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Reading Ovid

Page 12

by Peter Jones


  638 *pertimēscō 3 pertimuī be afraid of

  son-us ī 2m. sound

  propri-us a um own

  exterrit-us a um terrified

  Learning vocabulary

  arbore-us a um of/from trees

  circumdō 1 put X (acc.) round Y (dat.), surround

  īnfēlīx īnfēlīc-is unhappy, unfortunate

  lūmen lūmin-is 3n. eye, light

  pertimēscō 3 pertimuī be afraid of

  tendō 3 tetendī tēnsum stretch out, draw, proceed, reach, aim (at)

  639 *rīp-a ae 1f. bank

  640 Īnachidas: Greek acc. pl. of Inachis, ‘of (the river/god) Inachus’. Another pathos-filled repetition, as throughout 642–3

  *cōnspiciō 3 cōnspexī cōnspectum catch sight of, see, observe

  641 exsternāt-us a um in consternation, panic

  *refugiō 3 refūgī recoil from

  642 *Nāis Nāid-is 3f. water nymph. These are Io’s sisters; note the ABBA word-order (chiasmus) Nāides ignōrant, ignōrat . . . Īnachus, and in 643

  *ignōrō 1 be ignorant, not know

  644 *admīror 1 dep. be surprised, wonder at

  offerō 3 put forward, offer

  645 decerpt-us a um plucked, pulled (dēcerpō). A chiastic golden line

  senior –is 3m./f. older, senior (= senex)

  porrigō 3 porrēxī porrēctum stretch out, offer

  646 lambō 3 lick

  palm-a ae 1f. palm

  647 *retineō 2 retinuī retentum hold back, keep

  sequantur . . . ōret . . . loquātur: ‘vivid’ pres. subj. in a contrary-to-fact condition

  649 littera: subject of perēgit (650)

  puluis puluer-is 3m. dust

  dūcō = trace

  650 indici-um ī 2n. evidence, sign

  trīste: if the word Io wrote was her own name, it would be trīste indeed, since iō in Greek meant ‘alas, woe’. Inachus picks up the refrain with mē miserum in 651 and 653

  peragō 3 perēgī provide

  Learning vocabulary

  admīror 1 dep. be surprised, wonder at

  cōnspiciō 3 cōnspexī cōnspectum catch sight of, see, observe

  ignōrō 1 be ignorant, not know

  Nāis Nāid-is 3f. water nymph

  refugiō 3 refūgī recoil from

  retineō 2 retinuī retentum hold back, keep

  rīp-a ae 1f. bank

  651 exclāmō 1 cry out

  inque: controls cornibus and niueā . . . ceruīce (652)

  gemō 3 groan, cry

  652 niue-us a um snow-white

  *pendeō 2 pependī hang on, be uncertain; depend on

  653 *ingeminō 1 repeat, intensify

  tūne . . . terrās: take in order tūne es [ea] nāta quaesīta mihi (dat. of agent, RL(e)1(iv), W24) per . . . ?’

  654 repertā: abl. of comparison, ‘than [you] having-been-found’, ‘than now that you have been found’

  655 *luct-us ūs 4m. cause of grief, mourning, lamentation

  reticeō 2 be silent

  mūtu-us a um mutual, in return

  nostrīs: i.e. words

  656 *referō referre rettulī relātum bring/carry/put back, tell, answer, record, pay

  *tantum only

  suspīri-um ī 2n. sigh

  657 quodque ūnum ‘and what only’, ‘and the only thing’

  remūgiō 4 moo/low in reply

  658 *thalam-us ī 2m. marriage (bed)

  taed-a ae 1f. torch (accompanying marriage)

  659 *nepōs nepōt-is 3m./f. grandchild

  660 grex greg-is 3m. herd

  tibi: dative of agent

  661 *fīniō 4 end, finish

  662 nocet: impersonal, ‘it hurts’, RLF2, W37

  praeclūs-us a um closed, shut

  lēt-um ī 2n. death

  663 aetern-us a um eternal

  extendō 3 extend, stretch

  *aeu-um ī 2n. age

  664 maereō 2 lament (referring to Inachus)

  stellāt-us a um starred (because of his many eyes)

  submoueō 2 move along, push away

  665 patrī: dat. of loss or disadvantage, RL48.1

  dīuers-us a um distant

  pāscu-um ī 2n. pasture

  666 abstrahō 3 drag away

  *procul at a distance

  sublīm-is e high, lofty

  cacūmen cacūmin-is 3n. peak, summit

  667 *sedeō 2 sēdī sessum sit

  speculor 1 dep. watch, gaze

  668 superum = superōrum

  rēctor -is 3m. ruler, i.e. Jupiter

  Phorōnidos: Greek gen. s. of Phorōnis ‘woman connected with (i.e. sister of) Phoroneus’ (Inachus’ son, another Argive hero) – a recherché way of referring to Io

  ultrā beyond, further

  669 nātumque = Mercury (Greek Hermes)

  lūcid-us a um bright, shining

  part-us ūs 4m. birth

  670 Plas Plad-is 3f. Pleias or Maia (one of the stars known as the Pleiades, mother of Mercury)

  ēnītor 3 dep. ēnīxus produce, give birth to

  lēt-um ī 2n. death

  det: subj. of indir. command after imperat. Jupiter is ordering Mercury [ut] lētō det [Argum]

  671 parua mora est: controls [Mercuriō] sūmpsisse ‘for Mercury to . . .’, ‘while Mercury . . .’

