Reading Ovid
Page 21
400 latet: i.e. she remains hidden there (where she had taken refuge at 393)
401 omnibus: dat. of agent (‘by everyone’, RLL(e)(iv), W24), or locative (RLL(g), W37) ‘in all [mountains]’? The latter has much to be said for it
402 hanc: ‘her’, i.e. Echo, object (like aliās nymphās and ctūs) of lūserat, of which the subject is Narcissus
undīs aut montibus: i.e. river- and mountain-nymphs
403 hīc: i.e. Narcissus
sīc . . . ante: ‘so [too as he had] previously’
ct-us ūs 4m. crowd; sexual relations
uirīl-is e of/with men
404 dēspect-us a um despised (dēspiciō). Observe that it is a man who is speaking
405 licet: + subj. (no ut, cf. RLF2) effectively expresses a wish here, ‘let him’, ‘may he’; amō here = fall in love
potiātur: jussive subj.; sīc . . . sīc of 405 echoes the triple sīc of 402–3. Narcissus’ deceitful (403) behaviour is about to reap its own reward
406 adsentiō 4 adsēnsī assent to (+ dat.)
Rhamnūsi-a ae 1f. Nemesis, goddess of vengeance. She had a temple at Rhamnus (in Attica)
Learning vocabulary
cōpi-a ae 1f. control over, use of (X gen.) for sexual purposes
ecquis: ‘[Is] anyone?’
haereō 2 cling on; stay put
hūc (to) here
miserābil-is e pitiful
rūrsus again
totidem the same number of
407 fōns erat: the typical start for the description of a locus amoenus (and therefore trouble; see Introduction, p. 8)
illīmis slime-free
nitid-us a um glittering
argente-us a um silvery
408 pāst-us a um grazing (pāscor)
monte: abl. of place, RL100A(b)
capell-a ae 1f. goat
409 pecus pecor-is 3n. herd, animals
uolucr-is is 3f. bird
410 *turbō 1 disturb. turbā(ue)rat is plupf.
rām-us ī 2m. branch
411 grāmen grāmin-is 3n. grass
ūmor -is 3m. water
alō 3 feed, nourish
412 passūra: ‘always ensuring that’; this is a calm, changeless world
tepēscō 3 grow warm
413 uēnor 1 dep. hunt
lass-us a um tired
414 prōcumbō 3 prōcubuī lie down
secūtus: i.e. attracted by
415 *sit-is is 3f. thirst
sēdō 1 slake
416 corrept-us a um fascinated, arrested (corripiō)
fōrmae: i.e. his own fōrma
418 adstupeō 2 be amazed at, enthralled by (+ dat.)
immōt-us a um motionless. uultū . . . eōdem indicates another motionless feature
419 Pari-us a um from Paros (an island in the Aegean, famous for its superb marble used only in the finest statues)
marmor -is 3n. marble
421 et Apolline: ‘of Apollo as well’ – Apollo having much more celebrated locks than Bacchus
422 impūb-is beardless
gen-a ae 1f. cheek
eburne-us a um ivory
decus decor-is 3n. glory, distinction, grace
423 niue-us a um snowy
*mixt-us a um mixed (misceō)
*candor -is 3m. radiance, whiteness
424 *mīrābil-is e admirable
425 imprūdēns imprūdent-is ignorant, unaware
426 *pariter equally
accendō 3 set on fire
427 fallāx fallāc-is deceitful, spurious
428 *captō 1 try to get hold of
430 quid uideat . . . quod uidet: enjoy the contrast between the (vague) subj. and (definitive) ind. here
431 incitō 1 spur on
432 crēdul-us a um naïve
*simulācr-um ī 2n. image, likeness
*fugāx fugāc-is fleeting
433 āuertor 3 dep. turn away. āvertere is imper., virtually a conditional clause, with perdēs the main verb
434 repercuss-us a um reflected (repercutiō)
*cernō 3 crēuī crētum discern, perceive
435 nīl . . . suī: lit. ‘nothing of itself/its own’, i.e. no real substance of its own; ista (i.e. umbra) is the subject
Learning vocabulary
candor -is 3m. radiance, whiteness
captō 1 try to get hold of
cernō 3 crēuī crētum discern, perceive
fugāx fugāc-is fleeting
mīrābil-is e admirable
mixt-us a um mixed (misceō)
pariter equally
simulācr-um ī 2n. image, likeness
sit-is is 3f. thirst
turbō 1 disturb
437 illum: i.e. Narcissus
Cerēs Cerer-is 3f. Ceres, god of harvest, i.e. bread. Cereris, like quiētis, depends on cūra
438 abstrahō 3 drag away
opāc-us a um shady
fūs-us a um spread out (fundō)
439 inexplēt-us a um insatiable
mendāx mendāc-is deceptive, lying
440 paulum a little
441 circumstō 1 stand round
442 iō: an emotional exclamation
443 latebr-a ae 1f. hiding-place
opportūn-us a um convenient.
