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Reading Ovid

Page 14

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

 

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