Comparison: comparatives, superlatives, quam

Comparatives (-ior, -ius) and superlatives (-issimus) compare; "than" is quam or a plain ablative.

Examples

• amplioris esse criminis, quod cum voluptate, quam quod cum dolore admittitur 2.10that what is committed with pleasure is a graver offence than what is committed with pain
• Nihil homine illo miserius est 2.13Nothing is more wretched than that man
• is qui quam diutissime vixerit 2.14he who has lived as long as possible
• voluptate ac dolore omni superiorem 2.17above all pleasure and pain

In the text 123

• I.3 tum victu simplici, quique ab opulentorum more ac instituto abscedat quam longissime, contentum esse.quam with a superlative means "as … as possible": quam longissime "as far as possible". longissime is the superlative of the adverb longe "far".
• I.7 quod rhetoricae item, poeticaeque, et dictionis elegantioris studiis abstinuerim.A comparative with nothing to compare can mean "too, rather": dictio elegantior "a too elegant style", over-refined speech.
• I.11 quodque ut plurimum qui patricii nobis nuncupantur, ab affectu genuino alieniores existant.alienus ab "a stranger to". A comparative with nothing to compare often means "rather, somewhat": alieniores "rather strangers to natural affection". affectus genuinus is the same natural affection Marcus took from Sextus in 1.9.
• I.14 et quod imaginem animo conceperim status popularis, in quo per aequalitatem jurisque aequabilitatem res administrentur; regnique, in quo subditorum libertate nihil antiquius habeatur.antiquius, comparative of antiquus "old", has its idiomatic sense "more important, to be put first": "nothing is held more important". libertate is ablative of comparison, "than the freedom"; subditorum, the participle of subdo "place under" used as a noun, is "of the subjects".
• I.15 quod verax; quodque hominis ejusmodi specimen dare videretur, qui perverti nesciret potius, quam qui corrigi unquam opus haberet.
• I.15 quod nemo quisquam inventus sit, qui vel contemptui ab illo haberi se existimaret, vel praestantiorem se illo opinaretur."Himself (to be) superior to him": supply esse. illo is ablative of comparison, "than him", Maximus again.
• I.16 quod nemo illum aut sophistam, aut vernaculum, aut scholasticum dixerit; sed virum maturum, consummatum, adulatione superiorem, rebus et propriis et alienis administrandis idoneum.superior "higher" takes an ablative of comparison: "higher than flattery", i.e. above being flattered.
• I.16 sed per suam ipsius diligentiam efficeret, ut medicorum pharmacis fomentisve externis quam minime indigeret.
• I.17 quod aetatis florem indelibatum servaverim, nec ante tempus justum virilitatis specimen dederim, sed ultra etiam quam opus erat, id facere distulerim.ultra … quam works like a comparative with quam 'than': 'even beyond what was needed', 'longer than was necessary'. opus erat is indicative because it is Marcus's own aside, not part of the thing he gives thanks for.
• I.17 quod progressus non fecerim ampliores in rhetorica, poetica, studiisque aliis ejusmodi, quae me forsan praepeditum detinuissent, si in eis me feliciter profecisse sensissem.
• II.10 Philosophice Theophrastus, in peccatis inter se conferendis (prout vulgo conferri solent) dicit; graviora esse quae per cupidinem, quam quae per iram admittuntur.graviora is the comparative of gravis, 'heavier, more serious' (neuter plural); quam 'than' brings in the second thing compared. The two quae clauses share the one verb admittuntur at the end.
• II.10 qui vero per cupidinem delinquit, quia voluptate vincitur, intemperantior quodammodo, et in peccando effoeminatior videtur.Two comparatives in -ior (nom. sg. m.), predicates with videtur: 'seems more intemperate … more unmanly' than the angry man, who is understood. quodammodo 'in a way' softens the first.
• II.10 recte igitur, nec indigne philosopho, pronunciavit, amplioris esse criminis, quod cum voluptate, quam quod cum dolore admittitur.quam 'than' sets the second quod clause against the first; both clauses share the verb admittitur at the end.
• II.10 atque omnino alter ei similior existit, qui prior laesus, doloris ratione ad irascendum adigitur: cum is sponte sua ad laedendum feratur, qui ad perpetrandum quidquam cupidine ducitur.
