occidentis

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klewlis
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occidentis

Post by klewlis »

I saw this quote in someone's sig:

"Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."--Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I am having a hard time making sense of it.

"Just as a sword kills no one, killing is the weapon"

?

that's the best I can do. :)
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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benissimus
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Re: occidentis

Post by benissimus »

klewlis wrote:I saw this quote in someone's sig:

"Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."--Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I am having a hard time making sense of it.

"Just as a sword kills no one, killing is the weapon"
Make sure not to mix up the "-ing" of the present participle and the "-ing" of the gerund. Occidens is not "killing" as a noun, but "the one (who is) killing".

The passage could be translated "That his sword kills no one, is the weapon of a killer". What Seneca means by that requires a different sort of translation ;)
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

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klewlis
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Re: occidentis

Post by klewlis »

benissimus wrote:
klewlis wrote:I saw this quote in someone's sig:

"Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."--Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I am having a hard time making sense of it.

"Just as a sword kills no one, killing is the weapon"
Make sure not to mix up the "-ing" of the present participle and the "-ing" of the gerund. Occidens is not "killing" as a noun, but "the one (who is) killing".
oops. :oops:
I think I still get the latin participles mixed up with the greek ones. In greek it wouldn't be substantival like this without a definite article (generally).
The passage could be translated "That his sword kills no one, is the weapon of a killer". What Seneca means by that requires a different sort of translation ;)


Your translation still doesn't make sense to me but maybe I need the context in order to understand. :P
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

blue
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Post by blue »

________ (swords, guns, drugs, whatever) doesn't kill people, people kill people.

that seems to be the idea, right?

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benissimus
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Post by benissimus »

I thought it meant something like "a killer's power does not lie in his weapon". Without context it is a guessing game and I am just as klewlis as you guys :?
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

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klewlis
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Post by klewlis »

blue wrote:________ (swords, guns, drugs, whatever) doesn't kill people, people kill people.

that seems to be the idea, right?
that was my *first* impression. I guess I will have to read the rest sometime. :)
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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Post by bingley »

A bit more context:

His quidam hoc respondent: 'erratis, qui incommoda divitis inputatis. Illae neminem laedunt: aut sua nocet cuique stultitia aut aliena nequitia, sic quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit: occidentis telum est. Non ideo divitiae tibi nocent si propter divitias tibi nocetur.'

From: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/sen/seneca.ep11-13.shtml

Special K
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Post by Special K »

Gotta love Latin. Here's my best shot.

"To these guys certain people respond (with) this: You all, who lay charges of misfortunes upon wealth, are wrong. That (ie. wealth) harms no one. Either each person's own cluelessness or bad intention from an outside source does harm. So, just as a sword kills no one, it is the weapon of the guy doing the killing. Therefore wealth is not harming you, if on account of wealth there is harm done to you."


"Sic" and "quemadmodum" like to go together, but I'd be more comfy if the "sic" came after "occidit", but that's probably asking Latin to be too much like English.
My big question is what to do with "divitis"; I took it as a dative of "divitiae" with the second "i" lost, as sometimes happens in post Augustan prose.
The other question I have has to do with "imputatis" which I know can take a dative of person or thing accused, but I'm assuming that the charge would go in the accusative.
What do y'all think?

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