From my diary

I’m still unwell, after an unbelievable 9 weeks of sitting around at home with a headache.  But finally I seem to be improving.  None of the pills and potions prescribed by my GP has had any effect, but time seems to be the cure.  I’m waiting for a scan, but the doctor thinks that it won’t show anything.

Meanwhile I’ve been rereading the epigrams of Martial, in the old Loeb edition with facing Latin.  I do prefer the stately translations of a century ago to modern attempts.

I notice that the eye is always drawn to the epigrams that are not translated, and instead given in some elderly Italian version which is hardly more comprehensible than Latin.  You inevitably find yourself attempting to understand the syntax.

The books could not present the obscene matter at that date, for that was illegal.  But was there a subtle ulterior motive here?  Print the Latin, and then rely on the frustration of teenage boys as a way to teach them Latin grammar and syntax?  For the best way to learn any language is always to have something in that language that you wish to read!

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4 thoughts on “From my diary

  1. Hey, Roger! If you go over to EWTN or you search on YouTube for the talkshow “EWTN LIve” —

    Fr. Mitch Pacwa did an interview on Nov. 20 of this year with Mrs. Irini de St. Sermin, a lay member of the Bollandist Society. It is all about the Bollandists and their research mission. (There are also podcast versions if you poke around the EWTN site.)

    You can skip over the promo for the website and the religious catalog. (It is a fundraising time of year.) The interview starts at the 4 minute mark.

    Also, Documenta Catholica Omnia has a bunch of Bollandist books, listed under alphabetical S. Just noticed that yesterday.

  2. Not sure of your specific type of headache, but I deal with cluster headaches. The only thing that brings any relief is oxygen. I take it for 15 minutes at 15 lpm. Sometimes the headache is temporarily gone and always at least diminished.

    Tim

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