Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae, John C. Rolfe (Translator), 20.11.28

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Chapter

← Previous Next →

[28] Hac¹ autem mixta pulchritudine temperatur, ideo ut terrenae existimant mentes, quod prima eius pars dilutior cernitur, aeri concolor circumfuso, sequens fulva, id est paulo excitatior quam lutea, punicea tertia, quod solis obnoxia claritudini, pro² reciprocatione³ spiritus fulgores eius purissime⁴ e regione deflorat, quarta ideo purpurat, quod intermicante asperginum densitate, per quas oritur, radiorum splendor concipiens⁵ ostendit aspectum flammeo propiorem, qui color quanto magis diffunditur, concedit in caerulum et virentem.

Res Gestae. Ammianus Marcellinus. John C. Rolfe (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1935-1940.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

Current edition Perseus

Res Gestae (Ammianus Marcellinus. Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation, Vols. I-III. Rolfe, John C., editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; W. Heinemann, 1935-1940 (printing).)

Translations (1)

History Perseus (Ammianus Marcellinus. Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation, Vols. I-III. Rolfe, John C., translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; W. Heinemann, 1935-1940 (printing).) — 20.11.28 focus

[28] It shows this combination of beautiful colours, as earthborn minds conceive, for the reason that its first part, corresponding in colour with the surrounding air, appears paler; the second is tawny, that is, somewhat more vivid than yellow; the third is red, because it is exposed to the brightness of the sun, and in proportion to alternation in the air absorbs its brilliance most purely, being just opposite;¹ the fourth is violet, because receiving the brightness of the sun’s rays with a thick rain of spray glittering between, through which it rises, it shows an appearance more like fire; and that colour, the more it spreads, passes over into blue and green.

Notes on the current edition

Res Gestae

1. haec, sugg. by Clark.

2. pro, omitted by EG ( perhaps rightly, Clark).

3. reciprocatione, E, Val.; reticatione, V.

4. purissime, Erfurdt; purissimos, G; purissimem, V.

5. splen. dorem concipiens, Madvig; splendorum conspiciens, V.

Ammianus Marcellinus Res Gestae 20.11.28

John C. Rolfe (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers