Prosa 3

section 2

quibus perturbere: (= perturberis) indirect question.

section 3

praenoscere: praenoscere . . . esse: the infinitives with their accusative subjects are the compound subject for uidetur.
esse: praenoscere . . . esse: the infinitives with their accusative subjects are the compound subject for uidetur.

section 4

falli: < fallo, "deceive."
prouidentia: ablative, with word-play.

section 5

ab aeterno: cf. 5P2.11.
nescia falli: "which does not know [how] to be deceived"; modifies prouidentia.

section 6

si aliorsum: "if otherwise."
detorqueri: in a "middle" sense, "to twist away."
ualent: sc. uoluntates (sec. 5).

section 7

quidam: Many ancient writers, pagan and Christian, suggested the argument Boethius now rejects.

section 8

ideo: " for this reason."
necessarium hoc: "this necessity." The gist of this proposal is that providence, not the foreseen act, is bound by necessity.

section 9

esse: esse . . . esse: infinitives in indirect discourse (continued after aiunt [sec. 8]).
contingere: contingere . . . prouideri: infinitives governed by necesse esse.
esse: esse . . . esse: infinitives in indirect discourse (continued after aiunt [sec. 8]).
prouideri: contingere . . . prouideri: infinitives governed by necesse esse.
quasi uero: quasi uero . . . laboretur: "as if indeed one were laboring [to find out] . . ."; with indirect question, quae . . . sit.
praescientiane: praescientiane . . . prouidentiae: in apposition with causa.
prouidentiae: praescientiane . . . prouidentiae: in apposition with causa.
laboretur: quasi uero . . . laboretur: "as if indeed one were laboring [to find out] . . ."; with indirect question, quae . . . sit.
illud: explained by the acusative/infinitive, necessarium esse euentum.

section 10

10: A hypothetical example.
atque e conuerso rursus: "and again on the other hand."
quoniam: here, "that," introducing indirect statement after opinio. This construction is common in later Latin.

section 12

quoniam: here, twice, "because, for the reason that" (explaining idcirco in previous line).
praecessit: "preceded," (subject is accusative/infinitive, quempiam sedere).

section 14

Similia: Similia . . . ratiocinari patet: "it is possible to reason out similar things," i.e., "to reason similarly."
ratiocinari patet: Similia . . . ratiocinari patet: "it is possible to reason out similar things," i.e., "to reason similarly."
idcirco: idcirco . . . ideo: "for this reason . . . for that reason."
ideo: idcirco . . . ideo: "for this reason . . . for that reason."
prouisa: omitted by some manuscripts and editors.
quod: "which," antecedent is the whole preceding clause.
perimendam: gerundive of purpose < perimo, "kill, destroy."

section 15

praeposterum: "preposterous," in its root sense of "out-of-order, confused."
ut: ut . . . euentus . . . dicatur: noun clause, subject of praeposterum est.
praescientiae: genitive governed by causa.
euentus: ut . . . euentus . . . dicatur: noun clause, subject of praeposterum est.
dicatur: ut . . . euentus . . . dicatur: noun clause, subject of praeposterum est.

section 16

arbitrari: governs the accusative/infinitive deum futura . . . prouidere.
quae: quae . . . acciderunt: subject of esse.
acciderunt: quae . . . acciderunt: subject of esse.

section 17

Ad haec: "[in addition] to this"; introduces further corroboration, in the simile, sicuti . . . ita . . . .

section 18

aliorsum atque: "otherwise than."

section 19

qui: = quo, "how."

section 20

impermixta: "un-mixed."

section 21

quod: "that," explaining causa.

section 22

futura: sc. esse.

section 23

non: non . . . modo: "not only": "not only to think this is nefas, but even to utter it."
modo: non . . . modo: "not only": "not only to think this is nefas, but even to utter it."

section 25

quid: "to what extent?"
refert: "differ [from]," with ablative ; the usage is later Latin.
uaticinio: "prophecy, incantation."
Tiresiae: genitive < Tiresias, the blind Theban soothsayer. The quotation is from Horace, Sermones 2.5.59, a parody of Tiresias's conversation with Ulysses in the underworld.

section 26

praestiterit: "shall have excelled," with ablative of comparison.
uti homines: "as men [do]."
incerta: sc. esse.

section 27

incerti: partitive genitive with nihil.
praescierit: future perfect < praescio.

section 29

Quo: sc. argumento.
occasus: "fall, ruination."

section 31

ad alterutrum: i.e., to goodness or to wickedness.

section 32

quicquam: "at all"; adverbial.
fuerint: potential subjunctive.
quoque: = quo + -que, "and, than which . . ."
fit: in a hypothetical discussion you would expect fiat, but the indicative renders the imagined state more vivid.

section 33

sperandi: sperandi . . . deprecandi: "hoping [for] . . . praying away."
deprecandi: sperandi . . . deprecandi: "hoping [for] . . . praying away."

section 34

uicem: "recompense, reciprocation."
gratiae: The only occurrence in the Consolatio of this word in a sense approaching its Christian use.
qui: antecedent is commercium, but gender is from modus.
illique inaccessae luci: "and to that unapproachable light"; dative with coniungi. Prayer brings God and man together in a limited way before the final union of the afterlife.
prius: prius . . . quam: = priusquam.
quam: prius . . . quam: = priusquam.
impetrent: sc. lucem.

section 35

Quae: i.e., hope and prayer.
recepta futurorum necessitate: ablative absolute.
uirium: partitive genitive (< uires) with nihil.

section 36

paulo ante: 4M6.43
fatiscere: figurative: "become exhausted, drained of strength."