by Peter Jones
dente premunt †domitō Cybelēia frēna – leōnēs!
†hōs tū, cāre mihī, cumque hīs genus omne ferārum,
705
quod nōn †terga fugae, sed pugnae pectora praebet,
effuge, nē uirtūs tua sit †damnōsa duōbus! ” ’
10.708–16: Venus leaves, and at the hunt Adonis is killed by a wild boar
‘illa quidem monuit, iūnctīsque per āera †cycnīs
carpit iter; sed stat monitīs †contrāria uirtūs.
forte suem^ †latebrīs uestīgia certa secūtī
710
†excīuēre canēs, siluīsque exīre ^parantem
fīxerat †oblīquō iuuenis Cinyrēius ictū.
prōtinus †excussit pandō uēnābula rōstrō
sanguine tīncta suō, †trepidumque et tūta petentem
†trux aper īnsequitur, tōtōsque sub inguine dentēs
715
abdidit, et fuluā †moribundum strāuit harēnā.’
10.717–39: Venus returns, grieves and establishes a festival in Adonis’ name; his blood turns into a flower
†‘uecta leuī currū mediās Cytherēa per aurās
†Cypron olōrīnīs nōndum peruēnerat ālīs;
†agnōuit longē gemitum morientis, et albās
flexit auēs illūc, utque aethere uīdit ab altō
720
†exanimem inque suō iactantem sanguine corpus,
†dēsiluit, pariterque sinum pariterque capillōs
†rūpit, et indignīs percussit pectora palmīs;
questaque cum fātīs “at nōn tamen omnia †uestrī
iūris erunt” dīxit. “luctūs^ †monimenta manēbunt
725
semper, Adōni, ^meī, repetītaque †mortis imāgō
†annua^ plangōris peraget ^simulāmina nostrī.
at cruor in flōrem mūtābitur. †an tibi quondam
fēmineōs artūs in †olentēs uertere mentās,
†Persephonē, licuit – nōbīs Cinyrēius hērōs
730
inuidiae mūtātus erit?” sīc †fāta, cruōrem
†nectare odōrātō sparsit, quī tāctus ab illō
†intumuit sīc, ut fuluō perlūcida caenō
surgere †bulla solet, nec plēnā longior hōrā
facta mora est, cum flōs dē sanguine †concolor ortus,
735
†quālem, quae lentō cēlant sub cortice grānum,
†pūnica ferre solent. breuis est tamen ūsus in illō;
namque male haerentem et nimiā †leuitāte cadūcum
excutiunt †īdem, quī praestant nōmina, uentī.’
Learning vocabulary for Passage 18, Venus and Adonis
abdō 3 abdidī abditum hide (away), bury
abstineō 2 shun, stay away from (+ abl.)
adiciō 3/4 add
Adōni: voc. of Adonis
aper apr-ī 2m. boar
certāmen certāmin-is 3n. contest
Cinyrēi-us a um of Cinyras (father of Adonis)
Cytherē-a ae 1f. Cytherean, i.e. Venus
coniugi-um ī 2n. marriage
cupīdō cupīdin-is 3m./f. longing, desire
dēns dent-is 3m. tusk; tooth
excutiō 3/4 excussī shake/knock X (acc.) out/off
fōrmōs-us a um handsome
fulu-us a um tawny, yellow
harēn-a ae 1f. sand
hērōs: nom. s.
Hippomenēn: Greek acc. s. of Hippomenes
Hippomenēs: Greek nom. s. of Hippomenes
hospes hospit-is 3m. guest
inīqu-us a um unfair, hostile (to + dat.)
inuidi-a ae 1f. envy, spite, ill-will
leō leōn-is 3m. lion
Megareus: Greek nom. s. of Megareus; cf. Megarēius ‘of Megareus’
mēt-a ae 1f. race, course, lap
moror 1 dep. delay
nitid-us a um shining
obstipescō 3 obstipuī be amazed
pōm-um ī 2n. apple
prīsc-us a um of old, ancient
proc-us ī 2m. suitor
prōlēs prōl-is 3f. offspring
prōn-us a um leaning forward, low to the ground
requiēscō 3 requiēuī lie down, rest
Schoenēi-us a um descendant of Atalanta’s father Schoeneus
seu or if
sūs su-is 3m. boar
temerāri-us a um rash
trānseō trānsīre overtake, cross
tūs tūr-is 3n. incense
uēlōx uēlōc-is swift
Study section
1. ‘Orpheus describes Adonis . . . as a man, but Venus’s relationship with him is more like that of a mother’ (Fantham, 2004, 81). Do you agree? How would you characterise their relationship?
