Pliny - My Lovely Wife Flashcards
Who is this letter to and what is it about?
To Hispulia - his wife’s aunt
He is telling her how amazing his wife is and how much he loves his wife
Thanks her for bringing him and his wife together
Quote - Pliny talking about his wife’s worth
“She is worthy of her father and her grandfather” - worthy of her ancestors - shows importance of living up to your heritage
Quote x 3 - things Pliny admires about his wife
“She learns them by heart” - talking about his books - shows she cares about his career and he loves the fact that she is so interested in him and his work
“She listens to my praises with the most eager ears” - again shows her clear devotion, his opinion means a lot to her
“She sets them to music” - talking about his poems - she is not musically trained, he values her musical talent
Quote - What does Pliny think she loves about him?
“For it is not my age or my body… that she loves but my reputation” - in Roman times, reputation was everything
Quote - What does Pliny think of their marriage?
He is sure that “marital bliss will be everlasting for us” - shows his idealised view of marriage - but also his happiness in the relationship
What are the two key things Pliny focuses on in this letter?
How his wife is worthy of her ancestors (important in Roman times)
He measures her value by how much she is good to him, how much she loves him, and how far she goes to please him
What number letter is this?
Letter 4:19
