Fragment 5
Original Latin
5 et ne vilior sit testis poeta, accipite adsertore Cicerone, in quo honore fuerit hic piscis apud P. Scipionem Africanum illum et Numantinum. Haec sunt in dialogo de fato verba Ciceronis: Nam cum esset apud se ad Lavernium Scipio unaque Pontius, adlatus est forte Scipioni acupenser, qui admodum raro capitur, sed est piscis, ut ferunt, in primis nobilis. Cum autem Scipio unum et alterum ex iis, qui eum salutatum venerant, invitavisset pluresque etiam invitaturus videretur, in aurem Pontius: “Scipio”, inquit, “vide, quid agas; acupenser iste paucorum hominum est.” Macrobius Saturnalia 3.16.3
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the surviving Latin in separate source-only tasks. Sections 1–48 and five fragments/testimonia follow Müller’s 1915 edition; lost passages remain marked. Perseus source and these derived editions CC BY-SA 4.0.
5 And lest a poet be thought too slight a witness, hear on Cicero’s authority in what esteem this fish was held by that great Publius Scipio Africanus and Numantinus. These are Cicero’s words in the dialogue On Fate: “When Scipio was at his own place near Lavernium, with Pontius there as well, a sturgeon happened to be brought to him. It is very rarely caught, but is, they say, a fish of the very highest distinction. Scipio had invited first one and then another of those who had come to pay their respects, and seemed likely to invite still more, when Pontius whispered in his ear: ‘Scipio,’ he said, ‘take care what you do: that sturgeon is a fish for only a few.’” Macrobius Saturnalia 3.16.3
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted direct-Latin Plain English translation. Initial drafts used separate Latin-only tasks; later source-based editorial revisions were made by a reviewer with prior editorial access to Musean, not from its English wording. Includes all 48 sections and five fragments/testimonia, with lost passages marked. Perseus source and these derived editions CC BY-SA 4.0.
5 And so that a poet may not be considered a witness of too little weight, take Cicero as your authority for how highly this fish was valued by the famous Publius Scipio Africanus, also called Numantinus. These are Cicero's words in the dialogue On Fate: “Scipio was at his place near Lavernium, with Pontius there too. A sturgeon happened to be brought to Scipio. It is very rarely caught, but people say it is one of the finest fish. Scipio had invited one and then another of the people who had come to pay their respects and seemed likely to invite still more. Pontius whispered in his ear: ‘Scipio, watch what you are doing. That sturgeon is for a small number of people.’” Macrobius Saturnalia 3.16.3
About this section
Fragment 5 is part of On Fate by Marcus Tullius Cicero. This page sets the Latin original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 25 of 25 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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