Latin to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Valerius Maximus | | Latin term or phrase: inexpiabili litterarum nota | Greetings,
They say you can’t give too much context so...:)
Antius Restio, proscriptus a triumviris, cum omnes domesticos circa rapinam et praedam occupatos videret, quam maxime poterat dissimulata fuga se penatibus suis intempesta nocte subduxit. cuius furtivum egressum servos ab eo vinculorum poena coercitus inexpiabilique litterarum nota per summam oris contumeliam inustus curiosis speculatus oculis ac vestigia huc atque illuc errantia benivolo studio subsecutus lateri voluntarius comes adrepsit.
I’m really not sure how to translate this faithfully: could “nota” be a past passive participle? Whatever it is, is it ablative?
If “nota” agrees with “inexpiabili”, how can a mark or brand be unforgivable? The sense would seem to demand inverted commas in modern usage: branded with the letters “unforgivable/irredeemable” but that doesn’t square with the text.
Best wishes,
Simon |
| SeiTTKudoZ activityQuestions: 2859 ( 2 open) ( 5 closed without grading) Answers: 1
United Kingdom
| Local time: 06:31
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| | English translation:(branded) with a mark of letters that can never be forgiven nor expunged | Explanation:
Nota is definitely ablative here and servos nominative (this puzzled me for a while; it's an older spelling). Inexpiabili...describes the slave's hatred for his master Antius, as well as the permanence of the brand, and explains the slave's betrayal of his master. See http://books.google.com/books?id=QtkPAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA356&lpg=P... for a French translation.
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Note added at 5 hrs (2008-12-18 15:39:05 GMT)
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Having read a litter farther, I should say the hatred one might expect from this slave. In fact the slave saves Antius by a clever and convincing ruse. |
| Selected response from:
 Stephen C. Farrand
United States
Local time: 01:31
| Grading comment many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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1 hr confidence:   peer agreement (net): -1 unforgivable ignominy of the letter
Explanation:
Nota can have the meaning of disgrace, ignominy, opprobium, so with that sense it would square with "unforgivable"
We shouldn't forget that "litterarum notae" has the meaning of characters, writing, but in plural, and in the the text nota is singular
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5 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +2 (branded) with a mark of letters that can never be forgiven nor expunged
Explanation:
Nota is definitely ablative here and servos nominative (this puzzled me for a while; it's an older spelling). Inexpiabili...describes the slave's hatred for his master Antius, as well as the permanence of the brand, and explains the slave's betrayal of his master. See http://books.google.com/books?id=QtkPAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA356&lpg=P... for a French translation.
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Note added at 5 hrs (2008-12-18 15:39:05 GMT)
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Having read a litter farther, I should say the hatred one might expect from this slave. In fact the slave saves Antius by a clever and convincing ruse.
| Stephen C. Farrand
United States
Local time: 01:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 20
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