Metamorphoses VI 255-6

[cinefactus]

Ictus erat quā crūs esse incipit et quā
mollia nervōsus facit internōdia poples.

Haven't been doing much reading recently. I can't really figure out what the esse is doing. It seems that the sentence would be complete without it.

 

[Deleted member 13757]

became alive/came into being

 

[Pacifica]

No, no. This is about the place in the body where the leg starts. Literally "starts to be", but Cinefactus is right that it would also make sense without esse.

 

[Deleted member 13757]

Literally "starts to be"

ah... you are right. "starts to be" is better. but still same idea...

that it would also make sense without esse.

slight diff.

 

[Pacifica]

There's arguably always a difference when different words are used. In this case the difference is very slight. To draw a parallel with more idiomatic English I guess the difference is roughly comparable to that between "he seems to be a great teacher" and "he seems a great teacher".

 

[Laurentius]

Basically he needed another semiped.

 

[cinefactus]

Thanks