6.7

A letter from Pliny to his wife Calpurnia. This is one of three letters to Calpurnia along with letters 6.4 and 7.5.

(1)

adficī: pres. pass. infin., in indirect statement: "are moved," "are affected." OLD afficio 6.

absentiā meā: ablative of cause.

nōn mediocriter: “not moderately,” i.e. "very much" (litotes). 

quod: refers back to sōlācium, “a comfort, (namely) that.…”

prō mē: “instead of me.”

libellōs meōs: in 4.19 we learned of Calpurnia's deep interest in her husband's literary efforts (Poteat).

teneās: “you embrace,” (Merrill), subjunctive because the subordinate clause represents the thoughts of another, not the speaker. Likewise collocēs.

in vestīgiō meō: “in my place,” i.e. likely his side of the bed. One can picture her snuggling up with his speeches and letters. 

"in the place where I liked to sit, recline, etc." (Church and Brodribb).

"in my place (beside you)" (Poteat).

(2)

Grātum est quod: substantive clause, “it’s pleasing that….”

nōs: poetic plural, which does not sound as pompous as the English "royal we." Works both as, “me,” and as, “us,” as in she misses their relationship. 

requīris: “you miss” (Kingery).

grātum quod: repeated from earlier this time without the est. The repetition with asyndeton is indicative of lively emotion.

quod ... adquiescis: “that you find rest (or comfort) in these consolations” (Montague). The indicative shows the speaker vouches for the truth of the claim. Likewise adquiēscis.

invicem:  “in return.”

“in my turn,” (Merrill).

lēctitō: “I read repeatedly,” “I pore over.”

"I read again and again" (Poteat).

(3)

eō: ablative degree of difference with magis; “by so much,” “even more.”

ad desiderium: ad + acc., “towards longing.”

tuī: “for you,” obj. gen. (Kingery).

accendor: "I am inflamed," a vivid and poetic word. LS accendo II.

cuius: “(a person) whose.”

litterae: the word is apparently plural in meaning, but is precisely synonymous with epistulās above. The plurality is further indicated by the plural sermōnibus in connection with it (Merrill).

tantum … quantum: correlative conjunctions, “so much … how much.…” Both of these words take genitives of the whole to complete their meaning.

huius: “of this person.” This is the same person whose letters held such sweetness above. The implication is how much better it must be to be in her actual presence.

quam frequentissimē: superlative adv., “as frequently as possible.” LS quam I.A. AG 291.c.

licet: concessive, “even though,” introducing subjunctive verbs (dēlectet ... torqueat), as normal when licet is a conjunction (LS licet II.A).

ita ... ut: correlatives denoting that two things are in the same condition or category (LS ita II.A.2.α): "both ... and," "as much as."