidei.
Even Ovid scans redilt, etc. (but cf. petiei, No. 46).
hasce. The metre (Saturnian) seems to require mono-
syllabic pronunciation, hasc. (See 13.)
On signu(m) see 20. The last line of the inscription
may be an Iambic Senarius.
(6) promiserat. The word is doubtful, for the inscription
is now lost. The vulgar reading is pro usura.
suo, a monosyllable, as in Lucretius i. 1022, v. 420.
tua pace, Abl. like Plaut. Rud. 268 :
fac ut ulciscare nosque ut hanc tua pace aram obsidere Patiare.
The Accusative Case is out of the question, for a scan-
sion like pacem rogans would be impossible, even in such
rude lines as these.
cogendei dissoluendi, etc. "that you would smooth the
path for him in amassing and spending."
facilia, to make a dactyl, must be pronounced faclia, like
balneum for balineun (see 3).
On faxis see p. 56. Xs is a common spelling at this
period for x (see below on saxsum, No. 45).
(B) FROM THE GRACCHI TO SULLA.
In this period the doubling of long vowels is found.
For i either ei or / is written.
XLIII. Inscription of Atilius Sarranus, found in North
Italy ; 135 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 549.)
74 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Sex, Atilius M, f, Saranus procos. ex senati consulto intei
Atestinos et Veicetinos finis terminosque statui iusit.
Sex. Atilius M. f. Sarranus proco(ri)s(ul) ex senatus con-
sulto inter Atestinos et Vicentinos finis terminosque statui
jussit.
Double consonants are still written single on this stone,
e.g. Saranus.
senati is not an unusual Genitive. Quintilian declared
it to be in his time as good a form as senatus (see my
Hist. Gram. p. 58 ; B. App. 162).
XLI V. Milestone of Popillius, found in Lucania ; 132
B.C. (C.I.L. i. 551.)
uiam fecei ab Kegio ad Oapuam et in ea uia ponteis omneis
miliarios tabelariosque poseiuei hince sunt Nouceriam meilia
II Oapuam XXCIIII Muranum 1XXIIII Oosentiam CXXIII
Ualentiam ClXXX ad f return ad statuam CCXXXI Kegium
CCXXXVII suma af Oapua Eegium meilia CCCXXI et eidem
praetor in Sicilia fugiteiuos Italicorum conquaeisiuei redideique
homines DCCCCXVII eidemque primus fecei ut de agro poplico
aratoribus cederent paastores forum aedisque poplicas heic fecei,
viam fed ab Rhegio ad Capuam et in ea via pontes
omnes miliarios tabellariosque posui. Hinc sunt Nuceriam
milia LI, Capuam LXXXIV, Muranum LXXIV, Consentiam
CXXIII^ Valentiam CLXXX, ad /return ad statuam CCXXXI,
JRhegium CCXXXVII; summa ab Capua Rhegium milia
CCCXXI. Et idem praetor in Sicilia fugitivos Italicorum
conquisivi, reddidique homines DCCCCXVII; idemque pri-
mus fed ut de agro publico aratoribus cederent pastores;
forum aedisque publicas hie fed.
Republican Period. 75
By this time i and ei express the same sound, and
the diphthong is merely used to express the long sound
of the simple vowel ; e.g. ponteis omneis were at no
period pronounced with the diphthong ei ( 16). Double
consonants are written single throughout the inscrip-
tion, e.g.
tabelaiios. suma, redidei.
Regie. The spelling rh for Greek p did not come in
till the end of the Republic.
poseiuei. The form posui, a form due to false anal-
ogy, has not yet ousted the true form po-sivi. Pono,
for *po-s(i)no, is a compound of the old Prep, po
(Gk. OTTO) and sino, and properly formed its Perfect
po-sivi as its Supine po-situm. But the analogy of
moriitum, etc., suggested that a Supine positum should
have a Perfect posui; and this erroneous form gradu-
ally ousted the other, which, however, is exclusively
used by the older writers. (See my Hist. Gram.
ch. xi. 21 ; B. App. 261. 4.)
meilia. The word was at this time pronounced with
double l\ but on this inscription double consonants
are written single. About the time of Augustus II be-
tween i and i was reduced to I. Hence milia, older
millia; vilicus, older milieus, etc. See my Hist. Gram.
ch. ii. 9.
Cosentiam, see 22.
af. The origin of this by-form of a, ab is uncertain.
See my Hist. Gram. ch. vii. 2.
eidem. The ei expresses the sound i of idem (for is-dem,
22).
76 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
conquaeisivei. The aei is a curious spelling, half-way
between ai and ei.
poplico, see on poplicod, No. 37.
paastores. This method of indicating a long vowel, by
doubling it, just as a long consonant was written
double, was introduced by the poet Accius, and gained
favour for a time. Afterwards it was discarded for
the "apex," an accent-sign placed above the vowel to
indicate the length, e.g. PASTOR ES. See 17.
heic. Thig is the original spelling of the Adverb hie,
properly the Locative Case of the Pronoun; see on
heic, No. 39.
XLV. Epitaph of a Scipio, in Saturnian metre. (C.I.L.
i. 34; vi. 1289.)
L, Cornelius On, f, On, n, Scipio,
magna sapientia multasque nirtutes
aetate quom parua posidet hoc saxsum
quoiei Vita defecit non Honos honore
is hie situs quei nunquam uictus est uirtutei
annos gnatus XX is loceis mandatus
ne quairatis honore quei minus sit mandatus,
L. Cornelius Cn. f. Cn. n(epos) Scipio.
Magnam sapientiam multasque virtutes
aetate cum parva possidet hoc saxum.
Cui Vita defecit non Honos honorem,
is hie situs, qui nunquam victus est virtute.
Annos natus viginti is ( 9 us) locis mandatus.
Ne quaeratis honorem qui minus sit mandatus.
Republican Period. 77
quom. Since quo had come to be pronounced like co the
two are often interchanged (see on oquoltod, No. 37).
posidet. The double consonant is written single in this
word, but double in annos, below.
saxsum. Xs is a common way of writing x in early in-
scriptions, and indeed in Latin of all periods (cf.
exstrad No. 37,faxseis No. 42, saxso No. 66 (5), etc.).
quoiei. On this form see 10. The Eelative in Latin
formed its Gen. and Dat. by adding to its Instrumental
Case quo the Gen. and Dat. of the Demonstr. Pron.
*quo-eios,* quo-eiei (Hist. Gram. ch. v. 6).
honore(m) (so below), Ace. after defecit ' stinted/ On
the absence of -m see 20.
virtutei, i.e. virtuti ( 17), is the I-stem Abl. (originally
-tid, 10), while the classical form virtute (originally
virtuti, 21) is really the Loc. ( 10).
hie is the Adv. hie.
is is naturally taken as Nom. Sg. 'he. 7 It may also be
Dat. Plur. agreeing with loceis ' assigned to this grave '
(cf. loculus) ; for the use of is, where hie would be the
proper Pron., is not unknown in writers of this time.
The reading loceis is due to conjecture, there being a
gap in the stone. Buecheler prefers diueis (i.e. the
Manes).
quairatis. The old spelling is retained, though the diph-
thong was now certainly pronounced ae.
quei is Adverbial qui ' how ' : ' do not ask how it was that
honour was not assigned to him/ lit. ' do not ask about
honour how it was/ etc. This is the common Latin
idiom, e.g. novi te qualis sis, like the Gk. olSd o-e OOTIS ?.
78 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Another rendering is 'do not ask about his honours,
for they (lit. ' which ') were never granted him.'
XL VI. Epitaph of Cn. Cornelius Scipio Hispanus, in
Elegiac metre; praetor 139 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 38; vi. 1293.)
On, Cornelius On, f, Scipio Hispanus pr, aid, cur, q. tr, mil.
II Xuir si, iudik, Xuir sacr, fac,
uirtutes generis mieis moribus accumulaui
progenie mi genui facta patris petiei
maiorum optenui laudem ut sibei me esse creatum
laetentur stirpem nobilitauit honor.
Cn. Cornelius Cn. f. Scipio Hispanus pr(aetor), aed(ilis)
cur(ulis), q(uaestor), tr(ibunus) mil(itaris), bis decemvir
l(itibus) judic(andi8), decemvir sacr(is) fac(iendis).
virtutes generis meis moribus accumulavi,
progeniem mi genui } facta patris petii,
majorum obtinui laudem, ut sibi me esse creatum
laetentur; stirpem nobilitavit honor.
si. On stlis, slis, old forms of Us, see Hist. Gram. ch. x.
19 ; B. App. 104. 1 d. Notice the k of iudik (andeis).
mieis, monosyllabic, like suo (No. 42 b). On the spelling
with i, which avoided the awkward form meets (mis-
takable for *meis), see my Latin Language, ch. ii. 9.
progenie(m). On the dropping of -m see 20. This
word must be pronounced apparently progenye (f pro-
genie, like fdcilia, No. 42 b) to suit the metre. Bueche-
ler prefers to read progeniem genui.
petiei. The ei of petiei beside the i of accumulaui is due
Republican Period. 79
to the desire to avoid the spelling ii which might rep-
resent^' or even I (cf. paastores in No. 44).
optenui. Op represents the sound actually pronounced,
as we know from Quintilian (i. 7. 7).
sibei. The metre requires sibl, but the old spelling is
retained. Cf . tibei No. 42 6.
nobilitauit. By this time a long vowel had become short-
ened before a final t (see 18).
XLVII. Epitaph in Iambic senarii found at Kome; of
the time of the Gracchi. (C.LL. i. 1007 ; vi. 15346.)
hospes, quod deico, paulhim est, asta ac pellege,
heic est sepulcrum hau pnlcrum pulcrai feminae,
nomen parentes nominarunt Olaudiam,
suom mareitum corde deilexit souo,
gnatos duos creauit, horunc alterum
in terra linquit, alium sub terra locat,
sermone lepido, turn autem incessu commodo,
domum seruauit; lanam fecit, dixi, abei,
Sepulcrum (from sepelio) was vulgarly derived from se
' without ' and pulcher ' beautiful.'
Commodus in the early literature often means ' graceful '
1 correct/ (-cum modo) e.g. Plaut. Most. 254-5 :
PH. suo quisque loco (uiden?) capillus satis compositust
commode ?
SC. ubi tu commoda es, capillum commodum esse credito.
Lanifica is a commendatory epithet in epitaphs on Roman
ladies.
80 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Ei is used on this inscription not only for the older
diphthong (as in deico, heic, abei), but also for a long
simple i as in deilexit (cf. 16). Another mixture of
old and new spelling is pulcrai (a disyllabic) beside
feminae.
paullum would be paulum in the classical spelling (Hist.
Gram. ii. 9).
Souo- is the older spelling, while suo- was originally
proper to the unaccented use of the word (cf. ndvus
beside denuo; see on soueis, No. 38).
Hau was the proper form before an initial consonant,
hand before an initial vowel ( 19).
XLVIII. The Law of Bantia. On a bronze tablet, which
contained on the other side a law in the Oscan language,
found at Bantia in Lucania; 133-118 B.C. (C.LL. i.
197.)
. . . deicito neiue quis mag, testumonium poplice ei . . .
Neiue is in poplico lunci praetextam neiue soleas, . . . Mag,
queiquomque comitia conciliumue habebit eum sufragium
ferre nei sinito . . . quei ex hace lege plebeiue scito factus
erit senatorue fecerit gesseritue quo ex hace lege ... ex h,
1. facere oportuerit oportebitne non fecerit sciens d, m, seine
aduorsus hance legem fecerit . . . earn pequniam quei uolet
magistratus exsigito, Sei postulabit quei petet pr, recupera-
tores . . . oporteat dato iubetoque eum sei ita pariat con-
dumnari populo facitoque joudicetur, Sei condemnatus . . .
ad q, urb, det aut bona eius poplice possideantur facito,
Seiquis mag, multam inrogare uolet . . . partus familias
taxsat liceto eiq, omnium rerum siremps lexs esto quasei sei
Republican Period. 81
is haace lege . . . mine est is in diebus V proxsumeis qnibus
queique eorum sciet h, 1. popolum plebemue . . . eis in diebus
V proxsumeis quibus quisque eorum mag, inperiumve inierit
iouranto. . . . Oastorus palam luci in forum uorsus et eidem
in diebus V apud q, iouranto per louem deosque . . . fac-
turum neque sese aduorsum h, 1. facturum scientem d, m,
neque seese facturum neque intercesurum. . . . Quei ex h,
1. non iourauerit is magistratum inperiumue nei petito neiue
gerito neiue habeto neiue in senatu . . . ni quis sinito neiue
eum censor in senatum legito . . .
(neve is testimonium) dicito neve quis mag(istratus) testi-
monium publice ei (deferri neve denuntiari sinito). . . .
Neve is in publico luce praetextam neve soleas (habeto).
