Tibullus 1.1 Lines 21-40 Notes

Question 1

What is ‘tunc… nunc’ an elaboration of?

Answer 1

‘Quondam… nunc’ on line 19

Question 2

At the Ambarvalia, what did the size of an offering depend on?

Answer 2

The richness of the land and its produce

Question 3

What did the poet wish for in line 2 then line 25 then line 43?

Answer 3

Large acreage, living with little then a small crop is enough

Question 4

What is the effect of the apostrophes of Ceres and Lares?

Answer 4

Briefly dramatic. See the ceremony of sacrifice actually glimpsed

Question 5

What does the repetition of ‘agna’ do?

Answer 5

Elaborates the thought of the preceding distich

Question 6

What lessens the impact of the repeated ‘nunc’ and the sense of the earlier subjunctives?

Answer 6

The change of tense and mood

Question 7

What is ‘circum’?

Answer 7

Postposition

Question 8

What makes the reiteration of ‘iam modo iam’ effective?

Answer 8

Progression of time

Question 9

What is the indirect connection here?

Answer 9

Between Tibullus’ past behaviour and his former possessions in a happier era

Question 10

What might the exhortation of ‘possim’ suggest?

Answer 10

Positive desire or negative self-control

Question 11

What is the military reference of ‘deditus’?

Answer 11

Surrendering - perhaps this ambition led to his present circumstances

Question 12

What is ‘longae via’?

Answer 12

A euphemism for travel, normally military or for commercial purposes

Question 13

What are the thematic ideas linking to ‘via’?

Answer 13

Separation, insecurity, desire

Question 14

What is the rising Dog Star associated with?

Answer 14

Creative impulse and retreat from life’s pressures

Question 15

What is the rising dog star an emblem of here?

Answer 15

A ‘vita iners’ - the river passes by but the poet farmer remains constant. The soldier goes on long journeys but the poet remains in one spot

Question 16

How is ‘contentus’ a pun?

Answer 16

Tension between motion and rest, satisfaction and greed. The poet is content with having little and is held-in by confining shade of a tree

Question 17

What is the effect of ‘rivos’ and ‘ortus’ plural?

Answer 17

Makes the action habitual

Question 18

What is the contrast in line 29?

Answer 18

Suddenly there is an active life for the farmer

Question 19

What does ‘interdum’ suggest?

Answer 19

Only spurts of activity

Question 20

What does ‘pudeat’ suggest?

Answer 20

Revulsion overcome

Question 21

What is the effect of the impersonal verbs, renewed subjunctives and abruptness of ‘nec tamen’?

Answer 21

Alerts the reader’s imagination further while keeping the thoughts less directly orientated on the poet

Question 22

What does ‘increpuisse’ suggest?

Answer 22

Only use of words

Question 23

What does ‘stimulo’ suggest?

Answer 23

Carries it into deeds in the same phrase

Question 24

What is the difference between line 32 of Tibullus’ poem and the Eclogues?

Answer 24

The shepherd does not pick up the baby goat in the Eclogues because he is leaving the rural landscape entirely and not returning home. For Tibullus, the mother has only forgotten her offspring

Question 25

Where is the contrast in lines 33-34? What is the impact?

Answer 25

‘Exiguo… magno’ picks up opening lines

Question 26

What is the ‘real’ enemy of the rural landscape?

Answer 26

Humans and beasts

Question 27

What other job does Tibullus fulfil as well as ‘rusticus’?

Answer 27

Landowner’s role of priest to perform a sacrifice

Question 28

What is the effect of ‘hic’ on line 36?

Answer 28

Brings it to the present

Question 29

What was the Parilla? Describe it.

Answer 29

Feast on April 21 to celebrate Pales. Traditional foundation day of Rome. Milk and oil instead of wine used as libations. Only a goddess so ‘calmed’ can make the fields productive

Question 30

What is ‘adsitis, divi’?

Answer 30

A regular, ritualistic invitation by summary prayer

Question 31

What is the ‘mensa’?

Answer 31

Sacrificial table

Question 32

What is the message on line 38?

Answer 32

Poor in wealth not spirit

Question 33

What are the two meanings of ‘puris’?

Answer 33

Simple and unelaborate and clean and pure. Both a reflection of the poet’s way of life

Question 34

What were ‘fictilia’?

Answer 34

Earthenware vessels of little monetary value

Question 35

Which words in line 40 have a punning connection?

Answer 35

‘Fecit’ and ‘facili’ based off a false etymology

Question 36

What is the effect of referring to an old-time countryman?

Answer 36

Shows full awareness that religious worship and rural society are bastions of conservatism. Their combination virtually assures stability of a custom

Question 37

What is the Tibullan wordplay with ‘composuit luto’?

Answer 37

Luto meaning loosen or relax and ‘componere’ meaning ‘put together’

Question 38

What is ‘facili’?

Answer 38

Active and passive as in the mud is both pliable and helpful

Question 39

Where is there emphasis on line 40?

Answer 39

‘Que’ is displaced

Question 40

What device connects lines 40-44?

Answer 40

Homeotleuton

Question 41

What is homeotleuton?

Answer 41

Repetition of endings of words

Question 42

What does the homeotleuton create between lines 41-42 and 43-44?

Answer 42

Internal rhyme and rhyming couplets

Question 43

Which words contrast on lines 21-22?

Answer 43

‘Parva’ and ‘innumeros’

Question 44

What type of word is ‘pubes’?

Answer 44

Singular translated as plural

Question 45

What style of phrase is ‘iam modo iam’?

Answer 45

Colloquialism

Question 46

What type of verbs are ‘pudeat’ and ‘pigeat’?

Answer 46

Impersonal

Question 47

Where is there enjambment?

Answer 47

Lines 33-34 ‘parcite’

Question 48

What type of word is ‘petenda’?

Answer 48

Gerundive of obligation