The so-called parahypotaxis is a syntactical phenomenon, common in late Latin but attested sporadically already in classical Latin, consisting in the pleonastic use of a copulative conjunction (et or atque) at the beginning of the principal clause after a subordinate, especially temporal clause. In this paper I propose to recognize a case of parahypotaxis in a difficult passage of Lucretius’ De rerum natura (6, 577-584), differently explained by former interpreters. As an appendix, I discuss a passage of Vergil’s Aeneid (9, (...) 47-53), where the same phenomenon can be identified. (shrink)

In lines 646–60 of his translation of Aratus’ Phaenomena, Germanicus narrates the story of Orion, the mythical hunter killed by a scorpion sent by Diana because of his attempt to rape the goddess, and then transformed into a star. In particular, line 651 describes Orion's hunting:nudabatque feris angusto stipite siluas.

Translating in his Arati Phaenomena the Aratean myth of Orion and the scorpion, Germanicus introduces a series of allusions to the parallel episode in the proem of Nicander’s Theriaka, which was modelled in turn on the passage of Aratus’ Phaenomena. In so doing, Germanicus emphasizes the intertextual connection between the two hellenistic poems, and incorporates both of them in his Aratean translation. At the same time, some of these Nicandrean borrowings are reformulated through the use of Virgilian vocabulary. The Orion (...) episode can therefore be seen as a sample of Germanicus’ poetical technique and allusive art, highlighting the various components of his refined literary culture. (shrink)