APPENDIX. THE CREATION. [METAMORPHOSES, BOOK I. 1-88.] PROEM (1-4). Description of Chaos (5-20). The Creator assigns the elements to their places, and divides the land from the waters: the zones and climates (21-58). The heavens are clear, and living things come forth upon the earth: lastly man, fashioned by Prometheus in the image of the immortals (69-88). IN nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas ANTE mare et terras et (quod tegit omnia) caelum, 5 10 V. I. In nova.. corpora at first sight, corpora mutata in novas formas would seem more natural. But formas and corpora mean nearly the same thing: the forms are changed, and so the bodies are new. - animus, spirit; hence often inclination. fert, impels [me] (a standing expression). - dicere depends on fert animus as an expression of wishing § 563, b (331, b); B. 326, N., 328, 1; G. 424; H. 607, 1 (533, i. 1); H-B. 586, d. 2. coeptis, efforts (lit. things begun). — et, too, belonging with mutastis, for you changed them, too (and should therefore help me to tell of them). 3. mundi, the universe or system of things; a word having the original sense (like the Greek κóoμos) of order or beauty. 4. perpetuum carmen, uninterrupted song, a connected story from the beginning of the world to the poet's own day. 6. orbe, sphere of space; more strictly orbis is a flat disc, which was the ancient poetic notion of the "circle of being. 7. Chaos (cf. Greek xaivw, yawn), the yawning void. — moles, heap, as of elements, or materials, chance-piled together. 8. nec quicquam, and nothing, the negative and connective being combined as usual. -iners, i.e. lacking the skill (ars) to combine them.- eodem, into the same place. 10-14. Titan, Phoebe, Tellus, Amphitrite = Sun, Moon, Earth, Sea. As the chief of the old nature-divinities (Titans) the Sun sometimes retains this name in poetry. The variety of names of the ancient divinities comes from the fact that new sets of gods springing up or introduced from abroad were identified with the old ones. 11. Phoebe (poißn), the bright one, feminine form of Phoebus (Apollo), later identified with Diana (Artemis), goddess of the chase. - crescendo, in her waxing.—reparabat re- means in place of the old. 12. circumfuso aere: later philosophers taught that the earth is a sphere or globe, surrounded by air, in which it hangs balanced by its own weight-ponderibus librata suis. Tellus, the Earth as contrasted with the heavens: terra (connected with torreo) is the "dry" land as contrasted with the sea. 13. longo margine, about the long outline: § 429 (258,f); B. 228, d; G. 387; H. 485, 3 (425, ii. 1); H-B. 436. margine terrarum porrexerat Amphitrite; Ignea convexi vis et sine pondere caeli Sic ubi dispositam, quisquis fuit ille deorum, addidit et fontes et stagna immensa lacusque, 14. Amphitrite: Amphitrite, "she that enfolds," the wife of Neptune, is poetically the Sea. Observe that this is a spondaic verse: Amphitrite. 15. quaque, and where (ever). 16. sic, so, i.e. in this condition of things. -instabilis, innabilis "the earth that could not be trod, the wave that could not be swum," the opposite of their most striking properties. 17. nulli, sc. eorum. -sua, its own: § 301, b (196, c); B. 244, 4; G. 309, 2; H. 503, 4 (449, 2); H-B. 264, 2.-manebat, was fixed. 18. obstabat aliis aliud = every thing hindered every thing else. 19. calidis: dat.; § 368, a (229, c); B. 187, ii.); G. 346, 6; H. 428, 3 (385, ii. 4, 3); H-B. 363, C. 20. sine pondere (understand "with those ") = levibus. habentia pondus = gravia, in the same construction with frigida, umentia, mollia. 21. hanc litem, this strife, of which a case at court seemed the most natural image to a Roman: etymologically, strife stlit- (lis). 23. spisso aëre, the grosser air. 24. quae relates to the elements; terras, undas, caelum, aër: when he had unfolded these. 25. locis: $418 (253); B. 226; G. 397; H. 480 (424); H-B. 441: each element is supposed to have its own place, or natural level. 26. convexi, bending, as if regarded from the outside. Observe the four elements in the order of their gravity: ignea vis, aër, tellus, umor.-vis, nature. et connects ignea and sine pondere. -sine pondere levis, agreeing with caeli. 27. emicuit, leaped forth, as by its nature; perhars also as if it took the supremacy and occupied the citadel. - summa arce, the zenith (topmost height). 29. grandia, coarser. 32. ubi secuit, when he had parted: the subject is quisquis. — sic dispositam, so arranged (i.e. and had arranged it so). 