facit copiam: idiom, he gives the opportunity.
139. quod scriberem: something to write; i.e., an exercise in composition.
Pliny the Elder, attracted by the unusual phenomenon, sailed from the naval base at Misenum to study Vesuvius’ eruption at close range and to bring assistance to the residents of the area.
THE BAY OF NAPLES
Map by R. A. LaFleur, Tom Elliott, Nicole Feldl, Alexandra Retzleff, and Joyce Uy. Copyright 2001, Ancient World Mapping Center (http://www.unc.eduldeptslawmc)
Erat Miseni classemque imperio praesens regebat. Nonum Kal. Septembres hora fere septima, mater mea indicat ei apparere nubem inusitata et magnitudine et specie. Usus ille sole, mox frigida, gustaverat iacens studebatque; poscit soleas, ascendit 130 locum ex quo maxime miraculum illud conspici poterat. Nubes—incertum procul intuentibus ex quo monte (Vesuvium fuisse postea cognitum est)—oriebatur, cuius similitudinem et formam non alia magis arbor quam pinus expresserit. Nam longissimo velut trunco elata in altum quibusdam ramis diffundebatur, 135 candida interdum, interdum sordida et maculosa, prout terram cineremve sustulerat.
Magnum propiusque noscendum, ut eruditissimo viro visum. Iubet Liburnicam aptari. Mihi, si venire una vellem, facit copiam; respondi studere me malle, et forte ipse quod scriberem 140 dederat. Egrediebatur domo: accipit codicillos Rectinae Tasci imminenti periculo exterritae (nam villa eius subiacebat, nec ulla nisi navibus fuga); ut se tanto discrimini eriperet, orabat. Vertit ille consilium et, quod studioso animo incohaverat, obit maximo. Deducit quadriremes, ascendit ipse non Rectinae 145 modo, sed multis (erat enim frequens amoenitas orae) laturus auxilium. Properat illuc, unde alii fugiunt, rectumque cursum, recta gubernacula in periculum tenet, adeo solutus metu ut omnes illius mali motus, omnes figuras, ut deprenderat oculis, dictaret enotaretque.
140. egrediebatur…accipit…orabat (142): ASYNDETON emphasizes the tenseness of the situation.
codicillos: codicillus,writing tablet; here, a message.
Rectinae Tasci:of Rectina (the wife) of Tascius, the standard formulation for a wife’s name; the man may be the same as the Pomponianus below, line 153, but Rectina is not otherwise known.
141. subiacebat: lay at the foot (of the mountain).
nec…fuga (142): the road had doubtless been blocked by debris.
142. se: an ind. reflexive in a JUSSIVE NOUN CL., referring to Rectina, the subj. of orabat.
discrimini:danger; DAT. OF SEPARATION.
143. incohaverat: incohare, to begin.
obit: obire,to go to meet, perform, carry out.
144. maximo: sc. animo; i.e., with courage vs. scholarly interest.
quadriremes:warships (ships with four banks of oars); switching from a scientific study expedition to a rescue mission, he needed larger ships, which he had at his disposal as admiral of the Roman fleet.
ascendit: sc. in navem.
145. amoenitas orae: the charm of the shore, a poetic circumlocution for the charming stretch of shore.
laturus:intending to bring; we do not know either from Pliny’s account or any other source whether Rectina was saved or not.
146. properat: properare, to hurry.
147. gubernacula: gubernaculum, helm, rudder.
adeo: adv., to such a degree, so, even.
148. motus: acc. pl.
figuras: here, forms, phases.
deprenderat: deprendere,to catch, observe.
150. pumices: pumex, pumice-stone, pl., pieces of pumice.
151. ambusti: scorched.
lapides: lapis,stone, rock.
152. an: here, whether.
gubernatori: gubernator,pilot.
153. fortes…iuvat: a proverb known from several other Roman authors.
Pomponianum: possibly Tascius Pomponianus, the husband of Rectina mentioned earlier (line 140); Pliny fails to inform us of his ultimate fate.
Stabiis: Stabiae, pl.; the town of Stabiae was a few miles south of Vesuvius and Pompeii.
154. erat: sc. Pomponianus.
diremptus: dirimere,to take apart, separate; i.e., he was separated from Pliny.
sinu: sinus,bay; with medio, = lying between them, i.e., a small arm of the Bay of Naples at Stabiae.
