Thursday, September 11, 2008

101 Ways, Part 26: Peracto Hac Vita

For a brief intro to the "101 Ways to Say 'Died'" series, click here.

In most cases, Latin is used sparingly in 17th- and 18th-century New England epitaphs. "Memento Mori" and "Fugit Hora" are common enough, as are individual words such as "Obiit" and "Aetatis," but if you see an epitaph that is entirely written in Latin, it probably belongs to a minister, doctor, professor, or other eminent citizen.

This gravestone belongs to Rev. John Barnard of Marblehead, MA. Barnard, a friend and sometimes rival of the Mathers, is remembered chiefly for writing an autobiography (excerpts available here).

As I have noted before, I am no classicist, so the best I can say here is that I think that "Peracto Hac Vita" means something along the lines of "Finished this Life." If you have a better translation, please leave it in the comments.
Rev. John Barnard, Marblehead, MA, 1770

5 comments:

varnerjd said...

"Peracto Hac Vita" was translated (presumably literally) as "To carry through This side Life" by the Latin-to-English translation at the following site:

http://www.translation-guide.com/free_online_translators.php?from=Latin&to=English

According to the site, "Peracto" can also (apparently) be translated as 'accomplished' or 'completed', so "Accomplished this side of life" or "Completed this side of life" are not only acceptable translations, but to me they sound better as well.

Love your page!

Chris said...

Fascinating site! Followed a link here from Making Light.

In any case, the last sentence looks to me like it actually says:

Multos post labores Christi et animarum causa peractos hac vita Januarii 24 AD 1770 et ministerii 54 aetatisque 89 placide decessit.

Which isn't exactly classical Latin, but probably means:

After many labors performed on behalf of Christ and souls [i.e. those of his congregation, I suppose] he peacefully departed this life on January 24, 1770 AD at 89 years of age and after 54 years of ministry. [Literally: this life of 89 years of age and 54 years of ministry]

The key "death" words are probably not therefore peracto hac vita, as peractos refers to labores, but hac vita placide decessit, "he peacefully departed this life".

David Wharton said...

Here's a transcription and translation of the whole epitaph:

Memoriae Sacrum
Reverendi Domini JOHANNIS BARNARD
primae Christae Ecclesiae apud MARBLEHEAD Pastoris fidelis. __ Theologus erat vere eruditus. Concionator admodum sapiens utilisque suis non solum quin & posteris monita reliquit Exemplum pietatis ac christinae virtutis insigne amicitiae & Pacis cultor Ecclesiae & oppidi decus. Multos post labores Christi & animarum causa peractos hac vita Jan. 24 A.D. 1770 & ministerii 54 aetatsique 89 placide decessit.

"Sacred to the memory of reverend lord JOHN BARNARD, faithful pastor of First Church of Christ at Marblehead. He was a truly learned theologian, a very wise preacher, and useful not only to his own generation, but also he left to posterity advice and and an outstanding example of Christian virtue and friendship. He was a cultivator of peace and brought honor to his town. After he completed his many toils (multos post labores ... peractos) for the sake of Christ and souls, he departed peacefully from this life (hac vita ... placide decessit) on January 24 in the year of our Lord 1770, in the 54th year of his ministry and the 89th [year] of his life."

So, the expression relating his death is "hac vita ... placide decessit": "he peacefully departed from this life". "Hac vita" ("this life") is in the ablative case, which here expresses separation (in English we use the preposition "from" to express this idea). "Decesssit" is the verb; "placide" is the adverb "peacefully".

"Peractos" does not go with "hac vita": it is a perfect passive participle modifying "labores" in the prepositional phrase "multos post labores ... peractos", meaning "after many toils completed for the sake of Christ and souls", and it is not a part of the core expression denoting his death.

David Wharton
Associate Professor
Department of Classical Studies
The University of North Carolina, Greensboro

David Wharton said...

Here's a transcription and translation of the whole epitaph:

Memoriae Sacrum
Reverendi Domini JOHANNIS BARNARD
primae Christae Ecclesiae apud MARBLEHEAD Pastoris fidelis. __ Theologus erat vere eruditus. Concionator admodum sapiens utilisque suis non solum quin & posteris monita reliquit Exemplum pietatis ac christinae virtutis insigne amicitiae & Pacis cultor Ecclesiae & oppidi decus. Multos post labores Christi & animarum causa peractos hac vita Jan. 24 A.D. 1770 & ministerii 54 aetatsique 89 placide decessit.

"Sacred to the memory of reverend lord JOHN BARNARD, faithful pastor of First Church of Christ at Marblehead. He was a truly learned theologian, a very wise preacher, and useful not only to his own generation, but also he left to posterity advice and and an outstanding example of Christian virtue and friendship. He was a cultivator of peace and brought honor to his town. After he completed his many toils (multos post labores ... peractos) for the sake of Christ and souls, he departed peacefully from this life (hac vita ... placide decessit) on January 24 in the year of our Lord 1770, in the 54th year of his ministry and the 89th [year] of his life."

So, the expression relating his death is "hac vita ... placide decessit": "he peacefully departed from this life". "Hac vita" ("this life") is in the ablative case, which here expresses separation (in English we use the preposition "from" to express this idea). "Decesssit" is the verb; "placide" is the adverb "peacefully".

"Peractos" does not go with "hac vita": it is a perfect passive participle modifying "labores" in the prepositional phrase "multos post labores ... peractos", meaning "after many toils completed for the sake of Christ and souls", and it is not a part of the core expression denoting his death.

David Wharton
Associate Professor
Department of Classical Studies
The University of North Carolina, Greensboro

David Wharton said...

Here's a transcription and translation of the whole epitaph:

Memoriae Sacrum
Reverendi Domini JOHANNIS BARNARD
primae Christae Ecclesiae apud MARBLEHEAD Pastoris fidelis. __ Theologus erat vere eruditus. Concionator admodum sapiens utilisque suis non solum quin & posteris monita reliquit Exemplum pietatis ac christinae virtutis insigne amicitiae & Pacis cultor Ecclesiae & oppidi decus. Multos post labores Christi & animarum causa peractos hac vita Jan. 24 A.D. 1770 & ministerii 54 aetatsique 89 placide decessit.

"Sacred to the memory of reverend lord JOHN BARNARD, faithful pastor of First Church of Christ at Marblehead. He was a truly learned theologian, a very wise preacher, and useful not only to his own generation, but also he left to posterity advice and and an outstanding example of Christian virtue and friendship. He was a cultivator of peace and brought honor to his town. After he completed his many toils (multos post labores ... peractos) for the sake of Christ and souls, he departed peacefully from this life (hac vita ... placide decessit) on January 24 in the year of our Lord 1770, in the 54th year of his ministry and the 89th [year] of his life."

So, the expression relating his death is "hac vita ... placide decessit": "he peacefully departed from this life". "Hac vita" ("this life") is in the ablative case, which here expresses separation (in English we use the preposition "from" to express this idea). "Decesssit" is the verb; "placide" is the adverb "peacefully".

"Peractos" does not go with "hac vita": it is a perfect passive participle modifying "labores" in the prepositional phrase "multos post labores ... peractos", meaning "after many toils completed for the sake of Christ and souls", and it is not a part of the core expression denoting his death.

David Wharton
Associate Professor
Department of Classical Studies
The University of North Carolina, Greensboro