5.10

[1] Suscipit alia: “Ego vērō marītum articulārī etiam morbō complicātum curvātumque ac per hōc rarissimō venerem meam recolentem sustineō, [2] plērumque dētortōs et dūrātōs in lapidem digitōs ēius perfricāns, fōmentīs olidīs et pannīs sordidīs et faetidīs cataplasmatibus manūs tam dēlicātās istās adūrēns, nec uxōris officiōsam faciem sed medicae labōriōsam persōnam sustinēns. [3] Et tū quidem, soror, videris quam patientī vel potius servīlī — dīcam enim līberē quod sentiō — haec perferās animō: enimvērō ego nequeō sustinēre ulterius tam beātam fortūnam allāpsam indignae. [4] Recordāre enim quam superbē, quam adroganter nōbīscum ēgerit et ipsā iactātiōne immodicae ostentātiōnis tumentem suum prōdiderit animum [5] dēque tantīs divitiīs exigua nōbīs invīta prōiēcerit cōnfestimque praesentiam nostram gravāta prōpellī et efflārī exsībilārīque nōs iusserit. [6] Nec sum mulier nec omnīnō spirō, nisi eam pessum dē tantīs opibus dēiēcerō. Ac sī tibi etiam, ut pār est, inacuit nostra contumēlia, cōnsilium validum requīrāmus ambae. [7] Iamque ista quae ferimus nōn parentibus nostrīs ac nec ūllī mōnstrēmus aliī, immō nec omnīnō quicquam dē ēius salūte nōrimus. [8] Sat est quod ipsae vīdimus quae vīdisse paenitet, nēdum ut genitōribus et omnibus populīs tam beātum ēius differāmus praecōnium. Nec sunt enim beātī quōrum dīvitiās nēmō nōvit. [9] Sciet sē nōn ancillās sed sorōrēs habēre māiōrēs. Et nunc quidem concēdāmus ad marītōs, et larēs pauperēs nostrōs sed plānē sōbriōs revīsāmus, dēnique cōgitātiōnibus pressiōribus īnstrūctae ad superbiam poeniendam firmiōrēs redeāmus.” 

Psȳchē’s other sister continues the complaints and the two begin to plot Psȳchē’s downfall.

rarissimō: Take adverbially.

videris: “you may reflect upon/consider” (L&S s.v. videō II B2). 

animō: modified by both servīlī and patientī .

gravāta: gravor originally meant “to be weighed down” but came to take on the meaning “to be annoyed.” In later Latin, it could take an accusative of what one is annoyed by (L&S s.v. gravō II γ).

requīrāmus, mōnstrēmus, norimus: hortatory subjunctives

ista = the gifts they received from Psyche

nōrimus: syncopated perfect subjunctive (with present meaning) from nōscō.

praecōnium: a substantive adj.; here, “news that is spread around, publishing, proclaiming.”

sciet: governs an indirect statement. Note future tense. Psyche is the implied subject.

sōbriōs: The sense is “modest” or “prudent,” as opposed to literally “sober.”

poeniendam: from poeniō, an archaic form of puniō. Ad + accusative gerundive denotes purpose (A&G §506).

articulāris, -e: of the joints

complicō, -āre: to fold up, fold together

recolō, -colere, -coluī, -cultus: to cultivate again, recall to mind (can have religious connotation)

detorqueō, -ēre, -torsī, -tortus: to turn, bend away, twist

perfricō, -āre, –cui, -cātum/-ctum: to rub all over

fōmentum, -ī n.: compress, wound dressing

olidus, -a, -um: foul-smelling, stinking

pannus, -ī m.: piece of cloth, bandage

faetidus, -a, -um: foul, disgusting 

cataplasma, -atis n.: bandage

officiōsus, -a, -um: dutiful

medica, -ae f.: female physician, midwife

adroganter (adv): arrogantly

iactātiō, -onis f.: bragging, vanity

tumeō, -ēre, tumuī: to be swollen, inflated, puffed up

exiguus, -a, -um: small, paltry

efflō, -āre: to exhale, blow out/away

exsībilō, -āre: to hiss out/offstage

pessum (adv.): see 5.6.6, which this threat echoes.

inacescō, -ere, inacuī: to become bitter for (+ dat.)

paeniteō, –ēre, -uī: to grieve, displease, cause pain

nēdum: much less, by no means

praecōnium, -ī n.: a public proclamation

pressus, -a, -um: concise, accurate; cf. 5.5.2

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