42. venit; 43. vēnit. 45. Mygdonides nurus, Lydian girls (or, more exactly, young married women); the Mygdones had emigrated from Thrace to the confines of Lydia and Phrygia. 49. ab ortu, causal abl., with the preposition denoting the source from which the effect (here the glow) proceeds. 50. stolidae, agreeing grammatically with palmae, really limits cupidine. 52. nec jam, and no longer, just as non jam means no longer. 53. constituunt: the ancient loom was upright, and made it necessary for the weaver to stand. (See Fig. 31.) 54. stamine, with the warp. - telas, looms; the word (contracted from texela) means first the web, then the yarn stretched on the loom (i.e. the warp), then, as here, the loom itself. 55. jugo, the cross-beam, the upper bar, by which the upright sides of the loom are held together. - harundo, the reed, a rod which separates the threads of the warp (stamen), causing them to fall alternately on each side, and this forming a passage for the shuttle (radius), by which the woof (subtemen) is passed in (inseritur). 57. expediunt, unwind from the shuttle. 58. pectine, with the comb; this was used to separate the threads and drive them home to make the web close. -dentes, the teeth of the comb; these are cut (insecti) into the comb. 59. vestes, acc. (§ 240, c, N.; G. 338, N.2; H. 377). 60. studio . . . laborem, and their interest beguiles the toil. 61. Tyrium... aënum, purple (wool) which has felt (i.e. been dyed in) the Tyrian vat; the purple dye of Phoenicia was famous. 62. parvi discriminis, gen. of quality (§ 215; G. 365; H. 396, v.). 63. ab imbre percussis solibus, when the sun's rays are struck by the rain. 66. transitus, the transition from one color to the next. — lumina, eyes. 67. usque... idem est, to such a degree is that (of one color) which touches (the next) the same; the transition from one color to another is so gradual that each part seems the same as the next, but the extremes are clearly different (distant). 69. argumentum, story. 70. Cecropia arce, the citadel of Athens; the Areopagus (scopulum Martis) is close by the Acropolis of Athens, and connected with it by a ridge, so that it almost forms a part of the same hill. 71. antiquam . . . litem: Minerva (Athena) and Neptune (Poseidon) both claimed the right to give a name to Athens. Each performed a miracle to gain the assent of the judges; Minerva created the olivetree, and Neptune the horse (or, according to the story most current in Athens, a salt spring). The victory was awarded to Minerva. (See Fig. 32.) 72. bis sex: Ennius (quoted by Haupt) mentions as the twelve great gods, Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Jovi' (i.e. Jupiter), Neptunus, Vulcanus, Apollo; but sometimes others are mentioned in place of some of these. - medio Jove: Ovid is a little careless, for how can one be in the middle of twelve? Besides, Minerva herself and Neptune are not among the twelve seated deities, as they are otherwise engaged. 74. inscribit, marks, as plainly as if the names were written. 77. ferum, the horse. - quo vindicet, a final clause. 79. aegide: the ægis was Minerva's breastplate (or shield), adorned with the Gorgon's head. 80. simulat, represents: the meaning is the same as that of facit, in v. 76. 81. fetum olivae, the sprig of olive: the olive is called hoary (canens) because of the dull, grayish color of its leaves. 83. ut . . . ausis: to show Arachne what she may expect (speret) as a reward for her boldness, Minerva adds four representations of the punishment of presumptuous mortals. 85. quattuor in partes, on the four corners. 86. brevibus . . . sigillis, set off in small pictures, or medallions. 87. Rhodope and Hæmus were sister and brother who presumptuously called each other Hera (Juno) and Zeus (Jupiter); they were changed into mountains. 90. Pygmaeae matris: a woman of the race of the Pygmies, Gerana Fig. 33. Pygmies and Cranes. (Greek for crane) or Oinoe, despised the gods, especially Juno and Diana, and was worshipped by her people as a goddess. Juno changed her into a crane, and ordained that the Pygmies and cranes should always be enemies. This hostility is referred to by Homer (Il. iii. 3 ff.). (See Fig. 33.) 