Quos ego

In the Quos ego world, there is a great diversity of experiences, opinions and knowledge that contribute to enriching our understanding and perspectives on Quos ego. From different points of view and disciplines, Quos ego has been the object of interest and study, generating debates, advances and reflections that invite us to delve deeper into its meaning and impact on our lives. Throughout history, Quos ego has played a fundamental role in the way we relate to the world around us, influencing our beliefs, decisions and actions. In this article, we will explore various facets of Quos ego, examining its multiple dimensions and addressing key questions that will allow us to better understand its relevance today.

Quos ego (Latin, literally 'Whom I') are the words, in Virgil's Aeneid (I, 135), uttered by Neptune, the Roman god of the Sea, in threat to the disobedient and rebellious winds. Virgil's phrase is an example of the figure of speech called aposiopesis.

Neptune is angry with the winds, whom Juno released to start a storm and harass the Trojan hero and protagonist Aeneas. Neptune berates the winds for causing a storm without his approval, but breaks himself off mid-threat:

Iam caelum terramque meō sine nūmine, ventī,
miscēre et tantās audētis tollere mōlēs?
quōs ego— sed mōtōs praestat compōnere flūctūs.

Now, winds, you dare to embroil the sky and the earth without my approval,
and raise up such a mass?
You whom I— But it is better to settle the agitated waves.

Cultural references

Gustave Flaubert likens a teacher's rebuke of misbehaving students to "the Quos ego" in the opening scene of Madame Bovary.

Depictions in art of Neptune threatening the winds include the engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi and paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and Simone Cantarini.

References