I. 323-414.] I. The Creation and the Flood.

199

371. inde, from this, i. e. the river.-libatos, tasted, and so taken up. It was necessary for them to purify themselves with water before consulting the oracle. — inroravēre, had sprinkled.

373. turpi; ill-looking.

374. pallebant: describing the dulness of mould and moss, rather than their color.

377. precibus justis, at the prayers of the just.

380. mersis rebus = our misfortunes from the flood.

381. sortem, strictly an Italian oracle written on a wooden tablet, but put for any response.

383. magnæ parentis, of your great mother.

387. lædere, to offend.

388. repetunt secum, they revolve apart.

389. inter se volutant, discuss together.

390. Promethiades: this patronymic recalls the prophetic gift of his father Prometheus (-ades and -is are the masculine and feminine patronymic forms).

391. fallax, etc. = = my skill fails me.

392. pia agrees with oracula.

394. ossa reor dici, I think that stones, &c., are meant by bones.

395. augurio, i. e. interpretation.

Titania: Epimetheus and

his brother were Titans ; i. e. of the elder race of nature-divinities.

402. morā, by lapse of time.

404. quædam forma, something (it is true) of the form of man, yet, &c.

405. cœpto, sc. fingi.

406. rudibus signis, statues in the rough.

412. traxere, put on.

413. femina, womankind.

414. experiens, doomed to endure.

II. THE ADVENTURE OF PHAETHON.

1. Regia, sc. domus, palace.

2. pyropo, "fire-face," a mixture of gold and copper. 3. cujus limits fastigia.

4. valvæ, double doors, opening to each side.

5. Mulciber, a name of Vulcan, from the softening by fire (mulcendo) of the metal which he wrought.

6. medias cingentia, embracing,

8. cæruleos: the sea-gods are dark blue, the color of the canorum: the horn of Triton, representing the roaring

waters.

of the blast.

9. ambiguum: Proteus had the power of changing his form at will. See Virg. G. iv. 441, 2:

Omnia transformat sese in miracula rerum,

Ignemque horribilemque feram fluviumque liquentem.

10. lacertis: Ægæon (Briareus) was represented with a hundred arms. The notion was perhaps derived from the monster cuttle-fish described in Victor Hugo's “Toilers of the Sea.”

II. Dorida: Doris is the wife of Nereus and mother of the

Nereids, or ocean-nymphs.

12. in mole, upon a massy rock.

14. qualem, sc. sed talis.

15. terra, i. e. as carved in relief on the palace-walls.

18. signa, the signs of the Zodiac.

19. quo, whither. — acclivo limite, up the steep pathway.

20. dubitati, because his descent from the sun-god had been denied by Epaphus (see Introd.).

22. neque ferebat, could not bear.

24. Phœbus (see i. 11), a name of Apollo, here used for the Sun.

26. Horæ, usually in mythology the Seasons, but here in the usual prose sense of Hours.

28. nuda, because the flowers have withered.

29. calcatis, trampled in the wine-vat.

30. capillos, Greek accusative (§ 52, 3, c; G. 332).

31. paventem: this word refers to the outward signs of fear, — paleness, trembling, &c.

33. -que connects ait with the preceding.

34. progenies, voc. — haud infitianda=worthy to be acknowledged.

H. 1-73.]

II. The Adventure of Phaethon.

201

35. publica, common to all.

36. usum, enjoyment.

39. credar; negari (v. 42), see § 70, 2, b; G. 528, R.

42. nec, on the one hand not.

43. dignus es, used in Latin both of good and bad things; here, deserve. — ortus, the plural is constantly used in poetry for the singular.

44. quo ... dubites, § 64, 1, a; G. 545, 2.

45. promissi, of my promise (lit, of the thing promised).

46. palus, the Styx, by which the gods swore their most awful oaths. Being beneath the earth, it could never be beheld by the It is called palus from its sluggish flow.

sun.

47. desierat (desino), had ceased. —rogat, sc. eum,

48. in diem, for a day.―alipedum agrees with equorum (obj. gen.).

49. jurasse, subject of poenituit (§ 57, 8, b; G. 535).

50. illustre, alluding to his brightness.

51. tuā, sc. voce.

53. tuta, predicate.

54. istis, those (of yours).

55. quæ nec conveniant, such as befit not (§ 65, 2; G. 633). 56. mortale suited to a mortal.

57. superis, those on high, i. e. the heavenly gods.—fas, what is permitted by divine law.

58. placeat, sc. ut (§ 70, 3, 4, R; G. 608): i, e. though each of the gods may have his will, &c.

59. consistere, to keep his foothold.

60. axe, i. e. chariot: the part for the whole, by the figure called synecdoche.

62. non agat, may not drive (potential subjunctive: § 60, 2, a; G. 602).

63. prima via, § 47, 8 ; G. 287, R. qua, § 55, 4 ; G. 387. 65. videre, subj. of fit.

