A Problem in Martialis

Latin Learning Latin
1

Salvete, omnes.

I have had som trouble with this epigram by Martialis.

Cum sitis similes paresque vita,
Uxor pessima, pessimus maritus,
Miror, non bene convenire vobis.

My somewhat liberal translation goes as follows:

As you are alike and similar in lust for life,
you worst wife, you worst husband,
I wonder if you wouldn’t be well off together.

However, I have trouble understanding the Latin syntax in two places:

  1. Am I correct in assuming that “vita” and “sitis” belong together, and that the implied verb is “sint”? My problem is: why is vita in the ablative and sitis in the genitive and not the other way around?

  2. The “convenire” part is also tricky to me. Does miror take the ACI? What is the logical subject then? Vos? Is “vobis” a dativus ethicus or? And I am also quite uncertain as to how to understand the adverbs, “non” and “bene”. Do they concern “miror” or “convenire”?

Any help in solving these problems would be greatly appreciated.

2
  1. Am I correct in assuming that “vita” and “sitis” belong together, and that the implied verb is “sint”? My problem is: why is vita in the ablative and sitis in the genitive and not the other way around?

I thought, when I looked at that, that sitis was the second person plural present subjuctive - Although/Since you are similar and equal with respect to life….

  1. The “convenire” part is also tricky to me. Does miror take the ACI? What is the logical subject then? Vos? Is “vobis” a dativus ethicus or? And I am also quite uncertain as to how to understand the adverbs, “non” and “bene”. Do they concern “miror” or “convenire”?

I take it to mean “I am amazed that you don’t suit each other well”

Convenire can be an impersonal verb, like tonat (it thunders). It means go well together, suit, be appropriate.

3

Since you are alike and equal in your way of life, you the worst wife and the worst husband, I am surprised you don’t suit well to one an other.

Sitis = 2nd pl. subj. and uxor pessima and pessimus maritus are appositions to the not expressed [vos] in sitis.

miror +AcI

4

My suspicion is that convenio has a bit more spice than just “fit together”. It possibly has something of the force of coeo.

5

venire: come
cum > com> con: together

If you come together in mind, you suit / fit together. I don’t think the force element is necessary.
The Loeb also translates it by ‘suit’

6

That complex of words meaning “coming together” can all be used as euphemisms for sex.
e.g.
congressio, conventio, conventus, concilium, consortium.

Pliny uses convenio in something like a sexual sense in the Naturalis History, 11.85:
aranei conveniunt clunibus, pariunt vermiculos…
“Spides have sex on their haunches, they give birth to little worms…”
Or possibly something like that.

I’m drawing on J. N. Adams, The Latin Sexual Vocabulary, p. 179. Quite a fun book to own!

I’ll admit that maybe I’m stretching it, but the allusion to their having extramarital affairs wouldn’t be off the point.

“Although you’re so alike and take part in the same sort of life, it’s a marvel that you don’t get together with each other!” Where “get together with” in Latin would also mean “get along with”.

7

I didn’t see it like that, but I know Martialis and well I think you are right. There must be an ambigue sense in convenire. But anyway if you translate it with a sexual connotation, you will take away the joke, if you translate it without this sexual connotation, someone who doens’t know Latin will not understand. So we have to advise everyone to know Latin or we should find a translation that also is ambigue and that’s not very easy to find. Maybe we can translate it by ‘find each other’? Any suggestions?