  *āl-a ae 1f. wing

  *uirg-a ae 1f. rod, wand

  *potēns potent-is powerful

  672 somnifer -a -um sleep-inducing

  sūmpsisse: perfect to show how quickly Mercury acted

  tegumen tegumin-is 3n. covering, hat

  673 dispōnō 3 disposuī dispositum arrange

  patriā . . . arce: i.e. Olympus

  674 dēsiliō 4 leap down

  *illīc there

  675 tantummodo only (so much as)

  676 hāc: abl. of means

  dēui-us a um remote

  rūs rūr-is 3n. country, countryside

  capell-a ae 1f. goat

  677 dum uenit: take this clause closely with abductās

  abdūcō 3 abdūcere abductum steal

  struō 3 strūxī strūctum fit together, construct

  cantō 1 play on (+ abl.)

  auēn-a ae 1f. oat-stalk; pipe

  Learning vocabulary

  aeu-um ī 2n. age

  āl-a ae 1f. wing

  fīniō 4 end, finish

  illīc there

  ingeminō 1 repeat, intensify

  luct-us ūs 4m. cause of grief, mourning, lamentation

  nepōs nepōt-is 3m/f. grandchild

  pendeō 2 pependī hang on, be uncertain; depend on

  potēns potent-is powerful

  procul at a distance

  referō referre rettulī relātum bring/carry/put back,

  tell, answer, record, pay

  sedeō 2 sēdī sessum sit

  tantum only

  thalam-us ī 2m. marriage (bed)

  uirg-a ae 1f. rod, wand

  678 uōce: = music

  Iūnōni-us a um of Juno

  679 poterās: a polite invitation, = ‘why don’t you?’ (a sort of suppressed condition: ‘if you wanted to, you could ‘), cf. RLS2(c)Notes(6)

  cōnsīdō 3 cōnsēdī cōnsessum sit, settle down

  680 pecus pecor-is 3n. flock, herd (which Mercury has stolen 677 and brought with him)

  fecund-us a um lush

  ūllō . . . locō: abl. of comparison after fēcundior

  681 apt-us a um fitted for, suitable for (+ dat.)

  682 Atlantiadēs: Greek nom., grandson of Atlas, i.e. Mercury

  loquendō: gerund (RL175, RLN, W39) with multa (RL14.7, W4Footnotes 5) as object

  683 dētineō 2 dētinuī dētentum occupy, engage

  canō 3 play; sing

  684 harundō harundin-is 3f. reed, pipe

  685 ēuincō 3 overcome

  686 sopor -is 3m. sleep

  687 uigilō 1 stay awake

  688 fistul-a ae 1f. pipe

  quā . . . ratiōne how,
by what means

  713 dictūrus: Argus had fallen completely asleep before Mercury could finish

  Cyllēni-us ī 2m. Mercury (who was born on Mt. Cyllene in Arcadia)

  714 succumbō 3 succubuī fall asleep

  adopert-us a um covered

  715 supprimō 3 suppress, check

  extemplō immediately, suddenly

  *firmō 1 reinforce, strengthen

  sopor -is 3m. sleep

  716 languid-us a um drowsy (a nearly golden line)

  permulceō 2 soothe

  medicāt-us a um magic, charmed

  717 falcāt-us a um hooked

  nūtō 1 nod (with sleep)

  uulnerō 1 wound

  ēns-is is 3m. sword

  718 cōnfīn-is e joined to

  saxōque: ‘true’ abl., RL100A, Survey(a)

  cruent-us a um bloody (acc., referring to Argus)

  719 dēiciō 3/4 dēiēcī dēiectum throw X (acc.) down from Y (abl.)

  maculō 1 smear, stain

  praerupt-us a um steep, sheer

  *sanguis sanguin-is 3m. blood

  rūp-ēs is 3f. rock, cliff

  720 iacēs: note the shift to the second person (‘apostrophe’)

  quodque . . . lūmen: ‘whatever light’, object of habēbās, subject of exstinctum est

  in tot lūmina: ‘for/in so many eyes’. Ovid plays on lūmen ‘light/eye’

  721 exstinct-us a um extinguished, put out

  722 excipiō 3/4 pick out, remove (Juno (Sāturnia) is the subject)

  hōs: i.e. the eyes

  uolucr-is is 3f. bird (here gen. s.), i.e. the peacock (brought to the Mediterranean from India and Sri Lanka)

  723 collocō 1 place

  *gemm-a ae 1f. gem

  *caud-a ae 1f. tail

  stellāns stellant-is starry

  *impleō 2 implēuī implētum fill

  724 exardēscō 3 exarsī flare up

  differō differre distulī dīlātum put off, delay

  725 horrifer -a -um horrific, shuddersome

  obiciō 3 obiēcī place X (acc.) before Y (dat.)

