enclitic -que, Hor. Sat. II, #6, ll. 16-17

Latin Learning Latin
1

Context: The poet expresses delight that he has been given a farm for retreat and comfort. How should this affect his new poems?

Ergo ubi me in montes et in arcem ex urbe removi
quid prius illustrem saturis Musaque pedestri?

Translation:
Well, now that I’ve moved from the city into the mountains and hilltops,
What first should I, led by my pedestrian Muse, light up with satires.

I’m in doubt about Musaque. What is the enclitic -que meant to connect Musa with? If I have scanned correctly, Musa is ablative, singular, and pedestri modifies Musa. I want to classify this as ablative of source or cause.

Is it allowed for the enclitic -que to connect the implied nominative singlular subject of illustrem with the ablative Musa, as I have read it? Or have I driven myself into the ditch again?

2

Don’t Saturis and Musa pedestri work together here?

3

Well, Shenoute, that looks really good! I cannot remember why I didn’t at least consider that, since I did read saturis as ablative.

4

This is metonymy, of course. Musa here stands for poetry, so the word is parallel with saturis. And the whole expression saturis Musaque pedestri is a sort of hendiadys.

5

Many thanks Hylander. Surely there is a classical quotation meaning, “It’s so obvious after you see it.”

6

Wouldn’t that be something like “Heu” followed by a face palm? :slight_smile: