Ampelius, Aide-mémoire 1.1-2

mundus est universitas rerum, in quo omnia sunt et extra quem nihil; qui Graece dicitur κόσμος. elementa mundi quattuor: ignis ex quo est caelum, aqua ex qua mare Oceanum, aer ex quo venti et tempestates, terra quam propter formam eius orbem terrarum appellamus.

The universe is the entirety of things, in which are all things and outside of which is nothing. In Greek it is called the ‘cosmos’. There are four elements in the world: fire, of which the sky is made; water, of which the sea Ocean is made; air, of which winds and tempests are made; and earth, which on account of its shape we call the ‘circle of the lands’.

Ampelius, Aide-mémoire 10

I’ve just come across this delightful little book, care of Bill Thayer’s wonderful site of Latin texts. It’s a nice summary of stuff the Roman schoolboy ought to know, and it would be lovely to have a full English translation some day! Here’s the brief section 10, On Empires. The Romans are, of course, the culmination of history so far.

imperia ab ineunte aevi memoria fuerunt septem. primi rerum potiti sunt Assyrii, deinde Medi, postea Persae, tum Lacedaemonii, dein Athenienses; post hos inde Macedones: sic deinde Romani.

The Empires, from as far back as our memory goes, have been seven. The first people to be the masters of affairs were the Assyrians, then the Medes, followed by the Persians, then the Lacedaemonians [Spartans], and next the Athenians. After them came the Macedonians, and then likewise the Romans.