Oberlin Classics

[3.3.1] aut stant omnes aquae aut eunt: A further way to distinguish terrestrial waters between lakes and swamps (standing water) and rivers and springs. This opening restates the beginning of Aristotle’s discussion of the sea: Τῶν γὰρ περὶ τὴν γῆν ὑδάτων τὰ μὲν ῥυτὰ τυγχάνει ὄντα τὰ δὲ στάσιμα (Met. 353b19-20). The position of the Aristotelean sentence may also support Codoñer Merino’s transposition. The simple form of ire is uncommon with aquae, but there are Ovidian parallels (Met. 5.587: invenio sine vertice aquas, sine murmure euntes; Pont. 4.15.28) and Seneca will recall the phrase at NQ 3.24.4.

colliguntur aut varias habent venas: The difference between waters that are collected from rainwater and snowmelt and those that are supplied by water from the earth. Aristotle criticizes the “reservoir theory” for rivers at Mete. 349b2-350a13. In general, there was strong consensus among ancient thinkers that rainfall was insufficient for supplying the rivers of the world, cf. Wilson 2013: 161. This is, of course, incorrect, cf. Thomas 2000 for summary of the hydrologic cycle and its application to the ancient world. This will be discussed in more detail at NQ 3.7.1-3.9.3. Seneca will expound more upon the analogy of the earth as human body with “veins” at NQ 3.15.1-8. For more on the world-body analogy in Presocratic philosophy, cf. Lloyd 1966: 232-72; for more on its use in cosmology in general, cf. Wright 1995: 56-74; for more on its use in Seneca’s NQ, cf. Armisen-Marchetti 1989: 283-311 and Williams 2012: 62n.30, 127-8, 241-2. A fine overview of analogy in general is Hofstadter and Sander 2013.

loci positio: Seneca provides further rationale for the movement (or lack thereof) of the waters based on the topography of the area. The geography of waters is a major topic in Aristotle, who believes rivers spring from mountains (Mete. 350a2-350b30), and Vitruvius, who counsels how to find water (8.1.2-7).

in devexo fluit: Sloping ground will cause the water to flow. Seneca uses devexus relatively frequently (e.g. NQ 1.3.5, Ep. 12.5, Ep. 90.17, NQ 6.20.2 about water), but the pairing with fluere may cause the reader to think of Vergil’s pathetic description of a bull dying from the plague at G. 3.524: ad terramque fluit devexo pondere cervix. Vergil also describes the Nile as: amnis devexus ab Indis (G. 4.293).

in plano aut supino: Hine 1996: 44 shows why Z’s supino should be accepted for the repetition of devexo found in most manuscripts. Supinus of terrain can mean “low-lying” (OLD 3) and paired with in plano indicates the physical circumstances for standing waters. Vitruvius connects in plano with swampland (palustri loco) at 5.3.3. Seneca uses in plano four times in his works, including NQ 6.2.8: mors levior in plano est?

continetur et stagnat: In the flood passage, tota humus stagnat (3.27.6, itself a possible recollection of Ovid’s flood: Iuppiter ut liquidis stagnare paludibus orbem, Met. 1.324). Elsewhere in the NQ, Seneca stresses how waters become stagnant and dangerous when they possess no outlet (sine exitu, 5.14.2, 6.25.2).

in adversum spiritu impellitur: This effect will be used later to prove that not all water comes from rainfall (NQ 3.7.4 infra) and Seneca will also write of waters rushing loudly from the earth if “wind has been intermixed” (spiritus intermixtus, 3.15.8). Seneca uses in adversum elsewhere to describe Sisyphus’ task (Ep. 24.18), the movement of “atoms” (NQ 5.1.2), and the battle strategy of dolphins versus crocodiles (4a.2.14). Seneca postulates the movement of earthquakes in similar terms (spiritus…impellit, 6.20.4). For more on spiritus in the NQ, see the note on 3.pr.15 supra.

