Virgil's Georgics: Lines 333-353 Notes Flashcards
This part of the epyllion is based on the Iliad book 18. How?
When Thetis hears Achilles’ cries and summons her nymphs
How does Virgil produce a highly pictorial scene here?
Slows the narrative down with long descriptive passages in which he employs his expertise at Greek words
What is special about the fleeces from Miletus?
The beauty of the fleeces from Miletus was legendary
How does Virgil exaggerate the number of nymphs present?
Polysyndeton
What is polysyndeton?
Many conjunctives used
Where did Virgil get the inspiration to list the sea nymphs?
Homer’s list of Nereids in Iliad book 18 though the names are different
Why are there square brackets around line 338?
This line is omitted by many scholars
Where do you also see line 338?
Aeneid book 5
How does Virgil create pathos on line 339?
Epanalepsis
What is epanalepsis?
Repetition of the same word with an intervening word in between
Explain the use of ‘Lucina’
Lucina is a goddess of childbirth so her name is synonymous with childbirth itself - do not know why Virgil decided to make this reference
What technique is ‘Oceanitides’?
Patronymic epithet
What is patronymic epithet?
Describing people by referencing their father
What profession was Arethusa before she became a sea nymph?
Huntress
Who else was a huntress before becoming a sea nymph?
Clio and Beroe
Who is Vulcan’s wife?
Venus
Clymene’s song is well-known. What is it about?
Mars seduced Vulcan’s wife, Venus
When would you sing Clymene’s song?
While weaving
What does ‘curam … inanem’ show?
Vulcan’s vain attempts to prevent Mars seducing his wife
What is Chaos?
The original state of the world before the Gods organised it
Where is there synchesis?
Line 349
What is synchesis?
Scattered words
What does the synchesis show?
The strong link between a child’s cries and his mother’s ears
What enforces the meaning of the word ‘obstipuere’?
The enjambment and strong break after it
Where are litotes used?
Line 353 ‘non frustra’
What are litotes?
Use a negative to reinforce a positive
What does line 353 actually mean?
Cyrene’s fears are correct and she recognises the cries of her son as any mother would
Why is ‘sensit’ emphatic?
Draws attention that she felt it instead of just heard it
Why did Virgil describe it as the ‘river’s depths’?
More descriptive and poetic
Why is it significant that the nymphs had white necks?
Suggests purity; High status people had were pale and slaves would be tanned with dirt or sun
What does spurious mean?
Not sure if it should be there or not
How is the idea of one nymph going through childbirth pathos?
Virginal life is over
Who was Vulcan?
God of fire that worked as a blacksmith in volcanoes - was lame
What case is ‘maternas’? What is is translated as?
Genitive but is used as an adjective (accusative)
What effect does it give in describing Aristaeus as ‘striking’ Cyrene?
Aggressive
Which word on line 353 is missed out in latin?
‘called’
