Post by ***@gmail.com1. i don't get the [fere]
2. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nisi
does this have a desc. in French, Spanish, Italian?
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nemo saltat sobrius ( nisi forte insanit )
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forte#Noun_6
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forte#Adverb_4
The short and more common form of
Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit,
"Nobody dances sober, unless he happens to be insane," a quote from Cicero ............
The "fere" is imprtant here. It means "usually".
Cicero defended a consul called Murena, accused of electoral bribery. He
was called a "dancer" by the prosecution. Was that some sort of
reference to being a bit shifty on his feet? At all events, Cicero went
off into one of his usual tirades against modern times and painted
Murena as a lily-white stalwart who wouldn't be seen dead at any
pleasure party.
Saltatorem appellat L. Murenam Cato. Maledictum est, si vere obicitur,
vehementis accusatoris, sin falso, maledici conviciatoris. Qua re cum
ista sis auctoritate, non debes, M. Cato, adripere maledictum ex trivio
aut ex scurrarum aliquo convicio neque temere consulem populi Romani
saltatorem vocare, sed circumspicere quibus praeterea vitiis adfectum
esse necesse sit eum cui vere istud obici possit. Nemo enim fere saltat
sobrius, nisi forte insanit, neque in solitudine neque in convivio
moderato atque honesto. Tempestivi convivi, amoeni loci, multarum
deliciarum comes est extrema saltatio. Tu mihi adripis hoc quod necesse
est omnium vitiorum esse postremum, relinquis illa quibus remotis hoc
vitium omnino esse non potest? Nullum turpe convivium, non amor, non
comissatio, non libido, non sumptus ostenditur, et, cum ea non
reperiantur quae voluptatis nomen habent quamquam vitiosa sunt, in quo
ipsam luxuriam reperire non potes, in eo te umbram luxuriae reperturum
putas?
(Cato calls Lucius Murena a dancer. If this be imputed to him truly, it
is the reproach of a violent accuser; but if falsely, it is the abuse of
a scurrilous railer. Wherefore, as you are a person of such influence,
you ought not, O Marcus Cato, to pick up abusive expressions out of the
streets, or out of some quarrel of buffoons; you ought not rashly to
call a consul of the Roman people a dancer; but to consider with what
other vices besides that man must be tainted to whom that can with truth
be imputed. For no man, one may almost say, ever dances when sober,
unless perhaps he be a madman, nor in solitude, nor in a moderate and
sober party; dancing is the last companion of prolonged feasting, of
luxurious situation, and of many refinements. You charge me with that
which must necessarily be the last of all vices, you say nothing of
those things without which this vice absolutely cannot exist: no
shameless feasting, no improper love, no carousing, no lust no
extravagance is alleged; and when those things which have the name of
pleasure, and which are vicious, are not found, do you think that you
will find the shadow of luxury in that man in whom you cannot find the
luxury itself?)
Ed