25.12.25: Comenius (1658) LVIII: a Banquet [6] from the authors [iii] Trimalchio (1) text, translation and vocabulary

Cēna Trimalchiōnis │ The Dinner of Trimalchio

Trimlachio is a character in the Satyricon (1^st c. AD) by Petronius. A former slave and now a successful wine merchant, Trimalchio is the stereotypical “nouveau riche”, an ostentatious man anxious to show off his wealth but, as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby sang in 1964, “You've either got or you haven't got style” – and Trimalchio doesn’t. Petronius makes that clear by the visual description.

[1] In hīs erāmus lautitiīs, cum ipse Trimalchio ad symphōniam allātus est positusque inter cervīcālia minūtissima expressit imprūdentibus rīsum.

In hīs erāmus lautitiīs, │ We were (engaged) in these luxuries

cum ipse Trimalchio ¦ ad symphōniam ¦ allātus est │ when Trimalchio himself was carried in ¦ to the sound of music

positusque inter cervīcālia minūtissima │ and placed among very small cushions

expressit imprūdentibus rīsum │ (which) forced a laugh from the less wary

cervīcal(e), -is [3/n]: cushion

exprimō, -ere, -pressī [3]: force out; exhibit

lautitia, -ae [1/f]: luxury; delicacy

symphōnia, -ae [1/f]: music; band of musicians

[2] Palliō enim coccineō adrāsum exclūserat caput circāque onerātās veste cervīcēs lāticlāviam immīserat mappam fimbriīs hinc atque illinc pendentibus.

Palliō enim coccineō ¦ adrāsum exclūserat caput │ For from a scarlet cloak ¦ (his) shaven head stuck out

pallium, -iī [2/n]: cloak

coccineus, -a, -um: scarlet-colored

exclūdō, -ere, -clūsī [3]: thrust out

adrādō, -rādere, -rāsī, -rāsus [3]: shave

circāque onerātās veste cervīcēs lāticlāviam immīserat mappam fimbriīs hinc atque illinc pendentibus.

circāque ¦ onerātās veste ¦ cervīcēs │ and around his neck, ¦ laden with clothing,

lāticlāviam immīserat mappam │ he had put on a napkin with a broad purple stripe

fimbriīs hinc atque illinc pendentibus │ with fringes hanging here and there

cervīx, cervīcis [3/f]: neck; sometimes used in plural (cervīces), but translate as singular

fimbria, -ae [1/f]: fringe

lāticlāvius, -a, -um: having a broad purple stripe; the purple stripe indicates belonging to the senatorial class; Trimalchio does not belong to that class but is merely pretending

mappa, -ae [1/f]: napkin

[3]  Habēbat etiam in minimō digitō sinistrae manūs ānulum grandem subaurātum, extrēmō vērō articulō digitī sequentis minōrem, ut mihi vidēbātur, tōtum aureum, sed plānē ferreīs velutī stēllīs ferrumīnātum.

Habēbat etiam in minimō digitō sinistrae manūs ānulum grandem subaurātum, │ On the little finger of his left hand he had an enormous gilt ring

extrēmō vērō articulō digitī sequentis minōrem, │ and a smaller one on the top joint of the next finger,

ut mihi vidēbātur, tōtum aureum, │ as it seemed to me, completely gold

sed plānē ferreīs velutī stēllīs ferrumīnātum. │ but was actually soldered as if with iron stars.

articulus, -ī [2/m]: joint (of a finger)

extrēmus, -a, -um: at the tip (extrēmī digitī: finger tips)

ferrūminō [1] (here) solder

subaurātus, -a, -um: gilt; covered in a thin layer of gold or covered with gold leaf or paint i.e. not real gold

[4] Et nē hās tantum ostenderet dīvitiās, dextrum nūdāvit lacertum armillā aureā cultum et eborēō circulō lāminā splendente cōnexō.

Et nē hās tantum ostenderet dīvitiās, │ Literally: In order that he might not display only these riches i.e. he wanted to display more; more fluent rendering would be “to show off more of his wealth” or “in case his wealth would not be sufficiently displayed”

dextrum nūdāvit lacertum ¦ armillā aureā cultum │ he bared his right arm ¦ adorned with a gold bracelet

et eborēō circulō ¦ lāminā splendente cōnexō │ and an ivory hoop, clasped with gleaming metal plate

armilla, -ae [2/f]: (arm) bracelet

colō, colere, -uī, cultus [3]: adorn

cōnectō, -ere, -nexuī, -nexus [3]: connect; join; fasten

eborēus, -a, -um: ivory

lāmina, -ae [1/f]: metal plate