Unius cuiusque

[john abshire]

Sit denique scriptum in fronte unius cuiusque quid de republica sentiat; nam rem republicam laboribus consiliisque meis ex igne atque ferro ereptam esse videtis.

Let the writing finally be on the brow of one and on the brow of who feels anything about the state; for you seem to be a state I will rescue from my works and purposes out of fire and iron.
?
please help

 

[Pacifica]

Let's take it bit by bit.

First:

Sit denique scriptum

How would you translate this if I tell you that scriptum is not being used as a noun here?

 

[john abshire]

Let's take it bit by bit.

First:

How would you translate this if I tell you that scriptum is not being used as a noun here.?

The only other usage I can find is a supine, or purpose, 4th declension accusative, scriptum = “to write”.

 

[Pacifica]

It's not a supine. It's a perfect passive participle.

 

[john abshire]

It's not a supine. It's a perfect passive participle.

Having been written, let this finally be……
Or/
Let this finally be written…..
?

 

[Pacifica]

Let this finally be written…..

Pretty much, but "it" rather than "this", and the nuance of denique would be better conveyed by putting "finally" first: "finally, let it be written..."

Next, how would you translate this phrase:

in fronte unius cuiusque

... if I tell you that unus quisque (sometimes written as one word) means "each (person)"?

 

[john abshire]

Pretty much, but "it" rather than "this", and the nuance of denique would be better conveyed by putting "finally" first: "finally, let it be written..."

Next, how would you translate this phrase:
... if I tell you that unus quisque (sometimes written as one word) means "each (person)"?

Finally let it be written on the forehead of each (person) who may feel anything about the state;

 

[Pacifica]

Finally let it be written on the forehead of each (person)

That's correct.

who may feel anything about the state

This is not.

Quid sometimes means "anything". But that isn't what it means here. What else could it mean?

 

[john abshire]

That's correct.

This is not.

Quid sometimes means "anything". But that isn't what it means here. What else could it mean?

“Something” is the other meaning- but this is close enough to “anything” that I don’t think it is the word you are asking for. ??

 

[john abshire]

That's correct.

This is not.

Quid sometimes means "anything". But that isn't what it means here. What else could it mean?

Besides anything or something, I found that quid could mean “who”, “which one”, (the nominative or accusative neuter of quis).

 

[Pacifica]

I found that quid could mean “who”, “which one”

Not really. "Who" is quis. What might the neuter form of "who" be?

 

[john abshire]

Not really. "Who" is quis. What might the neuter form of "who" be?

All I can think of is “Which”, but that doesn’t work unless quid is used as a relative pronoun. (It seems quid is used here as the direct object?)

 

[Pacifica]

All I can think of is “Which”, but that doesn’t work unless quid is used as a relative pronoun.

OK, I'll give it to you. It means "what". Dictionaries would usually tell you that. It's interrogative, not relative.

(It seems quid is used here as the direct object?)

Yes.

 

[john abshire]

OK, I'll give it to you. It means "what". Dictionaries would usually tell you that. It's interrogative, not relative.

Yes.

I’m lost.
Sit denique scriptum in fronte unius cuiusque quid de re publica sentiat;
Finally let it be written on the forehead of each person __________.
quid de re publica sentiat.
How does “what” (quid) fit in there?
“he feels what about the state.” ?

 

[Pacifica]

“he feels what about the state.” ?

Just reorder the words a bit.

 

[john abshire]

Just reorder the words a bit.

Let it be written on the forehead of each person what he feels about the state.
?

 

[Pacifica]

Yes! What he feels about the state means his attitude toward the state or the like.

Now the last, big part:

nam rem republicam laboribus consiliisque meis ex igne atque ferro ereptam esse videtis.

Hints:

- You translated videtis as "you seem". That's wrong. Do you understand why?

- rem publicam... ereptam esse is an indirect statement (dependent on videtis).

- laboribus consiliisque meis: "from" is the wrong preposition to translate this. Also "purposes" doesn't really fit the context.

 

[john abshire]

Yes! What he feels about the state means his attitude toward the state or the like.

Now the last, big part:

nam rem republicam laboribus consiliisque meis ex igne atque ferro ereptam esse videtis.

Hints:

- You translated videtis as "you seem". That's wrong. Do you understand why?

- rem publicam... ereptam esse is an indirect statement (dependent on videtis).

- laboribus consiliisque meis: "from" is the wrong preposition to translate this. Also "purposes" doesn't really fit the context.

Before tackling the last part;
It seems to me that “what he feels about the state” is all the direct object of “let it be written”. If so, is this something you recognize so it leads you to the translation?

 

[Pacifica]

It seems to me that “what he feels about the state” is all the direct object of “let it be written”.

No, it's the subject.

 

[Pacifica]

A passive verb doesn't have a direct object. The direct object becomes the subject.

Hoc scribam = I will write this (active; hoc is the object).

Hoc scribetur = This will be written (passive; hoc is the subject).