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Di s t i c haCa t o ni s Di c t aCa t o ni s , t h et i t l eg i v e nt oav e r s i fie dh a n d b ooko fmo r a l i t y , p a r t l yp a g a n , p a r t l yCh r i s t i a n , d a t i n gi ni t so r i g i n a l f o r mp r ob a b l yf r o mt h e3 r dc e n t .c e ,wh i c hwa swi d e l ys t u d i e di nt h eMi d d l e Ag e sa n dt r a n s l a t e di n t oma n yEu r op e a nl a n gu a g e s . Th ema x i msa r emo s t l yc o n c e r n e dwi t h a s p e c t sofp r i v a t el i f e , a n dr e pr e s e nt , a sp r o v e r b sd o , t h ee x p e r i e n c eo ft h ep a s t , t r a c e a b l e s o me t i me st oGr e e c e , s o me t i me st oRo ma na u t ho r ss u c ha sHo r a c e , Ov i d , o rSe n e c at h eYo u n g e r ( L. An n a e u sSe ne c a( 2 ) ) . Th et i t l e‘ Ca t o ’wa sp e r h a p sa nu n kn o wna ut h o r ' so rc o mp i l e r ' s a c kn o wl e d g e me nto fM. Po r c i u sCa t o( 1 )( t h eCe n s o r )a st h efir s tmo r a l i s to fRo me . Th e a t t r i bu t i o nt o‘ Di on y s i u sCa t o ’ , aRe n a i s s a n c ei n v e n t i o n, s u r v i v e df r o mSc a l i g e r ' se d i t i o n( 1 5 9 8) u n t i lt h e1 9 t hc e n t . ( Boa s ) . Thec o l l e c t i o nc o n s i s t so f( a )ap r e f a t o r ye p i s t l ei np r o s e ;( b )5 7b r e v e ss e n t e nt i a ei np r o s e ;( c ) , i t s mo s ti mp o r t a n tp a r t , f o u rb oo k so fhe x a me t e rDi s t i c h a( 2 8 8l i ne s ) ,b ks .2 – 4wi t hp r e f a t or y e p i s t l e si nh e x a me t e r s ;( d )s i x t e e na d d i t i o n a ll i n e sf r omt h eZu r i c ha n dVe r o n aMSSo fCa t o ;( e ) 7 8s i ng l el i ne s( Mo no s t i c ha ) ,a swe l la sac o ns i de r a bl enumbe ro fl i ne so fCa t o ni a no r i g i n ( Ba e h r e nst h ou g h t5 2 )i nac a r me nmo no s t i c ho nc o ns t i t ut i ngr ul e sf o rl i f e , Pr a e c e p t avi v e n d i , a n dt wos h or tp o e ms , p os s i b l yCa t o n i a n , DeMu s i sa ndEpi t a p h i u mVi t a l i smi mi . Ba e h r e n sa c c e p t e dt h ea s c r i p t i o no ft h ePr a e c e p t at oCol u mba n u s ,b u ti t sa ffil i a t i o ni sr a t h e rwi t h ap oe ma s c r i b e db yDü mml e rt oAl c u i n( MGH:Po e t .l a t .a e v iCa r o l i n i1( 1 8 8 0 ) , 2 75 ) .Th i s a s c r i p t i o ni ss u p p or t e db yBoa s( 19 3 7 ) . Al c ui n , Boa sb e l i e v e s ,d i dn o tu s et h eme d i e v a lv u l g a t e o f‘ Ca t o ’ , b utaf r a g me n to ft hes a mef a mi l ya st h eVe r o ne s ef r a gme n t . De b a t ec o nt i n ue s c o n c e r n i n gt h er e l a t i v ec h r on ol o g yo fv a r i o u sp a r t so ft hec o l l e c t i o n , t hee x i s t e n c eo fal a r g e r Co r p usCa t o n i a n u m, a n dh o wmu c ho fi twa sp r e Ch r i s t i a n . Le o nha r dt12 2 1 6 3 Ch a r l e ma g n e ’ sEp i s t o l ad el i t t e r i sc o l e n di sof7 8 9s e ts t a g ef o rp r e s e r v a t i o no fLAt i n;un t i l1 8 0 6 a n da b d i c a t i o no fl a s tHol yRo ma nEmp i r e( Fr a n c i sI I )=l a n gu a g eofi n t e r n a t i o na l c o mmu n i c a t i o n 1 2 4 ]La t i nmi l l e n n i um:r o l eo fLa t i ni namu l t i l i n gu a lEu r o p e a nc u l t u r e( v s . a n t i q ui t y ) ;d i gl o s s i a o fRo ma n i z e dp a r t so fe mp i r et r a n s f o r me di n t o“ g e nui n eb i l i n g u a l i s