444 ecquem: obj. of meministis (445)
agantur: agō here is used of passing time
saecul-um ī 2n. generation, century (subject)
445 tābēscō 3 tabuī waste away. Why subj.?
446 et placet et uideō: note the chiastic repetition in the second half of the line
448 quōque magis: here + subj., ‘in order that doleam the more’; RL148, cf. on 372
sēparō 1 keep apart
449 moeni-a um 3n. pl. walls
port-a ae 1f. gate
450 *exigu-us a um narrow
451 *porrigō 3 porrēxī offer, stretch
lymph-a ae 1f. water
452 totiēns so often
resupīn-us a um turned upwards
nītor 3 dep. reach out
453 putēs: conditional subj.; understand ‘that he’
obstō 1 get in the way of (+ dat.)
454 ūnic-us a um matchless
455 nec . . . est mea: ‘it is not mea fōrma nec aetās quam’
456 fugiās: subj. of characteristic
amārunt: = ama(uē)runt
457 nescioquī/quae/quod of some sort or other, some measure of
prōmittō 3 promise
amīcō: here an adj., ‘friendly’
458 cumque and whenever (note the ind. porrēxī)
ultrō willingly, eagerly
459 rīdeō 2 rīsī smile, laugh
adrīdeō 2 smile/laugh back
notō 1 observe
460 lacrimō 1 weep
nūt-us ūs 4m. nod (i.e. when I nod)
461 quantum in as far as
mōt-us ūs 4m. movement
fōrmōs-us a um beautiful
suspicor 1 dep. gather, conclude
462 aur-is is 3f. ear
463 iste: iste means ‘that (belonging to you/of yours)’
465 faciam: deliberative subj., like roger and rogem, RL152
anne: = an + ne = an, ‘or’
466 inops inop-is poor
467 ō: note the (despairing) hiatus; see on passage 1, 1.363
sēcēdō 3 withdraw
468 uōtum: understand est
in amante: i.e. ‘for a lover [to make]’
uellem: the object of Narcissus’ uōtum, ‘that I should wish’
abesset: object of Narcissus’ wish, ‘that quod amāmus (subject) abesset’, RLL-V(a)4
469 adimō 3 remove
470 exstinguō 3 put out, destroy
471 morte: abl. of means, RL100A(b), W14
472 dīligō 3 love
uellem: ‘I should wish that’ hīc . . . diuturnior esset diuturn-us a um long-lasting, permanent (sc. ‘than I am’)
473 concors concord-is in harmony, together
474 sān-us a um healthy
475 *obscūr-us a um obscured, dark, opaque
476 reddita . . . est: i.e. his fōrma came back to him obscūra
lac-us ūs 4m. lake
abīre: understand fōrmam as subject of the acc. and inf.
478 *dēserō 3 dēseruī dēsertum desert, abandon
nōn est: = it is not possible
479 praebeō 2 offer
aliment-um ī 2n. sustenance (cf. the ‘thirst’ of his love at 415)
480 dēdūcō 3 dēdūxī remove, pull down and off (as a more dramatic gesture of grief, rip down and off)
ōr-a ae 1f. hem, edge
481 marmore-us a um white, marble
palm-a ae 1f. palm. Note the emphatic alliteration of percussit pectora palmīs in this golden line; 482 is almost golden too, the repeated pectora . . . percussa preparing for the simile
482 rose-us a um rose-coloured
483 pōm-um ī 2n. apple
parte . . . parte: abl. of respect, RLL(f)4(vi)
484 rubeō 2 blush
ūu-a ae 1f. grape (here abl. of place, ‘in’, ‘among’)
racēm-us ī 2m. bunch, cluster
485 purpure-us a um reddish (these grapes are not yet a fully ripened purple)
mātūr-us a um ripe (cf. 347!)
