A long-standing debate surrounds Varro’s structure of etymology in four progressive levels in ling. 5, 8, whereby each level is connected to a different kind of analysis and applies to a different class of words. A cryptic and elliptic expression, in an almost certainly corrupted passage in the manuscript of the text, covers the fourth level in uncertainty and ambiguity. While some scholars have retained the transmitted Quartus, ubi est aditus et initia regis (“The fourth level is where lies the entrance and the origins of the king”), the majority of modern interpretation rather advocates the emendation of aditus in adytum (“sanctuary”) and reads the passage as a reference to diverse kinds of mysteric cults, embedding the fourth level of etymology in an esoteric frame. This paper brings forward the proposal that the passage at issue contains no allusion to the mysteries, but a reference to the partly historical, partly legendary episode of Romulus’ foundation of a “sanctuary” on the Capitoline Hill, open to all beseechers coming from all peoples and social statuses. This institution led to the formation of the first core of the Roman inhabitants and, subsequently, of the vernacular substrate at the basis of the Latin language; as such, this episode agrees with Varro’s interest and ideas. The hypothesis that the quartus gradus etymologiae is to be connected to Romulus’ asylum may be defended either by reading the word adytum with a brand-new meaning, or by proposing to emend the text (aditus > asylum), thus obtaining: Quartus, ubi est asylum et initia regis.

Romulus’ adytum or asylum? A New Exegetical proposal for De lingua Latina 5, 8

Federica Lazzerini
2017-01-01

Abstract

A long-standing debate surrounds Varro’s structure of etymology in four progressive levels in ling. 5, 8, whereby each level is connected to a different kind of analysis and applies to a different class of words. A cryptic and elliptic expression, in an almost certainly corrupted passage in the manuscript of the text, covers the fourth level in uncertainty and ambiguity. While some scholars have retained the transmitted Quartus, ubi est aditus et initia regis (“The fourth level is where lies the entrance and the origins of the king”), the majority of modern interpretation rather advocates the emendation of aditus in adytum (“sanctuary”) and reads the passage as a reference to diverse kinds of mysteric cults, embedding the fourth level of etymology in an esoteric frame. This paper brings forward the proposal that the passage at issue contains no allusion to the mysteries, but a reference to the partly historical, partly legendary episode of Romulus’ foundation of a “sanctuary” on the Capitoline Hill, open to all beseechers coming from all peoples and social statuses. This institution led to the formation of the first core of the Roman inhabitants and, subsequently, of the vernacular substrate at the basis of the Latin language; as such, this episode agrees with Varro’s interest and ideas. The hypothesis that the quartus gradus etymologiae is to be connected to Romulus’ asylum may be defended either by reading the word adytum with a brand-new meaning, or by proposing to emend the text (aditus > asylum), thus obtaining: Quartus, ubi est asylum et initia regis.
2017
1
1
97
128
Varro, de lingua Latina, etymology, language and linguistics, quattuor gradus etymologiae
Federica Lazzerini
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/2030317
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