ovidii heroides penelope ulixi

can anyone explain this sentence:

vix priamus tanti totaque troja fuit

i couldnt understand it at all, so i look ity up for sme commentaries, one of which says that there is divergence on its meaning, the commentato adds that the “general opinion” is “Tota iactura, quam Priamus caeterique Troiani acceperunt, non fuit tanti, quanti mea, quod te marito ob bellum Trojanum carui”

he himself a trasnlator suggests another thing: scarcely were Priam and all his kingdom worth such a mighty stir.

any thoughs? :confused: i have none :confused:

ps: a for reference http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Aabo%3Aphi%2C0959%2C002&query=poem%3D1%3Aline%3D4
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0061;query=commline%3D%233;layout=;loc=1.3

vix priamus tanti totaque troja fuit

Litterally: Priamus and entire Troy were scarcely of so much. Tanti is a genitive of prize / value / worth with esse: to be of (so much value) = to be worth so much. So indeed we can translate in a more English way: Priam and the entire [city of] Troy were scarcely worth so much.
Tanti is obviously used in an ironic way here: what the author really means is: they are worth nothing (cf. the English translation you gave). That’s also why the given commentary is saying: Even if everything was lost, I’m the one that lost the most, cause it’s nothing in comparation with loosing your husband.

I hope I made it a bit more clear for you now,

Greetz,

Moerus

I hope I made it a bit more clear for you now,

youve made it completely. thanks moere :smiley: