670 pōcul-um ī 1n. cup
cau-us a um hollow
flāuēns flāuent-is yellow
illit-us a um smeared (illinō)
671 epul-ae ārum 2f. pl. feast, banquet
caleō 2 be warm
672 senect-a ae 1f. old age (describing the wine). It is not vintage (nec longae), and is here brought back, not replaced with something else
673 dō locum: ‘give place’, i.e. were taken away
paulum for a while
sēdūcō 3 sēdūxī sēductum move away, apart
mēnsīs . . . secundīs: this followed the main course, and usually consisted of fruit and nuts
674 nux nuc-is 3f. nut
rūgōs-us a um wrinkled
cāric-a ae 1f. lit. ‘from Caria’ (southern Turkey), i.e. the cheapest dried fig
palm-a ae 1f. date
675 prūn-um ī 2n. plum
patul-us a um wide, flat
redoleō 2 give off a smell, be fragrant
māl-um ī 2n. apple
canistr-um ī 2n. basket
676 purpure-us a um purple
uīt-is is 3f. vine
ūu-a ae 1f. grape
677 candid-us a um white
fau-us ī 2m. honeycomb
uultūs: i.e. the looks on the faces of the old couple
678 iners inert-is sluggish, lazy
679 totiēns so many times
hauriō 4 hausī haustum empty, drain
crātēra: Greek acc. of crātēr
repleō 2 refill
680 sponte suā of its own accord
succrēscō 3 be re-supplied
681 attonit-us a um amazed
nouitās nouitāt-is 3f. phenomenon
supīn-us a um upturned. Palms of the hands were turned up to heaven in prayers and appeals (especially supplication)
682 concipiō 3/4 utter
prex prec-is 3f. prayer
683 ueni-a ae 1f. pardon
daps dap-is 3f. feast
parāt-us ūs 4m. preparation, utensils
684 ūnic-us a um one, single
ānser -is 3m. goose
custōdi-a ae 1f. guard. There was a famous story of the geese that guarded the Capitol, the main fort of early Rome, and warned of an impending attack by the Gauls around 390 BC (the date is disputed)
uīll-a ae 1f. dwelling
685 mactō 1 sacrifice
686 fatīgō 1 exhaust
687 ēlūdō 3 elude
688 cōnfugiō 3 cōnfūgī seek refuge with (+ acc.)
689 merit-us a um justified
luō 3 pay
uīcīni-a ae 1f. neighbourhood
690 impi-us a um disrespectful
immūn-is e exempt from (+ gen.)
691 dabitur: ‘it will be granted uōbīs esse immūnibus’
692 comitō 1 accompany
grad-us ūs 4m. step
ardua: n. pl., used as a noun
693 bacul-um ī 2n. stick
694 nītor 3 dep. struggle
695 sagitt-a ae 1f. arrow
696 palūs palūd-is 3f. swamp
697 prōspiciō 3/4 see
698 dēfleō 2 weep for
suōrum: i.e. their neigbours
699 etiam: with duōbus, i.e. ‘even for just the two of them’
700 subeō subīre subiī replace
column-a ae 1f. column
701 strāmen strāmin-is 3n. straw
flāuēscō 2 turn yellow
aurāt-us a um golden, gilded
702 for-is is 3f. door
adopert-us a um covered, paved
marmor -is 3n. marble
703 placid-us a um kindly. A grand and dignified line
Sāturnius: i.e. Jupiter
ēdō 3 ēdidī issue
706 iūdici-um ī 2n. judgement
aperiō 4 reveal
707 sacerdōs sacerdōt-is 3m./f. priest(ess)
dēlūbr-um ī 2n. shrine
quoniam since, because
708 concors concord-is of one mind
709 auferat: note subj., expressing a wish; cf. uideam, sim tumulandus, RL153, RLL-V(a)4
710 bust-um ī 2n. pyre, tomb
tumulō 1 bury
711 fidēs: i.e. fulfilment; the gods show their good faith by honouring the couple’s wishes
tūtēl-a ae 1f. guardian
714 frondeō 2 sprout leaves. It had been revealed earlier that the trees were a linden (Baucis) and an oak (Philemon)
Philēmona: Greek acc. s. of Philemon
715 Baucida: Greek acc. s. of Baucis
senior -is elderly
716 cacūmen cacūmin-is 3n. tree-top
717 mūtu-us a um corresponding, reciprocal
718 abdit-us a um hidden
719 frutex frutic-is 3m. bush. Enjoy the rustling s, x and t of 718–19
ostendit: Ovid now switches to the present and gets Lelex to quote evidence from a local inhabitant, before recording his own (722–4)
Thnēi-us a um from Bithynia, here meaning (Hellespontine) Phrygia in the north of modern Turkey
720 incol-a ae 1m. inhabitant
trunc-us ī 2m. tree-trunk
721 uān-us a um unreliable
erat: supply e.g. ‘reason’
722 equidem personally speaking
723 sert-um ī 2n. garland, wreath
rām-us ī 2m. branch
recentia: i.e. garlands which I myself placed (pōnēns)
724 cūra deum (= deōrum): a compressed phrase, meaning ‘those who take care of the gods’
sunt . . . coluntur: most texts print sint . . . colantur (both jussive subj.). This turns an observation or statement of fact into something like a prayer. Which suits Lelex’s argument better (see Background)?
Notes
626–36: Lelex, who had himself seen the place in Phrygia where the miracle which he is about to describe took place, relates how Jupiter and Mercury came ‘here’ (626), Mercury having taken off the wings normally to be found on his ankles (627). The reason why they came and what they were doing in disguise does not emerge till the end; but it is a common literary theme that gods wander the earth disguised as humans in order to identify good and bad behaviour (cf. Odyssey 17.483–7, where some of the suitors warn Antinous not to abuse the beggar-Odysseus: ‘Antinous, you did not do well but very badly to hit that wandering wretch, if he was some god from the skies. Gods disguise themselves as strangers from far-off places in all sorts of ways, and move from city to city, observing whether men behave justly or savagely’). The two gods knock on a thousand doors looking for somewhere to stay, drawing blanks until they come to the cottage of Baucis and her husband Philemon (628–9: note the repetition of mīlle domōs). parua . . . sed pia (630–1) immediately summarises the world of this delightful couple: material poverty, but religious devotion and sense of duty. They had been in this poor, thatched (630) cottage ever since they were newly married (632), and had grown old in it (633). They had handled poverty by unselfconsciously admitting it and refusing to grumble about it (633–4); and they had no slaves but were happy to act as both servant and master to each other, sharing between them the giving and obeying of orders (635–6). These are shrewd observations by Ovid into the conditions underpinning a happy marriage, however straitened the circumstances. Observe the rhymes illā . . . illā (632), cōnsenuēre . . . effēcēre (633–4), fatendō . . . ferendō (633–4), dominōs . . . famulōs (635), pārentque iubentque (636), increasing, perhaps, our sense of the simple unity of the couple’s lives.
637–50: But this self-sufficient couple are not thereby unresponsive to the needs of others: their pietās sees to that. Their penātēs (Roman household gods) may be tiny (637) and the gods have to stoop to get into the cottage (note the golden line 638 submissō . . . humilēs), but the welcome is warm and busy (sēdula, 640) and its detail is delightful: the bench where the gods are to sit is spruced up with a rough cloth (639–40); yesterday’s fire is revived (the old ash is clear
ed away first), fed with light kindling and puffed into flame (642–3), not for warmth but to cook over (the careful couple do not keep a fire going when it is not needed); then larger pieces of wood for the fire are brought down from the roof where they had been put to dry (ārida, 644), and economically split up (minuit, 645) before being placed under a paruō cooking pot (645). Baucis then prepares for boiling a cabbage picked from the riguō garden (the cabbage is a very humble vegetable in Roman eyes, but Philemon is a conscientious gardener), while Philemon brings down a side of pork from the roof-beams, where it had been placed to be ‘smoked’ by the fire (the beams where it was lodged are black, 648). Though Philemon cuts off only a small portion for cooking (650), this is a generous act. A side of pork, however sordida, was precious and expensive fare for this poor couple – it had been saved up for a long time, making it even more sordida (649) – but Philemon does not hesitate to share it. These are special measures for a special occasion.
