118. credere me pelago: it was a common notion among the ancients that the guilty were peculiarly liable to shipwreck. Compare Her. vii. 57: Nec violasse fidem temptantibus aequora prodest:

perfidiae poenas exigit ille locus.

femina, iamque nocens: though a woman, and now a guilty one.

121. Compressos: sc. nos.

crushed us.

122. nostra: my.

Compressos elisissent: had closed and

123. canibus: compare Met. XIV. 52:

Illa feris atram canibus succingitur alvum,

virginis ora gerens.

Compare also A. A. I. 331.

124. ingratis nocere viris: because Minos, for whose sake she had cut the fateful purple hair from the head of her father Nisus, proved ungrateful to her.

125. Quaeque: that is, Charybdis.

127. Haemonias: that is, Thessalian. Haemus was a mountain in Thessaly.

128. ponitur ad: compare Her. 1. 26.

129. Peliae natas: the daughters of Pelias, trusting in the magic arts of Medea, cut their father to pieces and boiled him in a pot to make him young again. pietate nocentes: injuring by intended kindness.

131. Ut: though; compare Her. I. 116.

133. sua suitable.

134. Aesonia cede domo: go forth from the house of Jason.

135. natis: Abl. of Agent with ab omitted; compare Fast. III. 602: Solo comitatus Achate.

136. amore tui: love of thee.

tui: Objective Genitive.

137. Hymen cantatus: the marriage song. Hymen was the god of marriage and his name was repeated frequently in these hymns.

138. lampades: torches; a Greek word, here 139. socialia carmina: wedding hymns.

and thy bride.

= taedae.

vobis: that is, for thee

140. at, etc.: but to me they were sadder than the funeral trumpet; compare PROP. II. 7, 12: Tibia, funesta tristior illa tuba.

141. pertimui, etc.: I was thoroughly alarmed but did not yet think there was so great a crime; did not believe that Jason was marrying again.

143. frequenter: repeatedly. There is a variant reading frequentant, repeat; see Appendix. For Hymen and Hymenaee, compare the refrain in CAT. LXI.:

144. quo, hoc: Abl. of the worse off was I.

O Hymen Hymenaee io,

O Hymen Hymenaee.

Degree of Difference: the nearer this sound came, peius is an adverb, comparative of male.

145. Diversi: apart, turning aside, in various places.

146. vellet: rhetorical Potential Subjunctive implying negative answer.

tanti mali: of so great a misfortune.

147. quicquid erat: whatever it was.

pleasing; I, too, preferred.

potius iuvabat: it was more

149. amore videndi: i.e. by curiosity. For the reading here, see Ap

pendix.

151. Huc mihi, mater, adi: come hither, mother.

Dative; for the reading, see Appendix.

a procession.

152. aureus: resplendent with gold.

mihi: Ethical

Pompam ducit is heading

153. Protinus abscissa planxi mea pectora veste: tearing the clothes, beating the breast, plucking out the hair, and such modes of expressing intense grief, are very common in the ancient poets.

155. Ire animus suadebat: I felt an impulse to go. turbae into the ranks of the surrounding throng.

mediae in agmina

156. sertaque, etc.: to snatch the garlands from the well-arranged hair, of the bride. demere rapta: seize and take off, snatch.

157. Vix me continui: with difficulty I refrained. capillos: with my hair torn as it was.

sic laniata

capillos: Accusative of

158. inicere manus: to lay the hands on; a legal term, a method of claiming possession.

160. Inferias, etc.: shade of my brother, receive thy offerings. The Pl. umbrae, like manes, is sometimes used of the spirit of one person. Inferiae were offerings to the dead.

162. coniuge goes with deseror: I am deserted by my husband; compare comitata natis, l. 135 above. omnia: everything; compare EUR. Med. 228: év yàp ĥv μοi пávra: 'for he, in whom was my all'; and Ov. Her. III. 51:

163. igitur: so.

Tot tamen amissis te compensavimus unum:

tu dominus, tu vir, tu mihi frater eras.

164. perdomuisse: to subdue; Perf. as Present. Compare sopire, l. 171. 165. pepuli: a reduplicated Perf.; Sedlmayer reads repuli.

166. flammas: i.e. her love for Jason; compare PROP. II. 1, 57: Omnes humanos sanat medicina dolores;

167. Ipsi, etc.

solus amor morbi non amat artificem.

even enchantments, and herbs, and magic arts fail me. 168. nil agunt: have no power. Hecates: Greek form of the Geni

tive.

169. Non mihi, etc.: compare TIB. II. 4, 11: Nunc et amara dies et noctis amarior umbra est. noctes vigilantur amarae: the nights are

passed in bitter wakefulness.

173. paelex: Medea regards herself as the lawful wife.

174. fructus: Accusative Plural.

175. te iactare: to make a display before.

176. iniustis auribus apta: things suited to unfriendly ears.

177. in faciem, etc.: you make new, unfounded charges against my appearance and character; compare Her. 1. 77.

178. rideat, etc.: let her laugh and rejoice at my faults.

179. Tyrio in ostro: on the Tyrian purple; the royal couch.

180. ardores vincet adusta meos: being set on fire, she will surpass my flames; compare 1. 166. Medea sent to Creusa as a wedding gift a robe smeared with poisonous ointments which caused the unhappy bride to perish miserably in flames. See EUR. Med. 1136 ff.

words humbler than my wrath; she Compare Her. III. 85 : Vince animos beneath the dignity of

184. animis verba minora meis: changes from threats to entreaty. iramque tuam; Met. vi. 368: verba minora dea a goddess.

=

186. nec moror procubuisse: and I hesitate not to throw myself. 187. Si tibi sum vilis: if thou hast no regard for me. unesteemed.

vilis: cheap,

188. dira noverca: a step-mother's cruelty has long been proverbial.

