The Textual Relationship Between Virgil And Lucretius
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A number of research has shown the textual relationship between Virgil and Lucretius. Many have noticed the unique use of gliscit by Virgil in 12.9 to describe Turnus’ reaction to seeing the Latins retreat and have subsequently connected it to Lucretius, specifically passage 1.474: “ignis Alexandri Phrygio sub pectore gliscens clara accendisset saevi certamina belli”. Although Virgil could have had this passage in mind, there is another use in Lucretius which can bring new context and understanding to Virgil’s use of gliscit. Scholars before have noted the relationship between Aen. 12.9 and DRN 4.1069; however, it has not been analyzed why Virgil might be invoking this specific passage.
This paper proposes that Virgil uses gliscit to describe Turnus’ violent state in order to echo Lucretius’ use at the end of Book 4 when he is describing the state of man under the duress of “Venus”. This reference both reveals further aspects of Turnus’ character with subtlety and brevity and moreover, as some scholars believe that Aeneas’ anger at the end of Book 12 mirrors Juno’s anger in the beginning of Book 1, in a similar fashion Turnus’ behavior in the end mimics the characteristics of the opposing goddess, Venus.
I will begin this study by examining the origin and meaning of gliscere. The meaning of gliscere is similar to other – sc - verbs in that it expresses the idea of growth, however, it has a rarer presence in both Latin verse and prose until Tacitus and even then, it is
of research has been done showing the textual relationship between Virgil and Lucretius. Many have noticed the unique use of gliscit by Virgil in 12.9 to describe Turnus’ reaction to seeing the Latins retreat and have subsequently connected it to Lucretius, specifically passage 1.474: “ignis Alexandri Phrygio sub pectore gliscens clara accendisset saevi certamina belli”. Although Virgil could have had this passage in mind, there is another use in Lucretius which can bring new context and understanding