651–78: Like good hosts, the couple engage their guests in conversation and prevent any awkwardness at the wait for food (651–2); they bathe the gods’ feet in a wooden tub (652–4); and so that the gods can recline to eat (as aristocratic Romans did), they use their bed for the purpose, placing on it a mattress stuffed with sedge, lacking anything more luxurious like down (655). This they cover with cheap cloth brought out only on festal occasions, i.e. when the gods are celebrated – a pleasant irony (657–9). Willow (656, 659) was a poor man’s wood – so the cheap cloth was appropriate. The gods recline, but not the hosts: it is their job to serve. Baucis girds herself up for action and brings up a table (660), but it is wobbly and needs fixing with a piece of pot under one of the legs. That done, she wipes it down, not with a fine cloth but some fresh mint from the garden (661–3). The first course is simple and also from the garden – olives, wild cherries preserved in wine, endive, radish, cheese, egg – and served on earthenware dishes (664–8). Wine is served in ancient beechwood cups, the cracks plugged with wax (668–70), and then comes the main course (the pork, and cabbage from the hearth, 671). The same (young) wine is brought back again – no extensive, expensive cellar for this couple – and then put on one side (it is a small table) to make room for the last course (672–3) – nuts, figs, dates, plums, apples, grapes and honeycomb. Since the couple live in Phrygia, these are all local goods. But the style of food, and the order in which it is served, is thoroughly Roman; and, for all its simplicity, there is, above all else (677), no resentment or lack of good will about the couple’s pleasure in service (677–8). It makes for a heart-warming scene. What the gods make of it all, Ovid has not told us – yet.
679–94: He does now: a miracle occurs (679–80, cf. the widow’s cruse, 1 Kings 17.10–24, a story with many parallels to this one). Being pious, the couple are terrified of the implications and immediately offer up prayers, presuming that these divinities are offended by the simplicity of the meal (681–3); and to show they mean it, they immediately set off to chase, catch and sacrifice the goose who guards their little cottage (684–7). In a scene of gentle farce, the goose is too quick and slippery for the slow old pair, and takes refuge with the gods – who finally reveal who they are and their purpose in coming: justly (meritās) to punish the wicked (687–90). Far from being angry with the couple, they indicate their pleasure by inviting them to flee with them up the mountain before disaster strikes (690–3). Seizing their walking-sticks, the couple struggle on up the hill (693–4). Virtue has been rewarded. The gods are just – in this episode, at least.
695–710: But there is more to come. Flood-waters (cf. Deucalion and Pyrrha, passage 1) submerge everything but their own little hut (695–7). Kind-hearted as they are, they are lamenting the fate of their neighbours (however wicked in the gods’ eyes) when they see their little cottage turned into a temple (698–700), the first of the speaker Lelex’s transformations. The wooden external supports of the house become pillars, the house and thatch turn golden, the doors become engraved (metal), and the ground on which the hut is set is paved with marble (700–2) – all indications of the most luxurious and expensive temple imaginable, worthy of divine handiwork, in strong contrast to what it had been before. When Jupiter asks the pair what they want – note that he sees them both as equals (704) – it is typical of their relationship that Philemon immediately consults his wife (703–6). They agree that they want to return to the home that has served them so well – and they must therefore become priests of what is now a shrine. In the spirit of concordia (708) that has characterised their whole life, they also wish, when the time comes, to be joined in death (709–10).
711–24: And so it happens. Time passes, and one day they are chatting about everything that has happened to them when they both simultaneously sprout leaves (711–15). They have time only to bid farewell to each other (naturally, in identical words) before Lelex’s second divine transformation is complete (716–19): the gods are also loyal to their promises. Lelex proves the story by saying that an inhabitant of the area still shows off the trees, and that he himself has seen the garlands that hang there – indeed, he has even added one of his own, with a suitable observation (or is it a prayer?) about the consequences for those who take care of the gods.