. . . Mag(istratus) quicumque comitia condliumve habebit
eum suffragium ferre ne sinito . . . (Si judex) qui ex hac
lege plebive scito factus erit, senatorve fecerit gesseritve, quo
ex hac lege (quae fieri oporteat minus fiant quaeve) ex h(ac)
l(ege) facere oportuerit oportebitve non fecerit sciens d(olo)
m(alo) ; sive adversus hanc legem fecerit (. . . multa . . .
esto et) earn pecuniam qui volet magistratus exigito. Si
postulabit qui petet, pr(aetor) recuperatores . . . (quos
quotque dari) oporteat dato jubetoque eum, si ita pariat,
condemnari populo facitoque judicetur. Si condemnatus
(erit, quanti condemnatus erit, praedes) ad q(uaestorem)
urb(anum) det aut bona ejus publice possideantur facito.
Siquis mag(istratus) multam irrogare volet (qui volet, dum
minoris) partis familiae taxat, liceto eiq(ue) omnium rerum
siremps lex esto, quasi si is hac lege (pecuniam quae supra
scripta est exegisset. Consul . . .) qui nunc est, is in diebus
Vproximis, quibus quique eorum sciet h(anc) l(egem) popu-
82 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
lum plebemve (jussisse, juranto uti infra scriptum est.
Item dictator } consul . . . quicumque eorum post hoc
factus erit), ei in diebus V proximis, quibus quisque eorum
mag(istratum) inperiumve inierit, juranto (uti infra scrip-
tum est. Ei consistunto ante aedem) Castoris palam luce
in forum versus et eidem in diebus V apud q(uaestorem)
juranto per Jovem deosque (Penates sese quae ex hoc lege
oportebit) facturum, neque sese adversum h(anc) l(egem)
facturum scientem d(olo) m(alo), neque sesefacturum neque
intercessurum (quo quae ex hoc lege oportebit minus Jlant).
Qui ex hac lege non juraverit, is magistratum imperiumve
ne petito neve gerito neve habeto neve in senatu (sententiam
dicito dicereve eum) nequis sinito neve eum censor in sena-
turn legito. . . .
neiue. See on neiquis, No. 37.
poplice. See on poplicod, No. 37.
pequniam. The spelling qu for quu (quo) was in vogue
about this time.
pariat, probably a mere misspelling of pareat.
condumnari. Before a labial in the earlier literary period
a reduced vowel often sinks to u, not e (I) ; see on
oinuorsei, No. 37. Cf. testumonium, above.
partus. For this Gen. ending see on nominus, No. 37.
Cf. Castorus, below.
taxsat. Taxat, Pres. Subj. of *taxo (for *tag-so) } a by-
form of tangOj as viso of video, was retained in the legal
phrase dum taxat, which in Classical Latin has become
a mere Conj. dumtaxat (see my Latin Language, ch. ix.
7). On xs for x, a prevalent spelling on this inscrip-
tion, see on saxsum, No. 45.
Republican Period. 83
siremps. This is a mysterious word which puzzled the
Latin Grammarians. It occurs in the prologue of
the Amphitruo of Plautus (v. 73) :
sirempse legem iussit esse luppiter,
and in old laws it is fairly common in this formula:
siremps lex esto 'the same law shall hold 7 (see my
Latin Language, ch. ix. 8).
XLIX. The Aletrium Temple inscription, on the front
of a temple at Aletrium in Latium. (C.I.L. i. 1166.)
L, Betilienus L, f, Vaarus haec quae infera scripta sont de
senatus sententia facienda coirauit semitas in oppido omnis,
porticum qua inarcem eitur campum ubei ludunt horologium
macelum basilicam calecandam seedes lacum balinearium lacum
ad portam aquam in opidum adque arduom pedes CCCXvL
fornicesque fecit fistulas soledas fecit, Ob hasce res censorem
fecere bis senatus filio stipendia mereta ese iousit populusque
statuam donauit Oensorino.
L. Betilienus L. f(ilius) Varus haec quae infra scripta
sunt de senatus sententia facienda curavit: semitas in
oppido omnis, porticum qua in arcem itur, campum ubi
ludunt, horologium, macellum, basilicam calcandam, sedes,
lacum balnearium, locum ad portam, aquam in oppidum
adque (atque?) arduum pedes CCCXL, fornicesque fecit,
fistulas soledas fecit. Ob hasce res censorem fecere bis,
senatus filio stipendia merita esse jussit, populusque sta-
tuam donavit Censorino.
infera, class, infra; cf. supera, No. 54 a.
84 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
inarcem. The Prep, and Noun were often written to-
gether, as they were always pronounced together (Hist.
Gram. ii. 11). Cf. Nos. 59, 60.
calecandam. Lat. calx, lime, is a loan-word from the G-k.
(x<xAt), and was originally a disyllabic.
balinearium. On balineum (Gk. /foAamoj/) (cf. platea from
Gk. TrXareta), see 12.
iii opidum adque arduom. Here we seem to have the
original meaning of oppidum 'the town on the plain'
as opposed to 'the fortress on the hill.' The word is
the same as Gk. TreSov, ground, eTrtVeSos, flat. So the
Adv. oppido is like plane.
iousit. On the diphthong see iousiset, No. 37.
L. The Lex Repetundarum, on bronze tablets, found
at Rome, 123-122 B.C. (C.LL. i. 198.) (Extract.)
. . . De nomine deferundo iudicibusque legundeis, Quei ex
h, 1, pequniam ab . . . eum annum lectei erunt ad iudicem, in
eum annum quei ex h, 1, factus erit inious educito nomenque
eius deferto, Sei deiurauerit calumniae causa non . . . erit de
C D L uireis quei in eum annum ex h, 1, lectei erunt aruorsario
edat eos omnes . . . priuignusue siet queiue ei sobrinus siet
propiusue eum ea cognatione attingat queiue ei sodalis siet
queiue in eodem conlegio siet, Facitoque coram aruorsario . . .
non attingeret scientem d, m, itaque is edito iouratoque, Ubei
is ita ediderit, turn in earn . . . erit facito utei is die uicensumo
ex eo die quo quoiusque quisque nomen detolerit Ouiros ex eis
quei ex LI, CDL uirei in eum annum lectei erunt quei uiuat
legat . . . siet quoi is queiue ei quei petet gener socer uitricus
priuignusque siet queiue ei sobrinus . . . ei sodalis siet queiue
Republican Period. 85
tr, pi, q, III uir cap, III uir a, d, a, tribunus mil, 1, IIII primis
aliqua earum siet fueritue queiue insenatu siet fueritue queiue
1. Bubria . . . aberit queiue trans mare erit neiue amplius de
una familia unum neiue eum . . . Oalpurnia aut lege lunia
sacramento actum siet aut quod h, 1, nomen delatum siet, Quos
is Ouiros ex h, 1, ediderit de eis ita facito iouret palam apud se
coram . . . necesitudine atingat quae supra scripta sient, Is
unde petitum erit quominus, . . . Ouiros ediderit iuraritue,
Turn eis pr, facito utei is unde petetur die LX postquam eius
nomen delatum erit quos is quei petet ex h, 1, ediderit de eis
indices quos . . . nomen ex h, 1, delatum erit L indices ex h, 1,
non legerit edideritue seiue . . . sodalitate attingat queiue in
eodem conlegio siet ex h, 1, non . . . eum pr, aduorsariumue
mora non erit quo minus legat edatue . . . ioudicem legat,
Quei ita lectei erunt eis in earn rem ioudices sunto eorumque eius
. . . utei scripta in taboleis habeantur, Pr, quei ex h, 1, quaeret
facito . . . quos is quei petet et unde petetur ex h, 1, legerint
ediderint eosque patronos . . . quei petiuerit et unde petitum
erit quei eorum uolet extaboleis poplicis . . . Eisdem ioudices
unius rei in perpetuom sient, Quei indices . . . quam in rem
eis indices lectei erunt . . . quei pequniam ex h, 1, capiet eum
ob earn rem quod pequniam ex h, 1, ceperit . . . moueto neiue
equom adimito neiue quid ob earn rem fraudei esto, . . .
. . . De nomine deferendo judicibusque legendis. Qui
ex h(ac) l(ege) pecuniam ab (altero petet, is eum unde petet
. . . postquam CDL viri ex hac lege in) eum annum lecti
erunt, ad judicem, in eum annum qui ex h(ac) l(ege) factus
erit, in jus educito nomenque ejus deferto. Si dejeraverit
calumniae causa non (postulare, is praetor nomen recipito
itaque facito . . . utdie . . . ex eo die, quo cujusque quisque
86 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
nomen detulerit, is cujus nomen delatum) erit de CDL viris
qui in eum annum ex h(ac) l(ege) lecti erunt, adversaria
edat eos omnes ( . . . cui is quive ei cujus nomen delatum
erit gener socer vitricus) privignusve sit quive ei sobrinus
sit propiusve eum ea cognatione attingat, quive ei sodalis
sit, quive in eodem collegia sit. Facitoque coram adversaria
{is cujus nomen delatum erit juret, de CDL viris, qui in
eum annum ex hac lege lecti sint, praeterea nullum esse nisi
qui se earum aliqua neqessitudine, quae supra scripta sint)
nan attingeret scientem d(olo) m(alo) itaque is edito jurato-
que. Ubi is ita ediderit, turn in earn (quaestionem qui
cujusque ita nomen detulerit, praetor, cujus ex hac lege
quaestio) erit, facito uti is die vicesimo ex eo die quo cujus-
que quisque nomen detulerit Cviros ex eis qui ex h(ac) l(ege)
CDL viri in eum annum lecti erunt qui vivat legat (edatque
. . . dum nequis judex) sit cui is quive ei qui petet gener
socer vitricus privignusque sit quive ei sobrinus (sit pro-
piusve eum ea cognatione attingat, quive in eodem collegia
sit, quive) ei sodalis sit quive tr(ibunus) pl(ebis), q(uaestor),
III vir cap(italis), III vir a(gris) d(andis) a(ssignandis),
tribunus mil(itum) l(egionibus) IIII primis aliqua earum sit
fueritve, quive in senatu sit fueritve, quive l(ege) Rubria
(III vir coloniae deducendae creatus sit fueritve, . . . quive
ab urbe Roma plus . . milia passuum) aberit, quive trans
mare erit ; neve amplius de una familia unum, neve
eum (legat edatve, qui pecuniae captae condemnatus est
erit aut quod cum eo lege) Calpurnia aut lege Junia sacra-
mento actum sit aut quod h(ac) l(ege) nomen delatum sit.
Quos is Cviros ex h(ac) l(ege) ediderit, de eis ita facito
juret palam apud se coram (adversaria eorum nullum
Republican Period. 87
se edidisse scientem dolo malOj quern ob earum causa-
rum aliquam de ea re judicare non liceat quive se earum
aliqua) necessitudine attingat, quae supra scripta sint. Is
unde petitum erit quominus (ex hoc lege ex reis eximatur,
per eum praetorem adversariumque mora non erit, nisi
is qui petet ita C) viros ediderit juraritque. Turn eis
pr(aetor) facito ut is unde petetur die LX postquam ejus
nomen delatum erit, quos C is qui petet ex h(ac) l(ege)
ediderit de eis judices quos (volet L legat . . . Qui ex hac
lege nomen detulerit, si is, cujus) nomen ex h(ac) l(ege)
delatum erit, L judices ex h(ac) l(ege) non legerit edideritve,
sive (ex CDL viris qui in eum annum ex hac lege lecti
erunt qui se affinitate cognatione) sodalitate attingat, quive
in eodem collegio sit ex h(ac) l(ege) non (ediderit, turn ei
per) eum pr(aetorem) adversariumve mora non erit quomi-
nus legat edatve (quos volet L de eis C quos ex hac lege
ediderit . . . dum nequem eorum, quern ex hac lege de ea
re judicare non liceat, sciens dolo malo) judicem legat.
Qui ita lecti erunt ei in earn rem judices sunto, eorum-
que ejus (rei ex hac lege judicatio litisque aestimatio esto.
Judicum patronorumque nomina) ut scripta in tabulis habe-
antur. Pr(aetor) qui ex h(ac) l(ege) quaeret facito (eos
L viros) quos is qui petet et unde petetur ex h(ac) l(ege)
legerint ediderint eosque patronos, (quos ei qui petet ex hac
lege dederit . . . in tabulis publicis scriptos in perpetuo
habeat. Ea nomina) qui petierit et unde petitum erit
qui eorum uolet ex tabulis publicis (describere, is praetor
permittito potestatemque scribendi facito). Idem judices
unius rei in perpetuum sint. Qui judices (ex hac lege lecti
erunt,) quam in rem ei judices lecti erunt, (ejus rei judices
88 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
in perpetuum sunto . . . ) qui pecuniam ex h(ac) l(ege)
capiet, eum ob earn rem quod pecuniam ex h(ac) l(ege)
ceperit (ne . . neve tribu) moveto neve equum adimito neve
quid ob earn rem fraudi esto.
