In a message dated 10/12/2015 4:39:53 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
_lawrencehelm@roadrunner.com_ (mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) writes in
a
different thread: "I don't believe that cultural tradition is fixed for all
time. Don't the people living in Italy today trace their decent from ancient
Rome and can one see any of that Rome in them today? The same can be
asked about Greece. Time erodes cultural traditions, but it doesn't do it
quickly. It seems too soon to welcome a European superstate."
For the record this from Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (a), with
attending implicatures (b).
(a)
Eurōpa, ae, and Eurōpe, ēs, f., = Εὐρώπη.
I Daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor, sister of Cadmus, and mother of
Sarpedon and Minos by Jupiter, who, under the form of a bull, carried her
off to Crete, Ov. M. 2, 836 sq.; Hyg. Fab. 155; 178; nom. Europe, Hor. C. 3,
27, 25; 57; Prop. 2, 28, 52; gen. Europae, Mel. 2, 7, 12; acc. Europen,
Ov. A. A. 1, 323; Juv. 8, 34: Europam, Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 5; Ov. H. 4, 55.—
2 Poet. transf., the portico in the Field of Mars, which was adorned
with a painting representing the rape of Europa, Mart. 2, 14; 3, 20; cf. id.
11, 1.—
B Hence, Eurō-paeus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Europa: dux, i. e.
Minos, Ov. M. 8, 23.—
II The continent of Europe, named after her; usual form Europa, Mel. 1, 3,
1 et saep.; Mart. Cap. 6, § 662; Plin. 3 prooem. § 3; 3, 1, 1, § 5; 4, 23,
37, § 121 et saepiss.: Europe, Mel. 1, 2, 1; 2, 1, 1; acc. Europen, id. 1,
1, 6; 2, 6, 9; Hor. C. 3, 3, 47.—
B Derivv.
1 Eurōpaeus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Europe, European:
adversarii, Nep. Eum. 3: Scythi, Curt. 7, 7, 2.—
2 Eurōpensis, e, adj., the same: exercitus, Vop. Prob. 13: res, id.
Aurel. 31.
(b) note that the adjectives have rather narrow use in Classical Latin
(unfortunately, Lewis & Short never cover 'late Classical Latin').
Thus it is stated that in Ovidio, Met., Minos is called the dux Europæus. I
would not think that Ovid is IMPLICATING that he was king of Europe. So he
must mean, "one of them many little European kings" -- of course 'dux' is
'leader', rather.
Nep. Eum. refers to the 'adversaries of Europeans', which does not say much
as to what an European (or 'a European', as Geary prefers) is. But Curt. 7
seems to use "Europæus' simpliciter for "of or belonging to Europe".
Vop. Prob., trying to be different, uses 'Europensis' -- byebye to the
beloved "æ"! -- While Aurel. applies to 'res' -- as when we say, "She loves
all THINGS European. Aurel, like Vop. Prob. uses the more complicated suffix
that gives "Europensis" rather than the Europæus of Nep. Eum. and Curt.
Cheers,
Speranza
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