ABSTRACT
The author believes a possibility of great value inherent in textual criticism, perhaps even more than in other pursuits of classical philology: the dialectical way leading to deeper insights and sometimes hopefully to final answers. The new Teubner editions of Vergil by Gian Biagio Conte and by Silvia Ottaviano are stimulating by giving us a fresh impetus towards searching for more steadfast ground on certain – in all likelihood still unsolved – problems. A closer look at quom will clearly show that the conjecture weakens the speaker’s emotional involvement, whereas exclamative quam adds to the element of moan, anguish, fear of the preceding interjection, quom has primarily the function to explain it. If, as the author strongly believes, Donatus was right on his as the correct reading the solution proposed by Heyworth in item 5, his pelles, would regrettably have to stand down as a candidate for the best textual choice instead of certe.
