Pliny Letters 'Regulus'

Question 0

assem para et accipe auream fabulam, fabulas immo;

Answer 0

Get a penny out and hear an excellent story, or rather, stories;

• chiastic
• heightens contrast

Question 1

C. PLINIUS CALVISIO SUO S.

Answer 1

Caius Pliny sends greetings to his friend Calvisius.

Question 2

nam me priorum nova admonuit,

Answer 2

For the new story has reminded me of earlier stories,

• juxtaposition
• old+new together

Question 3

nec refert a qua incipiam.

Answer 3

and it does not matter with which I shall begin.

Question 4

Verania graviter iacebat: ad hanc Regulus venit.

Answer 4

Verania was lying gravely ill; Regulus came to her.

Question 5

Primum impudentiam hominis, qui venerit ad aegram,

Answer 5

Firstly the shamelessness of the man, in coming to a sick woman

Question 6

cuius marito inimicissimus, ipsi invisissimus fuerat!

Answer 6

to whose husband he had been the greatest enemy, and by Verania herself had also been very detested!

• hissing sounds
• hatred,dislike, ssssnake
• he prosecuted Piso and and mutilated his head

Question 7

esto, si venit tantum; at ille etiam proximus toro sedit;

Answer 7

It would have been enough if he had only visited her; but he even sat very close to her bed;

-superlative, reinforced by etiam

Question 8

quo die, qua hora nata esset interrogavit.

Answer 8

he asked her on what day and at what hour she had been born.

• Asyndeton, lack of connection
• quickens pace
• ablatives “time, when”

Question 9

ubi audivit, componit vultum, intendit oculos, movet labra,

Answer 9

When he heard, he fixed his expression, strained his eyes, moved his lips,

• historic present
• Asyndeton
• quickens pace
• dramatic
• vivid

Question 10

agitat digitos, computat. nihil.

Answer 10

moved his fingers quickly and made calculations. Nothing.

• verb first
• shows he is in the act of thinking,confusion

Question 11

ubi diu miseram exspectatione suspendit,

Answer 11

When he had kept the wretched woman in suspense for a long time,

• emphatic positioning
• diu, miseram, shows length of her misery

Question 12

‘habes’ inquit ‘climacterium tempus sed evades.

Answer 12

He says “you have a critical situation but you will escape it.

Question 13

quod ut tibi magis liqueat, haruspicem consulam,

Answer 13

So that it may become clearer to you, I will consult a soothsayer

Question 14

quem frequenter expertus sum.’

Answer 14

whom I have used frequently.’

Question 15

sine mora, sacrificium facit, affirmat exta cum siderum

Answer 15

Without delay, he made a sacrifice and declared that the entrails

• historic present, vividness
• Asyndeton

Question 16

significatione congruere.

Answer 16

agreed with the indication of the stars.

Question 17

illa, ut in periculo credula, poscit testamentum,

Answer 17

Verania, as you might expect in a dangerous situation, was ready to believe anything, asked for her will and

Question 18

legatum Regulo scribit.

Answer 18

wrote a legacy for Regulus.

Question 19

mox ingravescit, clamat moriens hominem scelestum

Answer 19

Soon she grew worse, and dying she shouted that the man was wicked,

-hominem the species- a creature not a man (virum)

Question 20

perfidumque ac plus etiam quam periurum esse,

Answer 20

treacherous and even more than perjured,

• PER strengthens wickedness
• perjury was the worse form of deceit, worse than an oath breaker

Question 21

qui sibi per salutem filii peieravisset.

Answer 21

Since he had sworn falsely to her on the safety of his son.

Question 22

facit hoc Regulus non minus scelerate quam frequenter,

Answer 22

Regulus does this as wickedly as he does it often,

-facit, emphatic, action first (before kindness)

Question 23

Quod iram deorum, quos ipse cotidie fallit, in caput infelicis pueri detestatur.

Answer 23

Since he calls down the anger of the gods, whom he himself cheats daily, on the head of the unfortunate boy.

-the boy died 5yrs later

Question 24

Velleius Blaesus, ille dives consularis, novissima velutadine conflictabatur:

Answer 24

Velleius Blasus, that wealthy ex-consul, was afflicted with a terminal illness:

Question 25

cupiebat mutare testamentum.

Answer 25

he wanted to change his will.

Question 26

Regulus, qui sperabat aliquid ex novo testamento,

Answer 26

Regulus, who was hoping for something from the new will,

Question 27

quia nuper captare eum coeperat, medicos hortari

Answer 27

because he had recently begun to win his favour, encouraged the doctors

• captare, friendship implies legacy hunting
• hortari, historic infinitives, emphasises urgency

Question 28

et rogare ut quoquo modo vitam hominis prorogarent.

Answer 28

and asked them to prolong the man’s life by whatever means they could.

Question 29

postquam signatum est testamentum, mutat personam,

Answer 29

After the will was signed, Regulus changed his tune,

• mutat,changed
• personam is a mask worn by actors, hidden face

Question 30

vertit adlocutionem eisdemque medicis:

Answer 30

altered his tone and said to these doctors:

Question 31

‘quousque’ inquit ‘miserum cruciatis?

Answer 31

“How ling are you going to torture the wretched man?

Question 32

cur invidetis bona morte, cui dare vitam non potestis?’

Answer 32

Wy do you begrudge him a good death to a man to whom you cannot give life?”

• contrast
• chiasmus
• aggressive

Question 33

moritur Blaesus et, tamquam omnia audivisset, Regulo ne tantulum quidem.

Answer 33

Blaesus died and, as if he had heard everything, did not leave Regulus the least amount

• moritor, emphatic
• tantulum: diminuitive, omission of main verb shows informality