by Peter Jones
in tantīs ^dīcenda malīs, †lūgubris et āmēns
et †laniāta sinūs, tōtum percēnsuit orbem,
335
†exanimēsque artūs prīmō, mox ossa requīrēns.
repperit ossa tamen, †peregrīnā condita rīpā,
†incubuitque locō, nōmenque in marmore lēctum
†perfūdit lacrimīs, et apertō pectore fōuit.
Learning vocabulary for Passage 4, Phaethon
aequor -is 3n. sea
aest-us ūs 4m. heat
ārid-us a um dry, parched
aurīg-a ae 1m. charioteer
careō 2 caruī lack, be lacking, do without (+ abl.)
cinis ciner-is 3m./f. ashes
curr-us ūs 4m. chariot
curu-us a um curved
frēn-um ī 2n. rein, control
fūmō 1 smoke
gemin-us a um twin, double
habēn-a ae 1f. rein
incendi-um ī 2n. fire, conflagration
indūcō 3 indūxī inductum draw X (acc.) over Y (dat.)
iug-um ī 2n. yoke
lōr-um ī 2n. rein
pondus ponder-is 3n. weight
praebeō 2 supply, provide
praeceps praecipit-is headlong
remittō 3 remīsī remissum let go of
rīm-a ae 1f. crack
rot-a ae 1f. wheel, i.e. chariot (cf. ‘wheels’)
ruō 3 ruī rutum run wild
spars-us a um scattered
stell-a ae 1f. star
super up, i.e. high, tall; super + acc., above
Study section
1. Write out and scan ll.260–4, 314–18.
2. Trace the steps by which the chariot goes out of control and finally crashes.
3. How sympathetically characterised is Phaethon? Would you want to talk of ‘the wild sexuality that runs out of control in the adolescent’? (Sharrock, in Hardie, 2002a, 97).
4. Identify some passages where it is not clear if Ovid is recounting facts or giving us a glimpse into human minds.
5. What contrasts of personnel and character do you find with the world-transforming event in passage 1?
6. Take any five lines, consecutive or not, and explain why they give you pleasure.
7. Oxford Latin Dictionary glosses excidō (328) as ‘(w.abl.) To be deprived or disappointed (of), fall short (of)’. Can this be right?
Vocabulary and grammar
150 iuuenāl-is e youthful
*curr-us ūs 4m. chariot
151 *super up, i.e. high, tall; super + acc., above
contingō 3 seize
*habēn-a ae 1f. rein
153 uolucer uolucr-is e swift
Pyroīs, Eōus, Aethōn . . . Phlegōn: Greek noms., horses of the sun (‘Fiery’, ‘Dawn’, ‘Blazing’, ‘Burning’)
154 hinnīt-us ūs 4m. whinnying
155 flammifer -a um flaming
repāgul-a ōrum 2n. door-bars
pulsō 1 beat on
156 Tēthys: Greek nom.; Tethys was grandmother of Phaethon and goddess of the sea, from which Sol arose (as if ‘released’?) every day
157 repellō 3 reppulī thrust back
cōpi-a ae 1f. use of, access to
158 corripiō 3/4 corripuī seize, charge at
159 obstō 1 be in the way
scindō 3 cut through
nebul-a ae 1f. cloud
leuō 1 raise up, lift up
160 Eur-us ī 2m. east wind
161 *pondus ponder-is 3n. weight
nec quod ‘and not [a weight of the sort] that’ + subj. The subj. here is ‘generic’, or ‘characteristic’, that is, the relative clause defines the sort of thing that would usually happen; in this case, the weight was not the sort of thing Sol’s horses normally expected, RL140, W38
162 solit-us a um usual, customary
iug-um ī 2n. yoke
*careō 2 lack, be lacking, be free of, lose (+ abl.)
163 utque: ‘and as’ (introducing a simile, picked up by . . .) sīc (165) ‘so . . .’
labō 1 roll, lurch
*curu-us a um curved
pondere: i.e. its ballast (or cargo)
164 īnstabil-is e unsteady, unstable
leuitās leuitāt-is 3f. lightness
165 adsuēt-us a um usual, accustomed
uacuus: refers to Phaethon’s chariot (currus, 166)
salt-us ūs 4m. jump, leap
166 succutiō 3/4 shake, jolt from below
altē on high, up in the air
inān-is e empty
167 quod: tr. ‘this’, object of sēnsēre, whose subject is quadriiugī, 168
simulac as soon as
*ruō 3 run wild
trīt-us a um trodden, worn (by the horses making previous runs – through the air!)
