Tibullus 1.1 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Tibullus 1.1 Deck (62)
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1
Q

congerat…teneat

may (…) assemble… and hold

A

iussive subjunctives. Prayer-like. Suggests prayer as much as command.

2
Q

Divitias… whole line… auro

A

greed surrounds this line

3
Q

alius

someone

A

impersonal- refers to everyone, but its singular so suggests he has a specific example in mind
has the same root as ‘suos’- anticipates ‘fulvo’

4
Q

iugera

plots

A

a word more to do with wealth

5
Q

labor assiduus

constant toil

A

this is vivid personification - the work is being feared.

Quasi-militaristic tone

6
Q

vicinus

lurking in the vicinity

A

jusxtaposed next to assiduus- emphasises etymological pun.

7
Q

Martia Classica

Mars’ trumpets

A

personification shows integrity of Roman religion

8
Q

somnos

sleep

A

its plural- sleeps

shows repeated action

9
Q

pulsa fugent

sleep flees when Mars’ trumpets blare

A

Drawing a division between the rich and the poor. The poor are not afraid of work, but they’re not excited for war. For the rich it is the opposite

10
Q

Me mea…meus

may (poverty provide) me … within MY hearth

A

Repetition. Turns all description to him. no more generalisation.

11
Q

vita inerti

idle life

A

leisurely life of the country

12
Q

traducat

provide me with

A

Passivity. Contrast with iussive subjunctive ‘congerate’ in line 1

13
Q

assiduo igne

steady fire

A

he is miss-led by poverty- it will not be a steady road.

He talks about the comforts of a fire, not the hardships of labouring in the countryside.

14
Q

igne

fire

A

Fire = life’s driving force and centrality

15
Q

seram

plant

A

future/optative?

Prayer seems less definite

16
Q

teneras

tender

A

elegaic word that he’s managed to fit in here, talking about vines.

17
Q

grandia poma

tall fruit trees

A
poma = regular word for these fruit trees
grandia = the tree is so big and productive that it must be god blessed
18
Q

Spes

A

Goddess of Hope

19
Q

destituat

plant

A

word often used in military metaphor

20
Q

frugum semper acervos

always send stacked crops

A

this shows a contrast between the type of wealth wished for by Tibullus (i.e.that of a farmer) and that of the rich men in the first lines.

21
Q

Pracebeat et pleno pinguia

and I pray fill my fats with juice from bursting grapes

A

plosive alliteration. Emphasises plentiful nature of his crops.

22
Q

Nam

For

A

Conjunction at beginning of line. Moves poem along, changes subject to WHY Tibullus deserves these things

23
Q

stipes desertus

lonely tree stumps

A

how you prayed to Terminus, god of boundaries.

24
Q

stipes…desertus…vetus…lapis…

tree stumps… lonely…weathered… stone

A

adjectives suggest nostalgia and a faraway world.

25
Q

trivio

crossroad

A

more common place for an altar

26
Q

et quodcumque

and whatever..

A

suggests Tibullus will be grateful with ‘whatever’ hes given

27
Q

pomum

fruit

A

picks up on line 8 where poma = fruit trees that Tibullus is planting. Shows progression through the poem.

28
Q

novus annus

new year

A

new year, new hope: new production of crops

29
Q

educat

(the new year) produces

A

A word used to talk about ‘raising’ a child, or educating a person. He sees the production of his crops as a worthwhile and important venture.

30
Q

libatum agricolam ponitur ante deum

as a gift before the farmer god

A

libatum at start of line to show the importance and depth of his dedication to the gods.
Libatum also literally comes before the gods in the line.
‘farmer god’ is left very vague- so as to gain favour of any gods?
ante deum: literally infront of the staute/shrine.

31
Q

Flava Ceres

golden ceres

A

natural epithet for Ceres.

implicitly contrasts ‘fulvo’ in first line, even looks a bit like it.

