[1-2] omnibus: etc., i.e. who alone of all my friends art dearer to me than all the rest put together, however many they be. The ablative phrase is used in its ordinary partitive sense modifying the vocative directly, while milibus depends upon antistans, amicis being readily supplied from the partitive phrase.
[2] mihi: in my feeling.
[2] milibus trecentis: two numerals commonly used independentiy of indefinite multitude (for milia see Catul. 5.7 ff.; Catul. 35.8, etc.; for trecenti, Catul. 11.18; Catul. 12.10; Catul. 29.14) are here combined for additional emphasis, as in Catul. 48.3; cf. also Catul. 95.3 “milia quingenta” .
[4] unanimos: the word occurs in Plautus only once (Pl. Stich. 729), but was apparently a favorite with Catullus, occurring thrice (Catul. 9.4; Catul. 30.1; Catul. 66.80), though it is not used by Horace, the elegiasts, or Martial. Vergil, however, employs it thrice.
[4] anum: cf. the adjectival use also in Catul. 68.46; Catul. 78b.1ff. Catul. 4.1ff. Plautus uses the word as an adjective only once. but the elegiasts and later prose writers more frequently.
[5] nuntii: plural, though of a single message; cf. also the neuter plural in Catul. 63.75.
[6] Hiberum: possibly used as a general term for Spaniards, but more likely indicating that Veranius had been in the nearer province.
[7] loca, facta, nationes: the country, its history, and the tribes which inhabit it.
[8] ut mos est tuus: as this was not the last so perhaps it was not the first time that Veranius had visited foreign shores, and he apparently had some reputation among his friends as a raconteur.
[8] applicans collum: i.e. pulling your face toward mine, with arm around the neck.
[9] os oculosque saviabor: the union of the two nouns is common; cf. Cic. Phil. 8.7.20 “ante os oculosque legatorum” ; Verg. A. 8.152 “ille os oculosque loquentis lustrabat lumine;” also the English saying before my very face and eyes. On the kissing of the eyes, cf. Catul. 45.11f.; Catul. 48.1f.; Q. Cic. Fam. 16.27.2 “tuos oculos dissaviabor.”
[10] o: the interjection is used not with the quantum-clause as vocative, but with the exclamatory clause following; cf. Catul. 31.7. With similar triumphant appeal are closed Catul. 9.1ff. and Catul. 107.1ff., and with an indignant appeal, Catul. 29.1ff., Catul. 47.1ff., Catul. 52.1ff., and Catul. 60.1ff.
[10] quantum: etc., a partitive clause modifying quid; cf. Pl. Capt. 835; mihi quantumst hominum optumorum optume; and similar passages cited in Catul. 1.8n. quidquid hoc libelli.
[11] quid: etc., the neuter is not very rare in Latin in similar sweeping appeals. With the general expression, cf. Catul. 107.7; Ter. Eun. 1031 “ecquis me hodie vivit fortunatior ?”
