EPISTVLARVM HEROIDVM LIBER

13

LAODAMIA PROTESILAO

Mittit et optat amans, quo mittitur, ire salutem

Haemonis Haemonio Laodamia viro.
Aulide te fama est vento retinente morari:

ah, me cum fugeres, hic ubi ventus erat ?
tum freta debuerant vestris obsistere remis,

illud erat saevis utile tempus aquis.
oscula plura viro mandataque plura dedissem:

5

93-106: And that dreadful oracle! HEROIDES, 13.

see that you don't fulfill it! but

hurry back to comfort me. 107For the Heroides cf. Intr. $ 39; 122: Why in my visions are you Prop. 4, 3, Intr. For the story of sad? When shall I see you in Laodamia cf. Cat. 68, 73, n; Hom. very truth, and embrace you as I Il. 2, 698-702 ; Lucian, Dial. Mort. listen to the story of your deeds? 23. The tradition that Protesi- 123-136: Troy! gloomy thought! laus, allowed to return to earth to why should the Greeks hurry visit his wife, found her embracing

thither for such a cause? 137-150: his image, is here utilized by Ovid How I envy the women of Troy in another form (vv. 151-158). and their happy husbands, who 1-2: “ Loving greetings! 3-10:

can cheer each other before and Why did you sail, against unwill- after battle! 151-158: I can only ing winds? 11-28: I said, “ Good- comfort myself with your image. bye," watched you out of sight, and 159-164: I will follow you in life swooned away; why did I not die? or death. 165-166: Again I say, 29-42 : Since then I mourn ; 43-64: be careful!' Paris, Menelaos, ye gods, spare 2. Haemonis = Thessala; cf. my husband ! How I dread those Prop. 2, 10, 2. Trojan places and men! 65-92 : 6. saevis : i.e. esse saevis (-forBe careful! you have no need to bidding '). risk your life; and the omens were 7. dedissem: sc. si freta obstiunpropitious on your departure; tissent.

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15

20

et sunt quae volui dicere multa tibi.
raptus es hinc praeceps, et qui tua vela vocaret,

quem cuperent nautae, non ego, ventus erat.
ventus erat nautis aptus, non aptus amanti:

solvor ab amplexu, Protesilae, tuo,
linguaque mandantis verba inperfecta reliquit :

vix illud potui dicere triste vale.'
incubuit Boreas abreptaque vela tetendit,

iamque meus longe Protesilaus erat.
dum potui spectare virum, spectare iuvabat,

sumque tuos oculos usque secuta meis.
ut te non poteram, poteram tua vela videre,

vela diu vultus detinuere meos.
at postquam nec te, nec vela fugacia vidi,

et quod spectarem, nil nisi pontus erat,
lux quoque tecum abiit, tenebrisque exanguis obortis

succiduo dicor procubuisse genu.
vix socer Iphiclus, vix me grandaevus Acastus,

vix mater gelida maesta refecit aqua.
officium fecere pium, sed inutile nobis:

indignor, miserae non licuisse mori!
ut rediit animus, pariter rediere dolores.

pectora legitimus casta momordit amor.
nec mihi pectendos cura est praebere capillos,

nec libet aurata corpora veste tegi.
ut, quas pampinea tetigisse Bicorniger hasta,

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30

13. mandantis : sc. mei (mea). 28. indignor: 'I feel abused.' 16. erat = aberat.

29. rediit : it is in compounds of 23. obortis : sc. mihi (= meis eo in Ovid that the long quantity oculis).

is often found. 25. Iphiclus : king of Phylace; 30. Cf. Prop. 4, 3, 49.

- Acastus : Laodamia's 33. quas : the Bacchantes. father; according to one tradition, pampinea . . . Bicorniger hasta : one of the Argonauts.

the thyrsus ; cf. Am. 3, 15, 17.

cf. v. 35

35

40

creditur, huc illuc, qua furor egit, eo. conveniunt matres Phylaceides et mihi clamant

'indue regales, Laodamia, sinus !'
scilicet ipsa geram saturatas murice lanas,

bella sub Iliacis moenibus ille gerat?
ipsa comas pectar, galea caput ille prematur:

ipsa novas vestes, dura vir arma ferat?
qua possum, squalore tuos imitata labores

dicar et haec belli tempora tristis agam. Dyspari Priamide, damno formose tuorum,

tam sis hostis iners, quam malus hospes eras!
aut te Taenariae faciem culpasse maritae,

aut illi vellem displicuisse tuam.
tu, qui pro rapta nimium, Menelae, laboras,

ei mihi, quam multis flebilis ultor eris !
di, precor, a nobis omen removete sinistrum,

et sua det reduci vir meus arma Iovi.
sed timeo, quotiens subiit miserabile bellum :

more nivis lacrimae sole madentis eunt.
Ilion et Tenedos Simoisque et Xanthus et Ide

nomina sunt ipso paene timenda sono.

