XIII. THE DEATH OF HERCULES.

IX. 135. novercæ, Juno. Hercules was the son of Jupiter, but not of his queen, Juno, who, through jealousy, imposed upon him the famous Twelve Labors.

136. chalia this was the city of Euboea, of which Eurytus was king after capturing Echalia and putting Eurytus to death, Hercules proceeded with Iole, daughter of Eurytus, to the Cenaan promontory, to offer sacrifices to Jove.

140. Amphitryoniaden: Hercules' mother, Alcmene, was wife of Amphitryon.

143. diffudit, gave vent.

145. aliquid novandum est, some new counsel must be taken. 147. Calydona: Dejanira was daughter of Eneus, king of Calydon.

149. me esse, etc., depends on memor. The reference is to Meleager killing his uncles.

150. injuria, sense of wrong.

152. incursus, suggestions.

157. det, sc. ut, following mandat.

159. primis, just kindled.

163. virtute, fortitude.

165. Œten: after feeling the effects of the poison, he crossed over from Eubœa to Mt. ŒŒta in Thessaly.

173. cæruleus, livid (steel-blue).

174. cæca, invisible.

176. Saturnia, i. e. Juno, his old enemy. -pascere, glut thyself. 179. hoc æstu, on account of this flame. — cruciatibus qualifies ægram.

180. laboribus, dat. after natam (§ 234; G. 356).

182. peregrino = peregrinorum: Busiris (a king of Egypt) had caused Hercules to be dragged to the altar for sacrifice; but here he burst his bonds, and slew the impious king, together with his son and herald. The fettered Hercules is said to represent the sun in winter, and his victory the sun's reviving power in spring.

184. Antao: Antæus (a giant of Libya), whenever he touched the earth, his mother, derived new strength from her. Hercules overcame him by lifting him from the ground and strangling him. — pastoris: Geryon, a three-headed giant, whose cattle Hercules drove away. With this commences the commemorating of the Twelve Labors.

IX. 135-235.] XIII. The Death of Hercules.

237

185. Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the lower world: Hercules dragged him up upon the earth.

186. tauri: the Cretan bull, which he must bind and bring to Eurystheus.

187. Elis here he cleansed the stables of king Augeas in one day, by turning the river Alpheus through them. Stymphalides : he freed the Stymphalian vale of numberless man-eating birds.

188. Parthenium: a mountain between Arcadia and Argolis, where he wounded and captured the brazen-footed hind of Artemis.

189. balteus: the belt of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons, who dwelt on the river Thermodon, in Asia Minor: he slew her and carried off her girdle.

190. poma: the apples of the Hesperides, daughters of Atlas ; see iv. 637.

191. Centauri: the fight with the Centaurs was one of his exploits, but not one of the Twelve Labors.

192. aper: the Erymanthian boar, which ravaged Arcadia. hydræ, the Lernæan hydra: whenever he cut off one of its nine heads, two sprang up in its place.

194. Thracis king Diomedes of Thrace, whose horses were fed on human flesh.

197. Nemeæa moles: the Nemean lion, the first and chief of the labors; he always afterwards wore its hide.

198. hac cervice: he took the place of Atlas, in supporting the earth, while Atlas was gathering for him the three golden apples of the Hesperides.

203. valet, prospers.

210. patrio, i. e. as son of Jupiter.

212. collegerat, had passed into.

213. feralia, deathly: the feralia were a Roman festival to the dead, celebrated February 21.

216. genibus, i. e. of Hercules.

218. tormento (torqueo), abl. of comparison: it is an engine for hurling weights, - catapult or balista.

221. molle agrees with corpus, subj. of astringi and glomerari. 225. prior edidit ætas, antiquity gave out or declared. 229. tu, Hercules.

232. iterum: Hercules had captured Troy, when ruled by king Laomedon; his bow and arrows were carried by Philoctetes (the son of Pœas) to the great siege of Troy.

235. vellere: this word properly means the fleece of a sheep; here it is transferred to the lion's hide.

236. clave (dat.): a knotty club was a regular attribute of Hercules.

238. redimitus sertis: guests at a banquet wore garlands. 239. in omne latus, over his whole body.

240. securos, indifferent.

241. vindice, i. e. because he had freed the earth from so many plagues.

243. iste, that which you feel.

245. memoris, grateful.

247. hoc, i. e. your favor. 251. materna parte: his mother, Alcmena, being a mortal, whatever he derived from her was mortal. — vulcanum =

ignem.

254. id, that part of him. — terra, governed by defunctum. cælestibus orīs (from ora), within the bounds of heaven. 257. deo, as a god, in apposition with Hercule.

he may disapprove.

260. ultima, his last words.

