Open AccessTechnical language in Tibullus
Author(s) -
Robert Maltby
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
emérita/emerita
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.116
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 1988-8384
pISSN - 0013-6662
DOI - 10.3989/emerita.1999.v67.i2.172
Subject(s) - philosophy , linguistics
The aim of the paper is to illustrate that despite his overall stylistic elegantia Tibullus's language is by no means colourless and undifferentiated. His style is capable of considerable elaboration and variety which is all the more effective in contrast with his general purity of diction. In the excursus on cheese-making at II 3.41a-16, for example, T.'s use of technical terms puts him closer to Theocritus than to his Roman contemporaries in pastoral or elegy. The same delight in technical display, which may owe something to his patron Messalla's interest in the Latin language, can be seen in T.'s description of road-building at I 7.57-60 and in his frequent use elsewhere of technical terms connected with textiles and agriculture