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50

13. 37-40 are mostly lost from P. 37. lanas w vestes vulg. 38. gerat vulg. geret Gw. 40. ferat vulg. feret GV. 41. qua vulg. quo w.

.

35. Phylaceides: Laodamia is

45. Taenariae

maritae : naturally in her husband's home Helen. Taenarum is the dreaded at Phylace.

cape at the southern extremity of 37. scilicet: ironical.

Laconia. 38. ille : Protesilaus; cf. Prop. 46. vellem: of a vain wish. 1, 8, 28, n. on illa.

48. flebilis : to cause tears '; 4. qua quoquo modo

cf. Hor. Car. 1, 24, 9: multis ille 43. Dyspari : •Paris, ill-omened bonis flebilis occidit. son of Priam’; cf. Hom. I. 3, 39; 50. reduci . . . Iovi: Juppiter Δύσπαρι είδος άριστε, γυναιμανές as the author of safe return. ήπεροπευτά.

51. subiit : sc. animo.

55

бо

65

nec rapere ausurus, nisi se defendere posset,

hospes erat: vires noverat ille suas. venerat, ut fama est, multo spectabilis auro,

quique suo Phrygias corpore ferret opes, classe virisque potens, per quae fera bella geruntur :

et sequitur regni pars quota quemque sui ? his ego te victam, consors Ledaea gemellis,

suspicor : haec Danais posse nocere puto.
Hectora nescio quem timeo: Paris Hectora dixit

ferrea sanguinea bella movere manu.
Hectora, quisquis is est, si sum tibi cara, caveto:

signatum memori pectore nomen habe.
hunc ubi vitaris, alios vitare memento

et multos illic Hectoras esse puta
et facito, ut dicas, quotiens pugnare parabis :

parcere me iussit Laodamia sibi.'
si cadere Argolico fas est sub milite Troiam,

te quoque non ullum vulnus habente cadat!
pugnet. et adversos tendat Menelaus in hostis:

[ut rapiat Paridi, quae Paris ipsa sibi ! inruat et causa quem vicit, vincat et armis :)

hostibus e mediis nupta petenda virost. causa tua est dispar: tu tantum vivere pugna

inque pios dominae posse redire sinus !

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75

74-75. not in PG. 78. pios vulg. pius Pw. 59. quae refers to an antecedent sors cf. Met. 8, 444 : consorti sanincluding classe virisque.

guine. 60. quota : 'how small'; i.e. in 63. Laodamia has apparently proportion to the vast wealth kept heard only a rumor of what Paris in reserve at home.

said to Helen, and knows but 61. his: i.e. opibus.

vaguely of Hector. Ledaea : Helen, daughter of Leda, 71. fas est : • is decreed.' and sister of the twins, Castor and

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90

parcite, Dardanidae, de tot, precor, hostibus uni,

ne meus ex illo corpore sanguis eat!
non est, quem deceat nudo concurrere ferro

saevaque in oppositos pectora ferre viros;
fortius ille potest multo, quam pugnat, amare:

bella gerant alii, Protesilaus amet !
nunc fateor : volui revocare, animusque ferebat;

substitit auspicii lingua timore mali.
cum foribus velles ad Troiam exire paternis,

pes tuus offenso limine signa dedit;
ut vidi, ingemui tacitoque in pectore dixi :

signa reversuri sint, precor, ista viri!'
haec tibi nunc refero, ne sis animosus in armis :

fac, meus in ventos hic timor omnis eat!
sors quoque nescio quem fato designat iniquo,

qui primus Danaum Troada tangat humum : infelix, quae prima virum lugebit ademptum !

di faciant, ne tu strenuus esse velis !
inter mille rates tua sit millensima puppis

iamque fatigatas ultima verset aquas!
hoc quoque praemoneo : de nave novissimus exi !

non est, quo properes, terra paterna tibi.
cum venies, remoque move veloque carinam

inque tuo celerem litore siste gradum ! sive latet Phoebus seu terris altior exstat,

tu mihi luce dolor, tu mihi nocte venis,

81. est: sc. Protesilaus.

86. Laodamia hesitated to speak, for fear she might add some ill-omened word.

88. Cf. Tib. 1, 3, 19-20.

go. Laodamia tried to interpret the omen as favorable.

93. sors: ‘an oracular response.'

The word is used loosely, as if one sort of divination was essentially the same as another.

97. mille : 1186 in Homer; cf. Prop. 2, 26, 38, n.

104. dolor : almost the same as cura, i.e. a cause for worry. – venis

- es.