Kitap 5
8
As a matter of fact, it was Hyginus himself who failed to notice that this expression, like very many others, contains an ellipsis. For example, when we say Marcus Cicero, a man of great eloquence and Quintus Roscius, an actor of consummate grace, neither of these phrases is full and complete, but to the hearer they seem full and complete. As Vergil wrote in another place: Aen. v. 372. Victorious Butes of huge bulk, that is, having huge bulk, and also in another passage: Aen. v. 401. Into the ring he hurled gauntlets of giant weight, and similarly: Aen. iii. 618. A house of gore and cruel feasts, dark, huge within, so then it would seem that the phrase in question ought to be interpreted as Picus was with the Quirinal staff, just as we say the statue was with a large head, and in fact est, erat and fuit are often omitted, with elegant effect and without any loss of meaning. This explanation of Quirinali lituo as an ablative of quality is of course wrong; we simply have zeugma in subcinctus, equipped with and girt with.
