Aeneid 1.637 - how best to translate splendida?

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Phoebus Apollo
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Aeneid 1.637 - how best to translate splendida?

Post by Phoebus Apollo »

At domus interior regali splendida luxu
instruitur, mediisque parant convivia tectis:

I've deduced that splendida must agree with domus, but I'm unsure how to translate. Lots of translations give it as, 'but the inside of the palace is being prepared in all the splendour of royal luxury/with all royal luxury and splendour...' (or along the lines of that), but strictly speaking shouldn't it be: 'but the inside of the magnificent palace is being prepared with royal luxury...' - ie, explicitly show how the adj splendida agrees with domus?
Many thanks in advance!

anphph
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Re: Aeneid 1.637 - how best to translate splendida?

Post by anphph »

Reading and understanding, and the art of translation, are two very different beasts. What the grammar of a text says may not be that which the translator feels would be the best way to convey the sense of the verse.

As you read this verse, the important thing is to understand that the

interior domus is splendida, and that which is making it "splendida" is the regali luxu. So regalis luxus is qualifying splendida. Therefore, a way of translating that would keep an echo of the Latin grammar would be,

"The inner house, shining with kingly riches..."

mwh
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Re: Aeneid 1.637 - how best to translate splendida?

Post by mwh »

Splendida is not attributive (“the magnificent palace”) but predicative (“the palace … magnificent”), as anphph indicates, and it works along with the verb. The palace is being fitted out (in such a way that it’s) regali splendida luxu. This use of an adjective, showing the result of the action of the verb, is known as “proleptic.” (A grammar may give you more examples.) It can be hard to translate, but the translations you quote just about capture the sense of it here.

Note too the word order of regali splendida luxu, with splendida sandwiched between regali (adj.) and luxu (noun), neatly tying the nexus together. It’s an aesthetically satisfying and very common pattern, esp. in poetry but in prose too. Vergil takes care not to overdo it. Cf. mediis … tectis.

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