2. What is the function of the oracle (10.564–6)?
3. Are there comparisons to be drawn between Hippomenes and Apollo in passage 2? How is Atalanta different from Daphne?
4. At 733, most manuscripts print caelō, yielding ‘[as a clear bubble swells up] in the yellow sky’, which does not make a lot of sense; but ‘[as a clear bubble swells up] in yellow mud’ is not a great improvement. Since the colour fuluō ‘yellow’ is irrelevant to the simile (the anemone is red), replace it with pluuiō: pluuiō with caelō (‘rainy sky’) looks hopeful, as if the text hides the idea of bubbles formed by rain dropping on water. But that leaves us with ‘as a clear bubble swells up from a rainy sky’ – not a lot of sense either. Can you do any better?
5. Here are the opening lines of Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis.
a. What is the difference between Shakespeare and Ovid in the mise-en-scène and relationship between Venus and Adonis?
b. How ‘Ovidian’ is Shakespeare? Look for word-plays, balance, antithesis, tricola, chiasmus, paradox, imagery, and so on.
Even as the sun with purple-coloured face
Had ta’en his last leave of the weeping morn,
Rose-cheeked Adonis hied him to the chase.
Hunting he loved, but love he laughed to scorn.
Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him,
5
And like a bold-faced suitor ’gins to woo him.
‘Thrice fairer than myself,’ thus she began,
‘The fields’ chief flower, sweet above compare,
Stain to all nymphs, more lovely than a man,
More white and red than doves or roses are –
10
Nature that made thee with herself at strife
Saith that the world hath ending with thy life.
‘Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed
And rein his proud head to the saddle-bow;
If thou wilt deign this favour, for thy meed
15
A thousand honey secrets shalt thou know.
Here come and sit where never serpent hisses;
And, being sat, I’ll smother thee with kisses,
‘And yet not cloy thy lips with loathed satiety,
But rather famish them amid their plenty,
20
Making them red, and pale, with fresh variety;
Ten kisses short as one, one long as twenty.
A summer’s day will seem an hour but short,
Being wasted in such time-beguiling sport.’
With this, she seizeth on his sweating palm,
25
The precedent of pith and livelihood,
And, trembling in her passion, calls it balm -
Earth’s sovereign salve to do a goddess good.
Being so enraged, desire doth lend her force
Courageously to pluck him from his horse.
30
Over one arm, the lusty courser’s rein;
Under her other was the tender boy,
Who blushed and pouted in a dull disdain
With leaden appetite, unapt to toy.
She red and hot as coals of glowing fire;
35
He red for shame, but frosty in desir
e.
5. Study the two pictures of Venus and Adonis (Titian and Rubens) How would you compare and contrast them (position of the couple, dress, hunting implements, Cupids, dogs, etc.)? Are they more Ovidian or Shakespearean in the ‘story’ they tell?
Figure 4 Titian, Venus and Adonis.
Figure 5 Rubens, Venus and Adonis.
Vocabulary and grammar
519 occultē secretly
uolātil-is e fleeting, on wings
520 *uēlōx uēlōc-is swift
sorōre . . . auōque suō: i.e. Myrrha and Cinyras
521 au-us ī 2m. grandfather
arbore: i.e. inside the tree that was his mother
nūper: the repeated nūper (in chiasmus), then modo and repeated iam in tricolon with asyndeton (523) push the story quickly along
522 gignō 3 genuī genitus bear
*fōrmōs-us a um handsome. There is amusing polyptoton, fōrmōsissimus (superlative) being outdone by fōrmōsior sē ipsō (523)!