• II.11 at vero, quod hominem deteriorem non facit, vitam hominis deteriorem efficere qui possit?deteriorem 'worse' is a comparative with no positive. With facere and efficere it is a predicate: 'to make a man worse', 'to make life worse'. It agrees first with hominem (m.), then with vitam (f.).
• II.13 Nihil homine illo miserius est, qui omnia undique pervagatur, et cum ea quae subter terram sunt, quod ille ait, scrutatur, tum quae in animis alienis, conjectura nititur indagare;homine illo is an ablative of comparison after the comparative miserius: "nothing is more wretched than that man". illo points ahead to the relative clause: "that man who …".
• II.13 sed et modo quodam miseranda quandoque, ob bonorum malorumque ignorationem. nec sane defectus hic minor est illo, qui alba et nigra internoscere prohibet.illo (supply defectu) is an ablative of comparison after minor: "this defect is no smaller than that one". Not knowing good from bad is as real a blindness as being unable to tell white from black.
• II.14 eodem ergo redit longissimum aetatis spatium, cum eo quod est brevissimum.
• II.14 alterius vero, quod is qui quam diutissime vixerit, et is qui quam celerrime mortuus fuerit, tantundem vitae prorsus amittit uterque.quam with a superlative means "as … as possible": quam diutissime "as long as possible", quam celerrime "as quickly as possible".
• II.16 cum etiam minutissima quaeque ita sint agenda, ut ad finem ipsum referantur. finis autem animantium rationis participum hic est, ut civitatis ac politiae antiquissimae rationi legibusque obsequantur.
• II.17 ea autem in hoc consistit, ut genium quis suum interim conservet integrum, contumelia ac laesione omni immunem, voluptate ac dolore omni superiorem,superior is a comparative ("higher, stronger"), so voluptate ac dolore omni is an ablative of comparison: "above all pleasure and pain".
• III.2 quin et idem ferarum rictus veros haud minore cum voluptate contuebitur, quam pictorum fictorumve arte per imitationem expressos.haud minore cum voluptate … quam "with no less pleasure … than": minore is the comparative of parvus, agreeing with voluptate, and quam "than" brings in the second thing compared. Between them stands the verb contuebitur "he will gaze at", future of the deponent contueor.
• III.3 sin sensu cariturus sis, desines voluptatibus ac doloribus distineri; desines vasi tanto deteriori inservire.The "vessel" is the body, which holds the soul; inservire "to serve" takes the dative vasi. tanto "by so much" is the ablative of the degree of difference with the comparative deteriori "worse, inferior": inferior, that is, to what serves it, the mind, as the next sentence says.
• III.3 an non enim praestantius est id quod inservit? cum alter mens et genius, alter limus et sanies sit?
• III.4 oportet itaque in cogitationum serie frustraneum et superfluum omne declinare: curiosum autem et malignum multo magis.
• III.6 Si quid in vita humana deprehenderis praestabilius justitia, veritate, temperantia, fortitudine; et, ut uno verbo absolvam omnia,After a comparative, what something is compared with can stand in the ablative without quam: praestabilius justitia "better than justice". The ablative of comparison runs through the list and on into the next line (animo ita affecto "than a mind so disposed").
• III.6 animo ita affecto, ut in eis, quae secundum rationis dictamen peragenda sunt, sibimet ipsi, in eis quae citra consilii proprii opem obveniunt, fato acquiescat.animo is still an ablative of comparison after praestabilius: "(better) than a mind so disposed that …"; ita … ut with the subjunctive acquiescat gives the result. affectus is the participle of afficio, "disposed, in a certain state", not of affecto "strive after".
• III.6 si quid, inquam, praestantius hoc adverteris, eo te vertas, eodemque tanquam bono praestantissimo, quo fruaris, toto animo fac incumbas.
• III.6 sin praestabilius nihil offenderis, genio in te collocato, cum ita fuerit comparatus, ut motus suos omnes sibi subjecerit, et visa quaeque diligenter exploret,sin "but if" answers the earlier si. genio … collocato is not an ablative absolute but another ablative of comparison after praestabilius: "nothing better than the guardian spirit placed in you". offendere here means "to come upon, find", not "to offend".
