ABSTRACT
It is notorious that important philologists of the twentieth century have struggled with this fragment. They are admittedly all admirable by their ingenious attempts at finding the best sense. They have also made some correct observations, but in the author's opinion at least, none of them has found a satisfactory interpretation of both lines. The most difficult quaestiones connected with Skutsch's interpretation that the author summarizes are: corpore tartarino and Paluda. An elucidation of this issue can be regarded as a necessary prerequisite in order to explain corpore tartarino. Paluda is anyway no casual part of the line, but the main reason for its quotation. Varro’s comments can be interpreted in two ways: paluda is an abbreviated feminine adjective, derived from paludatus and synonymous with this word.
