Nisus

Nisus

Experienced in warfare
1. 'accerimus armis'
  1. 'most fierce in arms'
  2. Superlative for emphasis
  3. Alliteration for emphasis
2. 'iaculo celerem leuibusque sagittis'
  1. 'quick with the javelin and light arrows'
  2. Javelin and arrows were considered hardest to perfect
3. 'reperire... posse uiam'
  1. 'to be able to find a way'
  2. can lead
Important/ Special
1. 'miserat Ida... uenatrix'
  1. 'Ida the huntress had sent...'
  2. 'uenatrix' is at the start of the line
    1. Emphasis on magic powers
    2. Make Nisus seem semi-divine
2. 'Hyrtacides'
  1. 'the son of Hyrtacus'
    1. patronym
  2. relating him to important leader
Close relationship with Euryalus
1. 'et iuxta comes Euryalus'
  1. 'and next to him his companion Euryalus'
  2. N + E always stand by each other
2. 'his amor unus erat'
  1. 'these men shared one love'
  2. homosexual? close bond?
3. 'communi portam statione tenebant;'
  1. 'they were responsible for the gate at the same guard-post'
  2. N + E are always side by side
Wise
1. 'Nisus ait...'
  1. 'Nisus said,'
    1. Direct Speech
      1. immortal words
  2. Famous dilemma
    1. N can think like philosophers of Virgil's time
2. 'lumina rara micant'
  1. 'their lamps shine far apart'
  2. close observation leads to right conclusion
3. 'abisistamus'
  1. 'Let us leave'
  2. N realises E gets carried away.
Confused when he loses E
1. 'iamque imprudens euaserat hostis'
  1. 'and now unawares he had escaped'
  2. Plethora: adds to confusion
2. lines 390-400 dedicated to confusion and panic

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	Created by mouldybiscuit over 9 years ago