Horace - Diruit Aedificat Mutat Quadrata Rotundus

[David Conrad]

I came across the following quote, and my Latin is just not up to the
challenge.

Diruit Aedificat Mutat Quadrata Rotundus.
-- Horace

If someone could enlighten me, I would be grateful. (If you're
curious what I was reading, a search on the phrase will quickly turn
up the answer.)

Thanks in advance,
Dave Conrad

[Johannes Patruus]

"David Conrad" <d...@asus.net> wrote in message
news:c68f734a.04010...@posting.google.com...

For "rotundus", read "rotundis".

At the risk of calling down the wrath of scholars who disapprove of
interlinear translations, I shall quote from the Horace interlinear once
published by the David McKay Company of New York:

"... pulls down, builds up, changes square things with round".

To see this in context, you can consult the prose translation of the
relevant Horace epistle which, mirabile dictu, has been posted in this very
newsgroup, and you will find this passage in the eighth line from the end:
http://tinyurl.com/2lwwp

Johannes