Embedded Files
Metamorphoses 7.69-99
Metamorphoses 7.69-99
“coniugiumne vocās speciōsaque nōmina culpae
imponis, Mēdēa, tuae? quin aspice, quantum 70
aggrediāre nefās, et, dum licet, effuge crīmen.”
dixit, et ante oculōs rectum pietāsque pudorque
constiterant, et victa dabat iam terga Cupīdo.
ībat ad antīquās Hecatēs Persēidos ārās,
quās nemus umbrōsum sēcrētaque silva tegēbat. 75
et iam fortis erat pulsusque resēderat ardor,
cum videt Aesonidēn exstinctaque flamma relūxit.
ērubuēre genae, tōtōque recanduit ōre,
utque solet ventīs alimenta assūmere quaeque
parva sub inductā latuit scintilla favillā 80
crēscere et in veterēs agitāta resurgere vīrēs,
sic iam lentus amor, iam quem languēre putārēs,
ut vīdit iuvenem, speciē praesentis inarsit.
et cāsū solitō formōsior Aesone nātus
illā lūce fuit: possēs ignoscere amanti. 85
spectat et in vultū velutī tum dēnique vīsō
lumina fixa tenet nec sē mortālia dēmēns
ōra vidēre putat, nec sē dēclīnat ab illō.
ut vērō coepitque loquī dextramque prehendit
hospes et auxilium submissā vōce rogāvit 90
prōmīsitque torum, lacrimīs ait illa profūsīs:
“quid faciam, videō (non ignorantia vērī
dēcipiet, sed amor): servābere mūnere nostrō;
servātus prōmissa datō.” per sacra triformis
ille deae, lūcōque foret quod nūmen in illō, 95
perque patrem socerī cernentem cuncta futūrī
ēventūsque suōs et tanta perīcula iūrat.
creditus accēpit cantātās prōtinus herbās
ēdidicitque usum, laetusque in tecta recessit.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes
Medea concludes her debate with herself about helping Jason, and thereby betraying her family. Meter: dactylic hexameters
70 quin = “why not?”71 aggredior, aggredī, aggressus sum (passive in form with active meaning): approach; begin The subjunctive shows use in an indirect question73 constiterant, i.e., these virtues had taken shape before her eyes – she now saw them clearly tergum dare is a military metaphor, meaning to turn tail, take flight; Cupīdo is her desire, personified74 ībat, imperfect of eō: “was going” Hecatēs Persēidos is a Greek genitive: “of Hecate, daughter of (the Titan) Perses”75 umbrōsus, -a, -um: shadowy, full of shadows, shady76 pulsus (from pellō) – another military metaphor: “routed, defeated”77 Aesonidēn, a Greek accusative = “the son of Aeson”, i.e., Jason relūceō, relūcēre, relūxi: to shine again78 ērubuēre = ērubuērunt, from ērubescere recandescō, recandescere, recanduī: to become white; glow white (with heat)79 ut introduces a simile, answered by sīc in 82 Subject of solet is parva scintilla in 80; the -que on quaeque joins assumere and crescere alimentum, -ī, n.: nourishment, food; ventīs is ablative expressing source Word order: ut parva scintilla, quae sub inductā favillā latuit, solet alimenta ventīs assumere et crescere …80 inductus, -a, -um: overlaid, spreadover, covering resurgō, resurgere, resurrexī, resurrectum: to rise again, re-emerge82 putārēs (imperfect subjunctive) = “you would think”83 inardescō, inardescere, inarsī: to take fire, burn84 cāsū solitō: the ablative expresses the term of comparison with formōsior Aesone nātus, ‘the one begotten of Aeson’ is, of course, Jason85 lūce = diē, ablative expressing time when possēs – imperfect subjective expressing a hypothetical: “you could” ignoscō, ignoscere + dat. = ‘forgive’; amantī gives the cause which merits forgiveness: “for …”86 tum dēnique, i.e., as if for the first time87 dēmēns has adverbial force: “in her madness” nec … mortālia ōra, literally ‘not mortal’ means ‘immortal’, i.e., the face of a god nec sē dēclīnat …: i.e., she takes no action to avoid him90 loquī: “to speak”91 torum by metonymy = “marriage”92 ignorantia, -ae, f.: ignorance93 servābere = servāberis, future passive94 datō, a future imperative of the second person; prōmissa datō > ‘keep your promises’ The triformis dea is Hecate; triformis, -e: having three forms, three aspects95 lūcus, -ī, m.: sacred grove The clause quodque nūmen in illō lūcō foret serves as object of per: “and by whatever deity might be … ” foret = esset, the imperfect subjunctive of sum 96 The socer futūrus is of course Aeetes, whose father is Sol, the sun, who perceives all things97 ēventūs, ‘misfortunes’, and perīcula are also objects of per. An oath is a self-directed curse whereby one calls down ruination on oneself should he breach the oath98 creditus: literally “having been believed” cantātās ‘enchanted’, in that she had sung charms into them99 ēdiscō, ēdiscere, ēdidicī: to learn thoroughly
John William Waterhouse, Medea & Jason
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse