Kitap 19
10
But Fronto, raising his voice and with a more earnest expression, said: Sir, does this word seem to you so degraded and utterly faulty, when Marcus Cato Frag. inc. 53, Jordan. and Marcus Varro, p. 340 Bipont. and the early writers in general, have used it as necessary and as good Latin? And thereupon Julius Celsinus reminded him that also in the tragedy of Ennius entitled Iphigeina the very word about which we were inquiring was found, and that it was more frequently corrupted by the grammarians than explained. Consequently, he at once asked that the Iphigenia of Quintus Ennius be brought and in a chorus of that tragedy we read these lines: 183, Ribbeck3.
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When this had been read there, then Fronto said to the grammarian, who was already wavering: Have you heard, most worthy master, that your Ennius used praeterpropter, and that too in an expression of opinion resembling the austerest diatribes of the philosophers? We beg you then to tell us, since we are now investigating a word used by Ennius, what the hidden meaning is in this line: Aimless we drift, we live but more or less.
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And the grammarian, in a profuse sweat and blushing deeply, since many of the company were laughing long and loud at this, got up, saying as he left: I will tell you at a later time, when we are alone, Fronto, in order that ignorant folk may not hear and learn. And so we all rose, leaving the consideration of the word at that point.