īnfāns īnfant-is 3m.*
524 mātrisque: i.e. Myrrha
ulcīscor 3 dep. avenge
ignēs: i.e. the fires of unnatural passion felt by Myrrha, which had been stirred by the anger of Venus (in some versions of the stories). The ‘revenge’ presumably consists in Venus’ grief at Adonis’ death
525 pharetrāt-us a um with a quiver. The puer pharetrātus is Cupid, Venus’ playful son, a wound from whose arrows makes the wounded fall in love (see Apollo in passage 2, 1.472–4)
526 īnsci-us a um*
exstō 1 protrude
dēstringō 3 dēstrinxī graze
harundō harundin-is 3f. shaft
pectus: i.e. Venus’ pectus
527 repellō 3*
altius: comparative adverb
528 speci-ēs ēī 5f. appearance (here abl. of comparison)
fefellerat: i.e. at first, Venus had not realised how deeply she had been wounded
529 Cytherēi-us of Cythera (an island off the southern tip of Greece associated with Venus’ birth)
530 lītus lītor-is 3n. shores
Paphon: Greek acc. of Paphos (in Cyprus), where Venus had her main cult centre
531 piscōs-us a um full of fish, teeming (the -que scans light)
Cnidon: Greek acc. of Cnidos, a promontory at the tip of South-West.Turkey, location of a famous shrine to Venus complete with a notorious nude female statue of her (see Comment on Pygmalion, passage 17)
grauid-us a um prolific, rich in
Amathunta: Greek acc. of Amathus, a town in Cyprus where Venus had another major cult centre
metall-um ī 2n.*
532 *abstineō 2 shun, stay away from (+ abl.). abstinet . . . Adōnis makes a neatly antithetical, almost chiastic, line
et: here, ‘even’
praeferō 3 prefer X (acc.) to Y (dat.)
533 umbrā . . . augēre: the ancients avoided the sun because a tan was low-class (it proved you worked, and in the open air, too); hence the pop-ularity of skin-whitening cosmetics, made of tin oxide for colour, starch for bulk and animal fat for applicability. Likewise, women did not slim, they fattened themselves up (augēre) – which Venus certainly will not do chasing over the mountains all day. Such is the effect of Cupid’s dart on a goddess
adsuēt-us a um being accustomed (adsuēscō 3)
534 indulgeō (+ dat.)*
augeō 2 increase, improve
535 iug-um ī 2n. ridge
dūmōs-us a um full of brambles
536 fīne up to (+ gen.)
uestem: acc. of respect
ritū in the style of
succingō 3 gird (oneself) up
537 tūtae . . . praedae: gen. of description, lit. ‘of safe prey’, i.e. safe to hunt
animāl-e is 3n.* : animālia . . . leporēs . . . ceruum . . . dammās are all objects of agitat (539)
538 *prōn-us a um leaning forward, low to the ground
lepor -is 3m. hare
cels-us a um tall
ceru-us ī 2m. stag
539 agitō 1 drive, hunt
damm-a ae 1f. deer
*aper apr-ī 2m. boar
540 raptor -is plundering. Note the rising tricolon of animals not to be chased, each described more bloodily than the last
lup-us ī 2m. wolf
armō 1*
ungu-is is 3m. claw
urs-us ī 2m. bear
541 uītō 1 avoid
arment-um ī 2n. herd, cattle
saturō 1*
*leō leōn-is 3m. lion
543 *Adōni: voc. of Adonis
fugācibus: i.e. (fortis) against [animals] that flee
estō: imper. of sum, RLE1
545 meō . . . perīclō: ‘with my danger’, i.e. at my cost/expense
*temerāri-us a um rash
546 lacessō 3 wound, harm
547 stet: begin the clause with nē. stāre + abl. means lit. ‘to stand at the price of’, ‘cost’; stāre magnō thus means ‘cost X (dat.) dear’. magnō is abl. of price, RLL(f)4(iv)
aetās . . . faciēs . . . quae Venerem mouēre: all subjects of mouet (547)
549 saetiger -a um bristly
*sūs su-is 3m. boar
550 adunc-us a um hooked
*dēns dent-is 3m. tusk; tooth
551 impet-us ūs 4m. aggression
*fulu-us a um tawny, yellow
uast-us a um*
552 inuīs-us a um hateful
quae causa [esset] rogantī: ‘to [him] asking what . . . ’; with causa, understand ‘of her hatred of lions’
553 mōnstr-um ī 2n. monstrous act
554 īnsolit-us a um unaccustomed
lasso 1 exhaust
ecce look!
