The Language of Hardness and Softness in Virgil's Ecl. 10: A Legacy of Gallus?

Authors

  • Paola Gagliardi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48614/phasis.19.2016.58-87

Abstract

The analysis of three adjectives (mollis, tener, and durus) in Virgilʹs Ecl. 10 reveals a particular usage which differs from that in the other eclogues. In Ecl. 10, Virgil conforms to an elegiac usage where these adjectives acquire a literary connotation, and when attributed to a person, reflect the elegiac sensibility; such usage is unique in the whole bucolic liber. It gives the poem an elegiac atmosphere which may well reflect imitation of Gallus’ poetry. A comparison with passages of Propertius seems to confirm that the specific occurrences and connotations of these adjectives in Virgilʹs Ecl. 10 originated in Gallus.

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Published

2016-01-01

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Articles