  Erīnyn: Greek acc. s. of Erīnys, tormenting fury, demon

  726 paelex : = Io, here gen. with oculīs animōque

  Argolic-us a um from Argos

  stimul-us ī 2m. goad (lit., cattle-prod)

  caec-us a um blind

  727 *condō 3 condidī conditum hide; build, found; compose

  profug-a ae 1m./f. exile, fugitive. Here it is in apposition to (understood) ‘her’ (Io), RL17B, W3

  exerceō 2 exercuī drive on, chase

  728 *ultim-us a um final, last. Here = ‘final destination’, in apposition to the ‘you’ of the Nile

  *immēns-us a um immeasurable

  restō 1 be left as X (nom.) for Y (dat.). Note the ‘apostrophe’

  Nīl-us ī 2m. Nile

  729 quem: i.e. the Nile. It is a connecting relative, RL107

  simulac as soon as. This controls only tetigit (of which Io is the subject)

  *margō margin-is 3m. edge, border

  730 prōcumbō 3 lie down

  *genu gen-ūs 4n. knee

  resupīn-us a um bent back

  *ardu-us a um looking upwards, steep, difficult, high

  731 quōs potuit sōlōs: refers to uultūs, ‘which alone she could [raise]’, ‘which was all she could [raise]’; humans raised hands to the gods in prayer and supplication

  732 *gemit-us ūs 4m. groan

  luctison-us a um grief-sounding, heart-rending (a one-off word in extant Latin)

  mūgīt-us ūs 4m. moo. Note the rare (and here very effective) spondaic fifth foot

  733 uīsa: supply est

  *fīn-is is 3f. end

  734 ille: i.e. Jupiter

  complex-us a um embracing

  735 ut: take with fīniat after rogat, ‘[Jupiter] rogat that she tandem fīniat . . . ’

  futūr-um ī 2n. the future

  737 haec: i.e. Io

  *Stygi-us a um Stygian, underworld, hellish. Jupiter is telling the (god of the) river Styx to hear because gods swore oaths in the name of the river (Homer Iliad 15.37–8). This was a reward which Zeus/Jupiter gave Styx for supporting him in a war against the Titans

  hōc: object of audīre

  palūs palūd-is 3f. marsh, swamp

  738 lēnīt-us a um soothed, placated

  dea: i.e. Juno

  illa: i.e. Io

  739 fit . . . fuit: a neat word-play and contrast

  saet-a ae 1f. animal hair, coat

  740 dēcrēscō 3 shrink

  art-us a um narrow

  741 contrahō 3 close, become smaller

  rict-us ūs 4m. gaping mouth

  umer-us ī 2m. shoulder

  742 ungul-a ae 1f. hoof

  quīn-us a um five

  dīlābor 3 dep. dīlāpsus disperse, dissolve

  absūmō 3 (passive) vanish, fade

  ungu-is is 3m. nail

  743 bōs bou-is 3m./f. ox, cow

  *nīl nothing

  *supersum superesse superfuī remain, be left over, survive

  candoris 3m. brightness (take with fōrmae; cf.610, 612)

  744 offici-um ī 2n. use, function

  nymphē: Greek nom., nymph

  content-us a um happy with (+ abl.)

  745 ērigor stand up

  *metuō 3 metuī metūtum fear

  mōre: abl. of mōs, ‘in the manner of, like’

  746 mūgiō 4 moo

  timidē fearfully, hesitantly

  intermiss-us a um interrupted

  retemptō 1 try again

  Learning vocabulary

  ardu-us a um looking upwards, steep, difficult, high

  caud-a ae 1f. tail

  condō 3 condidī conditum hide; build, found; compose

  fīn-is is 3f. end

  firmō 1 reinforce, strengthen

  gemit-us ūs 4m. groan

  gemm-a ae 1f. gem

  genu gen-ūs 4n. knee

  immēns-us a um immeasurable

  impleō 2 implēuī implētum fill

  margō margin-is 3m. edge, border

  metuō 3 metuī metūtum fear

  nīl nothing

  sanguis sanguin-is 3m. blood

  Stygi-us a um Stygian, underworld, hellish

  supersum superesse superfuī remain, be left over, survive

  ultim-us a um final, last

  Notes

  583–7: Ovid simply but powerfully paints Inachus’ emotional state. He is hidden away deep in his cave (583) – already we wonder what the description tells us – he is crying profusely (584), and with one word crunching against another (‘child – most miserable – Io – grief – as lost’) we cannot but feel sympathy for a father’s despair (584–5). Psychologically, Ovid is spot on to see both that it is the not knowing that is the real torture (585–6) and that there is a logic to fearing the worst (586–7): after all, Inachus is a god, and if he does not know where she is, what possible conclusion can he draw?

