Commentary Cons. Phil. Book 3 Metrum 11
The truth lies within us already, to be discovered by exercise of memory.Meter: Scazons ("limping" iambic trimeter). See on 2M1. In line 5 the first anceps (x) and the second long (-) are replaced by u u.
- line 2
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deuiis: cf. 3P8.1.
- line 3
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reuoluat: jussive subjunctive.
uisus: genitive.
- line 4
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longos: longos . . . motus: movements of the rational soul. (For the underlying idea, cf. Gruber.)
motus: longos . . . motus: movements of the rational soul. (For the underlying idea, cf. Gruber.)
- line 5
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doceat: governs indirect discourse; construe: animum possidere (quicquid extra [animus] molitur) retrusum.
extra molitur: "work upon outside [itself]."
- line 6
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retrusum: < retrudo, "push back, hide away."
- line 7
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dudum: adverb with texit.
nubes: "cloud," nominative singular.
- line 10
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obliuiosam: "bearing forgetfulness," with molem.
- line 11
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introrsum: "within," adverb.
- line 12
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uentilante: "fanning, stirring up," in ablative absolute, with doctrina.
- line 13
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rogati: nominative plural masculine; "when asked."
recta: accusative plural neuter.
- line 14
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fomes: "tinder, kindling."
- line 15
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personat: "makes resound, cries out."
- line 16
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immemor recordatur: "remembers forgetfully"; we might say, "unconsciously." Plato had taught that all knowledge comes by a process of recollection, or anamnesis; cf. Plato's Meno 82Cff for a convenient summary.