Notice the frequent writing of the Preposition in the
same word with its Noun (e.g. inious 'injus,' insenatu),
the spelling qu for cu (quu) (e.g. pequniam), the occa-
sional use of a single for a double consonant (necesitu-
dine atingat), the retention (not, however, consistently)
of the old diphthongs (e.g. ious, iourato), and of 6 for u
(e.g. detolerit), the Nona. Plur. of the Demonstrative in
-(e)is, e.g. eis eis-dem. Of the Relative the forms in use
are Nom. quei, Gen. quoins, Dat. quoi (see 10). The
Prohibitive Particle is nei (ra), on which see neiquis,
No. 37.
LI. Inscriptions of magistrates of Capua.
(a) 108 B.C. (C.LL. i. 565.)
. . . Heisce magistreis Venems louiae murum aedificandum
coirauerunt ped, CCd^XX et loidos fecerunt Ser. Sulpicio M,
Aurelio cos,
(6) 106 B.C. (C.LL. i. 566.)
. . . Heisce magistreis Cerems murum et pluteum long, p,
1XXX alt, p, XXI faciund, coirauere eidemque loid, fee, 0,
Atilio Q, Seruilio cos,
(c) 106 B.C. (C.LL. i. 567.)
. . . Heisce magistrei Oastori et Polluci murum et pluteum
faciund, coerauere eidemque loedos fecere Q, Seruilio 0, Atilio
cos,
Republican Period. 89
(a) Hi magistri Veneris Joviae murum aedijicandum
curaverunt ped(es) CCLXX et ludos fecerunt Ser. Sulpicio
M. Aurelio cos.
(b) Hi magistri Cereris murum et pluteum long(os)
pedes LXXX alt(os) p(edes) XXI faciund(os) curavere
idemque lud(os) fec(ere) C. Atilio Q. Servilio cos.
(c) Hi magistri Castori et Polluci murum et pluteum
faciend(os) curavere idemque ludos fecere Q. Servilio C.
Atilio cos.
Notice the Nom. Plur. in -eis not merely of pronouns
(see on eeis No. 37, eis No. 50), but also of nouns, e.g.
magistreis; and the Gen. Sg. in -us (Venerus, Cererus),
see on nominus, No. 37.
On Venerus louiae see loues, No. 2.
LII. Decree of the Pagus Herculaneus, 94 B.C. (C.I.L.
i. 571.)
Pagus Herculaneus sciuit a, d, X Terminalia,
Oonlegium seiue magistrei louei compagei sunt utei in
porticum paganam reficiendam pequniam consumerent ex lege
pagana arbitratu On, Laetori On, f, magistrei pagei uteique
ei conlegio seiue magistri sunt louei compagei locus in
teatro esset tarn quasei sei ludos fecissent. ... 0, Coelio
0, f. Oaldo, L, Domitio On, f, Ahenobarbo cos,
Pagus Herculaneus scivit a(nte) d(iem) X Terminalia.
Collegium, sive magistri Jovii compagi sunt, ut in porti-
cum paganam reficiendam pecuniam consumerent ex lege
pagana arbitratu Cn. Laetorii Cn. f. magistri pagi; utque
ei collegio, sive magistri sunt Jovii compagi, locus in theatro
90 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
esset tarn quasi si ludos fecissent ... (7. Coelio C. f(ilio),
L. Domitio Cn. f(ilio) Ahenobarbo cos.
pequniam. For this spelling cf. No. 51.
teatro. The use of th for Gk. had not yet come in
( 23).
LIII. Lex Cornelia de XX Quaestoribus, on a bronze
tablet found at Rome ; 81 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 202.)
. . . Cos, quei nnnc sunt, iei ante k, Decembreis primas
de eis, quei ernes Eomanei sunt, uiatorem unum legunto, quei
in ea decuria uiator appareat, quam decuriam uiatorum ex
noneis Decembribus primeis quaestoribus ad aerarium apparere
oportet oportebit, Eidemque cos, ante k, Decembr, primas
de eis, quei ciues Eomanei sunt, praeconem unum legunto,
quei in ea decuria praeco appareat, quam decuriam praeconum
ex noneis Decembribus primeis quaestoribus ad aerarium
apparere oportet oportebit, . . . Eosque uiatores eosque prae-
cones omneis, quos eo ordine dignos arbitrabuntur, legunto,
Quam in quisque decuriam ita uiator lectus erit, is in ea
decuria uiator esto item utei ceterei eius decuriae uiatores
erunt, Quamque in quisque decuriam ita praeco lectus erit,
is in ea decuria praeco esto ita utei ceterei eius decuriae
praecones erunt, Sirempsque eis uiatoribus deque eis uiatori-
bus q(uaestori) omnium rerum iuus lexque esto, quasei sei
uiatores in earn decuriam in tribus uiatoribus antea lectei
sublectei essent, Sirempsque eis praeconibus deque eis prae-
conibus quaestori omnium rerum iuus lexque esto, quasei sei
ei praecones in earn decuriam in tribus praeconibus antea
lectei sublectei essent, quam in quisque decuriam eorum ex
hac lege praeco lectus erit,
Republican Period. 91
Quos quomque quaestores ex lege plebeiue scito uiatores
legere sublegere oportebit, ei quaestores eo iure ea lege
uiatores IIII legunto sublegunto, quo iure qua lege q(uae-
stores), quei nunc sunt, uiatores III legerunt sublegerunt,
Quosque quomque quaestores ex lege plebei ue scito praecones
legere sublegere oportebit, ei quaestores eo iure ea lege prae-
cones IIII legunto sublegunto, quo iure qua lege quaestores,
quei nunc sunt, praecones III legerunt sublegerunt, dum
niquem in eis uiatoribus praeconibus legundeis sublegundeis in
eius uiatoris praeconis locum uiatorem praeconem legant sub-
legant, quoius in locum per leges plebeiue scita uiatorem
legei sub legi non licebit, Ita que de eis quattuor uiatoribus
quaestor queiquomque erit uiatores sumito habeto, utei ante
hanc legem rogatam de tribus uiatoribus uiatores habere
sumere solitei sunt, . . .
This inscription is nearer Classical than Archaic Latin,
and its examples of archaic forms will be understood by
reference to the notes on previous inscriptions. With
iei cf. mieis, No. 46. On siremps see No. 48.
LIV. Epitaphs from the Via Nomentana. (C.LL. 1. 1011.)
(a) Aurelia L, 1, Philematio,
Uiua Philematium sum Aurelia nominitata,
Oasta, pudens, uolgei nescia, feida uiro,
uir conleibertus fuit, eidem, quo careo eheu,
ree fuit ee uero plus superaque parens,
Septem me naatam annorum gremio ipse recepit, 5
quadraginta annos nata necis potior,
ille meo officio adsiduo florebat ad omnis
92 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
(6) L, Aurelius L, 1, Hermia lanius de colle Viminale,
haec, quae me faato praecessit, corpore casto,
coniunxs, una meo praedita amans animo, 10
fido fida uiro ueixsit, studio parili qum
nulla in auaritie cessit ab officio.
Notice the doubling of long vowels (cf . iuus ' jus ' on
the last inscription) v. 4. supera ' supra/ a form affected
by Lucretius, v. 6. necis potior, 'fall into the hands of
death.' Cf. the Plautine use of potior, e.g. Capt. 92 post-
quam meus rex est potitus hostium, ' after my patron fell
into the enemy's hands ' : v. 11 ueixsit. The i of the first
syllable of the Perf. of vivo is long by nature, vixi; on
xs see No. 45, saxsum; qum is a spelling of quum (here
possibly the Prep, cum)) which was common at this time,
and which is often found in our Mss. of Plautus, etc.
v. 12. avaritie. The 5th Decl. form of avaritia is used
also by Lucretius. Each new generation of poetry brought
additions to the 5th Decl. from the ranks of the 1st (see
my Hist. Gram. ch. iii. 13).
LV. Inscriptions in honor of Sulla, 82-79 B.C. (C.I.L.
i. 584-6.)
(a) L, Oornelio L, f, Sullae fellcl dictator! ulcus laci Pund(ani),
(6) L, Oornelio L, f, Sullae feleici dictator! libertini,
(c) L, Oornelio L, f, Sullae feelic(i) die,
Notice the tall i-form (beside ei of feleici) to denote
the long quantity of the vowel. Long e is written ee in
feelici.
LVI. Inscription of the Commune Lyciorum, 81 B.C. ?
(Greek and Latin.) (C.I.L. i. 589.)
Republican Period. 93
Oomnmni restitute in maiornm leibertatem Eoma, louei Oapi-
tolino et poplo Eomano uirtutis beniuolentiae benificique caussa
erga Lucios ab communi,
On poplo see No. 4. Caussa became later causa, 25,
Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 9.
LVII. The Furfo Decree, found at Furfo in S.- Italy,
58 B.C. (C.I.L. i. 603.)
. . . Sei quod ad earn aedem donum datum donatum dedica-
tumque erit, utei liceat oeti uenum dare, Ubei uenum datum
erit, id profanum esto, Venditio locatio aedilis esto, quam
quomque ueicus Furfens(is) fecerint, quod se sentiat earn rem
sine scelere sine piaculo uendere locare, alis ne potesto, Quae
pequnia recepta erit, ea pequnia emere conducere locare dare,
quo id templum melius honestiusque seit, liceto, Quae pequnia
ad eas res data erit, profana esto, quod d(olo) m(alo) non erit
factum, Quod emptum erit aere aut argento ea pequnia, quae
pequnia ad id emendum datum erit quod emptum erit, eis rebus
eadem lex esto, quasei sei dedicatum sit,
Sei qui heic sacrum surupuerit, aedilis multatio esto, quanti
uolet, Idque ueicus Purfens(is) mai(or) pars fifeltares sei apso-
luere uolent siue condemnare, liceto,
Sei qui ad hoc templum rem deiuinam fecerit loui libero aut
louis genio, pelleis coria fanei sunto,
alis for alius, probably a colloquial form, is found in
Catullus (Ixvi. 28) :
quod non fortior ausit alis.
So alid in Lucretius i. 263 :
quando alid ex alio reficit natura.
The word fifeltares is obscure.
CHAPTER III.
THE AGE OF CICERO AND THE EARLY EMPIRE.
CLASSICAL LATIN.
23. The number of Greek words that were being intro-
duced into the language, and the growing study of Greek
Grammar and Phonetics, led to the more exact orthog-
raphy of Greek loan-words. The Greek letters Upsilon
(Y, our y) and Zeta (Z, our z) supplanted the earlier
transliteration by u, ss (s) (e.g. cymba, earlier cumba),
and found their way into some words that were pure
Latin, e.g. silva, wrongly written sylva. The Greek
Aspirate Mutes were expressed by th, ph, ch, instead
of tj p, c, as hitherto, and Greek initial Rho by rh-.
24. A change in the 2d Decl. is described by Cicero
(Orat. xlvi. 155) as having been effected in his own life-
time, viz. the disuse of the old Gen. Plur. ending -urn (-om)
for the new-fashioned -orum (see my Hist. Gram. ch. iii.
6, and cf. duonoro(m), No. 25).
25. The Orthography of Ciceronian and Augustan
Latin exhibits many archaic features that are not always
found in our editions of these authors, e.g. quoi for cm,
ei frequently for i, ns for s in vicensumus, etc., u for i in
vicensumus, maxumus, etc. Julius Caesar is said to have
brought about the use of the 'new' spelling with i on
94
Classical Period. 95
State inscriptions, optimus, maximus. Long Vowels are
now indicated by the 'apex,' a mark like the Greek
acute accent. Traces of the apex still remain in French,
e.g. ete, and other alphabets derived from the Latin.
After a diphthong II is now written I ; while ss becomes
s after a long vowel too, e.g. causa, misi (cf. repromeisserit,
No. 59).
LVIII. Epitaph on an actress, Eome; c. 50 B.C.
(CLLL. i. 1009; vi. 10096.)
Eucharis Liciniae l(iberta) docta erodita omneS artes uirgo
uixit an(nos) XIIIL
hens oculo errante quei aspicis leti domns,
morare gressum et titulum nostrum perlege,
amor parenteis quern dedit natae suae,
ubei se reliquiae conlocarent corporis,
heic uiridis aetas cum floreret artibus
crescente et aeuo gloriam conscenderet,
properauit hora tristis fatalis mea
et denegauit ultra ueitae spiritum,
docta, erodita paene Musarum manu,
quae modo nobilium ludos decoraui choro
et graeca in scaena prima popnlo apparui,
en hoc in tumulo cinerem nostri corporis
infistae Parcae deposierunt carmine,
studium patronae, cura, amor, laudes, decus
silent ambusto corpore et leto tacent,
reliqui fletum nata genitori meo
et antecessi, genita post, leti diem,
bis hie septeni mecum natales dies
96 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
tenebris tenentur Ditis aeterna domn.
rogo ut discedens terrain mihi dicas leuem,
Early forms on this graceful inscription are quei, ubei,
heic, and the like. Deposierunt shews the older perfect
of pono, posivi (posii), which was in Classical Latin sup-
planted by posui; see onposeiuei, No. 44.
