by Peter Jones
et †nimium uīxisse diū nocet. audiat istās^,
sī qua †tibī nurus est, sī qua est tibi fīlia, ^uōcēs.
cōnsiliī satis est in mē mihi, †nēue monendō
40
†prōfēcisse putēs, eadem est sententia nōbīs.
cūr nōn ipsa uenit? †cūr haec certāmina uītat?’
tum dea †‘uēnit!’ ait, fōrmamque remōuit anīlem
†Palladaque exhibuit. uenerantur nūmina nymphae
†Mygdonidesque nurūs; sōla est nōn territa uirgō.
45
sed tamen †ērubuit, subitusque^ inuīta notāuit
ōra ^rubor rūrsusque †ēuānuit, ut solet āēr
†purpureus fierī, cum prīmum Aurōra mouētur,
et breue post tempus †candēscere sōlis ab ortū.
perstat in inceptō, stolidāque cupīdine †palmae
50
in sua fāta ruit; neque enim †Ioue nāta recūsat,
nec monet †ulterius, nec iam certāmina differt.
[53–8: Ovid describes how the looms were set up and prepared for weaving]
The two of them get down to business, robes hitched up to the girdle,
Experienced hands hard at it, enthusiasm making light of the work.
60
Threads dipped in Tyrian purple are being woven here
And lighter shades, imperceptibly merging.
Imagine a rainbow when the sun has broken through after a shower:
It paints the length of the sky with its great curving arc,
Gleaming with a thousand different hues,
65
But impossible to tell where one becomes another.
Adjacent colours look the same; at the edges, distinctions are clear.
And here gold threads are being worked into the cloth,
As ancient tales are woven on the loom.
6.70–82: Minerva puts at the centre her ancient contest with Poseidon
†Cecropiā Pallas scopulum Māuortis in arce
70
pingit et †antīquam dē terrae nōmine lītem.
†bis sex caelestēs, mediō Ioue, sēdibus altīs,
†augustā grauitāte, sedent. sua^ quemque deōrum
†īnscrībit ^faciēs: Iouis est rēgālis imāgō;
†stāre deum pelagī longōque ferīre tridente
75
aspera saxa facit, mediōque ē †uulnere saxī
exsiluisse fretum, quō †pignore uindicet urbem;
at †sibi dat clipeum, dat acūtae cuspidis hastam,
dat †galeam capitī, dēfenditur aegide pectus,
†percussamque suā simulat dē cuspide terram
80
†ēdere cum bācīs fētum cānentis olīuae;
†mīrārīque deōs; operis Victōria fīnis.
6.83–102: In the corners,Minerva depicts mortals who challenged the gods
ut tamen †exemplīs intellegat aemula laudis
quod †pretium spēret prō tam furiālibus ausīs,
quattuor in †partēs certāmina quattuor addit,
85
clāra colōre suō, breuibus †distīncta sigillīs.
†Thrēiciam Rhodopēn habet angulus ūnus et Haemum,
†nunc gelidōs montēs, mortālia corpora quondam,
nōmina summōrum sibi †quī tribuēre deōrum.
altera^ †Pygmaeae fātum miserābile mātris
90
^pars habet; hanc Iūnō uictam certāmine iussit
esse †gruem populīsque suīs indīcere bellum.
pinxit et †Antigonēn, ausam contendere quondam
cum magnī †cōnsorte Iouis, quam rēgia Iūnō
in †uolucrem uertit; nec prōfuit Īlion illī
95
†Lāomedōnue pater, sūmptīs quīn candida pennīs
ipsa sibi †plaudat crepitante cicōnia rōstrō.
†quī superest sōlus, Cinyrān habet angulus orbum;
isque †gradūs templī, nātārum membra suārum,
amplectēns saxōque iacēns †lacrimāre uidētur.
100
†circuit extrēmās oleīs pācālibus ōrās
(is modus est) operisque †suā facit arbore fīnem.
6.103–14: Arachne depicts Jupiter’s disguises and various affairs
†Maeonis ēlūsam dēsignat imāgine taurī
†Eurōpam; uērum taurum, freta uēra putārēs.
ipsa uidēbātur terrās spectāre relictās
105
et comitēs clāmāre suās tāctumque †uerērī
†adsilientis aquae timidāsque redūcere plantās.
