Ulpiam....plurimis

[pmda]

In LLPSI Cap 36 Orberg scripsit:

‘Iuxta basicilam Ulpiam, inter duas bibliothecas ab eodem…stat alta columna in qua bella quae Trainus in Dacia gessit plurimis imaginibus illustrantur.’

Two questions:

1. I’m taking it that ‘Ulpiam’ is an adjectival form of Ulpia, -ae (f) the Roman family : Ulpius, -a, -um.

2. Also the word ‘plurimis’. Now I don’t understand why this is used. ‘Plurimus’ means ‘most’. But here it stands alone. ‘Most’ out of what ? Doesn’t he mean ‘multis’ - many? There was a previous puzzling (to me) use of ‘plurimis’ earlier in the chapter ‘…nihil magnificentius fieri posset: auro et gemmis splendet tectum ,quod plurimis columnis e mamore pulcherrimo factis sustinetur…’

[Carolus_Raeticus]

Salve pmda!

1. Yes, you are guessing right. See this definition on Perseus.
2. plurimi, -ae, -a (note the plural) simply means very many (Source: Cassell, but see also section III of Lewis & Short’s multus-article). multis would merely mean many.

Interesting column, by the way. An excerpt from the respective Wikipedia-article:

@en.Wikipedia

The structure is about 30 metres (98 ft) in height, 35 metres (125 ft) including its large pedestal. The shaft is made from a series of 20 colossal Carrara marble drums, each weighing about 32 tons, with a diameter of 3.7 metres (11 ft). The 190-metre (625 ft) frieze winds around the shaft 23 times. Inside the shaft, a spiral staircase of 185 stairs provides access to a viewing platform at the top. The capital block of Trajan’s Column weighs 53.3 tons, which had to be lifted to a height of c. 34 m.
[…]
The carvings are crowded with sailors, soldiers, statesmen and priests, showing about 2,500 figures in all.

Vale,

Carolus Raeticus

[pmda]

Carolus Raeticus

Thanks very much for the guidance.

regards

Paul