"Nec mihi materia est numeris levioribus apta, aut puer aut longas compta puella comas."

[Kyle Jain]

This line "Nec mihi materia est numeris levioribus apta, aut puer aut longas compta puella comas." comes from Ovid's Amores book 1. This is quite difficult to understand gramatically. How can longas comas be in the sentence, when the only verb to be found is sum esse? Can someone please explain this?

 

[Pacifica]

It's an accusative of respect. The girl is adorned "with respect to" her long hair.

 

[Kyle Jain]

Ohh I see thank you

 

[Dantius]

very common in poetry with perfect passive participles; he could have said puella comptis comis (a girl with hair combed), but that wouldn't fit in the meter, so puella compta comas (a girl combed as to her hair) has the same sense but can fit into the line