Erodita is a pseudo-archaism, for the genuine ancient
spelling was, like the classical, with u ; cf . exfociont on
the Columna Rostrata, No. 31.
Infistae may with its % indicate the close sound of e in
infestus.
Domus is declined according to the 5th Decl. in 1. 1 and
1. 19 ; but in all the early writers we never find it other
than a Second Declension Noun ; cf. Gk.
LIX. Lex Kubria de Civitate Galliae Cisalpinae, on a
bronze tablet found in the district of Placentia; 49 B.C.
(C.LL. i. 205.)
. . . Qua de re quisque et aquo inGallia cis alpeina damnei
infectei exformula restipularei satisue accipere uolet, et ab eo
quei ibei i(ure) d(eicundo) p(raerit) postulauerit, idque non
k(alumniae) k(aussa) se facere iurauerit: turn is quo d(e)
e(a) r(e) inius aditum erit eum quei inius eductus erit d(e)
e(a) r(e) exformula repromittere et, sei satis darei debebit,
satis dare iubeto decernito, Quei eorum ita non repromeisserit
aut non satis dederit, seiquid interim damni datum factum ue
ex ea re aut ob e(am) r(em) eoue nomine erit, quam ob rem
utei damnei infectei repromissio satisue datio fierei [iubeatur~\
postulatum erit, turn mag(istratus) proue mag(istratu) Iluir
Classical Period. 97
Illluir praefec(tus)ue, quoquomque d(e) e(a) r(e) inius aditum
erit, d(e) e(a) r(e) ita ins deicito indicia dato iudicareque
iubeto cogito, proinde atque sei d(e) e(a) r(e), quom ita pos-
tulatum esset, damnei infectei ex formula recte repromissnm
satisue datum esset, . . . dum Iluir Illluir i(ure) d(eicundo)
praefec(tus)ue d(e) e(a) r(e) ius ita deicat curetue, utei ea
nomina et municipium colonia locus ineo iudicio, quod ex ieis
quae proxsume s(cripta) s(unt) accipietur, includantur con-
cipiantur, quae includei concipei s(ine) d(olo) m(alo) oportere
ei uidebuntur, nequid ei quei d(e) e(a) r(e) aget petetue
captionei ob e(am) r(em) aut eo nomine esse possit; neiue ea
nomina quae inearnm qua formula, quae s(upra) s(criptae)
s(unt), scripta sunt, aut Mutinam ineo iudicio includei con-
cipei curet, nise iei, quos inter id indicium accipietur leisue
contestabitur, ieis nominibus fuerint, quae in earum qua
formula s(cripta) s(unt), et nisei sei Mutinae ea res agetur,
Neiue quis mag(istratus) proue mag(istratu) neiue quis pro
quo imperio potestateue erit intercedito neiue quid aliud facito,
quo minus de ea re ita indicium detur iudiceturque. . . .
The prevalence of ei- forms is in keeping with the
archaic character of State inscriptions.
Notice the frequent junction of Prep, and Noun, a
practice maintained in Latin Mss. with more or less
consistency to the eleventh century or later, inGallia,
inius, etc.
repromeisserit. On -ss- see 25.
LX. Lex Julia Municipalis, on three bronze tablets,
originally belonging to Heraclea in S. Italy; 45 B.C.
(C.I.L. i. 206.)
98 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
. . . Quod quemquem h(ac) l(ege) profiterei oportebit, is,
apud quern ea professio fiet, eius quei profitebitur nomen et
ea quae professus erit et quo die professus sit intabulas
publicas referunda curato, eademque omnia quae uteique in-
tabulas rettulerit ita intabulam in album referunda curato,
idque aput forum et, quom frumentum populo dabitur, ibei
ubei frumentum populo debitur cottidie maiorem partem diei
propositum habeto, u(nde) d(e) p(lano) r(ecte) l(egi) p(ossit),
Queiquomque frumentum populo dabit damdumue curabit,
nei quoi eorum, quorum nomina h(ac) l(ege) ad co(n)s(ulem)
pr(aetorem) tr(ibunum) pl(ebis) intabula inalbo proposita erunt,
frumentum dato neue dare iubeto neue sinito, Quei ad uersus
ea eorum quoi frumentum dederit, is in tr(itici) m(odios) I
HS IDOD populo dare damnas esto eiusque pecuniae quei
uolet petitio esto,
. . . Quemquomque ante suum aedificium uiam publicam
h(ac) l(ege) tueri oportebit, quei eorum earn uiam arbitratu
eius aed(ilis), quoius oportuerit, non tuebitur, earn uiam
aed(ilis), quoius arbitratu earn tuerei oportuerit, tuemdam
locato, Isque aed(ilis) diebus ne minus X antequam locet
aput forum ante tribunale suom propositum habeto, quam
uiam tuendam et quo die locaturus sit et quorum ante aedifi-
cium ea uia sit, Bisque, quorum ante aedificium ea uia erit,
procuratoribusue eorum domum denuntietur facito se earn
uiam locaturum et quodie locaturus sit, Eamque locationem
palam in foro per q(uaestorem) urb(anum) eumue quei aerario
praerit facito, Quamta pecunia earn uiam locauerit, tamtae
pecuniae eum eosque, quorum ante aedificium ea uia erit
proportion!, quamtum quoiusque ante aedificium uiae inlongi-
tudine et inlatitudine erit, q(uaestor) urb(anus) queiue aerario
Classical Period. 99
praerit intabulas publicas pecuniae factae referendum curato.
Ei, quei earn uiam tuemdam redemerit, tamtae pecuniae eum
eosue ad tribuito sine d(olo) m(alo), Sei is quei ad tributus
erit earn pecuniam diebus XXX proxumeis, quibus ipse aut
procurator eius sciet adtributionem factam esse, ei, quoi ad
tributus erit, non soluerit neque satis fecerit, is quamtae
pecuniae ad tributus erit, tamtam pecuniam et eius dimidium
ei, quoi ad tributus erit, dare debeto, Inque earn rem is quo
quomque de ea re aditum erit iudicem iudiciumue ita dato
utei depecunia credita iudicem iudiciumue dari opprteret,
. . . Quae plostra noctu in urbem inducta erunt, quominus
ea plostra inania aut stercoris ex portandei caussa post solem
ortum h(oris) X diei bubus iumenteis ue iuncta in u(rbe)
E(oma) et ab u(rbe) E(oma) p(assus) M esse liceat, e(ius)
h(ac) l(ege) n(ihil) r(ogatur),
. . . Quae loca serueis publiceis ab cens(oribus) habitandei
utendei caussa ad tributa sunt, ei quominus eis loceis utantur,
e(ius) h(ac) l(ege) n(ihil) r(ogatur),
Queiquomque inmunicipieis coloneis praefectureis foreis con-
ciliabuleis c(iuium) E(omanorum) Iluir(ei) IHIuir(ei) erunt
alioue quo nomine mag(istratum) potestatemue sufragio eorum,
quei] quoiusque municipi coloniae praefecturae fori conciliabuli
erunt, habebunt, neiquis eorum quern in eo municipio colonia
praefectura foro conciliabulo in senatum decuriones conscriptosue
legito neue sublegito neue coptato neue recitandos curato nisi
indemortuei damnateiue locum eiusue quei confessus erit se
senatorem decurionem conscreiptumue ibei h(ac) l(ege) esse non
licere,
. . . Qui pluribus inmunicipieis coloneis praefectureis domi-
cilium habebit et is Komae census erit, quo magis in municipio
100 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
colonia praefectura h(ac) l(ege) censeatur, e(ius) h(ac) l(ege)
n(ihil) r(ogatur),
Quei lege pl(ebei) ue sc(ito) permissus est fuit, utei leges
in municipio fnndano municipibusue eius municipi daret, sei
quid is post h(anc) l(egem) r(ogatam) ineo anno proxumo, quo
h(anc) l(egem) populus iuserit, adeas leges addiderit commu-
tauerit conrexerit, municipis fundanos item teneto, utei oporterit,
sei eas res abeo turn, quom primum leges eis municipibus lege
pl(ebei) ue sc(ito) dedit, adeas leges additae commutatae con-
rectae essent. Neue quis intercedito neue quid facito, quo minus
ea rata sint quoue minus municipis fundanos teneant eisque
optemperetur,
Julius Caesar, like Augustus and some succeeding
Emperors, found time for the study of Grammar amidst
the cares of government. We may be sure that the
orthography of any of his laws would be carefully re-
vised by him; so that we have here the way in which
a Grammarian, who was at the same time a man of the
world, judged that Latin words should be written in a
formal document. That Caesar did not scruple to intro-
duce the forms of spoken Latin into State inscriptions
we know from the fact that it was he who effected the
adoption of spellings like optimus, maximus (with i for
the older u) in inscriptions of the kind. (Quint. I. vii. 21
' optimus maximus/ ut mediam i litteram, quae veteribus
u fuerat, acciperent, Gai primum Caesaris inscriptione
traditur factum.)
The Prep, and Noun (Adj.) often form a word-group,
as in denuo (de novo), etc., e.g. intabulas.
Classical Period. 101
damnas is a form of damnatus affected in legal phrase-
ology. It seems to represent an I-stem damnati-, like
Sanates (a legal term for allies who had revolted but
afterwards returned to their allegiance, ' quasi sana
mente ') beside sanati, Manes beside 0. Lat. memo- and
the like. *Damnatis became damnas, as the Plautine
forms nostratis, Arpinatis, etc., became nostras, Arpinas.
A curious spelling (due to an etymological theory ?) is
the use of m for n in the Gerund and Gerundive, e.g.
tuemdam, also in tamtam, etc. Notice also aput, on
which see 20.
LXI. Glandes, found at Perusia; 41-40 B.C. (C.I.L.
i. 685, 692.)
(a) L, Antoni Oalui peristi 0, Oaesarus uictoria,
(6) Esureis et me celas,
These sentences were carved by soldiers on the leaden
bullets which they shot against the defenders of Perusia,
in the course of the long blockade of L. Antonius by
Octavianus. They shew us how Latin was written by
uneducated Romans at that period. Notice the spelling
esureis with ei for later i, and the retention in plebeian
Latin of the old Gen. ending -6s (-us) of the 3d Decl.,
Caesarus ( 10). The first sentence has an echo of a
Trochaic Septenarius. This was the popular metre at
this time, and in uneducated hands was generally con-
structed with regard to accent rather than to quantity.
Two interesting monuments of Augustus follow, the
official proclamation about the Ludi Saeculares, and the
autobiographical notice of the Emperor. They should
102 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
be compared with the Law of Julius Caesar (No. 60),
and the Decree of the Emperor Claudius (No. 64).
LXII. Commentarius Ludorum Saecularium, found
recently in the bed of the Tiber. (Ephemeris Epigrar
phica, viu. ii.)
. . . Ludique noctu sacrificio confecto sunt commissi in
scaena quoi theatrum adiectum non fuit nullis positis sedilibus,
centumque et X matronae qoibus denuntiatum erat XVuirorum
uerbis sellisternia habuerunt lunoni et Dianae duabus sellis
positis,
K, lun, in Oapitolio bouem marem loui optimo maximo
proprium inmolauit imp, Caesar Augustus, ibidem alterum
M, Agrippa, precati autem sunt ita:
luppiter optime maxime uti tibi in illeis libreis scriptum
est quarumque rerum ergo quodque melius siet populo E, Quiri-
tibus tibi hoc boue mare pulchro sacrum fiat te quaeso pre-
corque ; cetera uti supra,
Ad atallam fuerunt Caesar Agrippa Scaeuola Sentius Lollius
Asinius G-allus Eebilus,
Deinde ludi Latini in theatro ligneo quod erat constitutum
in campo secundum Tiberim sunt commissi, eodemque modo
sellisternia matres familiae habuerunt, neque sunt ludi inter-
missi iei qui noctu coepti erant fieri et edictum propositum,
XV uir s, f. die, ;
Cum bono more et proinde celebrato frequentibus exsemplis,
quandocumque iusta laetitiae publicae caussa fuit, minui luctus
matronarum placuerit, idque tarn sollemnium sacrorum ludorum-
que tempore referri diligenterque opseruari pertinere uideatur
Classical Period. 103
et ad honorem deorum et ad memoriam cultus eorum : statuimus
offici nostri esse per edictum denuntiare feminis, uti luctum
minuant,
Noctu autem ad Tiberim sacrificium fecit dels Ilithyis libels
V 1 1 1 1 popanis V 1 1 1 1 pthoibus V 1 1 1 1 imp, Caesar Augustus ; pre-
catus est hoc modo :
Ilithyia, utei tibei in illeis libreis scriptum est, quarumque
rerum ergo, quodque melius siet p, K, Quiritibus, tibi VII 1 1
popanis et V 1 1 1 1 libeis et V 1 1 1 1 pthoibus sacrum fiat ; te quaeso
precorque,
IV nonas lun, in Oapitolio inmolauit lunoni reginae bouem
feminam imp, Caesar Augustus, ibidem alteram M, Agrippa et
precatus est hoc modo :
luno regina, uti tibi in illis libris scriptum est, quarumque
rerum ergo quodque melius siet p, E, Quiritibus, tibi boue
femina pulchra sacrum fiat ; te quaeso precorque,
Deinde CX matribus familias nuptis, quibus denu[ntiatum
fuit ut conuenirent, imp, Caesar Augustus] praeit in haec uerba :
luno regina, ast quid est quod melius siet p, E, Quiritibus . . .
