Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
In poem 64 Catullus, as Fordyce points out in his edition (p. 275), often has lines enclosed by a noun and its adjective, e.g.:
5 auratam optantes Colchis avertere pellem
Very often, but not always, a syntactical unit is enclosed as well as the line. This is perhaps not surprising, considering the prevalence of punctuation at the end of the line in this poem. Nevertheless, an examination of the lines will show that when a noun and adjective1 enclose both line and syntactical unit the fact that they enclose a syntactical unit can be regarded as a determinant of the word order.
page 140 note 1 In this article I include under the term ‘adjective’ the adjectival pronouns talis, ipse, quis, qui, etc., numerals, and past participles
page 143 note 1 I have not taken into account 31 and 284, because in each line the noun is qualified by an adjectsive inside the line as well as by the intital relative: 31 quae simul optatae finito tempore luces advenere, 284 quo permulsa domus iucundo risit odore.284 is, and 31 is not, a syntactical unit.
page 144 note 1 divam is of course a noun.
page 145 note 1 Cf. Fowler, , The King's English, p. 230 (3rd ed.).Google Scholar
page 145 note 2 The punctuation in M is the work of Asterius Apronianus, consul in 494.
page 147 note 1 I regard a relative as an ‘introductory word’ if it refers to what has gone before and does not agree with a noun in the same clause as itself. Contrast e.g. Cic. Phaen. 404 f. (p. 165), where quas and formal are in the same clause.
page 152 note 1 Cf. A. 7. 98, 164, 184.
page 152 note 3 Cf. A. 7. 125, 570, 8. 61.
page 154 note 1 Cf. G. 372 f., A. 1. 755 f., 5. 698 f., 760 f., 9. 205 f.
page 154 note 2 Cf. G. 1. 159, 2. 176, 540, 4. 498, A. 2. 297, 5. 182, 7. 322, 10. 212.
page 154 note 3 Cf. Hor. C. 1. 18. 1 nullam Vare sacra vite prius severis arborem circa mite solum Tiburis et moenia Catili. (surely circa … Catili is a colon.)
page 156 note 1 Cf. Horace, , Epod. 2. 43–44Google Scholar: sacrum vetustis extruat lignis focum lassi sub adventum viri.
Here adventum is a verbal noun.
page 158 note 1 Cf. Lucan 10. 198
et sacras populis notescere legesIlias Lot. 1007
et varies cineri ludorum indicit honores. and the pentameters Cat. 95. 8
et laxas scombris saepe dabunt tunicas. Tib. 1. 10. 42
et calidam fesso comparat uxor aquam.
page 160 note 2 Cf. Prop. 3. 5. 21
et multo mentem vincire Lyaeo Prop. 4. 2. 25
et torto frontem mihi comprime faeno Lucan 2. 357
et pictovestes discriminant auro Valerius Flaccus 7. 158
et fulvo Venerem vestigat OlympoNemesianus, , Eel. 2. 5Google Scholar
et molli gremium compleret acantho and the pentameter Ovid, , Fasti 2. 648Google Scholar
et solida ramos figere pugnat humo.
page 161 note 1 Cf. Kühner-Stegmann ii, 2, pp. 599 f.; Kroll, , Ghtta ix, 112 ff.Google Scholar
page 161 note 1 Cf. K¨hner-Stegmann ii. 9, p. 600.
page 161 note 2 Cf. A. 12. 607 resonant late plangoribus aedes.
page 163 note 3 But in the two enclosed units longer than the line in Cat. 64 the adjectives are special (97 f. qualibus …fluctibus, and 175 f. nee malus hie … hospes).
page 166 note 1 Cf. Virgil, A. 5. 1–2; Ovid, , Met. 6. 157–8.Google Scholar
page 166 note 1 Cf. Hor. Epod. 2. 43 sacrum vetustis exstruat lignis focum.
page 167 note 1 Here the adjective follows the noun. Cf. Amph. 405 me hue ems misit meus.
page 167 note 2 Cicero {De Sen. 6. 16) tells us that these words are from the speech of Appius Claudius Caecus (no doubt its opening) in which he dissuaded the senate from making a treaty with Pyrrhus. They are a good example of the use of wide ‘Sperrung’ to convey strong indignation. Cf. above Bacch. 842, Poen. 810, Trin. 214 and see Fraenkel, , I.u.A., pp. 114 and 163.Google Scholar