Tacitus, Dialogue on Oratory, ch. 12

[hlawson38]

context: how humans first accepted eloquence and poetry

haec eloquentiae primordia, haec penetralia; hoc primum habitu cultuque commoda mortalibus in illa casta et nullis contacta vitiis pectora influxit: sic oracula loquebantur.

Translation: These are the first-beginnings of eloquence, these the inner sanctum. With this dress and allure, enticing to mortals, eloquence infused simple hearts, as yet untouched by vices: to such the oracles used to speak.

Problems:

commoda . . . mortalibus: commoda, I read as agreeing with plural primordia, but I am troubled by the singular subject ofinfluxit, which I think implies eloquentia.

hoc habitu cultuque: ablative absolute??

[Hylander]

commoda -- modifies understood eloquentia

hoc habitu cultuque -- ablative of manner

"agreeable to mortals in this dress and adornment"

habitu cultuque is probably a hendiadys, or maybe habitu suggests dress and cultu adornment of the body, i.e., hair style, make-up, etc.

[hlawson38]

commoda -- modifies understood eloquentia

hoc habitu cultuque -- ablative of manner

"agreeable to mortals in this dress and adornment"

habitu cultuque is probably a hendiadys, or maybe habitu suggests dress and cultu adornment of the body, i.e., hair style, make-up, etc.

Re commoda modifying understood eloquentia: I considered that reading, but laid it aside out of timidity. That definitely makes the logic more consistent.

Re ablative of manner: right! It seems so obvious now.

Many thanks to Hylander.