Yes, Seneca the Elder quotes the declaimer Triarius many times across his Controversiae and Suasoriae.[1]
The line you quoted ("pudet nos vinci fama et non gladio" / "We are ashamed to be defeated by reputation and not by the sword") is just one famous snippet of Triarius's sharp, epigrammatic style preserved in Seneca's books. [1]
Below are several other examples of Triarius's rhetorical phrases quoted by Seneca, provided in both Latin and English:
On a Hero Maimed in Battle
- Latin: "Arma mihi perierunt cum manibus; tunc tamen primum damnum meum sensi."
- English: "My weapons were lost to me when I lost my hands; but this was the first time I actually felt my loss." [1]
On a Rapist Caught at Dawn
In a case involving a criminal whose late-night crimes were interrupted by the morning sun: [1]
- Latin: "Gratulor vobis, virgines, quod citius inluxit."
- English: "I congratulate you, virgins, that the dawn came swiftly." [1]
On Mutilated Children Forced to Beg
In a dramatic speech against a man who crippled exposed infants so he could profit from their begging: [1]
- Latin: "‘Perissent.’ Scio nos non esse crudeles: nemo tamen nostrum est qui non his miseris cum eleemosynam daret optaverit ut morerentur." [1]
- English: "‘They would have perished [otherwise],’ he says. I know we are not cruel: yet there is not one of us who, when holding out alms to these wretches, did not pray that they might die." [1]
On a Girl Attempting Suicide
Declaiming about a woman facing an impossible punishment on a cliffside: [1]
- Latin: "Mori vis—quia non potes."
- English: "You are willing to die—because you cannot." [1]
On a Tyrant's Fortune
Attacking a wealthy, corrupt figure who financed oppressive regimes: [1]
- Latin: "Ubi est ista fortuna tua quae tyrannos parat, quae adulteros facit? Ubi est? Certe in me nihil impendisti."
- English: "Where is that fortune of yours that equips tyrants, that makes adulterers? Where is it? Certainly you spent nothing on me." [1]
If you want, I can find more examples of Triarius's work by looking at a specific theme (like family drama, war, or tyranny) or give you more background on how Seneca the Elder critiqued his style. Let me know how you would like to proceed!


No comments:
Post a Comment