Selections from Ovid

24. soluta modis: free from measure, i.e. in prose.

26. Compare POPE: 'I lisped in numbers, for the numbers came.' 28. fratri: Dative of Agent. liberior toga: that is, toga virilis, which was assumed by boys in their seventeenth or eighteenth year. Before that, they wore the toga praetexta.

29. cum lato purpura clavo: a broad stripe of purple. The laticlave was worn by the sons of senators and knights while preparing for public service.

34. de viris tribus: the tresviri capitales had charge of prisons and capital punishments.

35. Curia: the senate.

coacta est: was reduced. The senators wore

ambitionis: candidacy.

a broad stripe of purple, the knights a narrow. 38. fugax eram: I was inclined to avoid. 39. Aoniae sorores: that is, the Muses; 'Aonian' is poetic for 'Boeotian.'

41. Temporis illius poetas: the poets of that time. 43. grandior aevo: the elderly.

aevo: Ablative of Respect. The

didactic poems of Macer have not survived.

45. ignes: i.e. love-poems; Propertius was one of the great elegiac poets of Rome. We have a collection of his poems.

46. iure sodalicii: by the right of intimate friendship.

47. heroo clarus: famous for the heroic measure, i.e. the dactylic hexameter.. Ponticus wrote a work on the battle of the heroes at Thebes, but it has not survived. Bassus quoque: and Bassus. His works

also have been lost.

48. convictus mei: of my daily life.

49. numerosus: translate, the poet of many measures; Horace, the great lyric poet of the Romans, wrote in many metres.

51. vidi tantum: I have only seen.

53. Galle: the chronological order of the elegiac poets was: Gallus, Propertius, Tibullus, Ovid.

56. Thalia mea: my Muse; Thalia was the Muse of comic or other joyful poetry.

58. resecta fuit: had been shaved.

59. moverat ingenium mihi: had stirred my genius; the success of his first poems had fired his ambition.

60. nomine non vero dicta: so called by a fictitious name.

62. emendaturis: to correct.

63. cum fugerem: when I was banished.

have pleased.

64. studio: at my pursuit (calling).

placitura: which might

65. Molle nec inexpugnabile: soft and susceptible.

66. quodque... moveret: and capable of being moved by a slight cause.

moveret: Subjunctive of Characteristic.

67. Cum hic essem: although I was such.

68. sub: attached to.

fabula: gossip.

69. Paene puero: while almost a boy.

utilis: suitable.

72. non... toro: yet destined not to remain in union with me. 74. sustinuit: endured.

75. Filia: by one of his first two wives, probably the second.

Ovid's

third wife had been married before and brought a daughter with her. prima inventa: in early womanhood.

77. genitor: my father, aged ninety.

79. me fileturus ademptum fuit: would have wept at my death.

80. Matri...tuli: next I performed the funeral rites for my mother.

83. Me: Accusative in Exclamations.

85. exstinctis: to the dead.

is left besides a name.

aliquid nisi nomina restant: something

86. gracilis umbra: the slender shade, the unsubstantial spirit. 87. fama mea: fame of me, rumor in regard to my fate; subject of contigit. parentales: of my parents; Vocative with umbrae.

88. crimina nostra: charges against me.

89. causam predicate after esse.

vos: object of fallere.

studiosa pectora :

91. Mānibus: for the spirits of the departed. zealous hearts, kind readers; Vocative.

93. canities... venerat: my best years had passed and gray hairs had

come.

95. ortus: birth; poetic Plural.

Pisaea vinctus oliva: crowned with the Pisaean olive; Pisa was a town in Elis, near which the Olympic games were held. The prize was an olive wreath.

96. decies: the games were held every four years, but the poets sometimes use Olympiad as = lustrum, five years. Ovid was now fifty years victor eques: the winner of the chariot race.

old.

97. positos ad laeva Tomitas: Tomi, situated on the left.

the inhabitants of Tomi; instead of the town.

Tomitas:

99. nimium quoque nota: even too well known. It has, however, not been handed down.

100. indicio... meo: must not be published by my own declaration.

102. ipsa fuga: than exile itself.

103. indignata est: disdained.

105. oblitus mei: forgetting myself.

106. insolita: goes with manu.

ductae per: passed in.

temporis: of the occasion, which

the occasion demanded; namely, patience and resignation.

107. quot stellae: as there are stars.

108. occultum: invisible, the South Pole.

North Pole.

109. mihi: Dative of Agent.

conspicuum: visible, the

acto: agrees with mihi.

110. pharetratis: the quiver-bearing. The bow was the chief weapon

of the Getae.

Sarmatis ora: the Sarmatian shore.

112. quo possum, carmine: with my only means, song.

113. Quod, cuiu referatur ad aures: to whose ears this poetry may be recited.

115. quod: that

116. lucis:= - vitae.

laboribus: trials.

věnis: verb.

118. requies: predicate Nominative.

119. ab Histro: from the Danube. Tomi was situated near the mouth of this river.

