In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Patrick Roper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>In Georgics IV, 478/9, Virgil writes "deformis harundo/Cocyti".  This has
>been translated "unsightly reeds of Cocytus".
>
>I wonder if it would be possible to interpret this as "deformed reeds of
>Cocytus".

The question is whether deformis designates a universal quality of reeds
or a particular quality of *these* reeds, the reeds growing by the River
of Lamentation, ugly and misshapen to match the black mud and stagnant
water of the unlovely mere. 

Leofranc Holford-Strevens
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
 
Leofranc Holford-Strevens
67 St Bernard's Road                                         usque adeone
Oxford               scire MEVM nihil est, nisi ME scire hoc sciat alter?
OX2 6EJ

tel. +44 (0)1865 552808(home)/353865(work)          fax +44 (0)1865 512237
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (home)         [EMAIL PROTECTED] (work)

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply.
Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message
"unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You
can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub

Reply via email to