m” —a l t h o u g ht h i smi g h tb e o v e r s t a t e d ,s i n c ee v i d e nc ef o rr i s eo fv e r n a c u l a r si ss p o t t yd u r i n gt h i sp e r i o d[ 1 2 6]( Fr e n c hs u r e o n l yi n1 1 t h ! ;e v e ni n15 t hc e nt u r yI t a l i a n st h o u g hto fLa t i na n dI t a l i a na st wof o r mso fs a me l a n g u a g e ) ;[ 1 4 6 ]i nfif t e e n t h c e n t u r yI t a l y , La t i na n dI t a l i a nwe r ec a l l e dgr a mma t i c aa n dv o l g a r e , 1 4 3 ]t het r u t hi st h a tt h i ss e e mi n ga l i v e n e s s[ o fe . g . En gl i s h ]wa sp o s s i b l eo n l ywi t hi nt h e p r o t e c t e ds pa c ep r o vi d e db yLa t i n… Th ewr i t t e nEur o pe a nl a n gu a g e st h a twekn o wt o d a yc o u l d h a v ed e v e l o pe do n l ywi t h i nac o mmo nf r a me wo r kt ha ts e c u r e dwr i t t e nc o mmu ni c a t i o n .An dt h i s f r a me wo r kwa sc r e a t e db yLa t i n . [ 1 47 ]I nad i a l o g uea g a i ns tt h ee x c e s s e so fc l a s s i c a lLa t i nl e a r n i n gwr i t t e ni n1 5 2 8a n dt i t l e d Ci c e r o ni a n u s , Er a s mu sma d ea l lo ft h et e l l i n gp oi n t s . 6Th ema i nfigu r ei nt h i sh i g h l y e n t e r t a i n i n gd i a l o g u e( s t i l lwo r t hr e a di n gt o d a y ) , No s o p o n os( “ t h es i c kma n ” ) , wh os uffe r sf r o m

mo r b i dCi c e r o ma n i a , ma na g e so v e rt h ec o u r s eo fma n yd a y sa n dn i g h t so fa r d u o u sl a b ort owr i t e ab r i e fl e t t e ri nLa t i n,u s i n ghi se n o r mou sa r ma me nt a r i u mo fp hi l o l o g i c a lr e f e r e n c ewo r k s ;t h e p o o rf e l l o w,h o we v e r , a v o i dsa l lc o n v e r s a t i o nbe c a us eh efin d si ti mp o s s i b l et os p e a kLa t i n c o r r e c t l ywi t ho u tt h os ewo r k s . Hi sf r i e n dBu l e p h or o s( “ t h ea d vi s o r ” )t r i e st oc on v i n c eh i mt h a t Ci c e r oi sn o tt h es o l ee p i t omeo fg oo dLa t i na n dt h a ti na n yc a s et h es l a v i s hi mi t a t i o no fa n t i q u i t y c a n n o tp o s s i bl yb eo u rfina lg o a l . Th ep o i nt , o fc ou r s e , i st h a twi t h o u ta ni n t e r n a l i z e d c o mp e t e n c ei nt h el a n g u a g e , n e i t he rwr i t e rno rs p e a k e rc a nd e v e l opa na p p r o p r i a t es t y l e . Fur t h e r mo r e , wi t h o u tt h a tc o mp e t e n c e , n oc o mmu n i c a t i o ni nLa t i ni sp o s s i b l e .

[ 148]Asl at eas1800,Fr i edr i c hAugus tWol f ,oneoft hef ounder sof Pr us si an“ Neuhumani s mus , ”madet hecaset hatLat i ns houl dnotbet aught i nt er msofi t sgr ammar .9Peopl el ear nedf r om f or mt abl esandaf ewbas i c r ul esofwor df or mat i onandel ement ar ys y nt ax ,byr eadi ngt ext s ,bot h anc i entandmor er ecent ,andbycommuni cat i ngwi t hot herLat i nspeak er s —whoal s ohappenedt ospeakt hei rownnat i v el anguages . Lat i nwasacompl et el ynor mal secondl anguage,di ffer i ngf r om ot her l anguagesonl yi nt hati twasnoone’ sfir s tl anguage. 150]Compar i sonwi t hengl i sh 155]t heper i odbet weent heei ght handt het wel f t hcent ur ywi t ness edt he r ec l amat i onofLat i nandEur opeanl i t er ac y .Thi sr ec l amat i onwasnott he wor kofsc hol as t i csperse;r at her ,i twaspos si bl eonl ybecaus ear eal l anguagec ommuni t ydev el opedf orwhi chLat i nwasal i vi ngs ec ond l anguage....