Latet Anguis in Herba : A Reading of Vergil's Third Eclogue

Abstract

Most scholarship on Vergil's third Eclogue sees tension between Damoetas and Menalcas. This article argues that they sing with the same voice; instead, tension lies between the herdsmen and Palaemon, whose harmonious relationship with his environment contrasts with their pessimistic attitude. Emblematic of this distinction is that the herdsmen fear the snake lurking in the grass, while Palaemon sees the grass as the perfect place for poetic composition. Different outlooks mirror different approaches to the pastoral genre. This prompts Palaemon to award both singers the vitula, symbol of pastoral's realistic aspect, rather than the cups, which represent the genre's poetic register.