261. notatam, marked for censure.

nolet (fut.),

268. Tirynthius: Hercules was born at Tiryns in Argolis. 272. astris, dat. after intulit.

XIV. ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE.

X. I. inde, i. e. from Crete.

2. Ciconum: the Cicones were a people of Thrace.

3. Orphēā, an adjective; the noun would be Orphĕă. — nequi

quam: because the marriage had an unfortunate end.

4. quidem, to be sure: he was present, but brought no luck with him.

6. fax: the torch was the attribute of Hymen.

7. motibus, by swinging.

II. Rhodopeius: Rhodope was a mountain of Thrace, the home of Orpheus. ad superas auras = towards the sky: i. e.

to the gods, in order to gain their favor.

13. Tænaria: Tænarum was a promontory south of Greece, where it was believed was an entrance to the infernal regions.

14. lěves, i. e. because mere shadows. -functa sepulcro, which have passed the tomb.

16. nervis, i. e. of his lyre.

18. quicquid relates to the subject of recidimus, whatever of us, &c.

IX. 236-X. 73.] XIV. Orpheus and Eurydice.

239

22. Medusæi: the mother of Cerberus was Echidna, a daughter of Medusa.

25. pati, i. e. the loss.

31. properata fata, premature death.―retexite, spin backward, referring to the Fates, who spin the thread of life.

32. omnia, all we earthly objects.

36. justos, allotted, i. e. to which she had a right (jus). 37. usum: the right to the temporary enjoyment of property belonging to another was called usus.

38. certum est mihi, my mind is resolved.

41. Tantalus: his punishment was to be placed up to his chin in water, which retreated from him as soon as he stooped to drink. 42. Ixionis: he was bound to a revolving fiery wheel.

43. jecur, the liver of Tityus, fed upon by vultures, and growing again as fast as consumed.

44. Belides (a Greek plural), grand-daughters of Belus (daughters of Danaus, hence usually called Danaides): their punishment was to carry water in a vase with holes in the bottom. Sisyphe: the punishment of Sisyphus is thus described: "With many a weary step, and many a groan, Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone; The huge round stone, resulting with a bound,

Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground."

Pope's Odyssey, Book xi.

46. Eumenidum: the Furies, to whom this name—as well as that of "venerable," "revered " was given, in order to soothe them and deprecate their anger.

50. legem, in appos. with ne flectat, etc.

55. afuĕrunt: e short by systole.—summæ, the surface.

58. captans, eagerly reaching.

61. quid, as well as se amatam [esse], governed by quereretur. 65. tria: the story went, that when Hercules dragged the threeheaded Cerberus from the lower world, a person meeting them was turned into stone from fear.

67. natura prior, his former nature, sc. reliquit.

68. traxit: the story here referred to is not known any further : it would seem that Lethæa drew upon herself the anger of the gods by pride in her beauty; that her husband Olenos assumed the blame to himself, and that both were turned into stone. - Siebelis. 71. pectora, lapides, in apposition with Olenos and Lethaa. 73. portitor, Charon, the ferry-man over the Styx.

74. squalidus, in mourning. Cereris munere, food.

77. Rhodopen: the mountain boundary of Thrace ; Hæmum, a Thracian river (See xi. 50).

XV. THE SONG OF ORPHEUS.

X. 89. dis genitus: Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope.

90. loco, dat. by poetic use (§ 225. a; G. 344, R1). Chaonis arbor: the oak, sacred to Jove, whose chief sanctuary was at Dodona, where the Chaonians had once lived.

91. nemus Heliadum, poplars: see ii. 340.

92. innuba, because Daphne had been metamorphosed into a laurel, in order to escape Apollo's suit.

95. genialis: the shadow of the plane was a favorite resort for pleasure and mirth.—impar, varied (the autumn colors of the maple).

98. tinus, a plant similar to the viburnum.

100. ulmi: the elms were used for vines to run upon.

103. pinus: the stone pine of Italy spreads out at the top to a broad head, on a very high trunk.

104. Cybeleius, loved by Cybele, mother of the gods.

105. hac, sc. pinu : abl. of means.

144. -que connects concilio and turba.

147. modos, tones.

151. Phlegræis campis: near Olympus, where the battle with the giants took place.

155. Ganymedis, son of Tros, king of Troy.

156. aliquid, i. e. some form.

158. quæ posset, etc., i. e. the eagle, the bird of Jove.

159. mendacibus, as being not really his own.

160. Iliaden: this patronymic describes the country (Ilium), not the parentage of Ganymede; king Ilus was his brother.

162. Amyclide, Hyacinthus, great-grandson of Amyclas, king of Amyclæ, near Sparta. — posuisset in æthere = received into heaven.

164. qua, so far as.

165. Aries: this is the first constellation of Spring, and the idea symbolized by the myth of Hyacinthus is that of the destroy