Virgil's Georgics Lines 494-529 Notes

Question 1

What is a key word in this passage? Why?

Answer 1

‘Furor’ as stands for irrational, primitive, non-Roman behaviour

Question 2

What gives a lilting, soporific effect?

Answer 2

The absence of caesura in the third and fourth foot on line 496

Question 3

What is ‘lumina condere’ used often for?

Answer 3

Closing the eyes of a corpse

Question 4

When does Virgil use the phrase ‘iamque vale’? Where else is it seen?

Answer 4

For the dead and dying
Creusa to Aeneas book 2
Anchises to Aeneas book 5/6?
Camilla to Acca book 11

Question 5

How are Eurydice’s last words made memorable?

Answer 5

Close wording of ‘heu non tua’ and alliteration of ‘t’ sounds

Question 6

Where is there assonance?

Answer 6

‘Prensantem… volentem’

Concentrates focus on Orpheus’ futile actions

Question 7

Where else is assonance to show futile actions seen?

Answer 7

Aeneas with Creusa book 2

Aeneas and Dido book 4

Question 8

What was a requirement of an epyllion? Where is it seen here?

Answer 8

Deliberative despairing questions on lines 504-5

Question 9

Where is there a golden line? What is the effect?

Answer 9

Line 506 makes scene particularly poignant and shifts attention suddenly from Orpheus to Eurydice with a sad finality

Question 10

What does the imperfect ‘nabat’ show on line 506?

Answer 10

Presents the action from Orpheus’ point of view

Question 11

What is Virgil stressing on line 507?

Answer 11

Duration

Question 12

What was Strymon?

Answer 12

A river in Thrace

Question 13

Where is Orpheus’ ability to enchant animals and inanimate objects with his songs seen elsewhere?

Answer 13

Ovid’s metamorphoses book 9

Horace Odes book 1

Question 14

Where else is the story of Philomela being turned into a nightingale told?

Answer 14

Ovid’s metamorphoses book 6

Odyssey book 16 and book 19

Question 15

How is the philomela story given more pathos?

Answer 15

Reference to suffering caused by man

Question 16

What compels our attention in line 513?

Answer 16

An unusual pause after a trochee in the fifth foot

Question 17

Where is personification here?

Answer 17

‘Venus’ to personify the love she is attributed to

Question 18

Where was Tanais and where was it’s source?

Answer 18

A river in north Greece (the river Don) with it’s source in the Riphean mountains

Question 19

The coldness of Orpheus’ area contrasts what?

Answer 19

The heat of Proteus’ environment

Question 20

Who are the Ciconian women? What happened In Homer’s Odyssey book 9?

Answer 20

A people from Thrace. They pelted Odysseus’ ships with rocks so they almost did not escape

Question 21

What legend recalls Orpheus’ death?

Answer 21

Legend of Pentheus where he was torn to pieces by bacchants

Question 22

Where is the legend of Pentheus told?

Answer 22

Ovid’s metamorphoses book 3

Eurpides Bacchae

Question 23

What was the Hebrus and who was Oegrus?

Answer 23

Hebrus was a river in Thrace

Oegrus was a king of Thrace and father of Orpheus

Question 24

What image does ‘vox ipsa’ give? What does it suggest?

Answer 24

Haunting image of his disembodied cry for his wife even after his death

Question 25

What is there repetition of?

Answer 25

‘Eurydicen’
Alexandrian style (late greek)

Question 26

What is line 527 almost?

Answer 26

A golden line to close the song. Elegant word order here

Question 27

In Ovid what sort of ending is there to the Orpheus and Eurydice story?

Answer 27

A happy one as they are reunited in the underworld

Question 28

Is there a happy ending here?

Answer 28

No although they will both be in the underworld. Proteus suddenly vanishes to create an underwater current. What is this supposed to suggest?