Latin Word of the Week 003 arrectis auribus, with ears perked up (Patreon)

Word of the Week series index

Latin WotW 003

arrēctīs auribus “ears perked up”

Salvētō! Today I want to show you an idiomatic expression I like, here from Vergil’s Aeneid:

Verg Aen 2.302-303

excutior somnō et summī fastīgia tēctīascēnsū superō atque arrēctīs auribus astō

With ears raised, much like a dog or a cat does to something it wants to pay attention. Vergil uses the same phrase earlier:

Verg Aen 1.152

silent arrēctīsque auribus astant

Seneca uses it too, with a slightly different verb:

Seneca Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 108

nē ad rem spīnōsam et auribus ērēctīs cūriōsīsque audiendam lassus accēdās.

So this is a fine and useful expression.

Cum ego sermōnem Latīnum discerem, quandōcumque optimē loquentēs inter sēsē garriēbant, saepe astābam auribus arrēctīs.

When I was learning Latin, I often listened with great attention whenever excellent speakers were chatting amongst themselves.

And that is my advice for anyone who wants to learn a language. Valētō!