34. principio, in the beginning, qualifying glomeravit. 35. speciem. in in speciem. - orbis: see note to v. 6. 36. rapidis, not merely swift, but (with active force; cf. rapio) dragging the waters, which swell under them. fluminaque obliquis cinxit declivia ripis, Utque duae dextra caelum totidemque sinistra his quoque non passim mundi fabricator habendum cum sua quisque regant diverso flamina tractu, proxima sunt Zephyro; Scythiam septemque trionem 39. obliquis, sloping; declivia, down-flowing (clivus). 40. diversa locis: cf. v. 25.-ipsā, sc. terrā (v. 37). The ab shows that the Earth is here represented as a living agent. 42. aquae, construed with campo, expanse (the sea). — ripis, litora: notice the contrast, one word meaning banks, the other shores. 45. ut, as.- dextra sinistra, right and left in reference to the celestial equator. The division into five zones was made by Eudoxus, a pupil of Aristotle. 46. quinta est, there is a fifth (in the middle). 47. onus inclusum, i.e. the earth. -numero, sc. zonarum. 48. premuntur, lie below. This word often loses its passive force, and means merely to lie, with the idea of lowness added. - tellure, on earth (loc. abl.). 50. totidem, sc. zonas. locavit: the subject is cura dei. 52. his, i.e. the terrestrial zones.- quanto, etc. is as much heavier than flame as water is lighter than earth: $ 414 (250); B. 223: G. 400; H. 479 (423); H-B. 424. 54. illic, here, in this. - - nebulas, vapors; nubes, clouds. 55. motura, destined to excite. 56. cum. ventos, winds which cause cold along with lightnings. The ancients thought that lightning was caused by the friction of wind upon the clouds. 57. his, i.e. the winds. -passim, at random (an adverbial form from pando, spread).-fabricator, framer. -quoque, these too, as well as the elements, were set each in his place. 58. vix obsistitur illis = scarce can they be withstood: impersonal; § 372 (230); B. 187, ii. b; G. 208; H. 426, 3 (384, ii. 5); H-B. 364, 2.-nunc, as it is, when they are separated; giving the reason of separating them by implying the consequence of their being together. 59. cum. . . regant, while they direct each his own blast; subj. of characteristic. — tractu, region. 60. quin, following vix obsistitur, from rending (lit. so but that, etc.). 61. Nabataea regna, in Arabia Petræa. 62. juga, mountain ranges. Notice how Ovid varies the description in the four cases. 64. Scythiam: this term was applied to the vast steppes of Tartary and southeastern Russia. It was therefore northeast rather than north.-septemtrionem, a compound horrifer invasit Boreas; contraria tellus nubibus assiduis pluvioque madescit ab Austro. Vix ita limitibus dissaepserat omnia certis, Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae sic, modo quae fuerat rudis et sine imagine, tellus (also used in the pl.) separated by tmesis by the enclitic -que. The word means the seven-ox-team," i.e. the constellation of the Bear (north). 66. madescit, is moistened. 67. liquidum, purely transparent. 68. aethera: identical with the element of fire. - nec quicquam habentem, and having naught. - terrenae faecis, dregs of earth. 70. quae: the antecedent is sidera. pressa, hidden. 71. caelo: loc. abl.; § 429, 2 (258, ƒ, 2); B. 228, b; G. 386; H. 485, 2 (425, ii. 2); H-B. 436, a. 72. neu (neve), and lest, the regular connective with ne.- foret imperf.; § 485, i (287, h); B. 268, 3; G. 519, R.; H-B. 478. 73. astra: the stars are here regarded as living beings. 74. cesserunt, fell to the lot of 75. agitabilis, beaten with wings (cf. v. 16), poetical for yielding. 76. animal, a living being.· - mentis depends on capacius: § 349, c (218, b); B. 204, 1; G. 374; H. 452, I (399, ii.); H-B. 354. 77. deerat: two syllables. quod posset, which might: clause of purpose; § 531 (317); B. 282, 2; G. 632; H. 589, ii. (497, i.); H-B. 502, 2. 78-80. sive, sive, i.e. whether it was an act of creation or a manufacture from materials already endowed with life. 79. origo, source. 82. quam, which (i.e. earth). satus Iapeto, son of Iapetus, Prometheus: § 403, a (244, a); B. 215; G. 395; H. 469, 2 (415, ii.); H-B. 442. 83. in effigiem, etc.: compare "Let us make man in our image," Genesis i. 26. moderantum = qui moderantur, which would be used in prose. For the gen. in -um, see § 121, b, 2 (87, d, 2); G. 85, 3; H. 106, 2, footnote 2 (64, 2, footnote 2); H-B. 118, a, 5. 84. cum, while, whereas: § 549 (326); B. 309, 3; G. 588; H. 586, ii. (515, iii.); H-B. 85. sublime, erect. 526. 87. modo quae, which but now. - sine imagine, formless. |