• III.6 si animo sic affecto inferiora vilioraque caetera omnia deprehendis, nulli alii rei cuiquam locum concedas,The condition is said again in other words. animo sic affecto is once more an ablative of comparison, now with inferiora vilioraque: "if you find all other things lower and cheaper than a mind so disposed". The two comparatives are predicates of caetera omnia.
• III.13 et rem quamque, etiam levissimam, ita peragas, ut qui memineris duo ista esse invicem connexa.
• IV.2 Nihil operis est frustra temereve exequendum, neque aliter quam ut artis regulis quam exactissime respondeat.
• IV.3 nusquam enim aut quietior aut otii amplioris cuiquam secessus datur, quam in suam ipsius animam.secessus "a retreat" is described in two ways: quietior "quieter" and otii amplioris "of fuller leisure", a genitive of quality. Both comparatives are answered by quam "than": "than (a retreat) into his own soul".
• IV.8 Quod hominem ipsum sese deteriorem non facit, nec vitam illius fecerit deteriorem; sed nec damno aut interiore aut exteriore affecerit.Quod "what" is a relative with no antecedent written; the id "that" it implies is the subject of the main verbs fecerit and affecerit. sese, a stronger form of se, is an ablative of comparison with deteriorem: "makes the man himself worse than himself", i.e. worse than he was.
• IV.24 pleraque enim eorum quae dicere et facere consuevimus, cum necessaria non sint, si amputaverimus, a negotiis multo vacabit magis, minusque perturbata futura est nobis vita nostra.vacare a with the ablative is "to be free from". multo "by much" is an ablative of the degree of difference, used with comparatives: multo magis "much more". minus perturbata "less troubled" is the second half of the comparison.
• IV.32 ita fiet, ne quando fastidio corripiaris, si in rebus minoris aestimationis, non diutius, quam par est, fueris occupatus.
• IV.50 quid enim amplius illis, quam immature defunctis contigit?quid … amplius "what more": amplius is the comparative of ample. After quam "than" the second term is in the same case as the first: illis and defunctis are both dative with contigit "has fallen to". defunctis is the perfect participle of defungor "to have done (with life)", used as a noun: "those who died", immature "before their time".
• V.1 tu vero naturam tuam minoris aestimas, quam tornator tornaturam, aut histrio histrioniam, aut avarus argentum, aut ambitiosus gloriolam.With verbs of valuing the price is put in the genitive: minoris aestimare "to value at less", as magni aestimare is "to value highly". minoris is the comparative of parvus, so quam "than" follows.
• V.1 et isti enim, ubi rebus hisce addicti fuerint, nec cibum, nec somnum capere magis expetunt, quam ista, ad quae tam enixe feruntur, promovere:Two infinitives are compared by magis … quam "more … than": capere "to take (food or sleep)" and promovere "to advance (their work)". "They want to eat or sleep no more than to push their work on": in plain English, they would sooner advance their work than eat or sleep.
• V.5 an non intelligis quam multa praestare cum jam possis, ad quae inhabilitatis naturalis aut ineptitudinis nullus suppetit praetextus, sponte tamen in eis inferior adhuc persistis?
• V.5 hoc tantummodo nomine si notari poteras, quod tardiori hebetiorique ingenio natus sis, exercitatione vitium istud corrigere conandum fuerat, hebetudinem tuam neque insuper habendo, neque in eadem tibi complacendo.Comparatives with no quam often mean "rather, somewhat": tardiori hebetiorique "rather slow and rather dull". The ablative ingenio describes the quality one is born with: "born with a slow wit". Gataker writes the comparative ablative in -i (tardiori) where the usual form is tardiore.
• V.8 eodemque modo, quicquid evenerit, quamvis asperius visum fuerit, libens admittito, quandoquidem ad mundi integritatem Jovisque prosperitatem atque felicitatem ferat.
• V.9 ecquid enim istis blandius fuerit?
• V.9 ipsa vero prudentia quid gratius compereris, cum facultatem intelligentia scientiaque in te praeditam ejusmodi cogitaveris, quae nusquam impingat, sed in omni re prospere feratur?ipsa … prudentia is ablative (ipsā prūdentiā), an ablative of comparison with gratius: "what more pleasing than wisdom itself". compereris is a perfect subjunctive used as a potential, "could you find", like fuerit above.
