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Five Notes on Lactantius, De Mortibus Persecutorum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2015

J.N. Adams
J.N. Adams*
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
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Extract

The text of the De Mortibus Persecutorum, which is transmitted by just one manuscript, the Codex Colbertianus (C; BN 2627), can still be tidied up in places. In these notes I propose two new emendations, revive two old emendations, and support the transmitted text in one place against editors.

Type
Research Article
Information
Antichthon , Volume 23 , 1989 , pp. 92 - 98
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Society for Classical Studies 1989

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References

1 Brandt, S. and Laubmann, G.L. Caeli Firmiani Lactanti Opera Omnia 2 [CSEL 27] (Vienna 1893);Google ScholarMoreau, J.Lactance, de la Mort des Persecuteurs (Paris 1954);Google ScholarCreed, J.L.Lactantius, De Mortibus Persecutorum (Oxford 1984);Google Scholar

2 L. Coelii siue Caecilii Lactantii Firmiani Opera Omnia (Leipzig 1739);Google Scholar

3 ‘A medical theory and the text at Lactantius Mort. Persec. 33.7 and Pelagonius 347’, CQ 38 (1988) 522–527.

4 For various specific terms with urgeo in Celsus, see 2.10.11 (febris), 3.5.3 (febris), 14.3 (imbecillitas), 3.16.1 (imbecillitas), 4.10.3 (tussis), 4.12.4 (ardor), 5.28.3C (), 6.6. ID (uigilia), 7.23 (febris), 7.27.5 (uigilia).

5 As indeed with premo, a synonym of urgeo (see below): note Lact. Inst. 2.1.9 ‘si qua necessitas grauis presserit,’ 7.15.2 ‘graui atque intolerando seruitutis iugo premerentur.’

6 Dolor urget occurs elsewhere in Celsus (4.31.3,5.26.13,8.14.2), and also in a medical context at Lact Mort. 33.11 ‘doloris urgentis per interualla’.

7 Bauldri, P.Lucii Caecilii Firmiani Lactantii De Mortibus Persecutorum (Utrecht 1692).Google Scholar

8 See Heumann, C.A.Lucii Caecilii Lactantii Firmiani Opera Omnia (Göttingen 1736), p.955.Google Scholar

9 On this construction, see Riemann, O.RPh 12 (1888) 52n.l;Google Scholar also Emout, A. and Thomas, F.Syntaxe latine2 (Paris 1953) 373,Google Scholar with Delz, J.Gnomon 26 (1954) 464f.Google Scholar

10 In this construction prius quam may be ambiguous in sense: either = ‘before’ or = potius quam (on the passage quoted, see Riemann op. cit with n.l; on prius quam = potius quam, see Riemann 56 f.). For further discussion of the use of prius quam seen in this paragraph and of related uses, see Riemann, Etudes sur la langue et la grammaire de Tite-Live (Paris 1885) 287 f.;R. Kühner R. Kuhner and C. Stegmann, Ausführliche Grammatik der lateinischen Sprache, zweiter Teil: Satzlehre3 (revised by A. Thierfelder, Leverkusen 1955) 2.301 f.; J.B. Hofmann and A. Szantyr, Lateinische Syntas und Stilistik (Munich 1965) 362 f.

11 For the very rare and late use of ago + infinitive, see TLL I.1382.63 ff.

12. Earlier J. Columbus, Notae in L. Caec. LactantiiFirmianiLibrum De Persecutione, seu De Mortibus Persecutorum (in Bauldri, cited above, n.7) 299 had proposed the insertion of ut, but immediately before redderet. If ut were to stand, it would have to follow straight after quam, as in the examples quoted below.

13 See Riemann, RPh 12 (1888) 57 n.l, 58, 59 n.2, id. Etudes 288, Kühner-Stegmann 2.302 §4, Hofmann-Szantyr 362 f., 594.

14 On its rarity, see Hofmann-Szantyr 363.

15 Kühner-Stegmann 2.368.

16 Hofmann-Szantyr 600.

17 Further examples in Brandt, index p.511. s.v.

18 Toinard, N.In Lactantium De Mortibus Persecutorum NotaeGoogle Scholar (in Bauldri),ad. loc, p.378.

19 A second edition of Baluze’s, E.commentary (Paris 1679)Google Scholaris in Bauldri; see the note ad loc., p.82.

20 Intransitivizations in Latin (Uppsala 1977).

21 Feltenius 75 f., also TLL III.1604.59 ff. The verb is basically transitive, the intransitive use being late and rare.

22 Feltenius 124, with examples from late Latin (cf. Lact. Opif. 10.3).

23 Feltenius 134 f.

24 Feltenius 121.

25 Feltenius 127. See also Sundelin, T.Ad Theodori Prisciani Euporista Adnotationes (Uppsala 1934) 70f.,Google Scholar for this and other intransitive usages in the medical writer Theodoras Priscianus. An intransitive example of soluo is needlessly emended by I. Mazzini and G. Flammini in their edition of a Latin translation of the pseudo-Hippocratic.De Conceptu (Bologna 1983) 55 line 48 ‘quoniam euacuatio estetuenter ipse soluat’ (changed to soluatur).