Virgil's Georgics: Lines 333-353 Notes

Question 1

This part of the epyllion is based on the Iliad book 18. How?

Answer 1

When Thetis hears Achilles’ cries and summons her nymphs

Question 2

How does Virgil produce a highly pictorial scene here?

Answer 2

Slows the narrative down with long descriptive passages in which he employs his expertise at Greek words

Question 3

What is special about the fleeces from Miletus?

Answer 3

The beauty of the fleeces from Miletus was legendary

Question 4

How does Virgil exaggerate the number of nymphs present?

Answer 4

Polysyndeton

Question 5

What is polysyndeton?

Answer 5

Many conjunctives used

Question 6

Where did Virgil get the inspiration to list the sea nymphs?

Answer 6

Homer’s list of Nereids in Iliad book 18 though the names are different

Question 7

Why are there square brackets around line 338?

Answer 7

This line is omitted by many scholars

Question 8

Where do you also see line 338?

Answer 8

Aeneid book 5

Question 9

How does Virgil create pathos on line 339?

Answer 9

Epanalepsis

Question 10

What is epanalepsis?

Answer 10

Repetition of the same word with an intervening word in between

Question 11

Explain the use of ‘Lucina’

Answer 11

Lucina is a goddess of childbirth so her name is synonymous with childbirth itself - do not know why Virgil decided to make this reference

Question 12

What technique is ‘Oceanitides’?

Answer 12

Patronymic epithet

Question 13

What is patronymic epithet?

Answer 13

Describing people by referencing their father

Question 14

What profession was Arethusa before she became a sea nymph?

Answer 14

Huntress

Question 15

Who else was a huntress before becoming a sea nymph?

Answer 15

Clio and Beroe

Question 16

Who is Vulcan’s wife?

Answer 16

Venus

Question 17

Clymene’s song is well-known. What is it about?

Answer 17

Mars seduced Vulcan’s wife, Venus

Question 18

When would you sing Clymene’s song?

Answer 18

While weaving

Question 19

What does ‘curam … inanem’ show?

Answer 19

Vulcan’s vain attempts to prevent Mars seducing his wife

Question 20

What is Chaos?

Answer 20

The original state of the world before the Gods organised it

Question 21

Where is there synchesis?

Answer 21

Line 349

Question 22

What is synchesis?

Answer 22

Scattered words

Question 23

What does the synchesis show?

Answer 23

The strong link between a child’s cries and his mother’s ears

Question 24

What enforces the meaning of the word ‘obstipuere’?

Answer 24

The enjambment and strong break after it

Question 25

Where are litotes used?

Answer 25

Line 353 ‘non frustra’

Question 26

What are litotes?

Answer 26

Use a negative to reinforce a positive

Question 27

What does line 353 actually mean?

Answer 27

Cyrene’s fears are correct and she recognises the cries of her son as any mother would

Question 28

Why is ‘sensit’ emphatic?

Answer 28

Draws attention that she felt it instead of just heard it

Question 29

Why did Virgil describe it as the ‘river’s depths’?

Answer 29

More descriptive and poetic

Question 30

Why is it significant that the nymphs had white necks?

Answer 30

Suggests purity; High status people had were pale and slaves would be tanned with dirt or sun

Question 31

What does spurious mean?

Answer 31

Not sure if it should be there or not

Question 32

How is the idea of one nymph going through childbirth pathos?

Answer 32

Virginal life is over

Question 33

Who was Vulcan?

Answer 33

God of fire that worked as a blacksmith in volcanoes - was lame

Question 34

What case is ‘maternas’? What is is translated as?

Answer 34

Genitive but is used as an adjective (accusative)

Question 35

What effect does it give in describing Aristaeus as ‘striking’ Cyrene?

Answer 35

Aggressive

Question 36

Which word on line 353 is missed out in latin?

Answer 36

‘called’