Sacrificioque perfecto pueri XXVII quibus denuntiatum erat
patrimi et matrimi et puellae totidem carmen cecinerunt ; eodem-
que modo in Capitolio . . .
Carmen composuit Q, Horatius Placcus, . . .
In connection with this interesting record of Augustus'
reign, the Carmen Saeculare of Horace should be read,
atallam is obscure. The word has been connected with
attanus (atanusf), a vessel used for sacrificial purposes.
It may be a Diminutive ; cf. Hispallus from Hispanus.
Notice the spellings quoi (the form in use even in
104 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Quintilian's time), illeis libels and the frequent use of
ei, exsemplis, opseruari the phonetic spelling, while obs-
was the grammatical, pthoibus. The last example ex-
hibits the normal mode of expressing a Greek aspirate
group in classical Latin. We should write pthisis, not
phthisis, dipthonguSj not diphthongus, etc.
LXIII. The Monumentum Ancyranum or Res Gestae
Divi Augusti, from the wall of a temple at Ancyra
(edited by Mommsen).
Eerum gestaYum diui Augusti, quibus orbem terrarum imperio
populi Kom(ani) subiecit, et inpensarum, quas in rem publicam
populumque Eomanum fecit, incisarum in duabus aheneis pilis,
quae sunt Eomae positae, exemplar subiectum, Ees publica ne
quid detrimenti caperet, me pro praetore simul cum consulibus
prouidere iussit, Populus autem eodem anno me consulem, cum
co(n)s(ul) uterque bello cecidisset, et trium uirum rei publicae
constitueudae creauit,
Qui parentem meum interfecerunt, eos in exilium expuli iudi-
ciis legitimis ultus eorum facinus, et posted bellum inferentis
rei publicae uici bis acie,
Bella terra et man ciuilia externaque toto in orbe terrarum
suscepi uictorque omnibus superstitibus ciuibus peperci. Exter-
nas gentes, quibus tuto ignosci potuit, conserudre quam excidere
malui, Mfllia ciuium Eomanorum adacta sacra"mento meo fuerunt
circiter quingenta, Ex quibus deduxi in colonies aut remisi
in municipia sua stipendis emeritis millia aliquantum plura
quam trecenta et iis omnibus agros a me emptos aut pecuniam
pro praediis a me dedi, Naues cepi sescentas praeter eds, si
quae minores quam triremes fuerunt.
Classical Period. 105
Bis ou&ns triumphaui, tris egi curulis triumphos, et appelldtus
sum uiciens semel impera'tor, Cum deinde pluris triumphos
mihi senatus decreuisset, eis supersedi, Item saepe laurus de-
posui, in Oapitolio uotis, quae quoque bello nuncupaueram, solutis.
Ob res d me aut per legates meos auspicis meis terra manque
prospere *gesta"s quinquagiens et quinquiens decreuit sentus
supplicandum esse dis immortalibus, Dies autem, per quos
ex sena'tus consulto supplica'tuin est, fuere DCCCLXXXX, In
triumphis meis ducti sunt ante currum meum reges aut regum
liberi nouem, Consul fueram terdeciens, cum scrifyebam haec, at
agebam septimum et trigensimum annum tribuniciae potestatis.
Dictaturam et apsenti et praesenti mihi datam ... a populo
et senatu M, Marcello et L, Arruntio consulibus non accepi,
Non recusaui in summa frumenti penuria curationem annonae,
quam ita administraui, ut . . . paucis diebus metu et periclo
quo erat populum uniuersum meis impensis liberarem, Oonsu-
latum turn datum annuum et perpetuum non accepi,
Patriciorum numerum auxi consul quintum iussu populi et
sen&tus, Senatum ter legi, In consuMtu sexto censum populi
conlega" M. Agrippa" egi, Lustrum post annum alterum et qua-
dragensimum feci, Quo lustro ciuium Eomdnorum censa sunt
capita quadragiens centum millia et sexaginta tria millia,
Iterum consulari cum imperio lustrum solus feci 0. Oensorino
et 0, Asinio cos, Quo lustro censa sunt ciuium Eomanorum
capita quadragiens centum millia et ducenta triginta tria millia,
Tertium consuldri cum imperio lustrum conlegd Tib, Oaesare
filio feci Sex, Pompeio et Sex, Appuleio cos, Qao lustro censa
sunt ciuium Romanorum capitum quadragiens centum millia
et nongenta trigenta et septem millia, Legibus nouis latis com-
106 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
plura exempla maiorum exolescentia iam ex nostro usu reduxi et
ipse multarum rerum exempla imitanda posteris traditi,
Vota pro ualetudine mea suscipi per consules et sacerdotes
quinto quoque anno senatus decreuit. Ex iis uotis saepe fece-
runt uiuo me ludos aliquotiens sacerdotnm quattuor amplissima
collegia aliquotiens consules, Priuatim etiam et municipatim
uniuersi cines sacrificauerunt semper apud omnia puluina'ria pro
ualetudine mea,
Nomen meum senatus consulto inclusum est in salifoe car-
men, et sacrosanctus ut essem . . . et ut quoad uiuerem, tribu-
nicia potest^s mini esset, lege sanctum est, Pontifex maximus
ne fierem in uiui conlegae locum, populo id sacerdotium deferente
mihi, quod pater meus habuit, recusaui. Oepi id sacerdotium
aliquod post annos eo mortuo qui ciuilis motus occasione occu-
pauerat, cuncta ex Italia ad Oomitia mea . . . tanta multitudine,
quanta Eomae nunquam antea fuisse fertur, coeunte P. Sulpicio
0, Valgio consulibus,
Aram Fortunae reduci iuxta aedes Honoris et Virtutis ad
portam Oapenam pro reditu meo sen&tus consacrauit, in qua
pontifices et uirgines Vestales anniuersa'rium sacrificium facere
iussi die, quo consulibus Q, Lucretio et M, Vinucio in urbem ex
Syria redi, et diem Augustalia ex cognomine nostro appellauit, . . .
The spelling of an inscription of this sort would, we
may be sure, be carefully looked after; for Augustus
was noted for Ms attention to orthography and other
points of grammar. The apex of dediixi shews us that
the u of the Perf. of duco was pronounced long like the
u of the Pres. (cf. Mstmm). Notice apsenti (cf. opseruari
of the Comm. Lud. Saec.).
Classical Period. 107
LXIV. Inscription of the Emp. Claudius at Lyons.
. . . Equidem primam omnium illam cogitationem hominum
quam maxima primam occursuram mihi prouideo, Deprecor, ne
quasi nouam istam rem introduci exhorrescatis, sed ilia potius
cogitetis quam multa in hc ciuitate nouata sint et quidem
statim ab origine urbis nostrae in quod formas stattisque res
p(ublica) nostra diducta sit,
Quondam reges hanc tenuere urbem, nee tamen domesticis
successoribus earn tradere contigit, Superuenere alieni et qui-
dam extern! ut Numa Eomulo successerit ex Sfobinis ueniens,
uicinus quidem, sed tune externus ; ut Anco Marcio Prisons Tar-
quim'us, propter temeratum sanguinem, quod patre Demaratho
Corinthio natus erat et Tarquiniensi matre generosa" sed inopi
ut quae tali marito necesse habuerit succumbere, cum domi
repelleretur & gerendis honoribus, postquam Komam migrauit
regnum adeptus est, Huic quoque et filio nepotiue eius, nam
et hoo inter auctores discrepat, insertus Seruius Tullius, si
nostros sequimur captiua natus Ocresia, si Tuscos Oaeli quondam
Viuennae sodalis fidelissimus omnisque eius casus comes ; post-
quam uarid fortuna exactus cum omnibus reliquis Oaeliani exer-
citus Etrurid, excessit montem Oaelium occupauit et aduce suo
Oaelio ita appellitatus mutatoque nomine, nam Tusce Mastarna
ei nomen erat, ita appellatus est ut dixi, et regnum summd cum
rei p(ublicae) utilitate optinuit. Deinde, postquam Tarquini Su-
perbi mores inuisi ciuitati nostrae esse coeperunt qua ipsius qua
filiorum eius, nempe pertaesum est mentes regni et ad consules
annuos magistrates administratio rei p(ublicae) translata est,
Quid nunc commemorem dictaturae hoc ipso consulari im-
perium ualentius repertum apud maiores nostros quo in asperiori-
bus bellis aut in ciuili motu difficiliore uterentur, aut in auxilium
108 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
plebis creates tribunes plebei ? Quid dconsulibus ad decemuiros
transla"tum imperium, solutoque postea decemuirali regno ad
consules rusus reditum ? Quid in pluris distribution! consulare
imperium tribunosque militum consulari imperio appellatos, qui
s6ni et saepe octoni crearentur? Quid communica'tos postremo
cum plebe honores non imperi solum sed sacerdotiorum quoque ?
lam si ndrrem bella a" quibus coeperint maiores nostri et quo
processerimus, uereor ne nimio insolentior esse uidear et quae-
sisse iactationem gloriae prolati imperi ultra" oceanum, sed illoc
potius reuertar ciuitatem . . . potest sane nouo more et diuus
Augustus auonculus meus et patruus Ti, Oaesar omnem florem
ubique colonidrum ac municipiorum bonorum scilicet uirorum
et locupletium in ha"c curia esse uoluit, Quid ergo ! non Italicus
senator prouinciali potior est? lam uobis cum hanc partem
censurae meae adprobfae coepero quid de edre sentiam rebus
ostendam, sed ne prouinciales quidem simodo ornare curiam
poterint reiciendos puto,
Orndtissima ecce colonia ualentissimaque Viennensium quam
longo iam tempore senatores huic curiae confert, ex qua colonia
inter paucos equestris ordinis ornamentum L, Vestinum fami-
liarissime diligo et hodieque in rebus meis detineo, cuius liberi
fruantur, quaeso, primo sacerdotiorum gradu, post modo cum
annis promoturi dignitatis suae incrementa. Ut dirum nomen
latronis taceam, et odi illud palaestricum prodigium quod ante
in domum consulatum intulit quam colonia sua solidum ciuitatis
Eomanae benificium consecuta est, Idem de frdtre eius possum
dicere miserabili quidem indignissimoque hoc cdsu ut uobis utilis
senator esse non possit.
Tempus est iam, Ti. Oaesar Germanice, detegere t6 patribus
conscriptis quo tendat oratio tua; iam enim ad extremos fines
Q-alliae Narbonensis uenisti,
Classical Period. 109
Tot eoce insignes iuuenes quot intueor non magis stint paeni-
tendi senatores quam paenitet Persicum nobilissimum uirum ami-
cum meum inter imagines maiorum suorum Allobrogici nomen
legere, Quod si haec ita esse consentitis quid ultra" desideratis
quam ut uobis digito demonstrem solum ipsum ultra fines pro-
uinciae Narbonensis iam uobis senatores mittere quando ex Lugu-
duno habere nos nostri ordinis uiros non paenitet, Timide
quidem, p(atres) c(onscripti), egressus adsuetos familiares que
uobis prouinciarum terminos sum, sed destricte iam comatae
Galliae causa agenda est, inqua siquis hoc intuetur quod bello
per decem annos exercuerunt diuom lulium, idem opponat centum
annorum immobilem fidem obsequiumque multis trepidis rebus
nostris, plusquam expertum illi patri meo Druso Germaniam
subigenti tutam quiete sua securamque atergo pa"cem praestite-
runt, et quidem cum adcensus nouo turn opere et in ad sueto
Gallis ad bellum auocatus esset, quod opus quam arduum sit
nobis mine cum maxime, quam uis nihil ultra quam ut publice
notae sint facultates nostrae exquiratur, nimis magno experi-
mento cognoscimus,
Claudius, too, made a hobby of grammatical studies, so
that this inscription is valuable evidence for the orthog-
raphy of the period. The account of Servius Tullius is
an interesting contribution to early Roman history.