†fēcit et Asteriēn aquilā luctante tenērī,
fēcit †olōrīnīs Lēdam recubāre sub ālīs;
addidit ut, satyrī †cēlātus imāgine, pulchram^
110
Iuppiter implērit geminō †^Nyctēida fētū,
†Amphitryōn fuerit cum tē, Tīrynthia, cēpit,
†aureus ut Danaēn, Asōpida lūserit ignis,
†Mnēmosynēn pāstor, uarius Dēōida serpēns.
6.115–28: She depicts Neptune, Apollo, Dionysus and Saturn in disguise
tē quoque mūtātum toruō, †Neptūne, iuuencō
115
uirgine in †Aeoliā posuit; tū uīsus Enīpeus
†gignis Alōīdās, ariēs Bīsaltida fallis,
et †tē flāua comās frūgum mītissima māter
sēnsit equum, sēnsit uolucrem †crīnīta colubrīs
māter †equī uolucris, sēnsit delphīna Melanthō.
120
omnibus hīs faciemque suam faciemque locōrum
†reddidit. est illīc agrestis imāgine Phoebus,
†utque modo accipitris pennās, modo terga leōnis
gesserit, ut †pāstor Macarēida lūserit Issēn,
†Līber ut Ērigonēn falsā dēcēperit ūuā,
125
ut †Sāturnus equō geminum Chīrōna creārit.
ultima pars †tēlae, tenuī circumdata limbō,
†nexilibus flōrēs hederīs habet intertextōs.
6.129–45: The furious Minerva drives Arachne to suicide, but then turns her into a spider
nōn illud^ Pallas, nōn illud^ carpere †Līuor
possit ^opus. doluit †successū flāua uirāgō,
130
et †rūpit pictās, caelestia crīmina, uestēs,
utque †Cytōriacō radium dē monte tenēbat,
†ter quater Idmoniae frontem percussit Arachnēs.
nōn tulit †īnfēlīx, laqueōque animōsa ligāuit
†guttura; pendentem Pallas miserāta leuāuit,
135
atque ita ‘uīue quidem, pendē tamen, †improba’ dīxit,
†‘lēxque^eadem poenae, nē sīs sēcūra futūrī,
^dicta tuō generī sērīsque nepōtibus †estō!’
post ea discēdēns, †sūcīs Hecatēidos herbae
†sparsit; et extemplō trīstī medicāmine tāctae
140
†dēfluxēre comae, cum quīs et nāris et aurēs,
fitque caput minimum, tōtō quoque corpore parua est;
in latere †exīlēs digitī prō crūribus haerent,
cētera †uenter habet, dē quō tamen illa remittit
†stāmen, et antīquās exercet arānea tēlās.
145
Learning vocabulary for Passage 11, Minerva and Arachne
angul-us ī 2m. corner
antīqu-us a um ancient
certāmen certāmin-is 3n. contest
cuspis cuspid-is 3f. point
fēt-us ūs 4m. fruit, offspring
fret-um ī 2n. sea-water, sea
incept-us a um begun (incipiō); incept-um ī 2n. beginning, plan
lān-a ae 1f. wool
nur-us -ūs 4f. daughter-in-law, wife
Pallas Pallad-is 3f. Pallas [Athena], i.e. Minerva
pingō 3 pinxī pictum embroider, depict
recūsō 1 re
fuse (to do)
sēr-us a um late(r)
seu whether, or
sīue whether, or
spernō 3 sprēuī sprētum spurn, despise
tēl-a ae 1f. tapestry, weaving
toru-us a um grim, unyielding
ueni-a ae 1f. pardon, forgiveness
uolucr-is is 3f. bird
Study section
1. Why did Minerva bother to challenge Arachne to a contest?
2. How would you define the functions of the two tapestries?
3. Do you admire Arachne? Or did she get what was coming to her? How does your answer affect your view of Minerva?
4. Weaving is regularly likened to writing in the ancient world. So is ‘the episode of Arachne and Minerva . . . an essay on narrative technique, a discourse on the partiality and ideology of the point of view of the producer of a text’? (Rosati, in Hardie et al. 1999, 252; cf. Farrell, ‘Minerva first assaults Arachne physically and then unravels her text as well’, ibid. 137.)