• V.15 atqui contra, quo quis horum hisque similium plura sibi detraxerit, aut ab aliis detracta aequanimiter sustinuerit, eo melior merito censetur.atqui contra "but in fact, on the contrary": after the unreal conditions comes the real state of things. quo … eo with comparatives means "the more … the more": quo plura … eo melior "by how much more …, by so much better", i.e. "the more he has stripped from himself, the better he is thought". quo and eo are ablatives of qui and is measuring the difference; plura is the comparative of multa, melior of bonus.
• V.18 indignum est autem ignorantiam et arrogantiam prudentia plus posse.indignum est "it is unworthy, it is a shame" takes an accusative and infinitive: "that ignorance and arrogance should have more power". plus posse "to be able to do more", "to be stronger"; prudentia is an ablative of comparison, "than wisdom". If ignorance or pride can keep a man steady, wisdom should do it better.
• V.21 Eorum quae mundus complectitur, quod praestantissimum est colito.
• VI.4 Praesentia haec omnia quam citissime mutabuntur; et vel in exhalationem abibunt, (siquidem unita sit rerum omnium substantia) vel dissipabuntur.quam with a superlative means "as … as possible": quam citissime "as quickly as possible". citissime is the superlative of the adverb cito "quickly" (cito, citius, citissime). The passive mutabuntur has a middle sense, "will change", not "will be changed by someone".
• VI.6 Optimus injuriam ulciscendi modus est, inferenti ne sis similis.optimus "best" is the superlative of bonus "good"; the comparative is melior "better". As in English good, better, best, the degrees come from different stems. Regular adjectives add -ior and -issimus: gravis, gravior, gravissimus.
• VI.11 tenoris enim servandi valentior fies, ad eum jugiter recurrendo.
• VI.14 quae autem moderatiores paulo suspiciunt, ad ea referuntur, quae anima sunt praedita, veluti greges et armenta.moderatiores is the comparative of moderatus "moderate, sensible", used as a noun: "the more sensible". paulo "by a little" measures the difference: "people a little more sensible" than the crowd.
• VI.35 num ferendum ergo, architectum medicumve artis suae rationem pluris facere, quam hominem suae, quae est illi cum Diis ipsis communis?
• VI.48 nihil enim animum oblectat magis, quam virtutum imagines in moribus eorum qui una degunt nobiscum exerentes se, et, quam fieri potest confertissime, mentis oculis se ingerentes.nihil … magis quam "nothing more than": after quam "than" the second term is in the same case as the first, so imagines is nominative like nihil, with oblectant understood. imagines "images, likenesses" are the virtues as they appear in living people.
• VI.57 an minus posse putas mentis errorem, quam apud arquatum bilem, apud lymphaticum virus?
• VII.5 si non sufficit, aut opus illi concedo, qui me melius id efficere potest, nisi aliter ad officium meum pertinuerit;concedo "give way, hand over" takes the dative: opus illi concedo "I yield the work to that man", and illi … qui is "to that man who", i.e. "to someone who". me is an ablative of comparison with the comparative adverb melius "better": "better than I". Latin can say melius quam ego or, more briefly, me melius.
• VII.10 Materiale omne, in universi substantiam quam celerrime evanescit: caussale omne, in universi rationem non minus cito resorbetur;quam with a superlative means "as … as possible": quam celerrime "as quickly as possible". non minus cito "no less quickly" in the next clause repeats the idea in other words.
• VII.18 ecquid autem aut gratius aut familiarius universi naturae?
• VII.22 neque enim mentem tuam deteriorem facere possunt, quam prius fuerat.facere with an object and an adjective is "to make (something) so": mentem deteriorem facere "to make your mind worse". After the comparative, quam "than" gives the standard: quam prius fuerat "than it had been before", the pluperfect looking back to the time before the wrong. For the Stoic the mind is the only part of us that can be harmed, and only by its own judgments.
• VII.23 istis autem, sicut arcae, dissolvi nihilo magis molestum est, quam compingi primo fuerat.nihilo magis "more by nothing", that is "no more": the ablative nihilo says by how much. quam compingi primo fuerat "than to be put together had been at first": the pluperfect looks back to the making, before the breaking up; supply molestum.