Notice ndrrem, dfxi, which shew that the first syllable
in each of these words had a long vowel. (Cf . on naro,
No. 73.)
The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. destroyed Hercu-
laneum and Pompeii. In the ruins of Herculaneum a
collection of papyrus rolls, the books of the period, was
110 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
found, some of them in Latin. At Pompeii, besides act-
ual inscriptions, many ( graffiti/ i.e. sentences scratched
on a wall by idlers, have come to light. They shew the
careless illiterate spelling of the day, as the papyri the
literary orthography.
LXV. Herculanean Papyrus, containing the 'Incerti
de Augusti Bello Aegyptiaco Carmen' (ed. Baehrens,
Poet. Lat. Min. vol. i., p. 218).
. . Praeberetque suae spectacula tristia mortis,
Qualis adinstantis acies cum tela parantur,
Signa, tubae, classesque simul terrestribus armis,
Est facies ea uisa loci cum saeua coirent
Instrumenta necis uario congesta paratu,
Undique sic illuc campo deforme coactum
Omne uagabatur leti genus, omne timoris
. . . Aut pendente suis ceruicibus aspide, mollem
Labitur in somnum trahiturque libidine mortis,
Perculit afflatu breuis hunc sine morsibus anguis
Volnere seu tenui; pars inlita parua uen6ni
Ocius interemit, laqueis pars cogitur artis
Intersaeptam animam pressis effundere uenis,
Immersisque freto clauserunt guttura fauces,
. . . nee urbem
Opsidione tamen nee corpora moenibus arcent,
Oastraque promuris atque arma pedestria ponunt,
Eos intercoetus talisque ad bella paratus
Utraque sollemnis iterum reuocauerat orbes,
Oonsiliis noz apta ducum, lux aptior armis,
Classical Period. Ill
LXVI. Pompeian Graffiti.
(1) Accompanying a picture of gladiators. (C.I.L.
iv. 538.)
Tetraites Prudes . . . Abiat Venere Bompeiiana iratam qui hoc
laesaerit,
Tetraites, Prudens . . . Habeat Venerem Pompeianam
iratam qui hoc laeserit.
The famous gladiator Tetraites, or in the, Oscan form
Petraites, is known from Petronius, c. 52 : nam Her-
merotis pugnas et Petraitis in poculis habeo, and c. 71 :
valde te rogo, ut secundum pedes statuae meae catellam
fingas et coronas et unguenta et Petraitis omnes pugnas.
Misspellings like abiat, with mute h and confusion of
e and i, laesaerit, with confusion of ae and e, reflect the
pronunciation of the populace (partly Greek, partly Os-
can, partly foreign and servile) of Pompeii. In time these
depraved forms found their way into the speech of the
capital, and at last even into literary Latin ( 26).
(2) (C.I.L. iv. 650.)
Grauium Rnfum IIuir(um) o(ro) f(aciatis),
Gavio- is the Oscan form of the name Oaio-.
(3) (C.I.L. iv. 882.)
Pilocalus uotum sol(uit) libes merito,
On libes for libens see 22.
(4) Trochaic Septenarius, on wall of room in house of
Sallust. (C.I.L. iv. 1234.)
112 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Bupa que bela is tibi me misit qui tuus est uale,
pupa, quae bella es, tibi me misit qui tuus est : uale.
On que for quae, cf. laesaerit above (1).
(5) Lines from Ovid, A.A. i. 475 sq., on the wall of a
law-court. (C.I.L. iv. 1895.)
quid pote tan durum saxso aut quid mollius unda?
dura tamen molli saxsa cauantur aqua,
Ovid's lines begin : quid magis est saxo durum aut, etc.
On xs for x see on saxsum, No. 45.
Tan for tarn may reflect the vague sound of final -m,
which shewed its presence only in the nasal tone it gave
to the preceding vowel ( 20), or it may be due to the
pronunciation in one word-group of the Adv. and Adj.
tarn-durum. Cf. etiannunc for etiam nunc, a spelling
mentioned by Roman Grammarians and found on a Her-
culanean papyrus.
(6) Lines on the wall of a law-court. (C.I.L. iv. 1824.)
quisquis amat, ueniat, Veneri uolo frangere costas
fustibus et lumbos debilitare deae,
si potest ilia mihi tenerum pertundere pectus,
quit ego non possim caput illae frangere fuste?
v. 3. potest, though not allowed by the classical poets,
no doubt represented the everyday pronunciation at this
time, as it did in the time of Plautus and the early Dram-
atists, who freely admit this scansion.
v. 4. quit (= quid, 20), to be metrical, should be cur;
illae was a current by-form of illi, Dat. Sg. Fern.
Classical Period. 113
(7) Lines on the wall of a law-court. (G.I.L. iv. 2487.)
admiror, paries, te non cecidisse ruina,
qui tot scriptorum taedia sustineas,
This is a specimen of the correct Latin of the time,
differing in no respect from the orthography of our text-
books.
CHAPTER IV.
IMPERIAL AND LATE LATIN.
26. To this period belongs the gradual decay of Latin,
and its passage into the Eomance languages of modern
Europe. It is, unfortunately, hardly possible to get from
inscriptions a clear and connected account of the down-
ward progress of the language. For it was from the
spoken language of the Eoman Provinces that the
Romance languages arose ; while it is the written or
literary language that is presented to us, more or less
correctly according to the education of the maker of
the inscription, or the locality to which it belongs, in
inscriptions and in documents. It is the deviations from
standard Latin on these inscriptions which give us a
glimpse at the actual spoken Latin of the place and
time; but this spoken language, Vulgar-Latin as it is
usually called, never wholly reveals itself to us until it
appears as a fully developed Romance language Italian,
French, Spanish, and the like. A Latin word like blblt
is, in Italian, beve, the Latin I having been replaced
by e (close e, the vowel of French ete), and the Latin
intervocalic b by v 9 while the t, at first retained before
a vowel initial (cf. Fr. <il vien(t)/ but <vient-il?'; <il
a' but 'a-t-il?'), has finally been dropped in all circum-
stances. The pronunciation beve(t) (with v sounded like
our w) was probably a very old one, but the only trace of
114
Imperial and Late Latin. 115
it that we could expect to find on an inscription would
be that the word would now and then be written bebit,
or bibet or bive, or bevi, or even (the phonetically correct
spelling) beve, though in the great majority of instances
it would be written in accordance with the rules of the
grammatical handbooks of the time, bibit. It is, then,
to the faulty spellings of late Latin inscriptions that we
must look for information about the actual spoken lan-
guage of the period.
27. Here are the chief faults that we find :
(1) e and ae (also oe) are confused.
(2) e and i 9 o and u, are confused.
(3) final consonants are dropped; m, e.g. vino (Ital.
vino) for vinum, pace (Ital. pace) for pacem ; s, e.g.
advocato (Ital. advocato) for advocatus ; t, e.g. Ital. beve
(see above).
(4) hand in hand with this loss of the case-endings
went the confusion of cases and the expression of all
cases by one case-form.
To distinguish the Gen. and Dat. a Prep, was used,
e.g. de vino Gen., a(d) vino Dat. (Fr. de vin and a vin).
(5) b and v are confused.
(6) h is wrongly omitted or inserted.
(7) x and s are confused.
(8) ct and tt (t) are confused.
(9) c and q are confused.
(10) In the Verb, Auxiliaries like habeo, vado, take the
place of Tense suffixes.
(11) / for Gk. <. By the fifth century A.D. Gk. <j>
had become a spirant, as it is in mod. Gk.
116 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
(12) ci and ti are confused when a vowel follows.
(13) sc and ss are confused before e, i.
(14) i(e) was prefixed to initial st, sp, sc.
28. The change in the pronunciation of c before the
e and i vowels is an important change. In speaking of it
we must carefully distinguish between c in a word like
centum, civitas, and c in a word like uncia. It was in the
latter class of words where ci (ce) was followed by a
vowel that the assibilation of c first began. Ti (te) in
a similar situation was assibilated in the same way, so
that nuntius, uncia, etc., came to be pronounced as a
disyllable with some s-sound at the beginning of the
second syllable. The Romance words from Latin platea,
a (wide) street, may be cited as examples of the change,
Ital. piazza, Span, plaza, Fr. place. This palatalization
of ti and ci in hiatus (i.e. before another vowel) may be
referred to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. The assibi-
lation of c (not t) before e, i, when these vowels were
followed by a consonant, came much later, about the sixth
and seventh centuries (cf . Ital. cento, citta, with c sounded
like our ch of ' church/ Fr. cent, cite). G assumed before
e, i the sound of y at a somewhat earlier period; and
before other vowels g became, when pretonic, a mere spi-
rant like g of German 'Tage/ and so is often omitted in
writing, e.g. frualitas for frugalitas, A(u)(g)ustus, whence
Fr. Aout. (See my Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 7.)
29. Another change that passed over the language was
the gradual loss of the distinction of quantity under the
influence of the stress accentuation. An accentuated
vowel, we may roughly say, became long, an unaccented,
Imperial and Late Latin. 117
short; e.g. orator, piper for orator, piper. Or rather
the different vowels of a word came to have more or
less the same length (much as is the case in modern
Italian), and the distinction between vowels was rather
qualitative than quantitative. E was ' close ' e (rather
than ' long ' e) and was merged in the neighbouring sound
i. E was 'open' e (rather than ' short' e) and was
merged in ae. So with u and o. Quantitative Metre
thus became an artificial branch of poetry, no longer
reflecting the actual educated pronunciation, and Ac-
centual Metre takes its place more or less completely
according to the education of the writer.
30. Syncope, too, attacked every short post-tonic or pre-
tonic syllable and changed the whole aspect of the lan-
guage. Lat. vetulus became vetlus, veclus (Ital. vecchio),
slmia became simya (Fr. singe), dpium became apyum
(Fr. ache), cambiare became cainbyare (Fr. changer).
(Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 7.) This fact must be borne in
mind in reading the rude accentual or half-accentual
metres of later Latin; e.g. pronounce potyones (No. 69).
LXVII. Wax-Tablet relating to the abolition of a
'collegium funeraticium,' Dacia, 167 A.D. (C.I.L. in.
ii. p. 927.)
. . . lulium luli qnoqne commagistrum snum ex die magisteri
sui non accessisse ad Alburnum neque in collegio : seqne eis qui
presentes fuerunt rationem reddedisse et si quit eorum abuerat
reddedisset sine funeribus et cantionem snam in qua eis canerat,
recepisset: modoqne autem neque funeraticis snfficerent neque
locnlum aberet neqne quisquam tarn magno tempore diebus
118 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
quibus legi continetur conuenire noluerint ant conferre funera-
ticia sine munera: seque idcirco per hunc libellum publics
testantur, nt, si quis defunctus fuerit, ne putet se collegium
abere aut ab eis aliquem petitionem funeris abiturum, . . .
Late spellings are presentes, reddedisse, etc., abuerat,
etc. On quit for quid, see 20.
LXVIII. Epitaph in rude Hexameters on a Pannonian
soldier. Found at Borne. End of second century A.D.
(Eph. Epigr. iv. 346, 936.)
respice praeteriens, uiator, consobrini pietate parata;
cum lacrimis statui, quanto in munere posto uidetis,
Pannonia terra creat, tumnlat Italia tellus,
annis XXVI, ut sibi castris honorem atquireret ipse,
dolori magno snbstentanit tempore longo,
postea cum sperans dolorem effugisse nefandam,
ante diem meritnm hunc demersit at Styga Pluton,
quotsi fata eo sinuissent luce uidere,
ista prius triste mnnns posni dolore repletus,
munns inane qnidem, terra nunc diuidit ista
ossna sub titulo potius, tu opta, uiator,
cum pietate tna ipso terra leue, nobis fortnna beata,
ex qua tu possis obitns bene linquere nato
Val, Antonius et Aur, Victorinus hered(es) Ulpio Quintiano
eq(uiti) sing(ulari) ben(e) mer(ito) posner(unt),
1. 2. quantum in munere positum. 1. 4. A service of
25 years would entitle him to a ' missio honesta.' 1. 6.
cum sperans, 'when hoping.' 1. 8. eum sivissent lucem
videre. 1. 12. ipsi terram levem, nobis fortunam beatam.
1. 13. natum.
Imperial and Late Latin. 119
LXIX. Epitaph in rude Hexameters from Carthage.
End of second century A.D. or later. (C.I.L. vui. 1027.)
