Sunday, March 18, 2012

Iri et Croesi Epitaphium

Here is today's distich by John Owen, with an English translation by Thomas Harvey, 7.41. Croesus, of course, is the proverbial rich man, while Irus is the proverbial poor man.

Divitis exiguum est Croesi discrimen et Iri
Pauperis: hic tumulum non habet, alter habet.



Croesus and Irus thus are different,
Both dead, that hath, this hath no Monument.

The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list

Croesus - King Croesus of Lydia
discrīmen, discrīminis n. - division, difference, crisis, danger
exiguus -a -um - small, paltry, meager, scanty
Irus - Irus, the proverbial beggar
tumulus, m. - mound, hill, tomb
alter altera alterum: other of two
dīves, dīvitis: rich (poet. dīs, dītis)
et: and
habeo -ēre -uī habitum: have, hold
hic, haec, hoc: this; hōc, on this account
nōn: not
pauper -eris: poor, lowly
sum, esse, fuī: be, exist