*color -is 3m. colour, tinge, hue
486 quae: i.e. his pectora
liquefact-us a um clear, calm
487 ulterius any longer
intābēscō 3 melt (inf. after solent, 489)
*flāu-us a um yellow
488 *cēr-a ae 1f. wax
mātūtīn-us a um early-morning
pruīn-a ae 1f. frost
489 tepeō 2 grow warm
attenuāt-us a um weakened, made thin (attenuō)
490 līquō 3 melt away
paulātim slowly, gradually
*carpō 3 carpsī carptum pick, harvest; plunder, devour; weaken, consume
491 mixtō candōre: abl. of description (his previous color is being described, in comparison with its colourlessness now – the first sign that he is fading away)
492 uigor -is 3m. energy, vigour
494 quae: i.e. Echo (subject); understand ‘him’ after uīdit
495 indoleō 2 grieve
*ēh (cf. h): a cry of anguish
496 reson-us a um echoing
iterō 1 repeat
498 sonit-us ūs 4m. sound
plangor -is 3m. grief, distress
499 spectantis: refers to Narcissus, ‘of him gazing’
500 dīlect-us a um beloved
501 ualē, uale: the second uale is in hiatus with inquit and its e scans light; it is permitted (though very rare) for a vowel to be lightened in such instances. Here, the effect is of uale fading away . . .
502 uiridī: the fresh, lively green contrasts with Narcissus’ deathly pallor
submittō 3 submīsī lower
503 dominum: Narcissus is enslaved to the beauty of his ‘master’
504 īnfern-us a um in the underworld
sēd-ēs is 3f. seat, home, residence
505 *plangō 3 planxī mourn. The Naides are water-nymphs, presumably daughters of the river-god Cephisus; the repetition of the word in different forms in 505–7 (polyptoton) gives a sense of the repeated cries of grief
506 sect-us a um cut. Cutting the hair was a common sign of mourning
Dryas Dryad-is 3f. wood-nymph
adsonō 1 sound along with (+ dat.). Echo responds to the Dryades because she can no longer respond to Narcissus
508 rog-us ī 2m. funeral-pyre
quass-us a um for brandishing (quatiō) (lit. ‘brandished’, used here proleptically, i.e. they were going to be brandished)
fax fac-is 3f. torch
feretr-um ī 2n. bier
509 nūsquam nowhere. The absence of e.g. sed (asyndeton) creates a sense of surprise
*croce-us a um yellow
*flōs flōr-is 3m. flower
510 foli-um ī 2n. leaf
alb-us a um white
Learning vocabulary
carpō 3 carpsī carptum pick, harvest; plunder,
devour; weaken, consume
cēr-a ae 1f. wax
color -is 3m. colour, tinge, hue
croce-us a um yellow
dēserō 3dēseruī dēsertum desert, abandon
ēh (cf. h) a cry of anguish
exigu-us a um narrow
flāu-us a um yellow
flōs flōr-is 3m. flower
obscūr-us a um obscured, dark
plangō 3 planxī mourn
porrigō 3 porrēxī porrēctum offer, stretch
Notes
339–50: Ovid makes the transition to the story of Narcissus by stating that Teiresias’ new-found prophetic powers brought him tremendous fame (339–40), and giving an example. Liriope, Ovid says, was the first to put Tiresias to the test (341–2) after she had been raped by a river-god (341–4) and borne Narcissus. Even as a tiny baby, he was lovable (345; note that Liriope is pulcherrima herself, 344) – and it is that capacity to be loved which will undo him, because of his unwillingness to love in return. Teiresias’ reply to Liriope’s understandably infatuated maternal request (346–7) is incomprehensible as it stands (often the nature of prophecy) (348–9), since, usually, it is not knowing oneself that leads to disaster (cf. Oedipus; does ‘know’ here have a sexual sense too? It can carry that meaning in Latin). But in this case it is the only thing that will save Narcissus. Ovid teases us further: Narcissus’ death will be of an especially strange and novel type (349–50). In both these ways, Ovid whets the reader’s appetite for the story ahead. Observe that, if Ovid has wandered somewhat off-theme here – Narcissus is not a member of Cadmus’ family – his subject-matter (disastrous sexual engagements) will remain broadly on-theme, even if avenging deities feature only marginally (406).