• VII.34 illud item dispice, sicut arenarum cumuli alii aliis superingesti priora abscondunt; perinde in vita contingere, ut antegressa a succedentibus quam celerrime abscondantur.
• VII.52 Est quisquam te luctae peritior.te is an ablative of comparison, 'than you', with the comparative peritior 'more skilled'; peritus takes the genitive of the skill, luctae 'at wrestling'. quisquam 'anyone' usually stands in negative sentences and questions; in this plain statement it has the tone of a concession, 'grant that someone is a better wrestler than you'.
• VII.57 ecquid enim magis est congruum?ecquid 'is there anything …?' asks a question that expects 'no'. Adjectives ending in a vowel before -us, like congruus, usually make their comparative with magis 'more': magis congruum 'more fitting'.
• VII.61 Ars vivendi est luctatoriae quam saltatoriae similior. cum in hoc sit posita, ut adversus contingentia improvisa in procinctu semper quis ac immotus consistat.similior "more like" is the comparative of similis, which takes the dative. luctatoriae "of wrestling" and saltatoriae "of dancing" are dative feminine, agreeing with arti "art", understood from Ars: "more like the wrestling art than the dancing art". After quam "than" the second thing compared stands in the same case as the first.
• VII.63 eris enim erga omnes mitior.
• VII.66 Unde constat nobis Socratem clara fuisse reliquisque praestantiore indole?An ablative of quality: a noun in the ablative with an adjective describes a person, so clara … praestantiore indole fuisse is "to have been of a brilliant and more excellent nature". The adjectives are parted from indole by fuisse. reliquis "than the rest" is an ablative of comparison with the comparative praestantiore, and its -que joins praestantiore to clara.
• VII.69 Hoc in se habet morum perfectio, quod diem omnem tanquam novissimum exigit, nec aut festinat, aut torpescit, aut simulate quicquam agit.
• VII.72 Quicquid intellectualis socialisque facultas, nec ad intellectum nec ad usum socialem facere deprehenderit, idipsum inferius se merito judicat.judicare with an object and a predicate means "to judge (something) to be …": idipsum … inferius judicat "judges it lower". se "than itself" is an ablative of comparison and refers to the faculty, the subject.
• VII.75 in multis tranquilliorem fecerit te, hoc in memoria si habueris.
• VIII.8 at potes contumelia abstinere, potes voluptate et dolore superiorem te praestare, potes gloriolam nihili facere, potes stupidis et ingratis non succensere, imo et illorum curam gerere.superiorem is the comparative of superus. The ablatives voluptate et dolore are what you are to be superior to: an ablative of comparison, "higher than pleasure and pain". praestare with an object and a predicate means "to show, keep (someone) so": superiorem te praestare "to show yourself superior".
• VIII.12 quod autem est naturae cujusque consentaneum, hoc et familiarius, et aptius, et jucundius est utique.These look like comparative adverbs, but they are neuter comparative adjectives agreeing with hoc, predicates of est: "more its own, more fitting, more pleasant". No second term is given: more so than anything else. familiaris is what belongs to one's household, so "one's own, congenial".
• VIII.22 merito haec pateris, qui bonus mavis cras fieri, quam esse hodie.
• VIII.30 Et in senatu, et apud quemlibet privatim, curae sit modeste potius quam diserte loqui.potius quam "rather than": modestly, with restraint, rather than diserte "eloquently, in fine words". Marcus, who spoke in the senate as emperor, warns himself against fine speaking. apud quemlibet "before anyone you like", anyone at all.
• VIII.45 num hoc tanti est, ut hac de caussa anima mea male se habeat, ac deterior fiat, dum deprimitur, extenditur, confunditur, consternatur.
• VIII.47 sed obstat, inquis, valentius aliquid.
• VIII.48 neque enim aliud ullum habet homo hoc validius communitum praesidium, ad quod ubi confugerit, in nullius potestatem possit deinceps venire.The noun praesidium "stronghold" comes last, after all its words: aliud ullum "any other" and validius communitum "more strongly fortified". hoc is an ablative of comparison, "than this". communitum is from communio, -ire "to fortify on all sides" (con- + munio), not from communis "common".
