Ricerc@Sapienza

Varro’s approach to his subjects is usually systematic and synchronic, but there are frequent diachronic
digressions and observations on time and the past, often divided into three stages (remote past, near past, and
present). I discuss Rust. 2.1, with a progressive concept of three successive stages in human history from
Dicaearchus, and a fragment from Censorinus, where Varro distinguishes tria discrimina temporum. A significant
affinity emerges between etymological research and the study of origins: both involve the study of antiquitas or the

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Palmira Cipriano, Professor of Linguistics in Rome University 'La Sapienza'; it is a brief sketch of her scientific profile and her investigations concerning philological and linguistic issues in Iranian, Classical and Romance studies.