A New Acrostic in Virgil (ecl. 3,23-27)

Abstract

Ecl. 3,23-27 contains an unidentified two-way sic-acrostic (first down, then up), which is
meant as confirmation («sic»!) of the incomplete gamma-acrostic (can[to]) in the same lines
of the antecedent ecl. 2 (vv. 23-25). These same lines of ecl. 3 (vv. 23-27) also contain a similarly
twoway cis-acrostic (first up, then down), which this time is intended to etymologize
vicissim (vi-cis-sim) at the end of the next line (28). Virgil has embedded à sa façon a number
of tip-offs to all of the above.

Key-words: acrostic, etymology, Virgil.