555 opportūn-us a um*
blandior 3 dep. entice, beguile
pōpul-us ī 2f. polar tree
556 caespes caespit-is 3m. turf, grass
libet 2 (impersonal) it is pleasing
*requiēscō 3 requiēuī lie down, rest
557 grāmen grāmin-is 3n. grass
558 sin-us ūs 4m. lap
ceruīx ceruīc-is 3f. neck
reclīn-is e*
559 interserō 3 interpose X (acc.) with Y (dat.)
560 forsitan perhaps
aliquam: ‘that a certain [woman]’
*certāmen certāmin-is 3n. contest
563 bonō: here used as a noun
praestāns praestant-is outstanding
564 scītanti . . . hc dē . . . : ‘to this [woman] enquiring about . . .’ (scītor 1 dep.)
deus: the god of oracles, Apollo
565 opus est there is a need to X (dat.) of Y (abl.); X needs Y
566 careō lose (+ abl.). This makes a typical riddling answer from the god
567 opāc-us a um*
innub-us a um unmarried
568 īnstō 1 press, urge, insist
*proc-us ī 2m. suitor
569 condiciō condiciōn-is 3f. condition, terms (stated in the forthcoming speech)
fugō 1 put to flight, rout
570 pedibus: i.e. in a foot-race
contendō 3 compete
571 praemia: in apposition to coniunx thalamīque
572 preti-um ī 2n. price
estō: 3rd s. imper. of sum
573 immit-is e ruthless
575 sēderat: note the plupf. – Hippomenes seems to appear from nowhere. Ovid is imagining a packed stadium (spectātor), with seats
*Hippomenēs: Greek nom. s. of Hippomenes
spectātor -is 3m.*
*inīqu-us a um unfair, hostile (to + dat.)
576 cquam: dat. of interested agent
577 damnō 1*
578 uēlāmen uēlāmin-is 3n. covering, clothes. Was Atalanta running naked, as Greek male athletes did? It all depends on what is meant by genuālia (see on 593 below)
579 quāle . . . fīās: a high compliment from the goddess of sexual attraction (who is speaking at the moment) to her mortal lover
580 *obstipescō 3 obstipuī be amazed (strongly placed at the s
tart of the line)
ignōscite: imperative. The (understood) subject is ‘You suitors’ whom (quōs) Hippomenes has recently been blaming
581 nōt-us a um*
582 concipiō 3/4*
584 *inuidi-a ae 1f. envy, spite, ill-will. It is not clear what Ovid is saying here. The text as printed means ‘Hippomenes is afraid because of/in respect of envy’, which might be hammered into meaning ‘he is filled with envious fear’, i.e. that a rival might win; RLL(f)4
585 intemptāt-us a um*
586 iuuō 1 help
587 exigō 3 turn over, reflect on
uolō 1 fly
āles ālit-is winged
588 Scythic-us a um Scythian (Scythia was famous for its archers)
sētius differently from (+ abl.)
sagitt-a ae 1f. arrow
589 Āoni-us a um from Boeotia
591 cit-us a um swift
tālār-ia ium 3n. pl. ankle-ribbon
plant-a ae 1f. foot
592 iactō 1 toss
eburne-us a um ivory
quaeque: ‘and (i.e. ‘as were the’) the genuālia which . . . ’
593 poples poplit-is 3m. knee
subsum be under
pict-us a um colourful (with limbō, abl. of description referring to the genuālia)
genuāl-ia ium 3n. pl. bands (round the knees, cf. genu ‘knee’). It might conceivably mean a knee-length skirt, but the word appears only here. It indeed looks as if Atalanta is running naked, except for ankle-ribbons and knee-bands; the imagination runs almost as fast as she
limb-us ī 2m. border
594 puellār-is e*
595 ātri-a ōrum 2n. pl. atrium, often the entrance to a Roman house. Note the anachronism (Roman houses did not exist when Greek myths were being told). Above the ‘white’ (and therefore marble) atrium was a rectangular opening in the roof, which was covered with awnings if the sun was too fierce. Purple awnings were very expensive: this is a rich man’s villa
