Imagine that Cicero is doing this prosopopoeia of Clodius like Clodius is trying to help Clodia/set her up with someone else, or consoling her after a breakup like "gurl if he doesn't like you back then he doesn't deserve you anyways, there are plenty of fish in the sea, boys in the river". Brophy said to read this out loud in a Mr Abrenica manner, like with "slay queen" and like a "gay best friend trying to set you up with someone else". Also Publius Clodius is probably kind of young as well.
sin autem urbanius me agere mavis, sic agam tecum; removebo illum senem durum ac paene agrestem; ex his igitur tuis sumam aliquem ac potissimum minimum fratrem, qui est in isto genere urbanissimus; qui te amat plurimum, qui propter nescio quam, credo, timiditatem et nocturnos quosdam inanes metus tecum semper pusio cum maiore sorore cubitavit.
- urbanius comparative adv from NT comparative adj
- agam - prefer indicative over subjunctive, bc cicero's probably speaking with a level of certainty
- ac potissimum minimum fratrem - imagine that Cicero is pretending to say this as an afterthought, like "ac potissimum..." (looking into the distance and tapping his chin) "...minimum fratrem!". Of course in reality Cicero would've planned for that all along.
- nescio quam inflection of nescioquid
- nescio quam timiditatem et nocturnos quosdam inanes metus accusative with propter
But, if however you prefer that I act more urbanely, I will do such with you; I will remove that severe and nearly unsophisticated old man; then, from these of yours, I should take up someone, and chiefly your youngest brother, who is very civilised in that respect; who loves you greatly, who, I believe, on account of some and certain nocturnal foolish fears, always as a little boy slept with you, with his older sister.
eum putato tecum loqui:
<start of prosopopoeia of Clodius> "quid tumultuaris, soror? quid insanis? "quid clamorem exorsa verbis parvam rem magnam facis?"
- putato not PPP of puto, putare. future imperative singular of puto, putare TODO: what in shells are all these
- future imperative is more formal compared to normal imperative?
- tumultuaris from tumultuor
- quid clamorem exorsa verbis parvam rem magnam facis - highly suspected quote from a roman comedy possibly by Caecilius (not that Caecilius). So Cicero is pretending to be Clodius, and pretend-Clodius is quoting from a comedy.
Think that he speaks with you: "Why are you upset, sister? Why do you act crazily? Why, having raised an outcry, do you make a small thing big with words?
vicinum adulescentulum aspexisti; candor huius te et proceritas, voltus oculique pepulerunt; saepius videre voluisti; fuisti non numquam in isdem hortis; vis nobilis mulier illum filium familias patre parco ac tenaci habere tuis copiis devinctum; non potes; calcitrat, respuit, repellit, non putat tua dona esse tanti.
- adulescentulum - diminutive of adulescens.
- pepulerunt - take as "moved", not "driven away"
- familias patre - inflection of paterfamilias. Ablative of origin.
- double negative litotes
- nonnullus - someone
- nonnumquam - sometimes.
- nonnihil - something
- copiis - wealth in an abstract sense, not quite money
- calcitrat, respuit, repellit, - characterises Caelius as a bucking horse..?? For the funnies apparently - Mr Brophy
- tanti - genitive of value
You saw a nearby young man; the beauty and height of this, face and eyes moved you; you wanted to see [him] more often; you were sometimes in the same garden; you, a noble woman, want to have that son from a paterfamilias frugal and stubborn, bound by your resources; you can't; he kicks, rejects, pushes away, he does not think your gifts are of great size.
confer te alio. habes hortos ad Tiberim ac diligenter eo loco paratos quo omnis iuventus natandi causa venit; hinc licet condiciones cotidie legas; cur huic qui te spernit molesta es?" <end of prosopopoeia of Clodius>
- hortos ad Tiberim ac diligenter eo loco paratos -
- natandi causa - gerund + causa construc
- licet condiciones ... legas from commentary: "you may choose love affairs"
- legas - lego, legere
- "to read"
- "to choose"
- "to skim" (from sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum / pone legit sinuatque immensa volumine terga)
Bring yourself to another. You have, at the Tiber, gardens carefully prepared at this location, which all youth come to, with cause for swimming; here, you may choose love affairs daily, why are you so annoying to this [person] who despises you?"
Commentary
How does the prosopopoeia of Clodius portray Clodia?
- desperate for male presence
- conniving
- like a prostitute, promiscuous; Caelius is just one among many
- predator; preying on all these younger men, trying to control and manipulate them (copiis devinctum)
- this means that Caelius is the prey
Thus, how does the prosopopeia imply about Clodius?
- Clodius supports and enables all of Clodia's bad behaviour
- Clodius is almost like a pimp (someone, usually male, who manages prostitutes)
How does he characterise Caelius in this extract?
- good looking (candor, proceritas)
- emphasises Caelius is young (aduluscentulum)
- disinterested and unimpressed
- implies something about Caelius' virtue, he knows to reject her
holy shells in the whatever awards in Britain, there was a guy that had tourettes which meant he blurted slurs & swear words, and while two black ppl were on stage, he shouted the n word at them. Then the editors left that in the broadcast. But the editors cut out someone who shouted "free palenstine". bro.