Latin Vocabulary Notes

84 - desero - abandon

84 - Bacchus - the god of wine, more commonly known as Dionysus
89 - frequento - crowd around

90 - Silenus - companion of Bacchus, his tutor

91 - corona - garland
93 - trado - hand over
93 - orgium - rite, ritual

94 - agnosco - recognize

94 - sacrum - sacred rite

100 - optatum - wish

107 - pollicitus - promised

109 - contingo - touch

110 - pallo - turn pale
115 - admoveo - bring, move
123 - dapes dapis f pl- feast

Latin Grammatical Notes

86 - Cumque choro meliore – "With a better band": ablative of accompaniment; implies Bacchus leaves behind the previous story (the Ciconian women and Orpheus), for a more fitting one that makes him happier

87 - Pactolon – A river in Lydia famous for association with gold

91 - ruricolae cepere Phryges – Country dwellers of Phrygia, so they’re people of Midas’s kingdom (which we know because he is a simple rural king seeking wealth)

91 - Coronis – corona (ablative singular) – used here in the ablative of means, meaning "with garlands"

96 - Bis quinque dies...noctes – "For ten days and nights": this phrase emphasizes a sacred duration of celebration

98 - Iam...Lucifer undecimus – "Now the eleventh morning star": an epic way to express the passage of time

98 - Lucifer – Does not refer to the Christian Devil. The word instead translates to "light-bringer"

100 - Optandi arbitrium – This phrase emphasizes that Midas had the power and freedom to choose any gift

104 - Nociturus a um – Harmful; note that this hints that the power will hurt

102 - Effice, quicquid corpore contigero... – Indirect command 

106 - Berecyntius heroes – The Berecyntian hero

107 - Pollicitique – Genitive singular of pollicitus, modifying munera (gifts)

114 - Hesperidas donasse putes – Reference to the gold apples of the Hesperides

117 - Danae – A Greek name, referring to how her lover Zeus came to her as a golden shower, linking gold with ruinous seduction

122 - Cerealia dona – Festivals honoring Ceres

125 - "Miscuerat puris... undis" – Pluperfect indicative; which shows that the mixing of the water had already occurred before the golden effect. "Undis" is ablative of means

Image source: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1968.256