• VIII.49 Nihil ulterius tecum reputa, quam quod visa primario renunciaverint.nihil ulterius … quam "nothing further than": ulterius is the comparative of the adverb ultra. tecum reputare "to reckon with oneself" is to think something over and draw a conclusion, here "tell yourself". quod is "what", with its antecedent id understood.
• VIII.54 neque enim minus vis illa intellectualis ubique diffusa est et permeat cuivis exposita qui attrahere eam potest, quam aeria cuilibet qui respirationis est compos.neque … minus … quam "not less … than" means "just as much as". The second half is cut short: aeria "the airy (power)" agrees with vis understood, and diffusa est et permeat and exposita are carried over from the first half.
• VIII.56 etiamsi enim quam maxime alter alterius caussa mutuo nati simus, mentium tamen nostrarum cuilibet peculiaris sua constat potestas.
• IX.1 cum enim universi natura animalia rationalia sui invicem gratia condiderit, ut sibi invicem pro cujusque dignitate prosint, nec ulla ratione sibi invicem obsint, qui naturae placitum hoc violat, impie prorsus agit adversus numinum omnium antiquissimum.
• IX.2 Gratius equidem foret, ut prius defungeretur quispiam, quam mendacitatem, simulationem, luxum, fastum delibasset.
• IX.2 pestis est enim, mentis corruptio, et perniciosa quidem magis ea, quam aeris hujus circumfusi intemperies et alteratio ejusmodi.magis perniciosa "more destructive" is a comparative made with magis "more", followed by quam "than". ea "it" takes up corruptio; supply est. What follows quam is in the same case as ea, the nominative: intemperies et alteratio.
• IX.9 cum omni vero, qui istic est, igni adeo simul accendi proclivis est, ut materia omnis siccior paulo incendi prompta admodum sit, eo quod minus sibi admixtum habeat, quod incendium prohibeat.
• IX.9 proinde et quicquid naturae intellectualis est in commune particeps, ad sibi cognatum pariter, vel multo magis etiam, prompte fertur."equally, or even much more": multo "by much" is the ablative of the degree of difference with magis.
• IX.9 quo est enim rebus aliis praestantius, hoc est promptius. ei quod sui generis est commisceri et cum eo quodammodo coalescere.quo … hoc with two comparatives means "the more … the more". Both are ablatives of the degree of difference: "by how much it is more excellent than other things, by so much it is readier". The subject is the rational being of the last sentence, and the adjectives are neuter to agree with quicquid. rebus aliis "than other things" is an ablative of comparison.
• IX.9 etenim istis animae insunt; itaque in subjecto praestantiori vis illa congregativa intensior reperitur, quam in stirpibus, lapidibus, aut lignis.congregativus "gathering together" is a late Latin word, made from congrego "flock together" (grex "flock"); Gataker uses it for the Greek synagōgos "drawing together". intensior "more intense" is the comparative of intensus "stretched, strained", and quam "than" gives the other side: plants, stones, logs.
• IX.9 facilius enim quis terreni quippiam terrenae rei nulli adjunctum repererit, quam hominem ab homine omni prorsus sejunctum.quam "than" answers facilius; hominem is a second object of repererit: "than (one would find) a man cut off altogether from every man". The section ends where it began: as earth clings to earth, man clings to man.
• IX.35 Nihil est aliud amissio quam mutatio.nihil aliud … quam is "nothing other than": aliud is answered by quam, as a comparative would be. The subject is amissio "loss", which comes after the verb; mutatio after quam is in the same case as amissio.
• IX.41 sed nec medicis ita praebebam me, ut efferrent sese, quasi magni quid agerent. sed vita mihi etiam tunc quam optime agebatur.
• X.1 Ecquando futura es, o anima, bona, simplex, una, nuda, corpore te ambiente dilucidior?dilucidior "clearer" is a comparative, and corpore is the ablative of comparison, "than the body". te ambiente is not an ablative absolute: the participle and its object describe corpore, "than the body surrounding you". The soul is to be seen more plainly than the body that wraps it.
• X.2 atque id facias et admittas, nisi natura tua, qua es animal, inde deterior futura sit.
• X.11 nihil enim ad animi celsitatem confert magis.
• X.12 et siquidem id perspexeris, placide ac constanter ea progredi; sin minus, consistere, et optimos quosque in consilium adhibere,
• X.12 hoc enim assequi, ut juste agas, optimum est: nec nisi ab hoc aberrando excideris.
