What is the role of eadem mutata in this phrase? I'm guessing either neuter plural accusative of extent, or feminine nominative as apposition to an implied ego. The original context of this line is limited and I couldn't find any detailed imformation about the background that prompted this phrase.

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    Welcome to the site! Where did you come across the expression eadem mutata resurgo? Any additional information might help put the phrase in context and give a more reasonable translation. – Joonas Ilmavirta May 13 '16 at 21:25

Without additional context I am inclined to view eadem mutata as an absolute ablative. Then your phrase eadem mutata resurgo would mean something like "I rise again when/because the same thing has changed". It is impossible to provide a good general translation without further context.

Let me extend your phrase a little bit to see how it could work in a fuller sentence. This extension is just an example I came up with, since I have no idea of the origin of the phrase.

Rerum condicio pessima erat et eius causa cecidi. At eadem mutata resurgo nunc.
The situation was very bad and I fell. But now that it (the situation) has changed, I rise again.

Rafael points to the Wikipedia article on the phrase in his comment below. The interpretation offered there is indeed grammatical; there are just numerous grammatical ways to read a short expression like this, and this makes context so important. In this reading a feminine ego is understood as the subject and eadem and mutata are appositions. The subject raises again, being both the same as before and changed. One can see this from many angles:

  • "Although changed, I rise as the same."
  • "Although the same, I rise changed."
  • "I rise changed and unchanged."
  • (and other options)
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    The origin is here. It says it was intended to mean Although changed, I arise the same. Mutata would be just a feminine participle: The subject being feminine – Rafael May 13 '16 at 21:45
  • @Rafael, thanks! I updated my answer to include that reading. – Joonas Ilmavirta May 13 '16 at 21:53
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    I think the nominative reading is more likely than an ablative absolute, especially because it sounds like the end of a hexameter line. – TKR May 13 '16 at 22:03
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    @brianpck, I don't think the ego of the inscription is the person buried. The Wikipedia article suggests that the subject is the logarithmic spiral (I don't know if it's feminine). It would also make sense for the subject to be mathematics (which is feminine). – Joonas Ilmavirta May 14 '16 at 16:39
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    To me it almost looks like a cryptic double reference to the spiral (spira, feminine) and the Phoenix, who "rises the same" after burning up. Back in Bernoulli's time, mathematics was much closer to numerology and mystic knowledge than it is in our day. – giobrach May 16 '16 at 5:38

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