168 quadriiug-ī ōrum horses yoked four-abreast
quō prius ōrdine ‘in what order [they ran] before’
169 committō 3 commīsī commissus entrust
flectō 3 handle
170 sciat . . . imperet: note subj., indicating a conditional: ‘even if he had known, he would not . . .’
Learning vocabulary
careō 2 lack, be lacking, be free of, lose (+ abl.)
curr-us ūs 4m. chariot
curu-us a um curved
habēn-a ae 1f. rein
pondus ponder-is 3n. weight
ruō 3 run wild
super up, i.e. high, tall; super + acc., above
171 radi-us ī 2m. ray (of the sun)
caleō 2 grow warm
Triōnēs: nom. pl., ‘the Oxen’, which the ancients imagined to be hard at work in this constellation, also known as the Great and Little Bear. Ancients turned groups of stars into ‘constellations’ (cum + stella) and gave them names according to the shapes they could make out of them by ‘joining the dots’ in the sky. The Triōnēs were located in the far northerly (and therefore freezing) regions
172 *aequor -is 3m. sea
tingō 3 wet, bathe in. Ovid plays with astronomy here, imagining that the Oxen/Bears, which are never seen to sink below the horizon (and therefore get wet) by people living in the north, desperately wish to do so now
173 quaeque . . . Serpēns: ‘and what Serpent’, i.e. ‘and that Serpent which . . .’; the Serpent (also known as Dracō) is a northern constellation which coils between the Oxen/Bears
pol-us ī 2m. pole
glaciāl-is e icy, freezing
174 frīgus frīgor-is 3n. cold
piger pigr-a um lazy, sluggish
formīdābil-is e frightening
175 incaleō 2 grow warm
feruor -is 3m. high temperature. Snakes become aroused when warm
176 turbō 1 disturb
memorō 1 say, tell
Boōte: Greek voc. of the constellation Bootes, ‘Ox-driver’ (hence his slowness); he ‘drove’ the Triōnēs
177 plaustr-um ī 2n. wagon (which the Triōnēs pulled)
178 dēspiciō 3/4 dēspexī look down on
179 penitus far below
180 palleō 2 grow pale
intremō 3 intremuī tremble
181 tenebr-a ae 1f. shadow, darkness, i.e. dizziness or a fainting fit brought on by the height
per: almost ‘in spite of’
182 māllet: note conditional subj.
183 genus: ‘birth’, i.e. who his father was (the Sun), which earlier in the story he had foolishly demanded to know (1.757 ff.)
piget (impersonal) it is a matter of regret, RLF2, W37
rogandō: i.e. in asking to drive the chariot
184 Merops Merop-is 3m. Merops, the husband of Phaethon’s mother
dīcī: sc. ‘to be called/said to be [the son] of’, gen. of origin/source, RL6.5
ita . . . ut: ita, ‘so’, prepares us for ut ‘like, as’, introducing a simile
185 *praeceps praecipit-is headlong
pīn-us ūs 4f. pine (tree), i.e. ship
Boreā: abl. s. of Greek Boreas, the north wind
c: ‘[the wind] to which/
to whose control’
*remittō 3 remīsī let go of, hand over
186 *frēnum ī 2n. rein, control. Ovid here uses a metaphor from charioteering to describe the loss of control on board ship
rēctor -is 3m. captain, helmsman
quam: i.e. the pīnus
187 faciat: note deliberative subj., RL152
multum caelī: take closely together
188 plūs: i.e. sky
mētior 4 dep. measure
189 modo . . . interdum ‘now . . . sometimes’
quōs . . . occāsūs: take in order prōspicit occāsūs quōs illī contingō 3 reach
190 prōspiciō 3/4 look forward towards
occās-us ūs 4m. setting (of the sun) i.e. west
respiciō 3/4 look back at
ort-us ūs 4m. rising (of the sun), i.e. east
191 quidque agat: indirect question after ignārus
stupeō 2 be bewildered, in a daze
193 *spars-us a um scattered
passim far and wide
mīrācul-um ī 2n. wonder, marvel
194 uast-us a um huge
trepid-us a um trembling
simulācr-um ī 2n. image. These are the images made by the constellations, which Phaethon takes to be genuine celestial monsters
195 locus: take ubi next. est locus (or equivalent) usually introduces an idyllic locus amoenus (see Introduction, p. 8). As usual, the locus here is far from amoenus for poor Phaethon
*gemin-us a um twin
brācchia: here = ‘Claws’, a sign of the zodiac, also known as Libra ‘the Balance’
concauō 1 curve
arc-us ūs 4m. arc
196 Scorpi-us ī 2m. Scorpio, a constellation and sign of the zodiac
flex-īs: describes both caudā and lacertīs
utrimque from/on both sides
197 porrigō 3 stretch out, expand
in spatium: i.e. to cover a space of
signōrum duōrum: i.e. Scorpio and Claws/Libra
198 hunc: i.e. Scorpio; begin ut puer . . . uīdit (199)
madid-us a um wet, dripping
sūdor -is 3m. sweat
uenēn-um ī 2n. poison, venom
199 curuāt-us a um curved
minitor 1 dep. threaten
cuspis cuspid-is 3f. sting
200 inops inop-is devoid of, out of (+ gen.)
