Chapter 16

LANGUAGE, ALLITERATION, ACCENT AND WORDS.

I. The poetic diction of Tacitus, and its fabrication in the Annals. II. Florid passages in the Annals. III. Metrical composition of Bracciolini. IV. Figurative words: (_a_) "pessum dare" (_b_) "voluntas" V. The verb "foedare" and the Ciceronian use of "foedus". VI. The language of other Roman writers,--Livy, Quintus Curtius and Sallust. VII. The phrase "non modo--sed", and other anomalous expressions, not Tacitus's. VIII. Words not used by Tacitus, "distinctus" and "codicillus" IX. Peculiar alliterations in the Annals and works of Bracciolini. X. Monotonous repetition of accent on penultimate syllables. XI. Peculiar use of words: (_a_) "properus" (_b_) "annales" and "scriptura" (_c_) "totiens" XII. Words not used by Tacitus: (_a_) "addubitare" (_b_) "extitere" XIII. Polysyllabic words ending consecutive sentences. XIV. Omissions of prepositions: (_a_) in. (_b_) with names of nations.