Summary Latin Didactic: commentary on the proem to Virgil's 3rd Georgic
9 views 0 purchase
Course
Latin Didactic Poetry
Institution
University Of Oxford
Comprehensive commentary and literature review on the proem to Virgil's 3rd Georgic:
- Metapoetic relevance
- Proem in the middle
- general commentary
- Callimachus
- Pindar
Virgil, Georgics III.1-48
most magnificent statement of literary purpose
Powerful poetic symbols:
- monumental image of a temple,
- the image of one man,
- ego of the poet.
Virgil’s ingenious use of allusion
Structure:
- recusatio of traditional literary subject matter (III.3-8)
- statement of Virgil’s literary purpose: to rise to immortality by being the first Latin poet
to surpass Greek poetry (III.8-11) -> Virgil’s poetic victory
- anticipated commemorating of Octavian’s victory by means of a temple and games,
metaphors for his poetry (III.10-36).
- The magnificence of this achievement will make Inuidia “go to hell” (III.37-9).
- It is not the Georgics by which Virgil will rise to mortality, but a future work, commonly
identified as the Aeneid. Meanwhile, Virgil will complete the present poem (III.40)
[Thematic proem]
Conte & Harrison make a functional distinction:
- thematic proem: making the reader aware of the poem’s quid, i.e. what will be said,
- programmatic proem: making the reader aware of the poem’s quale, i.e. how poetry
will be made.1
Thematic proem at the start of the Georgics I: introduces the subject matter of each of the
poem’s individual books:
- i.e. the working of the land and relevant weather sings treated in Book I (“Quid faciat
laetas segetes, quo sidere terram/vertere” – I.1-2.; recalling Hesiod)
- viniculture in Book II (“ulmisque adiungere vitis” – I.2-3)
- animal husbandry in Book III (“quae cura boum” – I.3)
- apiculture in book IV (“apibus quanta experientia parcis” – I.4).
Virgil includes a thematic proem at the start if each book:
- The poem to Book II (II.1-8) invokes Bacchus, patron of the vines (“pater o Lenaee”)
- The proem to Book IV (IV.1-7) introduces the production of “aërii mellis caelestia dona”.
Thematic proem to the third Georgic (III.1-2) introduces the topic of animal husbandry by
the invocation of its patron deities:
- Pales (III.1) is an Italian patron deity of pastores.
- “pastor ab Amphryso” (III.2) refers to the story of Apollo tending animals for king
Admetus, associating the deity with animal husbandry.
- Finally, “siluae amnesque Lycaei” (Ibid.) refers to a mountain massif in western Arcadia
associated with pasturage.2
[Programmic proem]
the third Georgic includes a programmatic proem (I.1-48). 3
1
Conte & Harrison, pp. 219-21.
2
Mynors, ad loc.
3
Thomas, p. 92.
, Thematic proem was a common feature of Greek poetry dating back to Homer
The programmatic proem is an Hellenistic invention -> Conte & Harrison:
- professionalism and, correspondingly, the learned audience to which the libraries, courts
and schools of the Hellenistic age gave rise.
- intellectual climate -> “literature is no longer something obvious: whoever practises it
must say what he is doing [i.e. the aforementioned quale, or literary purpose], because
everyone does it differently.”4
- Especially Callimachus’ programmatic proem to the Aetia was of great influence to
Virgil’s programmatic proem to the third Georgic.
[Proem in the middle]
Callimachus’ programs proem was located where one would expect a proem, namely at the
start of his work
Virgil’s programmatic proem is located in the middle of the Georgics, at the beginning of the
second half.
A program proem in the middle occurs in several works of Latin poetry:
- first found at the start of book 7 of Ennius’ Annals
- Conte & Harrison: this Roman invention points at the poet’s “awareness of the
difference in functionality between (…) “the ancient proem of contents and the
programmatic proem, Alexandrian and modern.” 5
- Allows Virgil to separate the statement of his quid from the statement of his quale.
- Lucretius introduced the subject matter of his poetry at the start of DRN book I, while he
states his literary program at a latter point, possibly right at the middle of his poem at
start of book IV.
NOTE that the programmatic proem to DRN book IV (1-25) repeats lines I.926–50. It
is unclear whether this repetition is intentional and, if not, where Lucretius originally
placed these lines.
[Recusatio]
Virgil’s programmatic proem commences with a recusatio.
The poet speaks of literary topics which are “omnia iam uulgata” (III.4):
- underscored by “quis (…) nescit” (III.4-5) and “dictus” (III.6)
- Eurystheus, Busiris and Hylas (III.4-6) are characters associated with Hercules’ labours.
- “Lationia Delos” (III.6) refers to the birth of Apollo on Delos.
- Pelops won Hippodamia in a chariot race (III.7).
In the context of trite poetry, they may be conceived of as simply representing the
traditional topics of Greek poetry:
- Hercules’ (or any hero’s) labours
- the birth of deities
- Contests
Virgil draws much of the programmatic imagery of the proem to the third Georgics from
Callimachus and Pindar -> in this light, Virgil’s recusatio recalls Callimachus and Pindar
(possible) Callimachean allusions:
- “omia iam uulgata” (III.4), the object of Virgil’s recusatio, echoes “πάντα τὰ δημόσια”,
the object of Callimachus’ recusatio in Epigram 28 (28.4).
4
Conte & Harrison, pp. 219-21.
5
Id., p. 228.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller fredspierings. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $13.76. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