32
Q

sit…pendeat

may my… be hung for you

A

use of subjunctives again = wishful thinking

33
Q

nostro de rure

mine from the country

A

Temple is likely in the city

34
Q

corona spicea

cornhusk crown

A

crown of grain spikes-

Pliny - earliest garland used

35
Q

Pomosisque

and fruitful…

A

Same word for third time in poem.
Fruity
progression

36
Q

ruber

red

A

red used to paint statues

red = blood -> fertility, or war and death

37
Q

Priapus

A

Fertility god and chief Roman garden divinity

38
Q

felicis

prosperous

A

rich/productive = fortunate

39
Q

quondam, nunc

once, now

A

juxtaposition of time frames contrast btwn past and present

40
Q

Custodes, fertis munera vestra, Lares

Guardians, your fertile lands rendered, Lares

A

Guardians of the crossroads (in part), position surrounding line suggests their full immersion in the festivities of compitalia.
Guarding the line?

41
Q

Tunc…
Nunc….
then…
now…

A

Contrast at start of lines. Contrast between then and now

42
Q

agna…agna

lamb lamb

A

repetition

pathos? Little lamb is dying :/

43
Q

exigui soli

meagre soil

A

contrast to previous dream of large fields.

44
Q

agna cadet vobis

the lamb will die for you

A

sacrifice similar to that made in war?

45
Q

iam modo, iam

if only now, now

A

progression of time- contrast between past and present beforehand, now clearly cemented in talking about the present.

46
Q
deditus
given (to long journeys)
A

military term.
to ‘surrender’ oneself to long marches is to to give oneself over to the enemy.
Perhaps his previous ambitions have led to his current circimstances?

47
Q

longae viae

long trips

A

Common Tibullan euphemism for travel.
Travel for military/commercial purposes.
via - connotations of separation, insecurity and desire. Common in poetry and constant in elegy

48
Q

Canis

Dog Star

A

Avoiding the heat of the Dog Star is commonplace in latin poetry.
Associated with the creative impala and retreat from life’s pressures.
Emblematic of the vita iners

49
Q

Contentus

happy now

A

pun

he describes surrendering to army marches etc, as negative, but is happy to be held prisoner by the shade.

50
Q

rivos

brook

A

plural. Makes the action habitual

same for ‘ortus’ (rising)

51
Q

interdum

at times

A

postulates only spurts of activity

52
Q

nec tamen,

and not however

A

abrupt, sparks reader’s imagination

53
Q

pudeat

ashamed

A

indicated revulsion overcome

54
Q

stimulo tardes increpuisse

to scold reluctant (cattle) with a prod

A

a typically challenging verbal usage.
increpuisse implies entirely verbal coercion of the cows, stimulo carries this through to actions, which Tibullus isn’t quite as at home with.

55
Q

Desertum

abandoned

A

whole line compares to Eclogues, where farmer leaves a forgotten lamb because he is leaving the pastoral landscape entirely. Tibullus’ word choice suggests that it was mistakenly abandoned, where Virgil used ‘religuit’, which suggests more deliberate abandonment

56
Q

at vos exiguo pecori, fureaque lupique,
Parcite: de magno
and all you wolves and robbers, spare my meagre flock….

A

direct adress- command,angry.
the contrast returns to the opening lines.
wolves and robbers represent the biggest threat to a farmer from both the human and bestial worlds.

57
Q

hic ego pastoremque meum lustrare quotannis

i purify my shepherds in this place every year

A

with the threat of wolves and robbers gone, Tib can now also perform the other duties of a landowner. Now in the vivid present.

58
Q

Pales

A

early italic pastoral divinity. Her feast was Parilia- April 21st, trad. foundation day of Rome.
Pliny- milk and oil were her libations, rather than wine

59
Q

Et placidam soleo spargere lacte Palem

and sprinkle gentle pales with some milk

A

sibilance - like sprinkling.

only a goddess so ‘calmed’ can willingly make the fields so productive.

60
Q

Adsitis divi

gods be with me

A

Regular, ritualistic invitation by summary prayer

61
Q

paupere mensa

humble table

A

poor in wealth, not spirit

Mensa here is the sacrificial table

62
Q

puris fictilibus

clean earthenware

A

puris = pure, parallel to paupere, OR clean/ pure. Both a reflection on Tibullus and his way of life