Romans In Denmark.

[cmacq]

I Hope my Latin rendering of these lines from PLINI SECUNDI NATURALIS HISTORIAE, book 4 are of some help, regarding this denmark subject?

Landwalker you also may find this of some interest?

I did this rather quick, so if someone finds errors, sorry.


[Chapter 13]

[Line 95]

Philemon Morimarusam a Cimbris vocari, hoc est mortuum mare, inde usque ad promunturium Rusbeas, ultra deinde Cronium. Xenophon Lampsacenus a litore Scytharum tridui navigatione insulam esse inmensae magnitudinis Balciam tradit, eandem Pytheas Basiliam nominat. feruntur et Oeonae, in quibus ovis avium et avenis incolae vivant, aliae, in quibus equinis pedibus homines nascantur, Hippopodes appellati, Phanesiorum aliae, in quibus nuda alioqui corpora praegrandes ipsorum aures tota contegant.


Rendering

Philemon claims the Cimbri's word Morimarusam, means the Dead Sea, there upwards towards the Rusbeas promontory, opposite of Cronium. There, Xenophon Lampsacenus sailed three days along the coast of Scytharum (error as it should be Scatinavum) to obtain a measurement of the distance to the Balciam Isle. Pytheas mentioned the very same names, the Basiliam and Oeonae isles, on whose wild coasts dwell sheep and wild-oats, according to the populace they produce a device called Hippopodes (horseshoe?) for the feet of their houses, from Phanesiorum, another report that someone stripped an ancient entombed corpse that was entirely over laid in gold.

[Line 96]

Incipit deinde clarior aperiri fama ab gente Inguaeonum, quae est prima in Germania. mons Saevo ibi, inmensus nec Ripaeis iugis minor, inmanem ad Cimbrorum usque promunturium efficit sinum, qui Codanus vocatur, refertus insulis, quarum clarissima est Scatinavia, inconpertae magnitudinis, portionem tantum eius, quod notum sit, Hillevionum gente quingentis incolente pagis: quare alterum orbem terrarum eam appellant. nec minor est opinione Aeningia.

Rendering

Now to clearly begin recounting the fame of the nations of Inguaeonum (followers of Ing?), which are the closest of Germany. Recently, the area between Mount Saevo and Ripaeis has not been continuously surveyed. All the way up to the promontory of Cimbrorum where the facing tide has caused a bowl shaped curve, that is called Codanus (The Tail). This is a place crowded with islands, that are distinct from Sweden, where except for that which is known, is a region of undefined magnitude, as likewise is much of its shape. In this district dwell the Hillevionum nation of 500 cantons, where formerly not as subordinates they acquired land in this territory from those believed to be the Aeningia.

[Line 97]

quidam haec habitari ad Vistlam usque fluvium a Sarmatis, Venedis, Sciris, Hirris tradunt, sinum Cylipenum vocari et in ostio eius insulam Latrim, mox alterum sinum Lagnum, conterminum Cimbris. promunturium Cimbrorum excurrens in maria longe paeninsulam efficit, quae Tastris appellatur. XXIII inde insulae Romanis armis cognitae. earum nobilissimae Burcana, Fabaria nostris dicta a frugis multitudine sponte provenientis, item Glaesaria a sucino militiae appellata, barbaris Austeravia, praeterque Actania.

Rendering

Certain of these dwell from the River Vistlam up to the Sarmatis, Venedis, Sciris, and Hirris given, the bay called Cylipenum and in the middle the Island of Latrim, which is next to another bay called Lagnum, a region bordering the Cimbri. The promontory of Cimbrorum extends far into the sea causing it to be a peninsula, from that place Tastris solicited 23 Roman swords to train with. The most noble Burcana, offered to give freely to Fabaria our spokesmen, a great multitude of beans, and likewise Glaesaria for amber solicited military support, for the savage Austeravia, against the Actania.

[Line 98]

Toto autem mari ad Scaldim usque fluvium Germaniae accolunt gentes, haud explicabili mesnura: tam inmodica prodentium discordia est. Graeci et quidam nostri |XXV| oram Germaniae tradiderunt, Agrippa cum Raetia et Norico longitudinem DCXXXV, latitudinem CCXVIII, Raetiae prope unius maiore latitudine sane circa excessum eius subactae; nam Germania multis postea annis nec tota percognita est.

Rendering

However, all the men from up in Sweden stream continuously into Germany to become neighboring clans: no doubt an expansion by force: nevertheless for-ivory tribute they restrain conflict. A certain Greek-person provides them 25 degrees of coastal Germany, Agrippa included the longitude 636 and latitude 248 degrees from Reatia and Norico. Near Raetia was once the ancestral boundary however this boundary withdraws as they compel; thus with this multitude in Germany the future years are in doubt.

[Line 99]

si coniectare permittitur, haut multum ora deerit Graecorum opinioni et longitudini ab Agrippa proditae. Germanorum genera quinque: Vandili, quorum pars Burgodiones, Varinnae, Charini, Gutones. alterum genus Inguaeones, quorum pars Cimbri, Teutoni ac Chaucorum gentes.

Rendering

If conjecture is permitted, the Greeks insist that much but not all of the coast was abandoned along the route of Agrippa's advance. From Germany arose five nations: Vandili, of who the Burgodiones, Varinnae, Charini, and Gutones are members. Another people the Inguaeones, of whom the Cimbri, Teutoni, and Chaucorum nations are members.