Vocabulary and grammar
1 praebuerat: note the string of plupfs. (2, 7, 10, 11, 12), laying out the background to the story
Trītōni-a ae 1f. Minerva/Athena (said to be connected with Lake Tritonis in Greece)
2 carmen carmin-is 3n. song
Āonid-es um 3f. pl. the Muses (Mount Helicon, home of the Muses, was situated in Aonia, a part of Boeotia in Greece)
īram: i.e. at the daughters of Pierus for challenging the Muses to a singing contest, for which the Muses subsequently punished them
3 laudāre: understand ‘Muses’ as the object
parum too little, not enough
laudēmur: note the jussive subj., like sināmus, 4. Minerva uses the royal ‘we’ here, meaning ‘I’ (hence ipsae, nom. pl. f.)
4 *spernō 3 sprēuī sprētum spurn, despise
sinō 3 allow
5 Maeoni-us a um from Maeonia, another name for Lydia (central western Turkey)
fātīs: i.e. the fate that Minerva ought to deal out to her
intendō 3 direct, turn
Arachnēs: Greek gen. s. of Arachnē (the Greek for ‘spider’)
6 quam . . . audierat: ‘[Arachne] whom [Minerva] had heard’
lānific-us a um to do with wool-working, weaving
cēdere: i.e. Arachne did not yield sibi (i.e. to Minerva) in laudibus artis lānificae
7 illa: i.e. Arachne (subject) fuit clāra nōn . . . nōn . . . sed . . . (all abl. explaining in what/why she was [not] famous, RLL(f)4(iii), WSuppl.syntax)
8 Colophōni-us a um from Colophon (in Ionia, central western Turkey)
Idmōn -is 3m. Idmon, Arachne’s father
9 Phōcaic-us a um from Phocaea (a coastal town north of Colophon). Observe the golden line to describe the work of Arachne’s humble father
bibul-us a um thirsty, absorbent
tingō 3 dye, tint
mūrex mūric-is 3m. (very expensive) purple dye (extracted from shellfish)
*lān-a ae 1f. wool
10 occiderat: meaning? Note scansion
sed et haec but she too
plēbs plēb-is 3f. common citizen, member of rank-and-file
suō . . . uirō: dat. after aequa (they are equal in humble origin)
11 Ld-us a um of Lydia
illa: i.e. Arachne
12 memorābil-is e memorable
13 Hypaep-a ōrum 2n. Hypaepa, a town in Lydia
14 admīrābil-is e wonderful
15 uinēt-um ī 2n. vineyard
Timōl-us ī 2m. Timolus (also Tmolus), a mountain in Lydia
16 Pactōlis Pactōlid-is 3f. of the river Pactolus, whose source lay in T(i)molus. It was supposed to run with gold (see Comment on passage 19, 11.137)
17 spectāre iuuābat: controls factās uestēs (the finished product) and uestēs (understood)
18 tum quoque cum . . . fierent: i.e. the actual processes; just watching Arachne prepare her material was an experience by itself, as Ovid goes on to explain
19 *sīue . . . seu whether . . . or
rud-is e raw. The raw wool, sheared or pulled off the sheep, was first formed into a ball (19); the ball was fixed onto a stick (distaff); from this ‘cloud’ (as Ovid calls it, 21) of wool a thread was teased out between finger and thumb of the left hand (20–1), and fixed on to a spindle (spinning stick) which one twirled with the right hand (22). The left hand continued to feed the thread on to the spindle, round which the thread wrapped itself. The finished thread was then ready to be woven on the loom
glomerō 1 gather, form
20 subigō 3 work
repetīt-us a um set on again, worked with again (i.e. repeatedly)
21 uellus ueller-is 3n. fleece
nebul-a ae 1f. cloud
aequō 1 resemble (+ acc.)
