Lines 387-452

Question 1

What is Ecphrasis?

Answer 1

Setting a scene by painting a picture for the audience.

Question 2

Where is the Carpathian Sea

Answer 2

Between Crete and Rhodes

Question 3

Hediadys

Answer 3

The expression of a single idea by two words connected with ‘and’

Question 4

‘piscibus…et…bipedum equorum’

yoked by fish and two footed horses

Answer 4

Hendiadys to describe seahorses.

Question 5

Pallene

Answer 5

Town in Macedonia

Either Proteus’ homeland or a place he moved to from Egypt

Question 6

Nereus

Answer 6

Father of the Nereids

Question 7

‘trahantur’

are destined

Answer 7

Metaphor

Drawing out the threads of fate.

Question 8

‘Ipsa ego, te, medios cum sol accenderit aestus…’

When the sun has gathered midday heat, when the grass thirsts…

Answer 8

Contrast with excessive cold of Orpheus’ landscape.

Question 9

‘Fiet enim subito sus horridus atraque tigris
squamosusque draco et fulva cervice leaena’
For suddenly he will become a bristling boar, and a hateful tiger, and a scaly serpent, and a lioness with tawny mane

Answer 9

Polysyndeton of ‘and’ and ‘or’- build up of terrifying imagery.

Question 10

Polysyndeton

Answer 10

The repetition of conjunctions

Question 11

Homeric version of Proteus’ shape shifting

Answer 11

Warns: Proteus will become earth, water and fire.
Actually: becomes a lion, serpent, leopard, boar, water and a tree.

Question 12

Vergilian version of Proteus’ shape shifting

Answer 12

Warns: Boar, tigress, serpent, lioness, fire and water.
Actually: becomes fire, beast and water.

Question 13

Diction

Answer 13

The mark of quality of the writing. Also understood s a selection of words/ phrases that become peculiar to a writer.

Question 14

‘aut acrem flammae sonitum dabit atque ita vinclis
excidet, aut in aquas tenues dilapsus abibit.’
or he will give out the fierce roar of flames, and in this way he will slip his bonds,
or he will disappear into tenuous water, having dissolved.

Answer 14

Highly fantastic diction. Unimaginable imagery- Proteus is a cunning character

Question 15

‘quanto/tanto’ and ‘talis/quantem’

‘however/by so much’ and ‘in such a way/such as’

Answer 15

Polyptoton emphasises struggle between Proteus and Aristaeus.

Question 16

Polyptoton

Answer 16

Repetition of the same word in different forms.

Question 17

‘Perduxit’

Drenched

Answer 17

Rare meaning of the word

Question 18

‘dulcis compositis spiravit crinibus aura’

thus a sweet fragrance breathed from his ordered hair

Answer 18

GOLDEN LINE
Shows perfume wafting in front of him(?)
Rare, not used as a clausula.

Question 19

‘dulcis compositis spiravit crinibus aura’
thus a sweet fragrance breathed from his ordered hair
(Emphasis on dulcis)

Answer 19

Spondee. Fills whole first foot.

Question 20

Spondee

Answer 20

Metrical foot consisting of two long syllables.

Question 21

Ictus

Answer 21

When the natural stress of a word is overruled by its position on the line, creating a clash between its normal pronunciation and how it has to be pronounced for the metre.

Question 22

‘Est Specus ingens’

There is a huge cave

Answer 22

Comes after a heavy stop in the fourth foot.
Conflict between accent and ictus.
Introduces the following ecphrasis with power and emphasis.

Question 23

‘sinus scindit sese’

Answer 23

Sibilance to represent waves on the sand

Question 24

‘Iam rapidus torrens sitientes Sirius Indos ardebat caelo, et medium sol igneus orbem hauserat; arebant herbae et cava flumina siccis faucibus ad limum radii tepefacta coquebant:’
Now the Sirius blazed in the sky, fiercely parching
the thirsty Indians, and the fiery sun had consumed
half his course: the grasses withered, and deep rivers having been heated
were baking, by the rays at their parched sources, down to the mud:

Answer 24

Dogstar scorching Indians: Summer
Sun: Midday.
Almost every word emphasises intensity of heat.

Question 25

‘umida’

moist

Answer 25

In contrast to previous description of hot landscapes.

Question 26

‘Sternunt se somno diversae in litore phocae.’

The seals lay themselves about in sleep here and there on the shore

Answer 26

Spondaic movement- leisurely activity of Proteus.

Sibilance- reflects scorching sun on their skin.

Question 27

‘velut stabuli custos in montibus olim’
just like the guardian
of a sheepfold on the hills used to

Answer 27

Simile
Also in Homeric original.
Reminder of Georgics being bucolic (pastoral)

Question 28

‘cum clamore ruit magno manicisque iacentem
occupat.’
when he rushed on him, with a great shout, and seized him

Answer 28

Enjambment

Enforces sense of drama

Question 29

‘confidentissime’

boldest (of youths)

Answer 29

Polysyllabic superlative-demeans Aristaeus (combined with iuvenes) - more commonly found in comedies

Question 30

Diaeresis

Answer 30

Separating what would normally be one syllable into two.

Question 31

‘sed tu desine velle. Deum praecepta secuti’

but you want to cease. Having followed divine counsel

Answer 31

Odd rhythm. Uses Diaeresis after ‘desine’ and a heavy pause after the trochee

Question 32

Trochee

Answer 32

An irregular foot of one long and then one short syllable.

Question 33

‘Tantum effatus. Ad haec vates vi denique multa’

So he spoke. At that the seer, at last twisted by great force,

Answer 33

Also odd rhythm.

Staccato effect.

Question 34

‘fatis’

for the fates

Answer 34

Greatly contributes to the depiction of Proteus’ oracular ecstasy.