2. Student Study Book - Cambridge School Classics Project

Gaius Plinius Luci filius Caecilius Secundus (the large number of names is caused by the fact that he was adoptedin his uncle’s will) was born at Comum in north Italy in late AD 61 or early AD 62. He was a successful barrister whorose through the regular stages of a political career to become consul, and was sent as a special representative ofthe emperor Trajan to govern the province of Bithynia-and-Pontus (Bithynia for short) in northern Asia Minor, wherehe died in about AD 113. He was a patron of Martial.He published nine books of letters to various friends on a multitude of subjects. (A tenth book contains hiscorrespondence with the emperor while in Bithynia.) He writes about life in the law-courts, obituaries of famous men,literary activities of himself and others, character-sketches of friends (and one bitter enemy), some humane butrather preachy comments on treating slaves kindly and being tolerant of young people, anecdotes recounting eventsthat had happened to him personally or that he had heard about (ghost stories, for example, and a remarkable tale ofa tame dolphin) and in two famous letters he gives an eye-witness account of the eruption of Vesuvius, in which hisuncle perished.This particular letter is to Calpurnia Hispulla, referred to in these notes as Hispulla to distinguish her from Pliny’s wifeCalpurnia, the subject of the letter.1. Read lines 1-5 (aloud if possible) or listen to the audio on the CSCP website.2. Study the vocabulary.3. Read lines 1-5 (or listen to the audio) again.4. Notice that cum in line 1 means since, and sis is the present subjunctive tense of sum (You met it in the sectionon Martial, Marital equality but if you are unsure about it see the Cambridge Latin Grammar, page 41).5. How does Pliny describe Hispulla?6. To whom, according to Pliny, does Hispulla show love?Check7. What does ut tuam (lines 1-2) mean?(a) because she is your daughter(b) as if she were your own daughter(c) as if she were your brother’s daughter8. Find two words in line 2 which together mean the same as diligis.9. Translate these examples:(i) non solum servi verum etiam pueri tacebant.(ii) non solum amita mea verum etiam pater dormiebat.(iii) Finally a rewritten version of lines 2-3:Hispulla affectum Calpurniae repraesentabat non tantum amitae sed etiam patris.(Hint: what is the case of amitae and patris?)10. Find a perfect passive participle in line 3 which describes Calpurnia’s father; translate it literally, then work out amore natural translation. (Hint: what had happened to him?)11. According to Pliny, how will Hispulla react to what he is going to tell her (lines 2-3)?Answers9. (i) Not only the slaves but also the boys were quiet.(ii) Not only my aunt but also my father was asleep.WJEC Level 2 Latin Literature Unit 9541 Love and Marriage 77