Stylistic Features 1-10 Flashcards
publica et privata
- used 3 times, meaning not entirely clear
- different references each time: 1st - sacrifices on behalf of whole tribe or individuals , 2nd - disputes between tribes eg border or criminal and civil, 3rd - same as 1st, on behalf
- pleasant sounding alliteration EMPHASISING DRUIDS BREADTH OF INFLUENCE
religiones
packed with meaning
- must include every aspect of Gauls’ polytheistic culture
- denotes not just doctrines but all the associated phenomena such as signs, omens, prophecies and feelings of worshippers (3rd passage p162)
rebus divinis … sacrificia … religiones
3 parallel phrases = rhetorical device ‘tricolon’
ASYNDETON - omission of conjunction (and)
concurrit
- compound verb; unity, strong verb; enthusiasm
- verb implies > trickle. Stampede of men
- present tense for immediacy, literary technique ‘HISTORIC PRESENT’
- makes scene vivid for reader
discendi causa
-neat use of gerund discendi makes clear Druids were seen as teachers ‘par excellence’
magnoque…honore.
- emphatically ends sentence w noun honore instead of verb to emphasise v high esteem Druids are held in
- parenthesising with adjective magno
controversiis publicis privatisque
unclear what focus is
Disputes could be civil or criminal, disagreements between tribe or arguments between individuals in same tribe
si… facinus, si caedes, si… controversia
-anaphora of si
-asyndeton
-3 parallel clauses = tricolon
Lengthy sentence shows wide scope and range of expertise of Druids power of arbitration (anything from murder to squabbles)
sacrificiis interdicunt
- sacrifices were an integral part of culture so the ban must have hit the victim hard
- form of excommunication, like being exiled but not leaving country
- more serious than being ‘sent to coventry’
gravissima
Forceful superlative adjective - emphasises seriousness
praemia poenasque
breadth and scope of Druids decisions
Punishments, rewards and all in between