formīdō formīdin-is 3f. fear, terror
*lōr-um ī 2n. rein
201 quae: i.e. lōra (subject)
tergum: i.e. the horses’ backs; the horses can feel the reins (subject of tetigēre) lying uselessly there
202 exspatior 1 dep. veer off-course
inhibeō prevent, stop
203 ignōt-us a um unknown
regiō -nis 3f. territory, region
quāque and wherever
impet-us ūs 4m. urge
204 hāc by this route, here
fīx-us a um fixed, located. The ancients believed the stars were stationary in the firmament
205 incursō 1 run among (+ abl.)
stell-a ae 1f. star
āui-a ōrum 2n. trackless places (n. pl., like summa 206)
206 dēclīu-e 3n. slope
207 spati-um ī 2n. place, area
propior -is too near (to)
208 īnferius suīs ‘lower than his own [horses]’
frātern-us a um of a brother (Moon and Sun were siblings)
209 ambust-us a um scorch, burn up (ambūrō)
*fūmō 1 smoke
Learning vocabulary
aequor -is 3n. sea
frēnum ī 2n. rein, control
fūmō 1 smoke
gemin-us a um twin
lōr-um ī 2n. rein
praeceps praecipit-is headlong
remittō 3 remīsī remiss-um let go of, hand over
spars-us a um scattered
210 corripiō 3/4 grip
ut quaeque: quaeque is f., referring to tellūs, lit. ‘inasmuch as each (tellūs) [sc. was] altissima’, i.e. in all the land’s highest parts
211 fiss-us a um split open (findō)
*rīm-a ae 1f. crack
sūc-us ī 2m. juice, i.e. rivers, etc.
āreō 2 dry up
adēmpt-us a um removed (adimō)
212 pābul-um ī 2n. pasture, field
cānēscō 3 turn white
frōns frond-is 3f. leaf
213 māteri-a ae 1f. fuel
*praebeō 2 supply, provide
seges seget-is 3f. corn-field, crop
*ārid-us a um dry, parched
damn-um ī 2n. destruction
214 moeni-a um 3n. pl. walls
215 *incendi-um ī 2n. fire, conflagration
216 *cinis ciner-is 3m./f. ashes
ardeō 2 burn
228 adspiciō 3/4 see
accēns-us a um ablaze, on fire (accendō)
*aest-us ūs 4m. heat
229 ferueō 2 boil
fornāx fornāc-is 3f. furnace, oven
profund-us a um deep
230 candēscō 3 glow, light up
231 ēiectō 1 throw out
fauill-a ae 1f. spark
232 calid-us a um hot
inuoluō 3 wrap
undique on all sides
fūm-us ī 2m. smoke
233 eat . . . sit: subjs. after nescit (234). It is odd that the horses do not seem to be affected by the chaos around them
pice-us a um pitch (i.e. made of pitch, resinous)
cālīgō cālīgin-is 3f. darkness, gloom
234 arbitri-um ī 2n. will
uolucer uolucr-is e swift, speedy
raptō 1 carry/drag off
235 crēdunt: ‘they (i.e. people) believe . . .’; Ovid does not commit himself
in corpora summa: i.e. to the surface of the bodies. Ovid ingeniously rationalises that the blood rushing to the surface of the body to cool it would eventually cause the skin to turn black (blood does congeal black, after all)
236 Aethiop-es -um 3m. Ethiopia(ns); these are gen. after populōs, subject of the acc. and inf. trāxisse. Phaethon originated from Ethiopia (778)
color -is 3m. colour
237 Libyē: Greek nom., Libya
ūmor -is 3m. moisture
260 dissiliō 4 burst apart
sol-um ī 2n. earth
penetrō 1 reach
261 īnfern-us a um belonging to the lower regions
262 contrahō 3 shrink
sicc-us a um dry
est: the subj. of est is quod modo . . . erat (263)
camp-us ī 2m. expanse
harēn-a ae 1f. sand (gen. of content/material, RLL(d)3, WSuppl.syntax)
263 quōsque: quōs refers to montēs (264); take in order montēs quōs . . . exsistunt et . . .
