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Commentary Cons. Phil. Book 3 Metrum 12

Metrum 12

We lose sight of what is above us when we pay too much heed to things that are below us.

Meter: Glyconic.

line 1
1: Echoes Vergil, Georgics 2.490ff (itself probably in praise of Lucretius), quoted above in note on 1M4.2.

line 2
2: Cf. 3M9.23.
uisere: not merely "to see" (uidere) but "to look at fixedly."

line 6
uates Threicius: i.e., Orpheus, the legendary poet and husband of Eurydice; invoked through antiquity for a variety of religious and philosophical doctrines. His song had magical power over nature and the animal kingdom. This poem is strongly indebted to Seneca, Hercules Furens, 569-589.

line 7
flebilibus modis: cf. 1M1.1-2.

line 10
latus: neuter accusative singular: iungere latus, "to stand side by side."

line 12
uisum: modifies canem.
lepus: "hare."

line 13
iam cantu placidum: "already calm by virtue of [Orpheus's] song."

line 14
intima: intima . . . pectoris: "inmost [depths] of [his] heart."

line 15
pectoris: intima . . . pectoris: "inmost [depths] of [his] heart."

line 16
qui: sc. modi (line 17).

line 18
immites superos: (sc. immites esse superos) indirect statement governed by querens (< queror, "complain").

line 19
infernas: infernas . . . domos: i.e., the underworld.
domos: infernas . . . domos: i.e., the underworld.

line 22
quicquid: lines 22-25: quicquid . . . quod . . . quod: objects of deflet (line 26).
deae: lines 22-23: deae . . . matris: the muse Calliope.

line 23
matris: lines 22-23: deae . . . matris: the muse Calliope.

line 24
quod: lines 22-25: quicquid . . . quod . . . quod: objects of deflet (line 26).

line 25
quod: lines 22-25: quicquid . . . quod . . . quod: objects of deflet (line 26).
luctum: object of geminans.

line 26
Taenara: object of commouens. Taenarum (in the southern Peloponnesus of Greece) was one of the legendary entrances to Hades. In the plural it stood for the underworld in general (as early as Seneca).

line 28
rogat: takes two objects (ueniam and dominos).

line 29
29: lines 29-39: Hell takes a holiday, music by Orpheus.
Stupet: scan first syllable short, second long.
tergeminus: lines 29-30: tergeminus . . . ianitor: Cerberus, the three-headed hound of hell.

line 30
ianitor: lines 29-30: tergeminus . . . ianitor: Cerberus, the three-headed hound of hell.

line 31
quae: antecedent is deae: the Furies.
sontes: "the guilty ones," accusative plural.

line 34
34: lines 34-35: Ixion was tortured endlessly on the wheel, for assaulting Juno.

line 36
36: lines 36-37: Tantalus was punished by being placed in water which fell away whenever he tried to stoop and drink.
longa: ablative with site (< sitis, "thirst").

line 38
38: lines 38-39: Tityus was chained down while vultures gnawed his liver.

line 40
40: lines 40-41: arbiter umbrarum: probably Minos, legendary king of Crete and judge in the underworld.

line 42
comitem uiro: "as companion to the husband."

line 44
coherceat: jussive subjunctive, placing a condition on the gift.

line 45
dum: "until."
liquerit: perfect subjunctive.

line 46
lumina flectere: i.e., look backward toward hell.

line 47
det: potential subjunctive: "Who could give . . .?"

line 50
Eurydicen: Greek accusative.

line 51
occidit: middle syllable short, "died"; to read the middle syllable long (i.e., "he killed [her]") would be unmetrical and redundant after perdidit.

line 56
lumina flexerit: cf. line 46.

line 57
trahit: "carries, bears."

line 58
dum uidet: "when he sees."

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