Apuleius - Cupid & Psyche

[Matthaeus]

Hello! Am I correct in taking the following as partitive genitives?

-Multi denique civium
-sic insulas iam proxumas et terrae plusculum provinciasque plurimas fama porrecta pervagatur
-multi mortalium

Is this an example of a poetic plural in a prose work??
deae tantae numina placantur
(The reference is only to Venus.)

Haec honorum caelestium ad puellae mortalis cultum immodica translatio verae Veneris vehementer incendit animos.

poetic plural again?

 

[Pacifica]

Hello! Am I correct in taking the following as partitive genitives?

-Multi denique civium
-sic insulas iam proxumas et terrae plusculum provinciasque plurimas fama porrecta pervagatur
-multi mortalium

Yes.

Is this an example of a poetic plural in a prose work??
deae tantae numina placantur
(The reference is only to Venus.)

I would say so.

Haec honorum caelestium ad puellae mortalis cultum immodica translatio verae Veneris vehementer incendit animos.

poetic plural again?

I don't think that use of the plural animi is rare in prose.

 

[Matthaeus]

So poetic plural again, I suppose.

 

[Pacifica]

My point was that, as I think animi is relatively common in prose, I probably wouldn't call it a poetic plural.

 

[Matthaeus]

I see, ok. Still weird to see animi in the plural like that. Any ideas why?

 

[Pacifica]

I don't know. Just one of those "choices" languages make sometimes.

 

[Matthaeus]

Two weird uses of cubiculum here. The meaning in the first sentence is readily understood, "So go to your room." But why not with the accusative of motion? Is the preposition in simply left out in the second one?

prohinc cubiculo te refer, et lectulo lassitudinem refove, et ex arbitrio lavacrum pete.

statim voces cubiculo praestolatae novam nuptam interfectae virginitatis curant.

 

[Pacifica]

In the first one, I guess in cubiculum would have been a bit more common, but Apuleius isn't exactly known to always choose the most common constructions. An accusative of motion without preposition, though not impossible (Apuleius has stuff like that), would be rarer with a noun like cubiculum, which isn't a town or anything like that. It would seem more unusual than the dative to me, at least in prose. The dative seems not overly surprising with the verb referre or conferre. It would be very unusual (though not unheard of) with ire.

The second one is a locatival ablative without in, yes.

 

[Matthaeus]

I can understand the second one, but the first sentence still leaves me baffled. F******* exceptions, lol. How is the dative not overly surprising with verbs like referre or conferre? Isn't there a motion implied towards which?? Thanks for all your patient explanations, always appreciated.

 

[Pacifica]

How is the dative not overly surprising with verbs like referre or conferre? Isn't there a motion implied towards which??

There is, but on the other had you also find things like se alicui rei conferre, "to give/apply/devote oneself to something", and it doesn't seem like that much of a stretch to extend the construction to a more physical sort of "applying".

 

[Matthaeus]

So like, "apply yourself to your room?"

 

[Pacifica]

Not really, but...

 

[Matthaeus]

He really chooses the weirdest of constructions.

 

[Pacifica]

That one isn't that weird but yes, he sometimes goes really weird. Like using enim as the first word in a sentence. He does that a few times in his Apologia.

 

[Dantius]

Dative of direction is a thing in poetry, like it caelo clamor. So I guess he's just using that because why not.

 

[Matthaeus]

yeah ok w/e so be it

so much for logicality in language....pff

 

[Bitmap]

My point was that, as I think animi is relatively common in prose, I probably wouldn't call it a poetic plural.

Hey! Prose can be poetic, too

he sometimes goes really weird. Like using enim as the first word in a sentence.

I can't help but find that statement sweet

 

[Pacifica]

I can't help but find that statement sweet

Ah. In what way exactly is it sweet?

 

[Bitmap]

Ah. In what way exactly is it sweet?

You know, my idea of doing some really weird things to Latin would be to speak French But apparently using enim in the wrong position already does it for you I like that!

 

[Matthaeus]

Interea parentes eius indefesso luctu atque maerore consenescebant latiusque porrecta fama sorores illae maiores cuncta cognorant.

is this an ablativus instrumentalis?