Vitalis Aug. n(ostri) tabellarius, uiuet et conuiuat. Et Anti-
gona, uiuet et conuiuatur,
dum sum Vitalis et uiuo, ego feci sepulcrhum
adque meos uersus, dum transseo, perlego et ipse,
diploma circaui totam regione pedestrem
et cam'bus prendi lepores et denique uulpes,
postea potiones calicis perduxi libenter,
multa iuuentutis feci, quia sum moriturus,
quisque sapis iuuenis, uiuo tibi pone sepulcrhum,
This thoroughly pagan epitaph of a lusty postman,
who bore the not inappropriate name of Vitalis, has
some points of linguistic interest. Notice (1) the doubt
about the spelling of the chr of sepulchrum, (2) adque
for atque, (3) the pronunciation of Gk. SurAo/ia as di-
ploma, the stress accent on the first syllable having
shortened the second as in Mod. Greek, and its declen-
sion in everyday speech as a Latin A-stem (cf. schema,
-ae, Plaut.), (4) trisyllabic potyones ( 30), etc., etc. In
v. 7. quisque has its O. Lat. sense of quicunque ; v. 3,
circare (for drcuire) is the prototype of Fr. chercher;
regione(m) pedestrem is the district assigned to the foot
postal service as opposed to the mail-coach service.
LXX. Acrostic epitaph in rude Hexameters, from
Tunis. Second or third century A.D. (C.LL. vui. 152.)
Urbanilla mihi coniunx uerecundia plena hie sita est
Bomae comes negotiorum socia parsimonio fulta,
120 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
bene gestis omnibus cum in patria mecum rediret,
au miseram Oarthago mini eripuit sociam,
nulla spes uiuendi mini sine coniuge tali:
ilia domum seruare meam, ilia et consilio iuuare,
luce priuata misera quescit in marmore clusa.
Lucius ego coniunx hie te marmore texi
Anc nobis sorte dedit fatu, cum luci daremur,
1. 4. au, Interj. 1. 9. hanc nobis sortem dedit fatum.
LXXI. Epitaph in Hexameters from Nicopolis on the
Danube. Third century. (C.LL. in. 754; suppl. 7436.)
floribus ut saltern requiescant membra iucundis
Aeliae carae mini nunc hoc inclusae sepulcro,
regina Ditis magni regis, precor hoc te
nam meruit haec multa suis pro laudibus a me
inmeritae propere soluentem fila dearum,
quae globo Parcarum reuoluta cuncta gubernant,
qualis enim fuerit uita, quam deinde pudica,
si possem effari, cithara suadere ego Manes,
haec primum casta, quot te audire libenter
et mundi spatia, Ditis quoque regia, norunt,
hanc precor Elysiis iubeas consistere campis
et myrta redimire comas et tempora flore,
Lar mihi haec quondam, haec spes, haec unica uita,
et uellet quod uellem, nollet quoque ac si ego nollem,
intima nulla ei quae non mihi nota fuere,
nee labos huic defuit, nee uellerum inscia fila,
parca manu set larga meo in amore mariti,
nee sine me cibus huic gratus nee munera Bacchi,
Imperial and Late Latin. 121
consilio mira, cata mente, nobili fama,
carmini, possessor, faueas precor, ac precor ut tu
hanc tituli sedem uelles decorare quodannis
et foueas aeui monumentnm tempore grato,
roscida si rosula seu grato flore amaranth!
et multis generum pomis uariisque nouisque,
ut possit toto refoueri temporis anno,
1. 5. imneritae, sc. Aeliae, soluentem, sc. reginam Ditis.
1. 8. suadere = suaderem. 1. 9. quot = quod, cf . 1. 17. set.
1. 21. quodannis. ( 20.) 1. 24. for multum generum or
multig.
LXXII. Epitaph in Hexameters, from Eome. 348
A.D. (Eossi, Inscr. Christ. Rom. i. 64, 101.)
felix uita uiri, felicior exitus ipse,
Gaiani semper crescit per saecula nomen,
nescit fama mori sed semper uibit ubique,
aduenit hospes princeps Eomanus in urbem,
qui fuit hie primum iuris consultor amicus,
Quiescit in pacem depositus diem quartum nonas Augustas
Flauio Filippo et Plauio Sallea consulibus: pater Sabbatius
fecit,
1. 3. uibit = vivit ( 27). 1. 4. In late poetry an initial
h makes a preceding short syllable long by position.
This was an arbitrary usage of poets in imitation of
Virgil's terga fatigamus hasta, where, however, -mus is
really a case of lengthening in arsi. Initial h was
scarcely sounded at this period ( 27). 1. 4. refers to
Constantine. 1. 5. qui = GUI. 1. 7. Filippo ( 27).
122 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
LXXIII. Epitaph in rude Hexameters, from near
Nola. 359 A.D. (C.LL. x. 1338.)
semper ob meritum uincis praeconia laudis
et bona progenies quaeret tua fortia facta,
rerum summa coros melius exercendos docet,
belle quidem tua ex ordine gesta naremus;
iam me uincet amor, nequeo tenere dolorem.
laeta quidem semper Pelicis nomine ducta,
laetior ut essis iacis in pace fidelis,
abis ut decuit Felicis pace perennem
Eusebio et Tpatio coss, dep(osita) in p(ace) VI kal, lun,
Notice the acrostic formed by the initial letters of each
line, Serbillae. 1. 2. fortia facta, the current Latin phrase
for our < doughty deeds/ Cf. Yirg. Aen. x. 369 :
Per vos et fortia facta,
Per ducis Euandri nomen devictaque bella.
1. 3., i.e. in heaven. 1. 4. naro is a spelling recom-
mended by various Roman Grammarians (cf. gnarus).
(See ndrrem, No. 64.) 1. 7. essis = esses, iacis = iaces
( 27). 1. 8. abis = habes ( 27).
LXXIV. Epitaph in rude Hexameters, from Kome.
Fourth century A.D. (C.LL. vi. 30123.)
... paucis] mensibus actis
post nuptias, tenero per quam biduatus amore est,
casta cui coiux c[ubilia seruat amorem]
posteris ostendens, ulli si credere fas est,
patre repugnante propio hec nomine signat
nobercam uincens, fame nomen ubiquem,
Imperial and Late Latin. 123
1.2. "biduB.tuB=viduatus. 1.3. cui. 1.5. The father, at
the step-mother's instigation, refused to go to the expense
of a tomb, propio = proprio. The sound of r in two suc-
cessive syllables was unpleasing to the Romans. Hence
increbesco for increbresco, praestigiae for praestrigiae, etc.
(p. 25 ; Hist. Gram. ch. ii. 18.) hec = haec. 1. 6. nober-
cam=novercam, fame, etc., for/amae sed nomen ubique (est).
LXXV. Epitaph in rude Hexameters, from Syria.
Fourth or fifth century. (C.I.L. HI. 124).
sede sub hac recubat clarus praetorique- praefectus
Maiorinos uirtute caelebratus magna per orbem.
haec illi nuc requies fati, haec sedis aeterna
Filippi extructa studiis gratique nepotis,
1. 2. Maiorinos = Matov/ou/os. caelebratus = celebratus.
1. 3. nuc = nunc. 1. 4. Filippi = Philippi.
LXXVI. Epitaph of a bishop in rude Hexameters.
Algiers. 440 A.D. (C.I.L. vin. 8634.)
hie iacet antistes sanctusque Nouatus
ter denos et VII sedis qui meruit annos,
precessit die X kal, Septb, (anno) pr(ouinciae) 00001,
LXXVII. Epitaph in rude Hexameters, from the dis-
trict of the Hirpini, 469 A.D. (Not. Scav. 1893, p. 422.)
hie Lucianus cum bona pace quiescit,
innoces mansuetus mites letus cum amicis amicus
uixit annis pl(us) m(inus) L nulla manente querella
depositus est in pace die . . kl, Septembres Plabio Marciano
et Zenone u(iris) [el, cons,],
124 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
LXXVIII. From a sermon of Avitus, archbishop of
Vienne, delivered on the consecration of a church at
Annemasse, near Geneva, c. 520 A.D. The sermon is
preserved in a papyrus Ms. of the sixth century in the
Bibliotheque Rationale, Paris.
Habeat hie caelestis cultur reditus suos, legat hie de lacri-
marum riu[lis] manepolos gaudiorum, Exeguetas praesentes
tabernaculi reponendi satis est ampla mercidi ; quamuis multum
orreis sullercia ruralis apponet, spiritalis tamen fecundetas fruc-
tus hie congregat . . . quia hodiae Zaccheus noster Abrahae sui
films declaratur, hie christus cum gaudio mansur permansurus
excipetur; hie iuxta euangelii regolam pauperebus thesaurus
aperitur, Salus quae facta est hodie domicilio crescat et domino
sic refectione duplecata germine benedicatur prouentibus uber-
tatis terra temporaneis, uilla perpetuis; ilia pauperis nutriat,
haec fidelis ; ibi corporum suppetat pastus, hie mentium ; quic-
quid illic largitio sparserit, hie adunet oratio; et quia bene
recognuscit hodie condetur meritum suum, Hospis eram et col-
legistis me ; et quicquid f ecistis urn ex minimis meis mihi f ecistis,
Succedat Ohristus, hospicio introeat ; quod adtrahetur, suscipiat ;
quod offertur, benedicat; quod instetuit, restituat; inuitetur
uotis, teneatur factis, caedatur in sacrificiis, pascatur in paruolis,
cultur = cultor; manepolos = manipulos ; praeaentes =
praesentis; mansur = mansor; recognuscit = recognosdt.
LXXIX. Epitaph of a bishop in rude Hexameters,
from Spain. Early part of sixth century. (Kossi, Inscr.
Christ. Rom. n. 294, 3.)
te loannem Tarraeo coluit mirificum uatem
tuosque in hoc loco in pace condidit artus.
Imperial and Late Latin. 125
in te libra morum, in te modestia tenuit regnum,
nitens eloquio mitissimus pollebas in corde
gerens curam panpernm, pietate preditus ampla,
sanctus namque nita, fide magnificentius ipse
apparuisti cunctis pergens ad premia Ohristi,
tuum nempe nomen tuamque dulcissimam mentem
laudabunt posteri, numquam abolenda per euum,
merita praeconiis adtollnnt facta per saeclis,
denis equo libramme remeantibus lustris
rector doctorque prefuisti monacis et populis
octiens denos uita peragens feliciter annos,
LXXX. Rude Hexameters from Algiers, 539 A.D.
(C.I.L. vin. 5352.)
una et bis senas tnrres crescebant in ordine totas,
mirabilem operam cito constructa uidetur,
posticius sub termas balteo concluditur ferro.
nnlhis malorum poterit erigere manum,
patrici Solomonis institutionem nemo expugnare ualeuit,
defensio martirnm tnetur posticius ipse,
Clemens et Vincentius martires custodiunt introitum ipsum,
The lines are scanned according to accent and numera-
tion of syllables, but all sense of ' quantity ' is lost.
Notice the barbarous use of the accusative for the nomi-
native in 11. 1, 2. posticius = porta postica.
LXXXI. Epitaph in rude Hexameters, from Dalmatia,
599 A.D. (C.I.L. in. Suppl. 9527.)
hie iacit Johannes peccatur et indignus
presbiter. expleto annorum circulo quinto
hnnc sibi sepulcrum lohannis condere iussit
126 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
Marcellino suo pro consnle nato
germane praesente simul cunctosque nepotes,
ornauit tumolum mente fideli defunctus,
accessit obsis una cum coniuge natis
Anastasii seruans reuerenda limina sancti,
tertio post decimum August! numero mensis
ind(ictione) II praefiniuit saeculi diem,
LXXXII. Epitaph of an Abbot, from Spain, 630 A.D.
(Htibner Inscr. Hisp. Christ. 142.)
haec tenet orna tuum uenerandum corpus Uincenti abbatix
set tua sacra tenet anima caeleste, sacerdos,
Tegnum, mutasti in melius cum gaudia uite,
martiris exempla signat, cuod membra sacrata
demonstrante deo uatis hie repperit index,
cuater decies cuinos et duos uixerat annos,
misterium Ghristi mente sincera minister,
raptus aetereas subito sic uenit ad auras,
sic simul officium finis uitamcue remouit,
spiritus adueniens domini cuo tempore sanctus
in regionem piam uixit animamcue locabit,
omnibus Ms mox est de flammis tollere flammas,
obiit in p(ace) d, V id, Mart, era DCLXVIII,
1. 1. abbatix = abbatis. (27.) OTna=urna. 1. 4. It is
not clear what is referred to. 1. 7. misterium = mysteri-
orum. 1. 11. uixit = uemt; locabit = locauit. ( 27.)
LXXXIIL Attestation of witness to a grant to the
Church at Eavenna, probably in the early part of the
seventh cent. A.D. The document is in the Library of
the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres.
