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itaque Rūfus Plōtīnae persuāsit, sed patrī persuādēre nōn

poterat. Barbillus obstinātus nāvigāre nōluit. Rūfus igitur et
Plōtīna Barbillum domī relīquērunt, et ad Graeciam nāvigābant. 25 relīquērunt: relinquere leave
ubi tamen nāvis, quae eōs vehēbat, Graeciae appropinquābat, vehēbat: vehere carry
ingēns tempestās eam obruit. Rūfus ad lītus natāre poterat, sed tempestās storm
Plōtīna, quam Barbillus valdē amābat, in magnīs undīs periit. obruit: obruere overwhelm
ubi Barbillus dē naufragiō, in quō uxor perierat, audīvit,
maximē commōtus erat. fīlium iterum vidēre nōlēbat. Rūfus, 30 commōtus upset, distressed
quamquam domum redīre volēbat, patrī pārēbat. in Graeciā diū pārēbat: pārēre obey
manēbat; sed tandem iter in Britanniam fēcit, ubi in exercitū exercitū: exercitus army
Rōmānō mīlitāvit.  

Questions
1 What are we told about Plotina’s character in lines 1–2? Give three details.
fortūna crūdēlis 2 Why is iuvenis impiger (line 3) a good description of Rufus? Give two reasons for your
answer.
When you have read this story, answer the questions on page 139. 3 What kind of a relationship did Rufus have with his parents (lines 5–6)?
4 What was Eupor doing in Alexandria?
Barbillus uxōrem fidēlem fīliumque optimum habēbat. Plōtīna, 5 When did Eupor write his letter? What did the letter contain (lines 9–11)?
uxor Barbillī, erat fēmina placida, quae domī manēbat contenta. placida: placidus calm, peaceful 6 Why did Barbillus ask for the opinion of his astrologer (lines 12–14)?
Rūfus, fīlius eōrum, erat iuvenis impiger. ad palaestram cum domī at home
7 What was the astrologer’s reply (lines 16–17)?
amīcīs saepe adībat; in dēsertīs bēstiās ferōcēs agitāre solēbat. eōrum their
8 Rūfus rem graviter ferēbat. Why do you think Rufus was upset? What did he do
aliquandō, sīcut aliī iuvenēs, contentiōnēs cum parentibus 5 impiger lively, energetic
in dēsertīs in the desert (lines 19–20)?
habēbat. sed parentēs Rūfī eum maximē amābant, et ille eōs.
inter amīcōs Rūfī erat iuvenis Athēniēnsis, Eupor. hic Eupor aliquandō sometimes 9 In lines 23–24, to what extent did Rufus get his own way?
ad urbem Alexandrīam vēnerat et medicīnae studēbat. maximē very much 10 What happened when the ship was approaching Greece? What happened to Rufus and
saepissimē domum Barbillī vīsitābat. tandem ad urbem Athēnās Athēniēnsis Athenian Plotina?
rediit, ubi artem medicīnae exercēbat. Eupor mox epistulam 10 medicīnae: medicīna medicine 11 Why did Rufus not return home? What did he do after leaving Greece (lines 30–33)?
scrīpsit, in quā Rūfum parentēsque ad nūptiās suās invītāvit. studēbat: studēre study 12 In line 21 Rufus said, “pater stultissimus est, quod astrologō crēdit.” From what happened
Rūfus ad Graeciam īre valdē cupiēbat, sed Barbillus nāvigāre artem: ars art to Barbillus and his family, do you think Rufus was right? Give a reason for your answer.
timēbat, quod hiems iam appropinquābat. astrologum suum exercēbat: exercēre practice
igitur arcessīvit, et sententiam eius rogāvit. astrologus, nūptiās: nūptiae wedding
postquam diū cōgitāvit, Rūfō parentibusque respōnsum dedit. 15 respōnsum answer
“rem perīculōsam suscipitis. lūna Scorpiōnem iam intrat. Scorpiōnem: Scorpiō
tūtius est vōbīs domī manēre.” Scorpio (sign of the zodiac)
Barbillus et uxor astrologō, quī erat vir doctissimus, libenter tūtius est it would be safer
crēdidērunt, sed Rūfus rem graviter ferēbat. ubi Barbillus aberat,
Rūfus saepe ad mātrem ībat, patrem dēplōrāns: 20
“pater stultissimus est, quod astrologō crēdit. astrologī nōn nāvigandī of sailing Plotina and Rufus would have sailed
sunt nautae. nihil dē arte nāvigandī sciunt.” in a cargo ship like this one. There
were no ships that carried only
passengers in the Roman world.

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