Sulpicia 3.14 Notes

Question 1

What is another name for a birthday poem?

Answer 1

Genethliakon

Question 2

What is the normal tradition surrounding girlfriends’ birthdays? What has she done?

Answer 2

Tradition to celebrate girlfriend’s birthday but she de-celebrates

Question 3

Could Sulpicia have refused to go to the country estate to celebrate her birthday?

Answer 3

Not easily

Question 4

Why is her birthday hated?

Answer 4

She doesn’t want to go to the country estate to celebrate it but it was hard to refuse

Question 5

Who is this poem addressed to?

Answer 5

Messalla

Question 6

What is the motif of this poem?

Answer 6

A girl out of reach in a country villa

Question 7

What is the cycle of her poems about?

Answer 7

Sulpicia’s birthday and Cerinthus’ celebrations

Question 8

What is the change in tone?

Answer 8

From ‘tristis’ to ‘dulcius’

Question 9

What sort of argument is she creating? What would make it more humorous?

Answer 9

A humorously indirect one. It is completely addressed to Messalla

Question 10

Who else had an Arretine villa?

Answer 10

Atticus - confident of Cicero

Question 11

If Messalla is in Arretian fields what does that suggest about the area?

Answer 11

Attractive and ‘flash’

Question 12

What is contrary to elegiac practice?

Answer 12

Having ‘atque’ before a consonant

Question 12

What is in favour of the poem and Sulpicia’s genuineness?

Answer 12

The unobviousness of ‘Arezzo’

Question 13

What season could this be in? Why?

Answer 13

Winter. ‘Frigidus amnis’ or ‘frigidus annus’

Question 14

What does she mean by ‘you are too fond’?

Answer 14

You worry about me too much

Question 15

Which word is colloquial in line 5?

Answer 15

‘Quiescas’

Question 16

Is ‘quiescas’ a frequent word?

Answer 16

Yes

Question 17

What is slightly confusing about her address to Messalla?

Answer 17

‘Propinque’ is quite a general term for uncle or other close relative. Why did she use such a general term?

Question 18

What case is ‘propinque’?

Answer 18

Vocative

Question 19

Which part is humorous?

Answer 19

The idea of her being abducted by Messalla is a hyperbole

Question 20

Who is ‘sinis’ addressed to?

Answer 20

Messalla

Question 21

What is the normal idiomatic case with ‘arbitrio’? What would the phrase mean if it was genitive?

Answer 21

Genitive with esse. ‘Be under my control, within my competence’

Question 22

Why is the phrase ‘arbitrio’ instead?

Answer 22

For active verbs

Question 23

The genitive of neuter verbs gives what?

Answer 23

A pause

Question 24

How many times is Cerinthus mentioned in this poem?

Answer 24

There is only one

Question 25

Where is Arretium?

Answer 25

Northern Etruria. A town in Tuscany near Messalla’s villa

Question 26

Where is there a parallel to poem 3.15?

Answer 26

‘Agendus’ and ‘tristis’

Question 27

Why does Sulpicia complain about Messalla’s cares?

Answer 27

She has no freedom

Question 28

What do we infer about Sulpicia’s life from this poem?

Answer 28

Her father is dead so she is living, unmarried, with Messalla

Question 29

How do we know ‘molesto’ goes with ‘rure’ not ‘Cerintho’?

Answer 29

Modifies nearer noun

Question 30

Does Sulpicia ever address Cerinthus as affectionately as Catullus does with Lesbia?

Answer 30

No

Question 31

How does she address Cerinthus?

Answer 31

In a negative way all the time. In this poem she is referring to their potential separation

Question 32

How do we know that ‘frigidus’ is figurative?

Answer 32

The river referred to is the Arno river which is not notably cold

Question 33

What is ‘Arretino agro’?

Answer 33

Ablative of place or separation

Question 34

What is ‘propinque’?

Answer 34

A kinsman. Someone near and dear

Question 35

Which idiom is ‘arbitrio meo’ similar to? What effect is this?

Answer 35

‘Sua sponte’ and legalistic effect