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dente premunt domito Cybeleia frena leones.
hos tu, care mihi, cumque his genus omne ferarum, 705
quod non terga fugae, sed pugnae pectora praebet,
effuge, ne virtus tua sit damnosa duobus!"
'Illa quidem monuit iunctisque per aera cycnis
carpit iter, sed stat monitis contraria virtus.
forte suem latebris vestigia certa secuti 710
excivere canes, silvisque exire parantem
fixerat obliquo iuvenis Cinyreius ictu:
protinus excussit pando venabula rostro
sanguine tincta suo trepidumque et tuta petentem
trux aper insequitur totosque sub inguine dentes 715
abdidit et fulva moribundum stravit harena.
vecta levi curru medias Cytherea per auras
Cypron olorinis nondum pervenerat alis:
agnovit longe gemitum morientis et albas
flexit aves illuc, utque aethere vidit ab alto 720
exanimem inque suo iactantem sanguine corpus,
desiluit pariterque sinum pariterque capillos
rupit et indignis percussit pectora palmis
questaque cum fatis "at non tamen omnia vestri
iuris erunt" dixit. "luctus monimenta manebunt 725
semper, Adoni, mei, repetitaque mortis imago
annua plangoris peraget simulamina nostri;
at cruor in florem mutabitur. an tibi quondam
femineos artus in olentes vertere mentas,
Persephone, licuit: nobis Cinyreius heros 730
invidiae mutatus erit?" sic fata cruorem
nectare odorato sparsit, qui tinctus ab illo
intumuit sic, ut fulvo perlucida caeno
surgere bulla solet, nec plena longior hora
facta mora est, cum flos de sanguine concolor ortus, 735
qualem, quae lento celant sub cortice granum,
punica ferre solent; brevis est tamen usus in illo;
namque male haerentem et nimia levitate caducum
excutiunt idem, qui praestant nomina, venti.'
Notes:
704: frenum, -i N bridle, bit
Cybele, -es: Cybele was the Phrygian goddess of fertility, and worshipped as the "Magna Mater". She changed Atalanta and Hippomenes into lions as punishment for having sex in one of her temples.
706: "pugnae pectora praebet": notice the alliteration
707: How does Ovid's use of enjambment enhance the meaning of this line?
"ne virtus tua sit damnosa duobus!": This phrase is a purpose clause. It is translated as, "lest your courage be dangerous to us both!"
708: Notice the ablative absolute in "iunctisque per aera cyncis"
712: "iuvenis Cinyreius" can be translated as 'the young Adonis'
ictus, -us M stroke, blow, hit
713: pando, -ere, -di, pansus to spread out, lay open
venabulum, -i N hunting spear
715: trux, cis ADJ savage, fierce
aper, apri M wild boar
716: harena, -ae N/F sand
717: Venus is also known as Cytherea
718: Cypros, -i F Cyprus, an island off the southern coast of Asia Minor
olorinis, -us, -a, -um ADJ belonging to swans
721: exanimis, -is, -e ADJ lifeless, terrified
722: "pariterque...pariterque": The repetition of this adverb enhances the drama of Venus' actions. "both...and...equally"
"desiluit pariterque sinum pariterque capillos": Notice the five dactyls. How does the meter enhance the meaning of this section?
723: "percussit pectora palmis": notice the alliteration
726: imago, imaginis F image, likeness
727: plangor, -oris M striking, beating of the breast, wailing
perago, -agere, -egi, -actus: to complete
nostri: Venus uses the 'royal we'
729-730: "femineos artus in olentest vertere mentas, Persephone, licuit": Ovid references Persephone, who was able to metamorphose the nymph Minthe into the mint plant. If Persephone had been able to create a metamorphosis, then shouldn't Venus be able to?
730-731: "nobis...invidiae": Notice the double dative.
731: invidia, -ae F envy, jealously
733: perlucidulus, -a, -um ADJ transparent
734: bulla, -ae F bubble
735: concolor, -oris ADJ of the same color
"ortus": supply est
The phrase "flos de sanguine concolor ortus" is a chiasmus (ABBA).
736: lentus, -a, -um ADJ clinging, sticky, lingering
This line is an indirect statement.
739: The flower is the anemone, connected with the Greek word for wind: anemos.
704: frenum, -i N bridle, bit
Cybele, -es: Cybele was the Phrygian goddess of fertility, and worshipped as the "Magna Mater". She changed Atalanta and Hippomenes into lions as punishment for having sex in one of her temples.
706: "pugnae pectora praebet": notice the alliteration
707: How does Ovid's use of enjambment enhance the meaning of this line?
"ne virtus tua sit damnosa duobus!": This phrase is a purpose clause. It is translated as, "lest your courage be dangerous to us both!"
708: Notice the ablative absolute in "iunctisque per aera cyncis"
712: "iuvenis Cinyreius" can be translated as 'the young Adonis'
ictus, -us M stroke, blow, hit
713: pando, -ere, -di, pansus to spread out, lay open
venabulum, -i N hunting spear
715: trux, cis ADJ savage, fierce
aper, apri M wild boar
716: harena, -ae N/F sand
717: Venus is also known as Cytherea
718: Cypros, -i F Cyprus, an island off the southern coast of Asia Minor
olorinis, -us, -a, -um ADJ belonging to swans
721: exanimis, -is, -e ADJ lifeless, terrified
722: "pariterque...pariterque": The repetition of this adverb enhances the drama of Venus' actions. "both...and...equally"
"desiluit pariterque sinum pariterque capillos": Notice the five dactyls. How does the meter enhance the meaning of this section?
723: "percussit pectora palmis": notice the alliteration
726: imago, imaginis F image, likeness
727: plangor, -oris M striking, beating of the breast, wailing
perago, -agere, -egi, -actus: to complete
nostri: Venus uses the 'royal we'
729-730: "femineos artus in olentest vertere mentas, Persephone, licuit": Ovid references Persephone, who was able to metamorphose the nymph Minthe into the mint plant. If Persephone had been able to create a metamorphosis, then shouldn't Venus be able to?
730-731: "nobis...invidiae": Notice the double dative.
731: invidia, -ae F envy, jealously
733: perlucidulus, -a, -um ADJ transparent
734: bulla, -ae F bubble
735: concolor, -oris ADJ of the same color
"ortus": supply est
The phrase "flos de sanguine concolor ortus" is a chiasmus (ABBA).
736: lentus, -a, -um ADJ clinging, sticky, lingering
This line is an indirect statement.
739: The flower is the anemone, connected with the Greek word for wind: anemos.