# mihi videtur ore durissimo



## dcx97

Hello,

Could someone translate "mihi videtur ore durissimo" for me? It's from Cicero.

Thanks!


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## P2Grafn0l

It must be something like this: 
_
He seems to me very unashamed._


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## dcx97

Thanks.


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## Scholiast

Greetings again

Could dcx97 please supply a context or a textual reference? _os_, _oris_ may mean literally 'mouth', and refer to something the man _said_, or it can refer to the whole face, and therefore to his appearance. (In this respect, the English 'expression' conveys much the same double sense).

So I'd like to know exactly where this comes from, before venturing a translation or explanation.

Σ


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## P2Grafn0l

Dcx97's source could have been: 
durus — Wiktionnaire


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## dcx97

P2Grafn0l said:


> Dcx97's source could have been:
> durus — Wiktionnaire



Bingo!


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## Glenfarclas

dcx97 said:


> Could someone translate "mihi videtur ore durissimo" for me? It's from Cicero.



If you're wondering why "to be very hard of mouth" means "to be brazen, shameless," then the answer is just that it's an idiom.

The reference is to _Pro Quinctio_ 77.


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## Scholiast

Greetings all

Thanks, Glenfarclas (# 7), for identifying the source of the quotation. I have now looked at the passage, and am sufficiently satisfied that the phrase refers to the man's insolent and provocative facial expression—'brazen' is choice.

I gently disagree, however, in this much: it's not 'just' an idiom: _os_, _oris_ is commonly used in this sense, both in prose and verse (_OLD_ _s.v._ ## 6-10 for the latter).

Σ


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## Glenfarclas

Scholiast said:


> I gently disagree, however, in this much: it's not 'just' an idiom: _os_, _oris_ is commonly used in this sense, both in prose and verse (_OLD_ _s.v._ ## 6-10 for the latter).



That's true, but it doesn't exactly explain why, when paired with _durus_, it means "brazen."  At least, the meaning of the expression certainly wouldn't be obvious to _me_ from the mere meanings of the constituent words.  Your mileage may vary?


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## Scholiast

What fun to have Glenfarclas' expert engagement here.

Perhaps 'with a very harsh expression' then? Re-reading the passage, I'm not convinced that Cic. is being ironic here, or metaphorical. Thinking aloud...

Σ


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## dcx97

Thanks.


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