title: On Two Expressions for the New Moon in Latin
metadata.name: dc.contributor.author
metadata.value: Kazanskaya, Maria N.
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.date.accessioned
metadata.value: 2019-07-05T18:57:38Z
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.date.available
metadata.value: 2019-07-05T18:57:38Z
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.date.issued
metadata.value: 2019-03
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.identifier.citation
metadata.value: Maria N. Kazanskaya. On Two Expressions for the New Moon in Latin. Philologia Classica 2019, 14(1), 68–83.
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.identifier.other
metadata.value: https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu20.2019.105
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.identifier.uri
metadata.value: http://hdl.handle.net/11701/15908
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.description.abstract
metadata.value: The article examines two expressions for the new moon in Latin, luna silens and luna sicca (or sitiens). Despite the unusual imagery behind the choice of these epithets, the expressions appear in unremarkable, technical contexts (mostly, in works on agriculture by Cato, Columella, Pliny the Elder) and denote this particular phase of the lunar cycle without any indication that the metaphors were perceived by speakers. The paper aims at explaining this paradox. It is shown that neither of these expressions was based on superstitions or popular lore. They reflected, in fact, an attempt to present the phase of the lunar cycle when the moon is invisible in contrast to other visible phases, which are easier to identify. Thus, luna silens was created by opposition to luna crescens “the waxing moon”, as denoting the moment before active, visible growth will begin. Luna sicca, on the other hand, was created by opposition to luna plena, “the full moon”, where the moon would be imagined as a vessel, gradually filled to its fullness by white light. Finally, luna sitiens was an expression, synonymic to luna sicca, created by analogy with luna silens. While these expressions were used as terms without any artistic effect, Augustan poets seem to have recognized their poetic potential and, on some occasions, put it to use (in particular, Verg. Aen. 2, 255 and Prop. 2, 17, 15).
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.language.iso
metadata.value: en
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.publisher
metadata.value: St Petersburg State University
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.relation.ispartofseries
metadata.value: Philologia Classica;Volume 14; Issue 1
metadata.lang: -
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: new moon
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: luna silens
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: luna sicca (sitiens)
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: Cato
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: Pliny the Elder
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: Columella
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: agricultural lore
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: Vergil
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.subject
metadata.value: Propertius
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.title
metadata.value: On Two Expressions for the New Moon in Latin
metadata.lang: en_GB
metadata.name: dc.type
metadata.value: Article
metadata.lang: en_GB
resources.filename: Kazanskaya-M.N.-On-Two-Expressions-for-the-New-Moon-in-Latin.pdf
resources.url: https://dspace.spbu.ru/bitstream/11701/15908/1/Kazanskaya-M.N.-On-Two-Expressions-for-the-New-Moon-in-Latin.pdf
resources.format: Adobe PDF
resources.size: 734,07 kB