T. Vrbem quam dicunt Romam, Meliboee, putaui
stultus ego huic nostrae similem, quo saepe
solemus 20
pastores ouium teneros depellere fetus.
sic canibus catulos similis, sic matribus haedos
noram, sic paruis componere magna solebam.
uerum haec tantum alias inter caput extulit urbes
quantum lenta solent inter uiburna cupressi. 25
Answer with one Latin word: give the verb that goes with each
subject:
(use the exact verb form that is in the poem):
- ego
- Romam
- pastores
- haec
- cupressi
T or F:
- Tityrus Romam suae urbi dissimilem esse putavit?
- Meliboeus 'stultus ego' in hac poema est.
- Pastores in urbem aliquem teneros ovium fetus depellere
solebant.
- Tityrus matribus suis haedos similes esse putat.
- Tityri urbs magna est.
- Cupressi capita inter viburna efferunt.
Answer the following questions with one Latin word
from the poem:
- Cupressi an (or) viburna lenta sunt?
- Quem urbem Meliboeus suae urbi similem esse putavit?
- Catuli similes quo sunt? (answer in the appropriate case)
Is the first foot of each line a spondee or a dactyl (answer
with 'spondee' or 'dactyl'):
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
In these lines, find:
- 2 complementary infinitives.
- 2 adverbs other than sic and verum.
- a pair of correlated adverbs.
- 4 different datives dependent on an adjective.
- An imperfect verb.
- 2 perfect verbs.
- An example of indirect speech.
Write the following in Latin (use only words found in the
poem):
- We think that puppies are not like dogs.
- Rome raises its head as much among the other cities as
cypresses do among viburnums.
Answer the following in English:
- What cities are mentioned in this poem, and what do those
cities stand for in this poem?
- Identify a few 'figures of speech' in the poem up to this
point and say what effect they have/why a poet might have
deployed them. If you want a list of figures of speech that
might apply, read the entry 'figures of speech' on Wikipedia.
Ancient Comment (from Maurus Servius Honoratus' Commentary
on the Poems of Virgil.
- [19] urbem quam dicunt romam quaeritur cur de
Caesare interrogatus Romam describat. et aut simplicitate
utitur rustica, ut ordinem narrationis plenum non teneat, sed
per longas ambages ad interrogata descendat: aut certe quia
nullus, qui continetur, est sine ea re, quae continet, nec
potest ulla persona esse sine loco: unde necesse habuit
interrogatus de Caesare locum describere, in quo eum viderat.
est autem longum hyperbaton 'urbem quam dicunt Romam. (linea
19) .... hic illum vidi Meliboee. (linea 42)'