• X.15 hoc enim satius est, quam ita vivere, uti ipsi vivunt voluntve.satius is the comparative of satis "enough": satius est "it is better". hoc "this", being killed, is compared by quam "than" with ita vivere "to live in such a way".
• X.31 quid enim sunt aliud haec omnia, quam mentis, quae, hac in vita quae contingunt, naturam eorum rimata, accurate perspexerit, exercitationes.quid … aliud … quam "what else … than": all these things are nothing but exercitationes "exercises", training matter for a mind. mentis depends on exercitationes, which is held back to the very end of the sentence. Gataker ends this question with a full stop.
• X.32 tu tantum statuas, nec ulterius vivere, quam talis futurus sis. neque enim ratio id poscit, ni talis sis.
• X.33 Ecquid est, quod de materia ista rectissime vel fieri vel dici possit?
• X.33 istic vero, si ita dicere licuerit, praestantior fit homo ac laude dignior, dum eis quae objiciuntur, recte utitur.Two comparatives: praestantior from praestans "outstanding", and dignior from dignus, which takes the ablative laude: "more worthy of praise".
• X.38 siquidem membrorum istorum, absque forma quae ea cieat sistatque, non magis usus est, quam radii textrici, aut scriptori calami, aut aurigae flagelli.
• XI.5 hoc quo modo melius fit, quam documentorum ope, quorum alia sint de universi natura, alia de hominis conditione propria.
• XI.6 Primo tragoediae invectae sunt, quae casuum et eventuum homines commonefacerent, quo et ista sic fieri nata monerentur; nec quibus in scena oblectarentur, ea in scena majori, gravatim sustinerent:
• XI.7 Quam liquido compertum habes, nullum aliud vitae institutum ad philosophandum magis esse idoneum, quam hoc in quo jam versaris?magis … quam "more … than". After quam the second thing compared takes the same case as the first: hoc is accusative like institutum, "than this (way of life)". The life Marcus is "now engaged in", versaris, is most naturally his life as emperor: its business is no obstacle to philosophy but the very place for it.
• XI.10 Nulla natura arte inferior est.arte is an ablative of comparison: after a comparative such as inferior "lower, worse", the thing compared with can stand in the ablative instead of following quam. So arte inferior = inferior quam ars "inferior to art". ars is any craft or skill that makes things.
• XI.15 amicitia lupina nihil est foedius.amicitia lupina looks like a nominative, but it is ablative (amicitiā lupinā), the ablative of comparison after the comparative foedius: "nothing is fouler than a wolfish friendship". Marcus has one word, lykophilia "wolf-friendship": the friendship of an enemy biding his time, like that of the wolves in Aesop who made peace with the sheep to get the dogs sent away. foedius comes from the adjective foedus "foul", not the noun foedus "treaty".
• XI.18 Sexto, quando quam maxime indignaris, vel aegre fers, memineris momentaneam esse vitam humanam, omnesque nos brevi componendos fore.In the sixth heading memineris "remember" takes the place of cogita. quam with a superlative means "as … as possible": quam maxime indignaris "when you are as indignant as can be".
• XI.18 Octavo, cogita quanto graviora patiamur ex iracundia ac moestitia, quam de istis concipimus, quam ex eis ipsis, quorum caussa succensemus et angimur.The eighth heading repeats cogita. quanto "by how much" is an ablative of the degree of difference with the comparative graviora "heavier (things)". The clause is an indirect question after cogita, so patiamur is subjunctive. The comparison is finished by the second quam, "than": heavier from our anger "than from" the acts themselves.
• XI.18 quo enim propius hoc ad immunitatem ab affectibus omnem prorsus, eo etiam ad potentiam propius accedit.quo … eo with comparatives means "the …-er …, the …-er": literally "by how much nearer …, by so much nearer". Both are ablatives of the degree of difference with propius "nearer", the comparative of prope. The verb accedit is written once and serves both halves: "the nearer this comes to …, the nearer it also comes to strength".
• XI.19 aliquid enim non a teipso dicere, in rerum absurdissimarum numero habeto.
• XI.19 quartum esto, quicquid conscientia tibi dictaverit, fore per illud, ut pars tui divinior devicta succumbat viliori, corpori nempe mortali ejusque crassis voluptatibus.