122. ab exsequiis: after burial.

123. qui detrectat praesentia, livor: envy, which finds fault with the present. iniquo dente: with unfriendly tooth.

125. cum saecula nostra: although our age.

126. maligna: unkind.

128. plurimus legor: am read the most.

129. quid veri: any truth.

130. ut: though.

132. iure: by merit.

candide: friendly.

15. SHORT SELECTIONS.

1. 'Forbidden Fruit.'

Nitimur in: we strive after.

2. Ingenium: talent.

proderit

lassis to the sick.

sucus

3. Perferre obdura: persevere in patient resignation. olim: will be of advantage some day.

amarus: i.e. a bitter pill.

4. Prona palma est: it is an easy honor.

tibi: Dat. of Agent.

vinci Complementary Infinitive after cupientem, which is object of vin

cere.

5. Leniter ferendum est: may be easily borne. nocent man.

bear.

indigno to an in

dolenda venit: comes fraught with grief, is hard to

6. auctor: the giver.

7. Certus: abiding. morum: of character. formam: beauty. aetas: time. placitus pleasing, active signification.

when.

wrinkles.

speculum: a mirror.

quo: dolor: sorrow, another cause of

8. Spectatum: to see; Ovid gives reasons why girls go to the theatre. 9. Parva: small things.

has been useful to many a man to arrange a pillow with easy hand. tabella: fan.

scamna: footstools.

10. neglecta: careless.

11. oculos: object of spectare.

12. Fors: Fortune, the goddess of fortune. Ovid adds a little to the old proverb fortes Fortuna adiuvat.'

13. Nec credi labor est: nor is it a difficult matter to gain credence.

amanda: lovable.

likes her own looks.

Pessima sit, etc.: every girl, no matter how ugly,

14. ex alto: from on high.

15. According to our proverb, Necessity is the mother of invention.' 17. semper florent: bloom all the time. et riget amissa spina re

iam :

licta rosa: and the hard thorn is left after the rose is gone. soon. quae arent: to plow, to make furrows on. molire: build up, adstrue: build to, add to. Nec

acquire.

...

qui duret: that will last.

cura sit and take great pains to improve your mind by means of the linguas duas: i.e. Latin and Greek.

liberal arts.

18. Obsequio tranantur aquae: by yielding to the current you swim across
nec: while...not.
si...nates: if you should swim
tigris: Acc. Plural.

the stream.

against the force of the stream.

19. Aurea saecula: this is really the golden age, because now everything is measured by gold, everything can be procured for gold. venit: gnomic Perfect as parallel to the gnomic Present. Translate as a Present. 20. deprensa: if detected. merito: deservedly.

⚫fidence.

fidem: con

21. adsuetudine: custom. There is nothing like being accustomed to a thing.'

22. mora tuta brevis: only a brief absence is safe; if you stay away too long, you will be forgotten.

23. Luxuriant: become overweening.

25. etiam nunc editis: you still tell the truth about your age.
bona tam: instead of tam bona.

like.

26. Prisca iuvent alios: let others delight in the good old times. (sc. est): suits.

apta

pars non contempta: no small share.

Sero: late; that is, too late.

pigebit: you will be reluctant.

30. Lightning strikes the highest places.'

31. ut ipsa: that is, in a vivid image.

32. cave relegas: never reread.

33. Compare HERODOTUS, I. 32. The rich King Croesus wished to be pronounced the happiest of men by the wise Solon, but the answer he elicited was similar to our text.

38. These words are put in the mouth of the famous Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who came to Italy and settled in Crotona in 529 B.C. The modern doctrine of the Conservation of Matter is here anticipated. faciem novat: takes a new form. incipere is subject. esse: Complementary Infinitive after incipere.

ut: as.

spectatur:

fides: true friend

39. A friend in need is a friend indeed.' tempore duro: in time of trouble.

is tested.

ship.

40. sospes: prosperous; lit. unharmed.

41. radios per solis euntibus: to those going through the sunshine.

42. Everything that is good may be abused.' instruit: he equips. 43. Ovid's epitaph, written by himself. In 1886, in the market-place of Köstendje on the Black Sea, there was erected to Ovid a statue upon the base of which were inscribed these lines.

I, who lie here, the author of tender love-poems.

may the bones rest peacefully.

44. In praise of an obscure life.

45. tollit et premit: elevates and casts down.

Hic... amorum :

molliter ossa cubent:

volubilis (from volvo): lit.

tan

48. Fortuna volubilis: fickle Fortune. rolling, revolving. Fortune is often represented as on a wheel. tum. est is consistent only in her inconsistency; is always fickle. 49. Compare Selection 3.

50. A wish for an enemy: pitiable but unpitied.'

51. Nescio qua dulcedine: by some wonderful charm. tracts.

52. eiurat: swears off from.

53. Spes non ex toto nulla: some slight hope. Haec dea: that is, Hope.

to his banishment.