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Commentary Cons. Phil. Book 3 Metrum 11

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
deuiis: cf. 3P8.1.

line 3
reuoluat: jussive subjunctive.
uisus: genitive.

line 4
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
doceat: governs indirect discourse; construe: animum possidere (quicquid extra [animus] molitur) retrusum.
extra molitur: "work upon outside [itself]."

line 6
retrusum: < retrudo, "push back, hide away."

line 7
dudum: adverb with texit.
nubes: "cloud," nominative singular.

line 10
obliuiosam: "bearing forgetfulness," with molem.

line 11
introrsum: "within," adverb.

line 12
uentilante: "fanning, stirring up," in ablative absolute, with doctrina.

line 13
rogati: nominative plural masculine; "when asked."
recta: accusative plural neuter.

line 14
fomes: "tinder, kindling."

line 15
personat: "makes resound, cries out."

line 16
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.

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