351–61: To be attractive to both men and women, Narcissus needs to be poised on the edge of manhood: aged sixteen (351), he is man enough for the females, but still boy enough for the males (the pattern of attraction that holds in the ancient world). So, as puer and iuuenis (352) Narcissus attracts both sexes equally (note the equal balance of 353), but because of the pride and hardness (dūra) of character that goes with his tenerā form (354) – a typically sharp Ovidian antithesis – he also keeps them at bay equally (355). superbia has strong overtones of Greek hubris, that proud, self-willed arrogance that always leads to disaster: Narcissus is his own worst enemy, and his superbia will be his undoing. All this is highly reminiscent of the erotic love-poetry Ovid had written in his early career, when obstinacy and jealousy were always making ‘true love’ impossible to find. Note the balance of 353 and 355, a sort of linguistic ‘mirror image’ of what Narcissus will see in the water, while cupiēre and tetigēre foreshadow precisely the conflict Narcissus will himself experience. Like most young men in Metamorphōsēs, Narcissus spends his days in hunting (356, though Narcissus will turn out to be strangely pale for a hunter, 419, 423), and this is how the nymph Echo spots him (356–7). Ovid at once indicates her disability – she can only reply to what others say – and points out that at this stage she has a body (357–61). Ovid here lays the ground for future developments. She will act in one respect as a sort of alter-Narcissus, since they both have a limited capacity to respond (she only to what she has heard, he only to himself); but sexually her outlook is quite different.
362–9: How did Echo’s plight come about? At 362–9, Ovid tells her story, cleverly insert-ing another transformation. When Jupiter was seducing nymphs in the mountains, she would delay Juno by engaging her in lengthy conversations (362–5). When Juno realised what was going on, she reduced her speech to the ability only to repeat the last words of anything she heard another person say (366–9). We have already met Juno vengefully exacting cruel punishments on those who cross her (e.g. Io, Semele and Tiresias).
370–92: What if a nymph, falling madly in love with a human (370–2 + fire simile 373–4), wanted to make her feelings felt but could only repeat
what he said? She would feel dreadfully frustrated, obviously (375–6), but all she could do would be to wait for him to speak (377–8), and try to turn it to her advantage. And so it happens. Ovid constructs a situation in which Narcissus has become separated from his companions and calls out if there is anyone present (ecquis adest?). The nymph replies adest (‘There is [someone] present’, 380). This initial exchange is conducted in the pluperfect dīxerat . . . responderat (379–80), but now Ovid zooms us right into the present (381 stupet). And so the play on words goes on (note how 385 dēceptus imāgine uōcis foreshadows Narcissus’ own fate, ‘looks’ replacing ‘voice’), till the double entendre of coeāmus (386) meets with a joyous coeāmus! from Echo (387), who launches herself at him (388–9). Even his verbal efforts to shake her off only encourage her the more (391–2). Poor Echo! She thinks they are speaking the same language, and so they are, but not in the sense she imagines. Note that Narcissus says he will die before he has sex (391). Ironically, he will indeed.
393–401: Which leads to another transformation: Echo now fades away, leaving only sound and rocks behind. Ovid tracks the emotional and physical stages. Emotionally Echo feels the rejection and the shame and hides in caves (393–4), but her love for Narcissus merely grows because of her rejection (395, a typical Ovidian paradox). Physically, she seems to be decomposing, like a dead body: sleepless, she becomes emaci-ated (397); her flesh shrivels as its moisture dissipates into the air, leaving only a voice and bones (397–8), and even then her bones turn into what looks like stone (399, cf.1.409). The bones do this, presumably, not in skeleton form but as a rock formation, it being in rocky territory particularly that one hears echoes. In this form, sound + rocks, she stays hidden in the woods where she had earlier taken refuge (393), and that is why, Ovid explains, you never see her in the mountains; you only hear her (400–1). All that (paradoxically) ‘lives’ in her is sonus.
402–6: Narcissus, who treats everyone like this (402–3), is riding for a fall, and eventually one of his would-be male lovers despairingly curses him, praying that he may experience what he inflicts on others (404–5: the five repeated sīcs of 402–5 is especially effective). The goddess of vengeance, Nemesis, is listening to these iūstīs prayers (406). We may ask – iūstīs in whose eyes? Nemesis’? (Yes, surely); Ovid’s as well? Anyway, Nemesis now has all that she needs in order to act, and is never mentioned again. But this throws up a serious challenge for the poet: given that Narcissus automatically rejects all advances, how can he possibly suffer at the hands of others in the way others have suffered because of him?