2. Student Study Book - Cambridge School Classics Project

62. Read lines 19-22 (aloud if possible) or listen to the audio on the CSCP website.63. Study the vocabulary.64. Read lines 19-22 (or listen to the audio) again.65. What does hoc (line 19) refer to?(a) Calpurnia’s love for Pliny(b) Pliny’s love for Calpurnia(c) Calpurnia’s reason for loving Pliny66. Notice the verb decet, which exists only in the 3rd person singular:hoc decet Calpurniam.This befits Calpurnia.This translation makes it clear why Calpurniam is in the accusative case, but “befits” is a rather unusual verb,and it would be more natural to say:This is proper for Calpurnia (or, with vero, This is entirely proper for Calpurnia.)67. Pliny does not name Calpurnia, but refers to her as puellam tuis manibus educatam, a phrase which turns hispraise of Calpurnia into a compliment to somebody else. Who? Translate the phrase.68. What does Pliny say Calpurnia has been accustomed to do (lines 20-21)? What has caused this?69. It is natural that after the death of Calpurnia’s mother (probably several years earlier than this letter) Hispullatook a share in Calpurnia’s upbringing; this became more important when Hispulla’s brother Calpurnius,Calpurnia’s father, died, leaving Calpurnia as an orphan. (See family tree.) Hispulla and Fabatus, andCalpurnius before his death, may have begun to consider possible husbands for Calpurnia when she was quitesmall, and at some point their thoughts turned to Pliny. Their family came from Pliny’s native town of Comum,where grandfather Fabatus was responsible for managing Pliny’s estates; another point in Pliny’s favour washis gloria, referred to proudly in line 19. (The Roman attitude to praising oneself was utterly different from theEnglish view; and in any case Pliny was famous, as one of Rome’s leading barristers, who became consulbefore he was forty.) So the two families might have been discussing a possible marriage between Pliny andCalpurnia for some time (though hardly during the lifetime of Pliny’s previous wife!) and Hispulla may wellhave set out to build up an attractive picture of Pliny in Calpurnia’s eyes, as Pliny claims (amare me ex tuapraedicatione consuevit, lines 20-21).70. What do both Pliny and Calpurnia therefore do (line 21)?71. What exactly are Pliny and Calpurnia thanking Hispulla for (line 22)? (Hint: what is the point of dederis (fromdo)?) How does Pliny use pairs of pronouns to show that his gratitude to Hispulla is exactly matched byCalpurnia’s? (Compare the first four words in line 22 with the next four.)72. Translate lines 19-22.73. At the time of the marriage, Pliny was about forty, and had been married twice before; both wives died. From theway in which he talks about Calpurnia to Hispulla, what impression do you have of Calpurnia’s age? See Noteon the following page for the answer.74* How does Pliny regard Calpurnia? (You are not restricted to one choice; where possible, quote in Latin from theletter to support your view)item of propertyequal partnergiver of loveperson with the same interests as himselfmanager of the householdsex objectgiver of supportfellow human beingreceiver of lovedaughterother75* Compare Pliny’s comments with those of Claudia’s husband in Epitaph to Claudia. Do any details appear in bothmen’s descriptions of their wives?76. If you have access to a complete translation of Pliny’s letters, you may be interested in the three he wrote toCalpurnia: Book VI letters 4 and 7 and in particular Book VII letter 5. You might then revisit the list in question 74and consider whether you would make any change to your previous answer.WJEC Level 2 Latin Literature Unit 9541 Love and Marriage 91