Love Poetry Mythological References

Question 1

malae tenebrae Orci (Catullus 3), luridus Orcus (Lygdamus 3.3)

Answer 1

“Evil shadows of Orcus”, “pale Orcus”

Orcus was the King of the Underworld

Question 2

oraculum Iovis (Catullus 7)

Answer 2

“The Oracle of Jove”

The Temple of Ammon, associated with Zeus and Jupiter, was in Cyrene

Question 3

mala fascinare lingua (Catullus 7)

Answer 3

“An evil tongue bewitches”

Romans believed that exact numbers were powerful, and they could be used to control people

Question 4

Amor (Catullus 45, Propertius 1.1, 2.12, 3.23)

Answer 4

“Love”

Cupid, the son of Venus

Question 5

Nemesis (Catullus 50)

Answer 5

The ancient goddess of vengeance who punishes wrong-doing and hubris

Question 6

Musarum (Catullus 65), Musa (Propertius 2.12)

Answer 6

The Muses were goddesses who inspired art such as poetry

Question 7

Lethaeo in gurgite (Catullus 65)

Answer 7

“In the Lethean whirlpool”

Lethe was one of the rivers of the underworld, usually associated with forgetfulness (of your former life)

Question 8

qualia… Ityli (Catullus 65)

Answer 8

The myth of Procne and Itys
Procne, wife of King Tereus of Daulia, avenges her husband’s violence to her sister Philomena by killing her own son Itys. When Tereus pursues the sisters the gods intervene and turn Procne into a nightingale and Philomena into a swallow.

Question 9

ut missum… rubor (Catullus 65)

Answer 9

The myth of Acontius and Cydippe
Cydippe refuses to marry Acontius, no matter how hard he tries to woo her, until he carves an apple with the words “I will marry Acontius” and throws it towards Cydippe while she’s walking in the sacred wood of Diana. Cydippe reads the words on the apple aloud and is bound to the oath as she is on sacred ground.
The myth is told in Callimachus’ Aetia

Question 10

Milanion… puellam (Propertius 1.1)

Answer 10

The myth of Atalanta and Milanion
Atalanta was abandoned as a child and raised by a she-bear to become a virgin huntress, famous for her speed. Milanion pursued her but Atalanta remained firm in her desire to remain single. One day, she was attacked by two centaurs, Hylaeus and Rhoeteus, and Milanion was wounded by Hylaeus while saving her. This injury convinced Atalanta of his love for her.

Question 11

vos, deductae quibus est fallacia lunae (Propertius 1.1)

Answer 11

“You, who do that trick of drawing down the moon”

References to witchcraft and summoning Hecate, the goddess of dark magic

Question 12

Cytaeines carminibus (Propertius 1.1)

Answer 12

“Songs of the woman from Cytae”

Cytae, a town in Colchis, was the birthplace of Medea, a famous witch

Question 13

Tantalea (Propertius 2.17)

Answer 13

The myth of Tantalus
Tantalus was invited to feast with the gods on Olympus, and as an offering he killed his son Pelops and served him as a meal at the feast. As a punishment he had to spend eternity in a pool of water with branches of a fruit tree hanging above him. If he reached down to the water it would recede and if he reached up to the fruit it would disappear, forcing him into eternal starvation and thirst.

Question 14

Sisyphios (Propertius 2.17)

Answer 14

The myth of Sisyphus
Sisyphus was the king of Colchis, an extremely crafty man punished for hubris and cheating death at least twice. He had to roll a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down again, repeating this action for eternity.

Question 15

Dianae (Propertius 2.19)

Answer 15

Diana was the virgin goddess of hunting

Question 16

pinu (Propertius 2.19)

Answer 16

“Fir trees” were sacred to Diana

Question 17

Luciferis (Propertius 2.19)

Answer 17

A minor god of light, refers to the dawn, or “lightbringing”

Question 18

Martia classica (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 18

“Mars’ trumpets”

Mars was the god of war

Question 19

Spes (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 19

Spes was the Goddess of Hope whose chief Roman temple was in the Forum Holitorium

Question 20

agricolae deo (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 20

“The god of farmers”

Possible the Roman rustic god Silvanus to whom offerings of first fruits were made at harvest time

Question 21

flava Ceres (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 21

“Golden Ceres”

Ceres was a native Italian harvest goddess equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter

Question 22

ruber Priapus (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 22

“Red Priapus”

Priapus was a red-painted fertility god, son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, with a huge phallus and a reaping hook (scythe) used as a scarecrow in gardens and orchards. He was not an Italian god but arrived from Asia Minor via Greece

Question 23

Lares (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 23

Guardian spirits of the hearth and farm often depicted as young men holding a drinking horn and dancing. They were important to Tibullus as promoters of fertility in the fields

Question 24

placidam Palem (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 24

“Gentle Pales”

Pales was an Italian pastoral goddess whose feast day, the parilia, was celebrated on April 21st, the traditional foundation day of Rome. Milk and oil, rather that wine, were offered to her to purify the fields and the shepherds who watched the flock

Question 25

Manes (Tibullus 1, Lygdamus 3.2)

Answer 25

Deified spirits of the dead

Question 26

Mors (Tibullus 1.1)

Answer 26

Roman personification of Death, similar to the Grim Reaper

Question 27

annoso Lyaeo (Lygdamus 3.2)

Answer 27

“Aged wine”

Lyaeus was another name for Bacchus, the god of wine, called so as he ‘frees’ or ‘loosens’ through drinking

Question 28

Lethaea rate (Lygdamus 3.3)

Answer 28

“Lethe’s boat”

The boat of Charon, the ferryman of the underworld who had to transport the shades of the dead across the waters of the River Acheron to the opposite bank of the river of the dead. Letheaus is used poetically to refer to waters and rivers of the underworld in general

Question 29

Fortuna (Lygdamus 3.3)

Answer 29

The personification of destiny, she could not be controlled by anyone, even Jupiter

Question 30

Saturnia (Lygdamus 3.3)

Answer 30

Juno, the daughter of Saturn. She protected women, particularly married ones

Question 31

Cypria (Lygdamus 3.3)

Answer 31

“The one from Cyprus”

According to legend, after being born from white sea foam Venus travelled across the stormy waves on a seashell to the shores of Cyprus. Her first temple was built there

Question 32

Fata tristesque sorores (Lygdamus 3.3)

Answer 32

“The Fates and the melancholy sisters”

The Parcae were represented as three sisters (Atropos, Clotho and Lachesis) who regulate the lifetime of a mortal from birth to death with the help of a thread which the first one spins, the second winds and the third cuts