tract-us ūs 4m. drawing-out (into threads)
22 teres teret-is smooth, rounded. A golden line
uersō 1 turn
pollex pollic-is 3m. thumb
fūs-us ī 2m. spindle
23 *pingō 3 pinxī pictum embroider, depict, paint
ac-us ūs 4f. needle
scīrēs: main verb after sīue . . . seu . . . sīue . . . seu. Note conditional subj. and apostrophe, drawing the reader in to agree with Ovid’s compliment, which he repeats at 104. Nevertheless, we do not actually witness Minerva teaching her; we have to assume that Minerva, being goddess of weaving, must automatically have given her the skills she had
*Pallas Pallad-is 3f. Pallas [Athena], i.e. Minerva. ‘Pallas’ is a Greek word of mysterious derivation; it may mean ‘mistress’
doctam [esse]: sc. ‘that she had been . . . ’
24 quod: ‘a suggestion which’, as if someone had on some occasion made such a remark and she had vehemently denied it. In so doing, Arachne was effectively denying the existence of Minerva as goddess of weaving
offēns-us a um annoyed at (+ abl.)
magistr-a ae 1f. teacher (i.e. Minerva)
25 certō 1 compete (note: subj.)
nihil: i.e. no penalty/punishment
uicta: participle with conditional force, RLP4
*recūsō 1 refuse (to pay)
26 an-us ūs 4f. old woman
tempus tempor-is 3n. side of the forehead, temple
cān-us a um grey (hair)
27 īnfirm-us a um weak
artūs: take in order īnfirmōs artūs quōs baculō sustinet
bacul-um ī 2n. stick
28 grand-is e old
29 quae fugiāmus: picks up omnia, i.e. ‘not everything that older age has [is the sort of thing]’ quae fugiāmus (generic subj., RL140, W38)
*sēr-us a um late(r)
30 nē sperne: for nē + imp. ‘don’t’ (common in poetry), see RLL-V(a)3
petātur: note subj.
32 *ueni-a ae 1f. pardon, forgiveness
temerāri-us a um rash
33 supplex supplic-is humble
34 adspicit: Arachne is subject
*toru-us a um grim, unyielding (supply oculīs)
*incept-us a um begun (incipiō); incept-um ī 2n. beginning, plan
fīl-um ī 2n. thread
36 resequor 3 resecūtus reply to (golden line, with chiasmus)
37 inops inop-is deficient in (+ gen.)
cōnfect-us a um worn out (cōnficiō)
senect-a ae 2f. old age
38 nimium . . . diū: i.e. too long
nocet: used here impersonally, ‘it harms [you] to have . . .’
audiat: note subj. The subject is any nurus or fīlia the old woman (as Arachne thinks she is) may have; obj. is uōcēs (39), i.e. keep your advice for your own family
39 tibī . . . tibi: note different scansions
*nur-us -ūs 4f. daughter-in-law, wife
40 nēue ‘or in case’
41 prōficiō 3/4 prōfēcī achieve anything, do some good (supply tē as subject of the acc. and inf. after putēs)
eadem: i.e. I have not changed my mind
ipsa: i.e. Minerva herself
42 *certāmen cert�
�min-is 3n. contest
uitō 1 avoid
43 uēnit: cf. uenit, 42
anīl-is e of an old woman
44 Pallada: Greek acc. of Pallas
exhibeō 2 reveal (oneself as)
ueneror 1 venerate, worship
45 Mygdonis Mygdonid-is of the Mygdones, Phrygian (Phrygia is next to Lydia), i.e. everyone who has come to admire Arachne’s work (cf. 14–16)
46 ērubēscō 3 ērubuī blush
subit-us a um sudden
notō 1 mark
47 ēuānēscō 3 ēuānuī disappear
ut: introduces a simile
48 purpure-us a um crimson
49 candēscō 3 grow white
ort-us ūs 4m. rising; ab = ‘after’
50 perstō 1 persist
stolid-us a um stupid, crass
cupīdō cupīdin-is 3f. desire
palm-a ae 1f. prize, victory
51 Ioue nāta: lit. ‘born from Jove’, i.e. Minerva
52 ulterius any more
differō 3 put off
70 Cecropi-us in Athens (lit. ‘of Cecrops’, an ancient king of Athens)
scopul-us ī 2m. rock
Māuors Māuor-tis 3m. Mars. The ‘rock of Mars’ is the Areopagus, ‘Ares’ hill’, just below the Acropolis, i.e. citadel (arce), of Athens
