Naturalis Historia 9/25
This is the next section I worked on, again, posted later because of website troubles. The Latin is from Perseus Tufts and I referenced a translation by H. Rackham. Also this was written by Pliny the Elder. If you were wondering.
e mediis hunc harenis in caelum attolli prodidere, asperum, squalentem qua vergat ad litora oceani, cui cognomen inposuit, eundem opacum nemorosumque et scatebris fontium riguum qua spectet africam, fructibus omnium generum sponte ita subnascentibus, ut numquam satias voluptatibus desit. incolarum neminem interdiu cerni; silere omnia haut alio quam solitudinum horrore; subire tacitam religionem animos propius accedentium praeterque horrorem elati super nubila atque in vicina lunaris circuli. eundem noctibus micare crebris ignibus, aegipanum satyrorumque lascivia inpleri, tibiarum ac fistulae cantu tympanorumque et cymbalorum sonitu strepere. haec celebrati auctores prodidere praeter herculi et perseo laborata ibi. spatium ad eum inmensum incertumque. fuere et hannonis carthaginiensium ducis commentarii punicis rebus florentissimis explorare ambitum africae iussi, quem secuti plerique e graecis nostrisque et alia quidem fabulosa et urbes multas ab eo conditas ibi prodidere, quarum nec memoria ulla nec vestigium exstat.
Out of the middle of these sands, the mountain is lifted into the sky, rough, covered with dirt, which slopes to the shores of the ocean, to which it gave its name, it is well wooded and shaded and watered well by the bubbling water of the fountain which faces Africa, indeed covered with fruits of all kinds that spring up freely, in order that abundance is never lacking with pleasure. It is said that no inhabitant by day is seen, that all is silent with nothing other than the dread of solitude; that reverent worship passes into minds approaching closer before it and the dread of the elevated thing above the clouds and neighbors the circle of the moon. The mountain in the nights is alive with constant fires and fills with the playfulness of satyrs and goat-pans, with the music of flutes and pipes and drums, with the sound of a cymbal being crashed. These stories have been published by celebrated authors in addition to the trials undergone by Perseus and Hercules there. The area to there is immense and uncertain. There were also commentaries of the commander of Carthage, Hanno during the flourishing Punic era he was ordered to explore the extent of Africa, he whom our writers and Greek writers have followed a good amount both other certain stories and many cities from whom had been founded and thereupon forsaken, of which not any memory nor trace remains standing.
This one was so much fun to translate! There is a lot of imagery going on here. My main notes have to do with the description section about nobody living there, the latin seems to have a very long indirect statement with no head verb to start it off. All the verbs are infinitives and it seems like you’re meant to take accusative subjects, and just insert the little ‘it is said’ to kick it off. It gave me so much grief until I considered that route, and then the structure seemed to flow much better, so I think that is what is going on. I love the last sentence because of the word prodidere. The dictionary literally lists create and forsake as concurrent definitions, which I thought was super interesting. I went with both because I thought it was important to have that complexity there. Also, Hanno founding the cities was offered by the word conditas.
Gratias vobis!