67. moderamine certo, a steady check.

68. quæ, referring to Tethys.

69. Tethys: wife of Oceanus, and mother of Clymene. 70. assiduā vertigine, in a constant whirl (the daily apparent

revolution of the heavens).

71. torquet, spins.

73. rapido

...

orbi: i. e. as the sun's apparent path among the stars is towards the east, he is supposed in his daily course to make headway against the revolution of the celestial sphere.

75. obvius ire polis, same idea as in v. 73.

78. insidias, i. e. concealed perils.—formas ferarum, shapes of beasts, i. e. the Lion, Bull, &c., the signs of the Zodiac. 79. ut, though (concessive, § 57, 5; G. 610).

80. adversi, turned towards you, i. e. right in your face. — Tauri, etc., see the sun's path as traced on a celestial map or globe.

81. Hæmonios, Thessalian: the Archer (Sagittarius) is represented as a Centaur, of which fabulous monster the home is Thessaly (see the story of the Centaurs and Lapithæ, Metam. xii. 146–535). 83. aliter, the other way.

84. ignibus, qualifying animosos.

86. in promptu, an easy thing (lit. ready to your hand).

90. sanguine, abl. of source ( § 54, 2, a; G. 295).

91. timendo, by my fear [for you].

92. probor, I prove myself. Notice the collocation of patrio and pater, a favorite order.

97. bonis, governed by e.

98. vero, agreeing with nomine.

101. ne dubita, § 57, 7, b; G. 267. — undas, apparently direct object of juravimus by a Greek construction; in Latin it would regularly take per.

103. ille, the other, a very common use of the pronoun.

104. premit, urges.

105. qua licuit while he could.

106. Vulcania, § 47, 5; G. 360, R.

107. summæ rotæ, of the wheel's rim.

109. chrysolithi, topaz, a nearly transparent precious stone, often of a bright golden color: the word is Greek, and signifies gold-stone.-gemmæ, i. e. the other gems, subj. of reddebant.

III. magnanimus, exulting (lit. high-spirited).

114. agmina cogit, brings up the rear (lit. gathers in the troops). 115. cæli statione, his post in the sky. -novissimus, last: the morning star is often seen just before and after sunrise.

116. quæ ... vidit, when he saw them [the stars] flee to earth. Their disappearance is imagined as a sudden setting.

--

117. extremæ, i. e. near the end of her monthly course. velut evanescere, as she seems to sink and disappear in the sky. 120. ambrosiæ, lit. immortal food, i. e. food of the immortals.. 123. patientia, able to endure (agreeing with ora). — rapidæ, devouring, cf. rapax from same root.

=

124. comæ, dat., upon his head. — luctus, obj. gen.

129. directos . . . arous, the road right across the five zones.

II. 75-172.] II. The Adventure of Phaethon.

203

130. sectus limes, the Ecliptic, "bounded by the limit of three zones (see next line), i. e. the torrid and the two temperate, as represented on a celestial globe.

135. preme, bear down.—molire, ply: this verb implies the effort made in climbing the celestial heights. (Construe summum

with æthera.)

136. egressus, i. e. if you quit the way (§ 60, 1, a; G. 594). 138. dexterior, sc. rota.

139. pressam, lying low: the Altar lies south of the Sun's winter path, barely appearing in Greece; the Serpent (Ophiuchus) is on the equator, just north of the Ecliptic.

141. quæ juvet opto, who I wish may aid you (see note, v. 58). 142. Hesperio, western. Hesperus is the Greek form of the word which in Latin is Vesper. The name Hesperia, "“Land of the West," was by the Greeks poetically applied to Italy, and by the Romans to Spain (Virg. Æn. i. 530; Hor. Od. iii. 6).

143. nox, i. e. the Night advances towards the west like the Day.

144. poscimur, we are wanted: it is getting late.

146. nostris, agrees with consiliis, as well as curribus,

149. quæ, referring to lumina. dare, depending on sine (from sino). — spectes, subj. of purpose.

151. contingere: poetic, as depending upon gaudet. —super,

erect.

152. grates agit, renders thanks.

153. Pyrois, etc.: the names of the steeds signify fiery, of the dawn, blazing, flaming.

155. repagula, barriers (of a race-course).

156. nepotis, see note, v. 69. — quæ, i. e. repugula.

157. copia =access to.

161. quod possent, such as, &c. (subj. of characteristic).

163. pondere, ballast. —justo, regular (a common meaning). — levitate, abl. of cause.

165. onere, following vacuus (§ 54, 1; G. 389).

166. inani, an empty one.

168. ordine, direction.

170. si sciat (§ 59, 4, b; G. 598); the present subj. of future condition, where our idiom seems to require the imperfect contrary

to fact.

171. triones, the North (see note, i. 64).

172. vetito æquore: the Northern Bear in these latitudes

never goes below the horizon.