quamlibet immani proiectu corporis exstet (Lucretius)

Latin Learning Latin
1

This line in Lucretius is driving me insane: quamlibet immani proiectu corporis exstet (3.987).

So as I understand it: exstet (‘let him be’) proiectu (‘outstretched’) corporis (‘of the body’) quamlibet immani (‘however big’). So something like ‘let the outstretching of his body be as huge as you like…’

I just can’t seem to make it make sense (grammatically). Why is proiectu in the ablative. What kind of genitive is corporis? Should immani agree with corporis?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  • from a frazzled Cambridge student
2

Hey Asclytos!
I’ve had a big break from studying Latin, so I’m not 100% sure (not even 30% sure) of what I’m about to say, but bear with me.

I would say that ‘proiectu’ agrees with ‘immani’, ‘immani proiectu’ being either an ablative of specification
( http://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/ablative-specification ) or a locative ablative
( http://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/locative-ablatives )

It would translate something like ‘in an enormous extent’

I would say that ‘corporis’ is a partitive Genitive that follows the adverb ‘quamlibet’
( http://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/genitive#partitive-genitive )

‘quamlibet corporis’ (however much of the body)

The verb ‘exsto,as,are, stiti’, means ‘to be manifest, to exist, to be shown’

The translation would roughly be something like (excuse my poor English):
‘however much may exist/be visible/ be shown of the body in an enormous extent’.


If this makes any sense, I’m glad to have helped you.

If not, I tried my best :smiley:

3

quamlibet with immani; proiectu noun; exstet hortatory subj. “Let him stand out (i.e. be exposed) with however vast an outstretching of his body.”

4

I would consider ‘exstet’ a potential subjunctive ( http://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/potential-subjunctive ).

‘However much (quamlibet) of the body (corporis) may exist/may be shown (exstet) in an enormous extent (immani proiectu)’.

It means that, as vast as his body might be, the giant Tityos ‘enormous chest’ (magno pectore) won’t be ‘dug’ (scrutentur) by the birds in the Acheron (volucres Acherunte) for all eternity (perpetuam aetatem).

The previous three verses being (to contextualize):

‘Nec Tityon volucres ineunt Acherunte iacentem
nec quod sub magno scrutentur pectore quicquam
perpetuam aetatem possunt reperire profecto
quamlibet immani proiectu corporis exstet’

5

Thanks for providing the context, but I don’t see how exstet can be a potential subjective. It would make no sense. And your 'However much of the body” does not account either for quamlibet or for corporis. No, quamlibet qualifies immani (as I said). Then there’s no grammatical difficulty and the sense is clear,

6

I certainly agree with your translation and I might be wrong (as I said, I haven’t studied Latin for a while).

However, from my understanding, one of the possible uses of the Potential Subjunctive goes as follows:

“When some word or phrase in the context implies that the action is expressed as merely possible or conceivable.”

Since Tityos is a giant, it is ‘merely possible’ that his body may extend in an area so vast.

Also, I read that the Partitive Genitive may follow an adverb, and quamlibet is an adverb, therefore, I deduced ‘quamlibet corporis’ (however much of the body) ‘exstet’ (may possibly/potentially stretch/project) ‘immani proiectu’ (in a vast extent)

Anyway, that was my thought process but you have more knowledge than me, and I agree with your interpretation.