Concurritur Horaemomento

Chapter 53 of Far From The Madding Crowd is titled "Concurritur Horaemomento". The meaning of the Latin phrase is "the battle is joined in a moment of time." There is a difference of opinion whether the line is from Horace's Satires or from Virgil's Aeneid. The text is often attributed to both authors. The meaning of the expression is "people came running together in the space of a moment. 

Hardy was fond of drawing phrases from Latin and this is quoted from Virgil or Horace. Both Virgil and Horace wrote in Latin and use similar vocabulary such as concurritur and horae momento. 

Some older editions and secondary sources have mistakenly attributed Hardy's title to Horace's Satires. 

Scholarly consensus is that Hardy's title is Virgilian fitting the epic tone of catastrophe in chapter 53.  Hardy often invokes Virgil at moments when ordinary rural events take on grandeur and inevitability of classical tragedy. 

The chapter contains the shocking events at Boldwood's Christmas party.  News spreads instantly and guests rush towards the disturbance, and many people are suddenly gathered at the scene.  The Latin title captures the swift movement to the dramatic event. 

The title emphasizes the suddenness with which the fate changes; the rapid gathering of people to witness the tragic event. The title foreshadows the course of lives of the characters. 

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