93. Antigonen: the daughter of Laomedon, proud of her long hair, compared herself to Juno, for which she was changed into a stork (ciconia). 98. qui: the antecedent is angulus. - Cinyran: Cinyras was an Assyrian king, whose presumptuous daughters were changed by Juno into the steps of her temple. 101. oleis pacalibus, the olive-branches of peace: for the olive was the symbol of peace. 103-128. These lines describe the work of Arachne (Maeonis, the Lydian). She represented the transformations of Jupiter by means of which he seduced Europa, Asteria, Leda, and others (103-114), and similar adventures of other gods (115-126). 104. Europam: see Book II. 833-875. 108. Asterien: daughter of the Titan Cous and Phoebe. 109. Ledam: Leda, daughter of Thestios, was approached by Jupiter in the form of a swan; she was the mother of Castor, Pollux, and Helen. 111. Nycteïda: Antiope, daughter of King Nykteus of Bœotia, bore to Jupiter the twins Amphion and Zethus. 112. Amphitryon: Jupiter approached Alkmena in the form of her husband Amphitryon, king of Tiryns. Hercules was her son. 113. Danaen: Dane was the mother of Perseus; Jupiter gained access to her in the form of a golden shower. - Asopida: Ægina, daughter of Asopus. 114. Mnemosynen, one of the Muses. - Deoïda: Proserpine, daughter of Ceres (Anú). 129. carpere, find fault with. 130. flava virago, the fair-haired warrior goddess; Minerva is called virago (cf. vir) on account of her masculine character. 131. caelestia crimina, charges against the gods: the web is so called because in it were represented the disgraceful acts of some of the gods. 132. Cytoriaco de monte, from Mount Cytorus: a mountain in Paphlagonia, upon which many box-trees grew; box-wood was used for making shuttles (radium). 137. ne . . futuri, that you may not be without care for the future, i.e. in order that you may be troubled for your descendants as well as for yourself. 139. Hecateidos, of Hecate: she was a moon-goddess, and was mistress of all witchcraft. 141. quis: abl. plur. of qui (§ 104, d; G. 105, N.2; H. 187, foot-note 5). 142. toto corpore: abl. of specification. 145. stamen: this word and telas are used with playful mockery; Arachne still spins as a spider, just as she did while a woman. 429 651.2 XIII. THE PRIDE AND GRIEF OF NIOBE. VI. 165. celeberrima, very numerously attended. — turbā, abl. of specification. 166. vestibus, dat. with intexto (§ 228; G. 347; H. 386). — intexto auro, abl. of cause. 168. immissos, flowing. 170. auditos, i.e. who have only been heard of, not seen. —visis, sc. caelestibus. 172. Tantalus: a king of Phrygia, honored with the society of the gods. He is said to have desired, as a boon from them, that he might be immersed to the lips in sensual delights; and was punished for his crimes by the torment of eternal hunger and thirst, standing in a lake whose waters would never rise above his lips, while branches laden with rich fruit swung back whenever he tried to touch them, — a penalty which has made his name immortal in the word tantalize. See note on Book IV. 458. 174. Pleïadum soror: Dione, mother of Niobe, and daughter of Atlas. 176. Juppiter: father of Tantalus, as well as of Niobe's husband, Amphion. 177. me, abl., in appos. with domina. - regia Cadmi, i.e. Thebes, the citadel of which was founded by Cadmus, though the city was built and ruled over by Niobe's husband, Amphion. 178. fidibus, strings: the huge blocks of stone, of which the walls of Thebes were built, moved of themselves to their places at the sound of Amphion's lyre. 181. accedit eodem, there is added to this, i.e. I have also. 185. nescio quoque = et nescio quo, the conjunction introducing 187. pariturae negavit: when Latona was about to give birth to Apollo and Diana the jealousy of Juno prevented her from finding rest upon any spot of earth; but at last she found a refuge in the island of Delos, where her children were born. This island had before floated upon the sea, but was now fixed in its place. 189. miserata (agreeing with Delos), having compassion. 190. hospita, a stranger without a home. 193. neget, deliberative subjunctive (§ 268; G. 259; H. 485). |