Imperial and Late Latin. 127
Anastasius uir honestus Excabiss' huic chartule usufructu-
ariae donationis suprascriptarum sex unciarum principalium in
integro supenmminate totius supstantie mubile et inmubile
sisequae mouentibus, sicut superius legitur, facta in suprascripta
sancta, Eavennate ecclesia a Johanne uiro clarissimo expathario,
qui dicitur, Georgio magistro militum et nunc primicerius numeri
filicum Theudosiacus snprascripto denature, qui mi presente
signum sancte crucis ficit et cora nubis ei relicta est, rogatus
ab eodem testis suscribsi et de conserbandes omnibus que supe-
rius adscripta leguntur ad sancta euangelia corporaliter mei
presentia prebuit sacramenta et hanc donatione ab eodem pre-
dicto lohanne acture prenuminate sancte Eauennati aecclesie
traditam uidi,
mubile = mobili, sisequae = seseque, expathario = spa-
thario, like iscola (Fr. ecole) ( 27), ficit = fecit, cora
nubis = coram nobis, conserbandes = conservandis.
LXXXIV. Judgment by Thierry III, King of the
French, on a claim, by a woman named Acchildis against
Amalgarius, of a portion of land, 679-680 A.D. The
document is preserved in the Archives Rationales, Paris.
Theudericus rex Francorum, uir inluster,
Cum ante dies in nostri uel procerum nostrorum presencia
conpendio in palacio nostro ibique ueniens fimena nomene Acchil-
dis Amalgario interpellauit, dum dicerit eo quod porcione sua
in uilla Noncobanti Bactilione ualle, quern de parti genetrici
sua Bertane quondam ligebus obuenire debuerat, post se malo
ordene retenirit ; qui ipse Amalgarius taliter dedit in respunsis
eo quod ipsa terra in predicto loco Bactilione ualle de annus
128 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
triginta et uno inter ipso Amalgario uel genetore sno Gaeltramno
quondam semper tenuerant et possiderant, sic eidem nunc a
nostris procerebus ipsius Amalgario fuissit, iudecatum ut de
nouo denomenatus aput sex, sua mano septima, dies duos ante
istas kalendas lulias in oraturio nostro super cappella domni
Martine, ubi reliqua sacramenta percurribant, hoc dibirit coniu-
rare quod antedicta terra in predicto loco Bactilione ualle inter
ipso Amalgario uel genetore suo G-aeltramno de annus triginta
et uno semper tenuissint et possedissint, nee eis diger numquam
fuissit, nee aliut exinde non redebirit nisi edonio sacramento,
Sed ueniens antedictus Amalgarius ad ipso placito Lusareca
in palacio nostro uno cum hamedius suos, ipso sacramento iusta
quod eidem fuit iudicatum et nostras equalis precepcionis locun-
tur, in quantum inluster uir Dructoaldus comes palati noster
testimuniauit ligibus uisus fuit adimplissit, et tarn ipse quam
et hamediae suae diliguas eorum derexsissint, Propteria iobi-
mus ut ipsa porcione in predicto loco Bactilione uualle, unde
inter eus orta fuit intencio, memoratus Amalgarius contra ipsa
Acchilde uel suis heridibus omne tempore abiat euindecata,
Odinberthus recognouit,
Datum sub die segundo kalendas lulias annum vii rigni nostri
Lusareca in dei nomene f [eliciter],
LXXXV. Bhyming epitaph from the neighbourhood of
Corduba. 7th cent. A.D. ? (Inscr. Hisp. Christ. 132.)
hie Teudefredi condita
membra quiescunt arida,
cujus origo fulgida
brebe refulsit inclita,
Imperial and Late Latin. 129
LXXXVI. Judgment of Pepin, Mayor of the Palace,
awarding to Fulradus, Abbot of St. Denis, property in a
place called Curbrius, in the province of Telle, against
the claim of Ragana, Abbess of Sept Meules. 750 A.D.
The document is preserved in the Archives Nationales,
Paris.
Cum resedissit inluster uir Pippinus, maiorem domus Atti-
niaco in palacio publico ad uniuersorum causas audiendum uel
recta indicia termenandum, ibique ueniens Fulradus, abba de
monastherio sancti domni Dionisii, ubi ipse preciosus domnus
in corpore requiescit, adnocato Eagane abbatissa nomene legitemo
interpellabat, repetebat ei eo quod ipsa Eagana uel agentis
monasterii sui Septemolas res sancti Dionisii post se malo urdine
retenebat iniuste hi loco qui dicitur Ourbrius in pago Tellau,
quern Ohairebaldus et coniux sua Aillerta per eorum testa-
mentum ad casa sancti Dionisii condonarunt, Sed ipsi legitemus
in presente adistabat et ibidem ostendebat cartas de nomene
Francane, qualiter ipsas res ad Septemolas condonassit, Unde
et nos ace causa pro ueretate inquesiuimus quod ipsas ris per
drictum ad casa sancti Dionisii aderant et ipsi legitemus nulla
habuit quod contra ipsa istrumenta sancti Dionisii dicere aut
obponere dibuissit, Unde et de presente ipsa strumenta in
omnibus ueraces esse dixit, et postea per suo uuadio ipsi Pulrado
abbati de ipsas res in Ourborio per suo uuadio in causa sancti
Dionisii uisus fuit reuestisse, et per suo fistugo sibi exinde dixit
esse exitum tarn pro se quam pro ipsius Eaganam abbatissa uel
agentis monastherii sui Septemolas . . . Propteria iobemus ut,
dum ac causa sic acta uel perpetrata fuit, ipsi Fulradus alba uel
casa sancti Dionisii seo successoris sui ipsas ris in Corborio,
de quantum quod Ohairebaldus et coniux sua Aillerta per eorum
130 Handbook of Latin Inscriptions.
istrnmentum manus potestadmas ad casa sancti Dionisii condo-
narnnt contra ipsa Kagane abbatissa nel agentis monastherii sui
Septemolas uel in contra ipsius legitemo seo successoris eorum
habiat euindicatas atque elidiatas et sit inter eos in postmodum
ex ac re omneque tempore snbita causacio,
Uuinerammis recognouit et subscripsit,
Notice ace and ac for hac ( 27), a spelling which has
caused much confusion in Mss. of Latin authors ; drictum
(Fr. droit) ; uuadio with uu to express the sound of our w,
now that Latin v (u) had passed into the sound of our v ;
seo for sen (disyll.)
INDEX.
[NUMBERS REFER TO PAGES.]
Ablative Sing, in -d, 50, 58.
Accent, 1 sqq., 14 sq., 117 ; Sec-
ondary, 15.
Accented Metre, 15, 117.
ad and at, 51.
ae and e, 115.
Aemilius Paulus, Decree of, 57.
a/, 75.
Aleria, 41.
Aletrium Temple Inscr., 83.
alis for aZnts, 93.
Alphabet, earliest Latin, 8.
Ancyranum Monumentum, 103.
Apex, 76.
ar- for ad-, 57, 66.
arf(uerunt), 66.
aruorsum, 57.
Arval Hymn (see Carmen Ar-
vale).
asomfero, 31.
atallam, 103.
Atilius Sarranus, inscr. of, 73 sq.
Augusti Kes Gestae (see Ancy-
ranum) .
Aurilius, 38.
Auxiliary Verbs in Late Latin,
116.
Avitus, Sermon of, 126.
6 and v, 116.
Bacchaualibus, S. C. de, 59 sqq.
Bantia, Law of, 80.
bourn, 16.
Breves Breviantes, Law of, 48.
c, the letter, 8 ; before e, i, 116.
C. for Gains, 10.
calecandam, 84.
Capua, inscrr. of magistrates of,
88 sq.
Carmen Arvale, 25.
Carmina Saliaria, 26.
cena, 32.
Cerus, 27.
ci and ti, 116.
circare (Fr. chercher), 120.
Claudius, inscr. of Emp., 106 sqq.
-clum and -culum, 55.
Cn. for Gnaeus, 10.
Columna Eostrata, 45 sq.
Commentarius Ludorum Saecu-
larium (see Lud.).
conquaeisiuei, 76.
contio, 66.
ct and tt, 116.
d and , 51.
131
132
Index.
-din Abl. Sing., 50.
Dacian Wax-tablet, 118.
damnas, 100.
danunt, 70.
Declension, Early Latin, 11 ;
Late Latin, 116.
deda, 44.
dedro, 44.
deus, 16.
Diphthongs, history of, 7, 47.
diploma, 120.
domus, 96.
Doubling, of consonant, 48 ; of
vowel, 48.
Duelonai, 63.
Duenos, 20.
duntaxat, 82.
duonus, 40.
Dvenos Bowl, 19.
e, written for ei, 9 ; and ae,
115.
ei and i, 47, 75.
ewos, 25.
/, earliest form of letter, 8 ; for
Gk. <f>, 116.
Faliscan Collegium Coquorum,
inscr. of, 67.
fefaked, 18.
fifeltares, 93.
Fifth Declension, 92.
fortia facta, 123.
Furfo Decree, 93.
g, the letter, 9 ; before e, i, 117.
Genitive Plur. in -orum, 40, 94.
Gnaiuod, 42.
gnatus, 52.
graffiti, Pompeian (see Pomp.).
h, initial, lengthens by position,
122 ; loss of, 116.
hand and hau, 51.
Herculanean Papyrus, 110 sq.
Herculaneus Pagus (see Pagus).
hibus, 42.
hie, Adv., 76.
Hinnad, 38.
hue, 69.
lO-stems, Nona. Sing, of (see
Nominative).
-i(s) for -ius, 37, 93.
jubeo, 65.
Julia Municipalis Lex, 97 sqq.
Julius Caesar, 100.
k t the letter, 9.
I for II in milia, etc., 75, 95.
Lases, 25.
Law of Breves Breviantes (see
Breves) ; of Accentuation (see
Accent) .
Letters (see Alphabet).
Leucesie, 27.
Lex Repetundarum (see Rep.) ;
Rubria (see Rub.); Julia Mu-
nicipalis (see Jul.).
Luceria inscr., 56.
Ludorum Saecularium Commen-
tarius, 101 sqq.
-m, final, 32, 51.
Index.
133
Maurte, 34.
med, 50.
Minerva, 30.
Monumentum Ancyranum (see
Anc.).
Mummius, Dedicatory Inscrr. of,
71 sqq.
n, dropped before s, f, 52.
necesus, 64.
Neini, inscrr. from, 32, 36, 38.
nequinont, 70.
ni and ne, 63.
Nominative Sing, of 10-stems,
37, 93.
Numasioi, 18.
6 became u, when unaccented,
16, 35 ; before ng, etc., 17.
o and u in Late Latin, 115.
Oinumama, 31.
olorom, 46.
oppidum, 84.
Optative, 21, 56.
oquoltod, 65.
-orum, Gen. Plur. (see Gen.).
paastores, 76.
Paenultima Law of Accentua-
tion, 5.
Pagus Herculaneus, Decree of,
89.
Parasitic Vowel, 35, 57.
parisuma, 42.
partim, 33.
Paulus (see Aemilius Paul.).
Picenum, inscr. of, 44 sq.
Pisaurum, inscrr. of, 44 sq.
polluctum, 70.
Pompeian graffiti, 111 sqq.
pono, posui, 75.
Popillius, milestone of, 74.
poplicus, 65.
Praeneste, inscrr. of, 28 sqq.
Praenestine fibula, 18.
Preposition written with Noun,
33.
prop(r}io, 124.
Prosepnai, 30.
pth, 103.
q for qu, 21.
qu for cu (quu), 88, 92.
Quantity in Late Latin, 117.
qui, Adv., 77.
quoiei, 77.
r for d (see ar-) ; for s (see Rho-
tacism).
Repetundarum Lex, 84.
res divina, 54.
Res Gestae Divi Augusti (see
Ancyranum).
Rhotacism, 6.
Romance languages, 114.
Rostrata Columna (see Col.).
Rubria Lex, 96.
s and x, 116; for ss in causa,
etc., 95.
-s final, 51.
Saeturno-, 29.
Salutus, 36.
Saturnian Metre, 15.
Scipio Epitaphs, 39, 76 sqq.
sed, 50.
134
seignum, 37.
semunis, 26.
Shortening of Final Vowels, 48.
siremps, 83.
souo- for suo-, 68.
Spoletium inscr., 53.
sto, 20.
Sulla, inscrr. in honour of, 92 sq.
supera, 92.
Syncope, 5, 118.
taxsat, 82.
ted, 50.
Terebonio, 35.
ti and ci, 116.
and ct, 116 ; for ss, 57.
M for o (see o) ; and o in Late
Latin, 116.
Index.
-urn, Gen. Plur., 40, 94.
v and 6, 116.
ve- for vo-, 52.
Vertuleii, Dedicatory Tablet of,
69.
vicesma, 33.
Vowel- weakening, 5, 17.
Vulgar Latin, 114 sqq.
Weakening of Vowels (see
Vowel- weaken ing) .
x and s, 116.
xs for x, 73.
y, 94.
"Srfi
PA - Lindsay, W. M. (Wallace Martin),
2123 1858-1937.
L5 Handbook of Latin inscriptions
1 897
