XVII. O Socii (neque enim ignāri sumus ante malōrum) ! 200 1. O Socii (neque enim ignari sumus ante malōrum)! O passi graviōra! 3. Vos et Scyllæam rabiem penitusque sonantes accêstis scopulos; 4. Vos et Cyclopea saxa experti : 5. Revocate animos, mostumque timōrem mittite : 6. Forsan et hæc olim meminisse juvābit. EXPLANATIONS. 1. O Socii, O passi graviora! O companions! O ye who have suffered still severer things than these!' Ante malōrum,' of misfortunes endured before now.' 3. He mentions some of the dangers they had gone through. Scylla was a very dangerous rock between Italy and Sicily. Accêstis, put for accessistis. 4. Experti-understand estis. 5. Mittite, 'dismiss.' 6. 'You may some day perhaps take pleasure in recalling the misfor tunes you have now gone through.' XVIII. 205 Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum, 1. Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum, 2. Tendimus in Latium, 3. Sedes ubi fata quiētas ostendunt: 4. Illic fas regna resurgère Trojæ. 5. Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis. 6. Talia voce refert; 7. Curisque ingentibus æger, spem vultu simulat; 8. Premit altum corde dolorem. EXPLANATIONS. 1. Begin with line 2. 2. Tendimus in Latium, 'we are directing our course towards.' 4. Illic fas, 'there it may be fated,' &c. 5. Rebus secundis, 'prosperous affairs,' 'prosperous times.' 6 7. Though thoroughly sick at heart' (æger), yet he pretends to be cheerful and hopeful, and keeps down,' 'restrains' (premit). XIX. Illi se prædæ accingunt, dapibusque futūris ; 210 1. Illi se prædæ accingunt, dapibusque futūris ; 2. Tergora diripiunt costis, et viscera nudant; 3. Pars in frusta secant, verůbusque trementia figunt: 4. Litŏre ahēna locant alii, flammasque ministrant. 5. Tum victu revocant vires; 215 6. Fusique per herbam, implentur vetĕris Bacchi, pinguisque ferinæ. EXPLANATIONS. 1. Dapibusque futūris, 'for the coming feast.' 2. Diripiunt,' they strip.' Nudant, 'lay bare.' 3. After secant understand viscera, which here means flesh.' Notice pars sing., and secant plur., because pars is a noun of multitude. 4. Trementia, 'quivering'-life being hardly out of them. 5. Victu, 'by food.' 6. Fusique per herbam, 'and stretched on the grass.' Implentur, 'they are filled.' Veteris Bacchi, &c., gen. case after implentur. XX. Postquam exempta fames epulis, mensæque remota, Amissos longo socios sermone requirunt, 220 Spemque metumque inter dubii; seu vivĕre credant, 1. Postquam exempta fames epulis, mensæque remōtæ, 3. Spemque metumque inter dubii; 4. Seu vivĕre credant, sive extrēma pati, nec jam exaudire vocătos. 5. Præcipue pius Æneas, nunc acris Orontei, nunc Amyci casum gemit, 6. Et crudelia secum Fata Lyci, 7. Fortemque Gyan, fortemque Cloanthum. EXPLANATIONS. 1. Make exempta and remōtæ verbs by putting in erat and erant. 2. Requirunt, they ask about their lost companions in lengthened converse -or 'talk over their lost,' &c. 3. Notice the position of inter—where would it be placed in prose? 4. The three infinitives here are after credant. 5. Acris Orontei, gen. case after casum. OVID'S EPISTLES. DEIANIRA TO HERCULES. ARGUMENT. DEIANIRA was the daughter of Eneus, king of Calydon in Ætolia, and the wife of Hercules. Hercules is said to have been the son of Jupiter and Alcmēna, and this made Juno, the wife of Jupiter, jealous of him; and when he was only eight months old she sent two dreadful serpents to kill him in his cradle. But the babe boldly seized them in his hands and squeezed them to death. Afterwards Juno persuaded Eurystheus, king of Mycena, to persecute him, and try to kill him by making him undergo twelve famous labours. He was therefore, by the will of Jupiter, made subject to Eurystheus for twelve years, with the promise that, after he had performed all that was required of him, he should be reckoned among the gods. Hercules, for his twelve labours, was well and perfectly equipped by the favour of the gods. Minerva gave him a coat of arms and a helmet; Mercury, a sword; Neptune, a horse; Jupiter, a shield; Apollo, a bow and arrows; and Vulcan, a golden cuirass and brazen buskins, with a celebrated club; and with this help he performed all that was required of him. When, however, he had taken Echalia, a city of the island of Euboea, he fell in love with Iŏle, daughter of King Eurytus. His faithlessness soon reached the ears of his wife, Deianira, who wrote this letter to him, reproaching him for his cruelty in deserting her, and pointing out the dishonour he was bringing on himself. But whilst she was writing, a messenger came to tell her that Hercules was dead (line 109), having been killed by wearing a charmed shirt which Deianira herself had sent him. |