Dies Lunae
a.d. VIII Idus Februarias

Lege Latine: Aen. 1.335–372.

Lege Anglice : Introduction to Vergil's Eclogues; Vergil, Eclogue I.

Meditare:

What are the differing situations of the two shepherds? How has Tityrus received his otium? What has happened to Meliboeus?

The pastoral world is conceived in opposition to the urbs, a timeless land of leisure, song, mockery, and love (which while not always requited, is at least less soul-destroying than the erotic mania found in Catullus and Augustan elegy). Vergil’s pastoral landscape is considerably bleaker and more complex. What dangers loom over the landscape in Eclogue I? What non-pastoral and/or historical elements appear?

Although placed in the mouths of rustic shepherds, the poetic language is highly ornate. What tropes and images appear frequently in this poem?

Memento: Probatiuncula Tertia hodie

Dies Mercurii
a.d. VI Idus Februarias

Lege Latine: Aen. Aen. 1.372-404; [Eclogue IV.1-7 = optional].

Lege Anglice: Conte, Latin Literature: A History, pp. 264-268; Vergil, Eclogue II, IV, and III [at least the first page].

Scribe: Aen. 1.375–379 (on Scanning Worksheet).

Meditare:

Literary Term of the Day: Litotes; see also #431 in Pharr's Grammatical Appendix; note where Vergil uses the construction haud + adjective/adverb in today's reading. These are examples of litotes.

Eclogue II: While love is a secondary concern in Eclogue I, in Eclogue II it takes center stage. How is Corydon’s amor characterized in this poem (you may want to compare it to Catullus 8, miser Catullus, desinas ineptire)? What is the role of song/poetry in this poem and what are we to make of its apparently failure? Do you find the end of Corydon’s monologue creepy or optimistic?

Eclogue IV: What is the significance of the opening invocation of the Muse? Why might these Muses be Sicilian? In what ways is Vergil's new Golden Age unusual? Note that the child will “read of heroes’ praise”—a very un-pastoral activity. How does Vergil articulate the return of war before the triumph of peace?  Often called the “Messianic Eclogue”, what imagery resonates with Christian messianism (and that of other cultures as well)?

Dies Veneris
a.d. IV Idus Februarias

Lege Latine: Aen. 1.405-449.

Lege Anglice: Conte, Latin Literature: an Introduction pp. (on Gallus); Vergil, Eclogue IX, X, [VIII, optional].

Scribe: Aen. 1.441–445 (on Scanning Worksheet).

Meditare:

Literary Term of the Day: Tmesis (e.g. cicum... fudit, Aen. 1. 412; see also #445 in Pharr's Grammatical Appendix).

Eclogue IX: What themes does this poem have in common with Eclogues I and II? What is peculiar about this song-contest? Whose poetry do they recite? What happens to the contest itself (you may want to contrast with Eclogue VIII, where an anonymous narrator reports the songs of two shepherds whose songs were as powerful as Orpheus)? Note that Moeris’ master is Menaclas, one of the shepherds in Eclogue III & V.

Eclogue X: A remarkable poem in which a historical figure, Gallus, appears in the pastoral landscape, where he is visited by three figures. Is Gallus’ amor like that of Corydon in Eclogue II? Why can Gallus not acclimate himself to the pastoral world and where (and in what mental state) do we leave him? How do the last eight lines serves as an epilogue for the entire collection (note especially parallels with Eclogue I)?