Sulpicia 3.18 Notes

Question 1

What joins this poem to the previous one?

Answer 1

Paradosis

Question 2

What was thought to be all one poem?

Answer 2

3.17 and 3.18

Question 3

What are some syntactical features Sulpicia uses?

Answer 3

Comparatives
Iussive subjunctives
Focused use of ‘iam’ and ‘nunc’
‘Quod’ noun clauses
Infinitives as penultimate word in pentameter and perfect infinitives as penultimate word in hexameter (perfect infinitives generally)

Question 4

What is the effect of having an infinitive as the penultimate word in a pentameter line?

Answer 4

Gives a trochee shape

Question 5

What are elegiac poets’ style with regards to infinitives?

Answer 5

They are fond of perfect infinitives and often use it when a present infinitive would be expected

Question 6

Why does Sulpicia use infinitives?

Answer 6

Metrical convenience

Question 7

What is colloquial here?

Answer 7

‘Ne tibi sim… si’

Question 8

How do we know Sulpicia uses real colloquialism in the first line?

Answer 8

Kühner-Stegmann confirms it and Cicero’s uses

Question 9

How does this poem link to Catullus’ poetry?

Answer 9

‘Si quicquam’

Structurally with one long sentence

Question 10

In prose, what case would you expect ‘cura’ to be in?

Answer 10

Dative

Question 11

What phrase is not found elsewhere?

Answer 11

‘Fervida cura’

Question 12

What style/ case is ‘mea lux’?

Answer 12

Vocative address

Question 13

Who does ‘mea lux’ normally refer to in poetry?

Answer 13

A woman

Question 14

Does ‘cuius’ refer to ‘quicquam’?

Answer 14

Yes

Question 15

What is a common phrase from here in Ovid?

Answer 15

‘Paenituisse (sic)’

Question 16

What is a poetic phrase?

Answer 16

‘Hesterna… nocte’

Question 17

Which word is regular in prose?

Answer 17

Heri

Question 18

What does Sulpicia show here?

Answer 18

A gender role reversal

Question 19

What is ‘ardor’?

Answer 19

The fire of love

Question 20

How is the last line climactic?

Answer 20

4 word pentameter

Question 21

How many sentences is this poem?

Answer 21

1

Question 22

What could dactyls show?

Answer 22

She is angry and is genuinely worries about what she has done

Question 23

What does Sulpicia call herself?

Answer 23

Stupid

Question 24

What are the different time frames used?

Answer 24

‘Iam’
‘Paucos ante… dies’
‘Tota… iuventa’
‘Hesterna… noctem

Question 25

Why has she used different time frames?

Answer 25

Considered, clever structuring, intricate and to show she is in control of herself

Question 26

Which two lines are spondeic?

Answer 26

3 and 5

Question 27

Where does ‘fuisse’ link back to?

Answer 27

Poem 3.13

Question 28

Why does she finish the poem with ‘meum’?

Answer 28

Stylistic to get him to focus on her

Question 29

Why does she compose herself?

Answer 29

This is important to her

Question 30

What tone is this poem?

Answer 30

Apologetic

Question 31

Was it a mutual agreement to keep quiet about their love?

Answer 31

No which is why she is apologetic

Question 32

How does Sulpicia feel during this poem?

Answer 32

Seriously worried for their relationship and embarrassed after she did something wrong

Question 33

What could Sulpicia have done to be apologetic about?

Answer 33

Blanked Cerinthus as the forum or pretended they weren’t together. Playing hard to get or didn’t want to discuss relationship in front of certain people present?

Question 34

What is the message in this poem?

Answer 34

Things were good in the recent past but she cannot deserve it if she has done something wrong

Question 35

What is interesting about the sequence of the poem?

Answer 35

She leaves her mistake until the end to create tension and show she is ashamed to mention it. Puts it off.

Question 36

What is ‘mea lux’ a term of?

Answer 36

Affection

Question 37

What can we infer from the expression ‘mea lux’?

Answer 37

As this poem was written by Sulpicia perhaps this was a favourite expression of hers

Question 38

The phrase with ‘aeque’ uses the indicative or subjunctive?

Answer 38

Indicative

Question 39

What case is ‘tota iuventa’? What does this show?

Answer 39

Ablative of time and because Sulpicia is still young, it means throughout her whole life

Question 40

What sort of words does she use?

Answer 40

Contracted

Question 41

What does the heavy spondees suggest?

Answer 41

She is speaking slowly and deliberately to try hard to convince Cerinthus

Question 42

What precedes ‘cuius’?

Answer 42

‘Quicquam’

Question 43

What is ‘quod’?

Answer 43

A conjunction not relative pronoun

Question 44

What else links to 3.13?

Answer 44

She insists their love should not be hidden