Vulpis ad Personam Tragicam

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
Kachikawawa
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:44 pm

Vulpis ad Personam Tragicam

Post by Kachikawawa »

Hello!!
I'm having some troubles understading this:

"Personam tragicam forte vulpes viderat;
quam postquam huc illuc semel atque iterum verterat,
'O quanta species' inquit 'cerebrum non habet!'
Hoc illis dictum est quibus honorem et gloriam
Fortuna tribuit, sensum communem abstulit."


What is this "quam", is it the prounoun? The whole verse is very strange to me.
To which noun is "dictum" refering?

User avatar
Barry Hofstetter
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 1739
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: Vulpis ad Personam Tragicam

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Yes, quam refers to personam, and is the direct object of verterat. Hoc dictum est has as its antecedent the entire preceding sentence.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

Cuncta mortalia incerta...

Kachikawawa
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:44 pm

Re: Vulpis ad Personam Tragicam

Post by Kachikawawa »

Could we translate like that:
"quam postquam huc illuc semel atque iterum verterat"
"It[the fox] looked here and there and turned to it[the mask]"

mwh
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 4815
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:34 am

Re: Vulpis ad Personam Tragicam

Post by mwh »

No, there’s no “looked,” and verto doesn’t mean “turn to” but just “turn” (transitive). And don’t forget the postquam. “After she’d more than once turned it this way and that, she said (inquit) …”

dictum refers to hochoc meaning the fox's exclamation, o quanta species .... “This is said to those to whom …”

Kachikawawa
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:44 pm

Re: Vulpis ad Personam Tragicam

Post by Kachikawawa »

Thank you!!! I've understood now!!!

Post Reply