190. nostra: my.

191. avitae flammae: the sun.

192. meritum: the kindness I have shown thee.

pledges.

193. insana in my madness.

194. adde fidem dictis: be true to thy promises.

pignora: dear, lit.

196. utque tua, etc.: or that the serpent may grow quiet, overcome by thy

aid; I do not ask as much as I gave.

197. quem nobis ipse dedisti: whom thou thyself didst give me.

198. parente: Apposition to quo.

199. numeravimus: I counted it out, paid it in cash.

on that field.

Campo illo:

200. qui tibi, etc.: which had to be plowed by thee before thou couldst carry off (laturo) the fleece.

201. villo spectabilis aureo: distinguished for his golden wool. aureo: dissyllabic by Synizesis. Aureus, standing in the MSS. at the begin

ning of this verse, can hardly be correct with villo spectabilis aureo; I would suggest instead, At vero.

202. dos mea is my dowry.

say: give it back to me.

Quam dicam si tibi 'redde': if I should

203. tu sospes: thy safety, thy rescue. sospes applies also to iuventus. 204. Sisyphias opes: Sisyphus was the mythical founder of Corinth. As he had a bad reputation, the term is one of contempt.

compare.

205. Quod: the fact that. bride and father-in-law.

confer :

nuptam socerumque potentis: a powerful

206. hoc ipsum, etc.: this very fact, that thou hast it in thy power to be ungrateful, is my work; compare Trist. v. 9, 20: Hoc quoque, quod memores possumus esse, tuum est.

207. Quos equidem actutum, etc.: those whom I immediately—but what advantage is it to foretell my vengeance? She refers to her children, whom she murders to take vengeance on her husband.

208. Ingentis parturit ira minas: wrath brings forth mighty threats. 209. Facti fortasse pigebit: perhaps I shall regret the deed.

210. et piget, etc.: I also regret having assisted a faithless man. 211. Viderit ista deus: let the god see to that; referring to her threats. 212. Nescio quid maius: something out of the ordinary. considering.

agit: is

3. A PROPOSAL.

AM. I. 3.-1. Iusta precor: my prayers are just.

captivated, has made me her praeda.

2. aut amet: let her either love me.

reason to.

praedata est: has

aut faciat cur: or give me

3. tantum patiatur amari: let her only suffer herself to be loved.

4. audierit: will have heard; if this one request be granted, I shall be satisfied; all my prayers will have been answered. Cytherea : i.e. Venus, so called from the island of Cythera, southeast of Laconia. Near this island, Venus sprang into existence out of the sea-foam and here she was especially worshipped.

5. tibi qui deserviat: who will continue to be thy slave.

knows how; Subjunctive of Characteristic.

7. veterum parentum: of ancient ancestors.

8. eques: a knight; if I belong only to the equestrian rank.

norit :

10. temperat, etc. and my parents, both economical, spare expenses. 11. at nevertheless. Phoebus: Apollo, the god of music and poecomites novem: the Muses. vitis repertor: Bacchus. 12. hac faciunt: are on my side; compare Her. 1. 103. Amor, too.

try.

13. nulli cessura fides: honor second to none.

a blameless character.

at Amor:

sine crimine mores:

14. nudaque, etc.: plain straightforwardness and blushing modesty. 15. desultor Amoris: fickle in love; see Vocabulary.

16. siqua fides: if thou wilt believe me.

mihi cura: my love.

17. fila sororum: the threads of the sisters; the Parcae.

18. contingat may it be my lot.

19. materiem in apposition to te.

te dolente regretted by thee.

exter

21. Carmine nomen habent: have derived fame from poetry. rita cornibus Io: Io frightened by her own horns, when she was transformed into a cow by the jealous Juno. Compare Met. 1. 640.

the false bullock; Jupiter, disguised as a bull, carried Europa across the

water from Asia to Europe.

24. cornua vara: the out-curving horns.

26. nostra: my.

4. THE TABLET.

AM. I. 12.-1. tristes: with sad news.

2. Infelix: unhappy, bringing unhappiness, with sorrow fraught. hodie posse negat: says she cannot see me to-day.

3. Modo: just now.

4. digitos restitit icta: struck her toes and stopped; stumbling at the threshold was a bad omen. digitos: Accusative of Respect.

the maid-servant who carried the note.

5. Missa foras iterum: the next time you are sent out.

7. difficiles: unkind.

Nape:

8. negaturis: conveying a "No"; which will say "No" when I interpret them. the marks were made with the steel stylus.

cera: the wax was spread on the wooden tablets and

9. quam refers to cera.

longae cicutae: of the tall hemlock; a

deadly poison, used in executions at Athens.

10. melle sub infami misit: placed you to hold honey of ill repute; according to Pliny, the Corsican honey was bitter.

11. At tamquam, etc.: but you blushed, so to speak, being thoroughly mixed with red lead; the poet imagines the wax to turn red from shame. 13. Proiectae triviis iaceatis: cast forth, may you lie where the streets meet.

17. suspendia: a gallows.

18. cruces crosses, for crucifixion.

19. bubonibus: owls; a large species. Strix was the screech owl. Both kinds were birds of ill omen.

21. His sc. tabellis.

love.

insanus: like one insane.

commisi nostros amores: I intrusted my

vadimonia garrula:

23. Aptius... capiant: would more fitly receive. wordy recognizances.

melius iace

24. quas aliquis cognitor legat: to be read by some advocate. 25. ephemeridas tabulasque : day-books and accounts. rent: would better have lain; would have been more appropriately placed.

26. absumptas opes: his wasted wealth.

fleret: would weep for.

27. Ergo, etc.: therefore I found you double-faced in fact (rebus) as well as in name; it was a folding tablet, the wax faces inside, the wood outside.