Aeneid 2,625

Latin Learning Latin
1

Hi everyone, I just would to know what’s the case of ‘‘Comam’’ ? I’m supposing that is a Greek accusative. I read in some commentary ( I think that is Williams.) it’s a retained accusative. I don’t understand what ‘‘Comam’’ is : Because nutat is intransitive, so I’m supposing that comam cannot be accusative of ‘‘nutat’’. And I’m wondering if a word can be simultaneously a greek accusative and a retained accusative .

Thanks right now.

ac veluti summis antiquam in montibus ornum
cum ferro accisam crebrisque bipennibus instant
eruere agricolae certatim, illa usque minatur
et tremefacta comam concusso vertice nutat :
vulneribus donec paulatim evicta, supremum
congemuit , traxitque jugis avulsa ruinam.

Even as, when with emulous keenness tha swains labour to fell an ash that long hath stood on a high mountain, hewing it about with iron tools and many an axe, ever and anon it threatens a fall, and, waving its locks, nods with its convulsed top, till gradually, by wounds subdued, it hath groaned its last, and, torn from the ridge of the mountain, draws along with it ruin and desolation

2

The case—of course!—is accusative. You want to know what kind of accusative it is, or why it’s accusative. As you suspect, it’s a “retained” accusative. If tremefacta were not passive but active, e.g. tremefecit, then comam would be direct object (“it made its hair tremble”). When the verb becomes passive (tremefacta), the accusative is “retained.”
Since this construction doesn’t exist in English, it doesn’t translate literally. So it’s best just to get used to the construction, which is quite common in Latin poetry.

A “Greek” accusative is exactly the same as a “retained” accusative, they’re just different labels for the same construction. It’s called Greek because it’s common in Greek, and Latin may have “borrowed” it from Greek.

It’s a very fine simile, don’t you think?

3

Yes man, Thanks for your gentle answer.

4

Hi Michael!
Glad to see you’re back. I hope the gardening went well!