264 exsistō 3 stick out
Cycladas: Greek acc. pl. (f.), Cyclades, the Cycladic isles, a chain of mountainous-looking islands in the Aegean
augeō 2 multiply
265 īm-a -ōrum n. pl. the depths, RL14.7, W4
pisc-is is 3m. fish
266 cōnsuēt-us a um usual, accustomed
delphīn delphīn-is 3m. dolphin
267 phōc-a ae 1f. seal
resupīn-us a um on one’s back
profund-um ī 2n. the deep
268 exanimāt-us a um lifeless
natō 1 swim, float
Nērea . . . Dōrida: Greek accs. of Nereus and his wife Doris (sea-gods), subjects of the acc. and inf. following fāma est
269 tepid-us a um warm
270 Neptūn-us ī 2m. Neptune, god of the sea, temporarily powerless to do anything about the destruction of his domain
aquīs: ‘from the waters’ (‘true’ abl., RL100A,Survey(a))
toru-us a um stern, grim
271 exserō 3 stretch out, raise
301 tolerō 1 endure, put up with
uapor -is 3m. heat
302 ulterius (adv.) further, any more
in: controls both sē and antra. It is hard to envisage how Tellūs can ‘withdraw her fac
e into herself’ until one remembers that Tellūs is both an individual deity (a goddess) and the Earth (in the same way that e.g. Peneus was both the river and the river-god; see on passage 2, 1.452). She had begun her speech after poking her head out of the ashes of the earth (275–7, 282–4, not included in these extracts); now, as a goddess, she pokes it back again and retreats
303 propior -is nearer to (+ dat.)
mān-ēs –ium 3m. pl. shades of the underworld (contrast man-us ūs 4f. hand)
304 omnipotēns omnipotent-is all-powerful
testor 1 dep. call on X (acc.) as witness that (+ acc. and inf., omnia interitūra [esse] fātō grauī). Since gods do not usually interfere with each other’s decisions, Jupiter alerts the Sun to the seriousness of the situation to explain his decision to intervene (cf. passage 7, 3.336–7)
306 intereō interīre interiī interitum die, perish
ardu-us a um on high
307 *indūcō 3 draw X (acc.) over Y (dat.)
308 tonitr-us ūs 4m. thunder
uibrō 1 shake
iactō 1 throw, hurl
309 quās: refers to nūbēs. Begin neque tunc habuit nūbēs quās . . . nec imbrēs quōs; posset, like dēmitteret (310), is subj., because the relative clause expresses purpose, ‘clouds to . . .’, RL145(3)
310 dēmittō 3 let down/fall
imber imbr-is 3m. shower, rain
311 intonō 1 thunder
librō 1 balance
aur-is is 3f. ear
312 *aurīg-a ae 1m. charioteer, lit. ‘one who works the reins’ (aureae + agō) – which Phaethon no longer does
pariter equally, at the same time
*rot-a ae 1f. wheel, i.e. chariot (cf. ‘wheels’)
313 expellō 3 expulī expel X (acc., understand ‘Phaethon’) from Y (abl.). Note the syllepsis of Phaethon’s expulsion from ‘life and chariot’
saeuīs: Jupiter’s fire is much more powerful than ordinary fire, and therefore by Ovidian logic puts it out
compescō 3 compescuī restrain, check
314 cōnsternō 1 throw into confusion
salt-us ūs 4m. leap
in contrāria: ‘in opposite directions’ (there are four horses in all)
315 iug-um ī 2n. yoke
abrupt-us a um torn off (abrumpō)
316 tēmō -nis 3m. pole
reuuls-us a um ripped from (+ abl.) (reuellō)
317 ax-is is 3m. axle
radi-us ī 2m. spoke
frāct-us a um broken (frangō)
318 lacer -a um mangled, torn
Learning vocabulary
aest-us ūs 4m. heat
ārid-us a um dry, parched
aurīg-a ae 1m. charioteer
cinis ciner-is 3m/f. ashes
incendi-um ī 2n. fire, conflagration
