Cornelius Nepos
100-24 BCE
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
C. SVETONI TRANQVILLVI DE POETIS
VITA AULI PERSI FLACCI
AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS natus est pridie Nonas Decembris Fabio Persico L. Vitellio coss.,
[Aulus Persius Flaccus was born on the day before the Nones in December, in the counsel year of Fabius Persicus and Lucius Vitellius,]
decessit VIII Kalendas Decembris P. Mario Afinio Gallo coss.
[and he died on the 8th Kalends of December, in the counsel year of Publius Marius and Afinius Gallus.]
Natus in Etruria Volaterris, eques Romanus, sanguine et affinitate primi ordinis viris coniunctus.
[He was born in Tuscany, specifically Volterre, as a Roman knight, and he was connected by blood and affinity to men of the ruling class.]
Decessit ad octavum miliarium via Appia in praediis suis.
[He came down to the city, 8000 miles along the Appian way with his own resources.]
Pater eum Flaccus pupillum reliquit moriens annorum fere sex.
[His father, Flaccus, left him as a little boy of barely 6 years old when he died.]
Fulvia Sisennia mater eius nupsit postea Fusio equiti Romano
[Afterward, his mother Fulvia Sisennia married a Roman knight named Fusius,]
et eum quoque extulit intra paucos annos.
[and he too died on him only a few years later.]
Studuit Flaccus usque ad annum XII aetatis suae Volaterris,
[Flaccus studied in Volterrae all the way to the age 12,]
inde Romae apud grammaticum Remmium Palaemonem et apud rhetorem Verginium Flavum.
[thenafter, in Rome under the grammarian Remmius Palaemon and the rhetor Verginius Flavus.]
Cum esset annorum XVI,
[When he was 16 years old,]
amicitia coepit uti Annaei Cornuti ita ut nusquam ab eo discederet;
[he gained Annaeus Cornutus' friendship, and so it happened that he never swayed from his side.]
a quo inductus aliquatenus in philosophiam est.
[Thanks to him, he was now heretofore introduced to the study of philosophy.]
Amicos habuit a prima adulescentia Caesium Bassum poetam et Calpurnium Staturam,
[From the first stage of his youth, he had as friends Caesius Bassus the poet, and Calpurnius Statura,]
qui vivo eo iuvenis decessit.
[the latter having died as a young man, when Persius was alive.]
Coluit ut patrem Servilium Nonianum.
[He praised him, as his father Servilius Nonianus.]
Cognovit per Cornutum etiam Annaeum Lucanum aequaevum auditorem Cornuti.
[Thanks to Cornutus, he also made acquaintance with Annaeus Lucan, who was a contemporary fan of Cornutus.]
