Hi,
Carl—
Thanks for the suggestions. I used almost all of them. I have become dependent upon your eagle eye to help me clean up my grammatical goofs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl Copeland
a suave Sabine — This is apparently a compression of “a city-dweller or a Sabine.” Were the Sabines known for their sophistication?
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In “
Carmen 44,” Catullus writes about his farm, which is located on the border between the Sabine and Tiburtine areas. He insists that it should be called Tiburtine, which shows that this area was considered more sophisticated than the Sabine. More than a hundred years later, Tibur (modern Tivoli) became the site of Emperor Hadrian’s villa, and enjoyed great prestige. I’m not sure, but I don’t think that Catullus is necessarily leaning into conventional stereotypes. Umbrians, as far as I know, were not traditionally scrawny or stingy; Etruscans were not known for being fat.
Thanks again for your diligent and encouraging post,
Carl.
Glenn