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retinacula: retinaculum, usually pl., rope, tether, rein.

abrumpit: abrumpere,to break, throw off.

76. perseverantem: sc. quam from the preceding cl., which continuing = its persistence.

constantia:by his steadfast resolution (to commit suicide).

78. Hispulla: perhaps Calpurnia Hispulla, an aunt of Pliny’s wife.

C. Geminium: otherwise unknown, as is Julius Atticus below.

79. suis: refers back to Hispulla, not to Geminius.

80. a quo…posset: REL. CL. OF PURPOSE.

82. nihil…ne: together an emphatic negative.

impetraturum: sc. esse; from impetrare, to obtain, accomplish.

83. induruisse: sc. eum (Corellius).

sane: adv., indeed.

84. kekrika: Greek, I have decided, my mind is made up.

89. superstitibus suis: with his own (family) surviving (him).

florente re publica: i.e., during the reign of Nerva (A.D. 96–98) or possibly of Trajan (A.D. 98–117).

 

Corellius’ desire to outlive the tyrannous Domitian had buoyed him up for a while.

Veni ad eum Domitiani temporibus in suburbano iacentem. Servi e cubiculo recesserunt (habebat hoc moris, quotiens intrasset fidelior amicus); quin etiam uxor, quamquam omnis secreti 70 capacissima, digrediebatur. Circumtulit oculos et “Cur,” inquit, “me putas hos tantos dolores tam diu sustinere?—ut scilicet isti latroni vel uno die supersim.” Dedisses huic animo par corpus, fecisset quod optabat. Adfuit tamen deus voto, cuius ille compos, ut iam securus liberque moriturus, multa illa vitae sed 75 minora retinacula abrumpit. Increverat valetudo, quam temperantia mitigare temptavit; perseverantem constantia fugit.

Corellius’ wife, Hispulla, begged Pliny to dissuade him from his resolve to starve himself to death, but Corellius was determined.

Iam dies alter, tertius, quartus: abstinebat cibo. Misit ad me uxor eius Hispulla communem amicum C. Geminium cum tristissimo nuntio destinasse Corellium mori nec aut suis aut filiae 80 precibus flecti, solum superesse me a quo revocari posset ad vitam. Cucurri. Perveneram in proximum, cum mihi ab eadem Hispulla Iulius Atticus nuntiat nihil iam ne me quidem impetraturum; tam obstinate magis ac magis induruisse. Dixerat sane medico admoventi cibum: “Kekrika,” quae vox quantum admirationis 85 in animo meo tantum desiderii reliquit.

Pliny pays tribute to his friend and asks Tiro to write him some extraordinary words of consolation to suit his extraordinary grief.

Cogito quo amico, quo viro caream. Implevit quidem annum septimum et sexagesimum, quae aetas etiam robustissimis satis longa est; scio. Evasit perpetuam valetudinem; scio. Decessit superstitibus suis, florente re publica, quae illi omnibus 90 suis carior erat; et hoc scio. Ego tamen tamquam et iuvenis et fortissimi morte doleo, doleo autem (licet me imbecillum putes) meo nomine. Amisi enim, amisi vitae meae testem, rectorem, magistrum. In summa dicam quod recenti dolore contubernali meo Calvisio dixi: “Vereor ne neglegentius vivam.” Proinde adhibe 95 solacia mihi, non haec, “Senex erat, infirmus erat” (haec enim novi), sed nova aliqua, sed magna quae audierim numquam, legerim numquam. Nam quae audivi, quae legi sponte succurrunt, sed tanto dolore superantur. Vale.

91. morte: ABL. OF CAUSE.

morte doleo, doleo…nomine (92): CHIASMUS.

licet: here, although.

imbecillum:weak, suggesting that Pliny lacks the Stoicism of his dear friend.

92. meo nomine: my name = myself.

testem: testis,witness; here, observer, guardian.

93. contubernali: contubernalis, comrade.

94. Calvisio: Calvisius Rufus, a friend and business advisor of Pliny’s from Comum, and the addressee of several of his letters.

neglegentius: i.e., without concern even for his own well-being.

adhibe: adhibere,to hold to, apply, show, provide.

96. audierim: = audiverim; note the difference between quae audierim, the kind, which I have (never) heard (REL. CL. OF CHARACTERISTIC) and quae audivi, those which I have (actually) heard.

97. sponte: here, spontaneously, naturally.

100. longum est: idiom, it is long = it would be a long story.

altius: adv.; i.e., in more detail.

refert: idiom, it matters.

acciderit: accidere,to fall, happen, take place; impers., it happens.

101. ut…cenarem: NOUN CL. OF RESULT, subj. of acciderit.

homo minime familiaris: lit., (I) a person not at all intimate, only slightly acquainted.

Are sens

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