blatta
διὸ δὴ πᾶς ἀνὴρ σπουδαῖος τῶν ὄντων σπουδαίων πέρι πολλοῦ δεῖ μὴ γράψας ποτὲ ἐν ἀνθρώποις εἰς φθόνον καὶ ἀπορίαν καταβαλεῖ → And this is the reason why every serious man in dealing with really serious subjects carefully avoids writing, lest thereby he may possibly cast them as a prey to the envy and stupidity of the public | Therefore every man of worth, when dealing with matters of worth, will be far from exposing them to ill feeling and misunderstanding among men by committing them to writing
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
blatta: ae, f.,
I an insect that shuns the light; of several kinds, the cockroach, chafer, moth, etc., Plin. 29, 6, 39, § 139; 11, 28, 34, § 99: lucifuga, Verg. G. 4, 243 (per noctem vagans, Serv.); cf. Col. 9, 7, 5; Pall. 1, 37, 4; Hor. S. 2, 3, 119; Mart. 14, 37; cf. Voss, Verg. l. l.—On account of its mean appearance: amore cecidi tamquam blatta in pelvim, Laber. ap. Non. p. 543, 27.
blatta: ae, f.: blatta θρόμβος αἵματος,
I a clot of blood, Gloss.—Hence,
II (Access. form blattea, Ven. Carm. 2, 3, 19.) Purple (similar in color to flowing blood; cf. Salmas. Vop. Aur. 46, and Plin. 9, 38, 62, § 135; late Lat.): purpura, quae blatta, vel oxyblatta, vel hyacinthina dicitur, Cod. Th. 4, 40, 1: serica, ib. 10, 20, 18: blattam Tyrus defert, Sid. Carm. 5, 48; Lampr. Elag. 33; Cassiod. Var. Ep. 1, 2.