  588–600: Ovid now fills us in on how Io came to be missing – the ‘background’ to the story (note how Ovid moves from the pluperfect tense 588, to the perfect 600, and finally the vivid present 605). Jupiter saw her in the woods, and it was lust at first sight (no Cupid’s revenge here, cf. Apollo and Daphne). His motivation is transparently self-interested in a way that Apollo’s was not (the torus 590, a hypocritical hint at marriage; the invitation into a shady nook out of the hot sun, 591–4, and apparent ‘care’ for Io who, being no huntress, may well fear the woods; the cynical praeside tuta deo). Jupiter shows little sign of concern for Io (contrast Apollo); and his boasting about his identity (595–6) is crude. He is most affronted when she simply runs for it (his shocked reaction, 597), and he shows not the slightest hesitation in trapping and ravishing her. Ovid’s description is cold and clinical (599–600). We have Jupiter’s measure. Io’s reaction, however, is not revealed.

  601–9: But how is Juno to find out? Ovid makes her suspicious of the clouds
over Argos (her ‘home’ town) on such a sunny day (602–4). Further, she knows Jupiter has ‘form’ in this respect (605–6), and when she looks round for her husband, he is not at home (607). Adding two and two, she swoops down to investigate, scattering the clouds (607–9). She admits she may be wrong (fallor) – but also that she may be being wronged (laedor). We now have Juno’s measure.

  610–24: Juno finds (a forewarned) Jupiter, plus cow (and a pretty one, too – 612). She knows her man (note uērī quasi nescia), and starts gently turning the screws with a range of ‘innocent’ questions about the cow’s origin (613–14). Ovid does not need to depict Jupiter squirming under the cross-examination: ‘Where did it come from?’ ‘Er, no idea, no idea at all’, he whistles hopelessly (615), desperate to get Juno to stop (616). But Juno knows something is up and is taking no chances: ‘Present it to me, then’ (616). Jupiter is now on the back foot, and Ovid shows us his thought-processes. One wonders to whom precisely it would be crūdēle to have to surrender Io (617 – only to Jupiter, of course); and his shame at being caught – or losing out to his wife? – battles with desire for Io (618–19). A conflict between pudor and amor (hardly ‘love’ in this instance) is the sort of debate one might expect feckless humans to have; but Jupiter can be as feckless as any human (see Introduction, p. 7). But Jupiter realises he is trapped – why should he be so keen on not handing over an unimportant (leue) cow when he is trying to persuade Juno that he just happened to stumble across it (620–1)? So he gives up Io, imagining that this will prove his innocence and, when Juno has forgotten all about it, he can start again. But Juno knows all about her husband and his tricks, and puts a guard on Io (622–4). This is the comic battle of the sexes: exquisitely amusing, and beautifully observed – the sharp, suspicious Juno boxing into a corner a desperately evasive Jupiter who imagines he may have got away with it. The mighty gods of Olympus have here become a very human couple. Io’s feelings still remain a mystery.

  625–38: Hundred-eyed Argus is a formidable prison-guard, as Ovid makes clear: unsleeping by day (625–30), he ties Io up at night (630–1) when his hundred eyes would be less useful. And at last we turn to Io. What must it be like, Ovid thinks, to find yourself unexpectedly turned into a cow? Ovid amusingly suggests the way Io must be thinking about it. First, there would be the strange food (note amārae, 632); then sleeping on the ground (not always grassy either, 633); and only muddy water to drink (633). No arms with which to plead with Argus (635–6), and no voice either – just moos, which frighten even herself (637–8). Poor Io! Amusing it may be, but one’s heart goes out to her.

  639–50: It gets worse. She finds herself by the banks of the Inachus, her home, and sees her reflection in the river! Horns! (cornua, emphatic first word of a new line.) Not a fashion statement. No wonder she runs a mile (639–41). But it is her inability to make herself known to her family that is most frustrating. They obviously do not recognise her (642–3); all she can do is follow them, nuzzle up to them; eat from Inachus’ hands, lick them, kiss them, weep – all no use (643–7). Ovid looks into her thoughts and tells us what she would have said had she been able (647–8). What despair, until finally she cracks it – and writes with her hoof in the dust (649–50)!

 

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