tunc cogitur, non fluit: Seneca fine-tunes his classification for waters that should flow because of the lay of the land but are unable because of the wind. Ovid writes of the savage power of Boreas, which redundatas flumine cogit aquas (Tr. 3.10.52).

colligitur ex imbribus: Vitruvius has a similar phrase about rainwater: itaque, quae ex imbribus aqua colligitur, salubriores habet virtutes (8.2.1). Note that Seneca uses the phrase ex imbribus again at 3.6.1 to discuss water that the earth has absorbed from rainstorms.

ex suo fonte nativa est: The difference between spring water and collected rainwater. Many springs had their own nymph, as Ovid’s Salamacis (sed modo fonte suo formosos perluit artus, Met. 4.310). When he writes of the Golden Age in his Phaedra, he emphasizes the “native/natural” production: silva nativas opes / et opaca dederant antra nativas domos (Phaed. 538-9). Seneca does not believe that rainwater supplies springs (cf. 3.7.1-4 below).

nihil…prohibet: Relatively common from Plautus (Truc. 764) to Seneca’s day (e.g. NQ 1.8.4, 7.27.2).

et colligi et nasci: A body of water can be supplied by both rain and spring waters, as he goes on to explain. The idea of waters “being born” reappears later in the work at 3.9.3, and 3.15.3 and draws upon the general personification of waters and the earth itself in this book.

quod in Fucino videmus: The Fucinus Lacus, located about 50 miles east of Rome, had no noticeable outflows (hence it is classified as an endorheic basin), and was one of the largest lakes in Italy. Strabo reports that its depth fluctuates and that it is responsible for the waters of the Aqua Marcia (5.3.13). It was the site of a battle (89 BCE) during the Social War, in which the Roman consul and general, Lucius Porcius Cato, was killed. Vergil famously mentions the lake mourning for Umbro in his catalogue of Italian allies (A. 7.759-60). Claudius, following a plan of Julius Caesar (Suet. Jul. 44.3) had attempted to drain it partially during his reign (Suet. Claud. 20.1-2), but his attempt may have been unsuccessful, cf. Hurley 2001: ad loc., Aldrete 2007: 227-28, Purcell 1996: 205 who stresses such attempts place the emperors in the line of “drainage heroes of the Greek poleis – Herakles, Danaos, Kadmos”. Tacitus and Martial report that Claudius staged a naumachia there (Mart. Sp. 30.11; Tac. Ann. 12.56). It was successfully drained only in the 19th century.

montes circumiecti…derivant: The Fucine lake is situated in valley of the Abruzzean Apennines. pluvia is used of rain often in NQ 3 (e.g. 3.7.1, 3.7.3, 3.11.6) and aqua pluvia as a legal concept had certain laws attached to it, cf. Campbell 2012: 103. Pliny remarks that the Fucine lake was notable in part because of various flavors of the waters found in it (Nat. 2.224). The difference between underground sources and rainwater may be Seneca’s way of explaining this phenomenon.

hiberni defluxere torrentes: A number of smaller rivers and streams empty into the Fucine lake. Seneca writes about such winter storms at Med. 583-4 and Horace describes rivers swollen with winter rain and snow (C. 4.12.3-4, Ser. 1.7.27). Lucan uses this language to describe a volcanic eruption on Aetna: cum tota cavernas / egerit et torrens in campos defluit Aetna (6.294-5). Here the force of the perfect tense is important, the winter storms have flown away = they have stopped.

faciem suam servat: Even when the winter rains have stopped, the lake maintains a similar volume and shape. This conflicts with Strabo’s report of its variable waters, for which he blames instability in its underground springs (5.3.13, cf. 3.5.7). Seneca uses faciem suam three times in NQ (1.5.5, 1.17.6) and writes of the wise man, who will not change his serene expression under duress: eandem semper faciem serabit, placidam, inconcussam (Cl. 2.5.5). Pseudo-Quintilian will echo this phrase in Decl. Maior. 8.18.9: suam servent viscera nudata faciem.