• XI.20 ad aequanimitatem enim et pietatem est condita, non minus quam ad justitiam.condita est "it was founded, made", with mens understood as subject; ad gives what it was made for. pietas is dutiful reverence towards the gods, here the willing acceptance of what they send. non minus quam "no less than".
• XI.20 siquidem et ista ad communionem tuendam faciunt; imo actionibus justis antiquiora sunt.antiquior "older" also means "prior, more important"; the ablative actionibus justis gives the comparison: "older than just actions". The Greek word too means both "older" and "more venerable": acceptance of one's lot comes first, and just dealing grows from it. imo (also written immo) corrects upward: "nay more".
• XI.29 in vita multo magis sic se habet.sic se habet "it holds itself so" is the idiom for "so it is, so it stands". multo "by much" is an ablative of the degree of difference with the comparative magis: "much more". In the art of living above all one must be a pupil before one is a teacher.
• XII.3 si a mente, inquam, tua haec sejunxeris, quae ex affectu vehementiore ei adhaerere solent, et temporis quicquid vel praeteritum vel futurum est;A comparative with nothing expressed to compare often means "too, rather": affectu vehementiore "too vehement a feeling". ex gives the cause: these things cling to the mind (ei adhaerere, dative with the compound verb) because we feel about them too strongly.
• XII.4 Saepenumero sum miratus, qui fiat, ut cum sese prae caeteris omnibus diligat unusquisque, suam tamen de se existimationem minoris faciat, quam alienam.With verbs of valuing the price is put in the genitive: minoris facere "to value at less", as minoris aestimare in 5.1. suam de se existimationem "his own opinion of himself" is set against alienam "another's", that is, others' opinion of him, with existimationem understood.
• XII.4 ita proximos magis, quid de nobis sentiant, veremur, quam nosipsos.
• XII.5 curare nempe, ne homines, boni cumprimis, quique frequentissima cum ipsis quasi commercia habuerint, atque per opera pia sacraque ministeria quam maxime familiares ipsis extiterint, ubi semel defuncti sunt, non existerent amplius, sed omnino extinguerentur?quam with a superlative is "as … as possible": quam maxime familiares "as intimate as could be". familiaris takes the dative, ipsis "with them", the gods; existere (perfect extiti) here is "to prove to be, show oneself". Gataker writes extiterint, existerent and extinguerentur without the s that other prints add after the x (exstiterint, exsisterent, exstinguerentur); both spellings are Latin.
• XII.5 non autem de jure cum Deo disceptaremus, nisi optimi illi ac justissimi forent.
• XII.6 nam et sinistra manus, cum ad alia opera per desuetudinem inepta sit, fraenum quam dextra validius tenet; quia huic operi assuevit.The comparison is turned round: quam dextra "than the right" stands before the comparative validius "more firmly" that it depends on. dextra is the adjective dexter "right" with manus understood, as English says "the right". A rider held the reins in his left hand, so the weaker hand became the stronger at this one task. fraenum is Gataker's spelling of frenum "bridle".
• XII.19 Sentias tandem aliquando, aliquid esse in te praestantius ac divinius eis quae affectus in te excitant, et quasi fidiculis quibusdam distrahunt te.Two neuter comparatives agreeing with aliquid: "something more excellent and more divine". What it is compared with is in the ablative, without quam: eis "than those things". quae is nominative, the subject, and affectus accusative plural (4th declension), the object: "the things which stir up passions", not "which the passions stir up".
• XII.27 quantoque sit philosophiae magis consentaneum in oblata sibi materia justum, temperantem, Deis obsequentem se simpliciter praestare.
• XII.27 fastus dein de fastus contemptu inflatus omnium est maxime intolerabilis.maxime with an adjective makes a superlative, "most intolerable"; omnium "of all" is partitive. dein, the short form of deinde "then, next", adds this as the last thing to remember.
• XII.32 Quantula pars infiniti ac immensi aevi unicuique assignatur? ab interminato enim quam celerrime absorbetur.
• XII.34 Nihil magis ad mortem contemnendam incitaverit, quam si consideres, etiam eos qui voluptatem in bonis, dolorem in malis habent, eam tamen contempsisse.