VIRGIL: Helen's robe

[Patrick Roper]

In chapter 12 of 'A Pair of Blue Eyes, the novel by Thomas Hardy, the author
says of Mrs Swancourt She had held out to Elfride hands whose fingers were
literally stiff with rings, signis auroque rigentes, like Helen's robe

The Latin is from The Aeneid and, I think, should read signis auroque
rigentem.  I have seen this translated as stiff with rings and gold and
stiff with golden wire.

I am not quite sure how either of these two version was arrived at, but it
seems most likely to me that Helen's robe or 'palla' would have been woven
with gold filigree and thus somewhat rigid.  Hardy's comparison therefore
seems rather inappropriate, especially as he goes on to describe Mrs
Swancourt's rings as heavy and grotesque and far from anything attributed by
Virgil to Helen.

I wonder if Hardy had translated the Latin himself and if he really thought
his average 19th century reader would be well enough versed in the Aeneid to
enjoy his quotation.

Hardy goes on to describe the rings in great detail and I wondered if there
was any Virgilian subtext in these descriptions, but I cannot see any.  If
others want to look, the chapter is on line at:

http://www.classicbookshelf.com/library/thomas_hardy/a_pair_of_blue_eyes/11/

(Join the link if it breaks in sending)

Patrick Roper



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Re: VIRGIL: Helen's robe

[Leofranc Holford-Strevens]

In message [EMAIL PROTECTED],
Patrick Roper [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes
In chapter 12 of 'A Pair of Blue Eyes, the novel by Thomas Hardy, the author
says of Mrs Swancourt She had held out to Elfride hands whose fingers were
literally stiff with rings, signis auroque rigentes, like Helen's robe

The Latin is from The Aeneid

Book 1, verse 648

 and, I think, should read signis auroque rigentem.

Indeed, but Hardy naturally changed it to agree with the plural
'fingers'.


  I have seen this translated as stiff with rings and gold and
stiff with golden wire.

Neither is right: it means 'stiff with golden embroidery', or more
expansively 'with figures embroidered in gold thread': _signis auroque_
is a hendiadys, equivalent to _signis aureis_.

I am not quite sure how either of these two version was arrived at, but it
seems most likely to me that Helen's robe or 'palla' would have been woven
with gold filigree and thus somewhat rigid.  Hardy's comparison therefore
seems rather inappropriate, especially as he goes on to describe Mrs
Swancourt's rings as heavy and grotesque and far from anything attributed by
Virgil to Helen.

_Signum_, amongst its many other meanings, may be a signet-ring; hence
the humorous application to Mrs Swancourt's rings. 'Inappropriate'
misses the point: the reader is expected to observe the incongruity and
smile.

I wonder if Hardy had translated the Latin himself 

Of course; it's hardly a difficult achievement.

and if he really thought
his average 19th century reader would be well enough versed in the Aeneid to
enjoy his quotation.

Certainly yes, and certainly rightly.

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

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