It’s eclipse day!
We’ve just published a Latin video explaining what the Romans knew about eclipses. While I speak Latin and recite Seneca in the video, there are English language subtitles (though they are labeled “Latin” by Youtube.) The Latin text of what is being said is on the screen to help with comprehension.
The text that I read in the video from Seneca’s De Beneficiis is at the bottom of this post.
We’ve got a birthday to celebrate: April 21st!
April 21st, the traditional date for the founding of Rome, is quickly approaching, and we are having a Latin shirt sale to celebrate! We’ve just added some new designs to our Etsy store:
birthday shirts that celebrate Rome and feature the Rome’s birthday in the ancient Roman date format
a new shirt that features the proverb “ubi mel, ibi apes” — where there’s honey, there’s bees!
a minimalist design with the saying “sapientia ianua vitae” — wisdom is the door to life.
Text from Seneca’s De Beneficiis about eclipses:
Nōn est ista sōlis dēfectiō, sed duōrum sīderum coitus, cum lūna humiliōre currēns viā īnfrā ipsum sōlem orbem suum posuit et illum obiectū suī abscondit; quae modo partēs eius exiguās, sī in trānscursū strīnxit, obdūcit, modo plūs tegit, sī maiōrem partem suī obiēcit, modo exclūdit tōtīus adspectum, sī rēctō lībrāmentō inter sōlem terrāsque media successit.
Sed iam ista sīdera hōc et illō dīdūcet vēlōcitās sua; iam recipient diem terrae, et hic ībit ōrdō per saecula dispositōsque ac praedictōs diēs habet, quibus sōl intercursū lūnae vetētur omnēs radiōs effundere. Paulum expectā; iam ēmerget, iam istam velut nūbem relinquet, iam exsolūtus impedīmentīs lūcem suam līberē mittet.
"This is not a disappearance of the sun, but a conjunction of two heavenly bodies; for the moon, which proceeds along a lower path, has placed her disk beneath the sun, and hidden it by the interposition of her own mass. Sometimes she only hides a small portion of the sun's disk, because she only grazes it in passing; sometimes she hides more, by placing more of herself before it; and sometimes she shuts it out from our sight altogether, if she passes in an exactly even course between the sun and the earth. Soon, however, their own swift motion will draw these two bodies apart; soon the earth will receive back again the light of day. And this system will continue throughout centuries, having certain days, known beforehand, upon which the sun cannot display all rays, because of the intervention of the moon. Wait only for a short time; he will soon emerge, he will soon leave that seeming cloud, and freely shed abroad his light without any hindrances.”
—translated by Aubrey Stewart, 1887
Curate ut optime valeatis!
(Ne solem ispum inspiciatis!)