15 Byblis, Metamorphōsēs 9.517–665
Background
Conversation over Achelous’ dinner table turns to other examples of metamorphosis, and Achelous admits he can change into a (limited) number of different shapes at will. This leads him to tell the story of his losing battle with Hercules, and when the party breaks up Ovid continues the Hercules theme with tales of his death and birth. Alcmene, Hercules’ mother, is told the story of Dryope who picked a plant to amuse her baby and was turned into a lotus tree. The next stories concern Hercules’ nephew Iolaus, who has been restored to youth, and of Callirhoe, who will win a concession from Jupiter to increase the age of her sons. They raise among the gods the question of getting old.
The gods are less than enthusiastic about this idea, but Jupiter tells them that fate cannot be avoided and points to various of his own sons, Minos included, who are bowed down in years. Ovid now tells how the power of the aged Minos was being threatened by the youthful son of Apollo and Deione, Miletus (after whom the powerful city on the coast of Asia Minor was named); and this leads Ovid to tell the story of the twins born to Miletus by Cyanee, daughter of the river-god Maeander. Their names are Byblis and Caunus, and Byblis has conceived a more than ordinary love for her handsome brother. Consumed with desire, she wrestles desperately with her conscience but finally decides she can hide her feelings for him no longer; she must communicate them, somehow, to him. This is where the extract begins.
Internal debates of this sort had long been a standard literary form in Ovid’s time. They are found in Homer (one famous example is Hector’s soliloquy as Achilles charges at him, Iliad 22.99–130), continue down through Greek tragedy (e.g. Medea’s debate whether to kill her children, Euripides Medea 1021–55) and are taken up by Roman authors such as Virgil (e.g. Dido’s debate about whether to commit suicide, Aeneid 4.534–52). One of the finest soliloquies about the effects of passion on the female heart occurs in the Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius, when Medea, who is on fire for Jason, wonders whether to help him get the Golden Fleece and then escape with him (3.744–801).
†hoc placet, haec dubiam uīcit sententia mentem.
in †latus ērigitur, cubitōque innīxa sinistrō
†‘uīderit: īnsānōs’ inquit ‘fateāmur amōrēs!
† mihi, quō lābor? quem mēns mea concipit ignem?’
520
et †meditāta manū compōnit uerba trementī.
dextra tenet †ferrum, uacuam tenet altera cēram.
†incipit et dubitat, scrībit damnatque tabellās,
et †notat et dēlet, mūtat culpatque probatque,
inque †uicem sūmptās pōnit posi
tāsque resūmit.
525
quid uelit ignōrat; quicquid factūra uidētur,
†displicet. in uultū est audācia mixta pudōrī.
scrīpta ‘soror’ fuerat; uīsum est dēlēre sorōrem,
uerbaque †corrēctīs incīdere tālia cērīs:
Note
From now on, Latin words that you have not met, but which have an obvious English meaning or are based on known compounds, are given their dictionary form in the vocabulary but are not translated. They are marked with an asterisk after the word in question, thus: dubi-us a um*.
Note that -cipiō derives from capiō, -ficiō from faciō, -pliceō from placeō, -cidō from -cadō, -cīdō from caedō, -iciō from iaciō, -ripiō from rapiō.
9.530–46: ‘My looks should tell you everything; I have fought my feelings, but now surrender’
†‘quam, nisi tū dederis, nōn est habitūra salūtem,
530
hanc tibi mittit amāns: †pudet, ā, pudet ēdere nōmen,
et sī quid cupiam quaeris, sine nōmine^ †uellem
posset agī mea causa ^meō, nec cognita Byblis
†ante forem, quam spēs uōtōrum certa fuisset.
esse quidem laesī poterat tibi pectoris †index –
535
et color et †maciēs et uultus et ūmida saepe
lūmina nec causā †suspīria mōta patentī
et crebrī †amplexūs, et quae, sī forte notāstī,
ōscula sentīrī nōn esse †sorōria possent.
†ipsa tamen, quamuīs animō graue uulnus habēbam,
540
quamuīs †intus erat furor igneus, omnia fēcī
(sunt mihi dī †testēs), ut tandem sānior essem,
pugnāuīque diū uiolenta †Cupīdinis arma
effugere īnfēlīx, et plūs quam ferre puellam
posse †putēs, ego dūra tulī. superāta fatērī