Ovid 564-581 Flashcards
Sic ego torrentem, qua nil obstabat eunti, lenius et modico strepitu decurrere vidi; at quacumque trabes obstructaque saxa tenebant, spumeus et fervens et ab obice saevior ibat. [568-571]
Thus I have seen a torrent, where there was nothing obstructing its flow, flow down rather smoothly and with smallish noise; but wherever timbers and piled-up rocks restrained it, both foaming and seething it went more fiercely as a consequence of the blockage.
Ecce cruentati redeunt et, Bacchus ubi esset, quaerenti domino Bacchum vidisse negarunt. [572-573]
Look they return covered with blood and, to their master when he asked where Bacchus was, they replied that they had not seen Bacchus.
‘Hunc’ dixere ‘tamen comitem famulumque sacrorum cepimus’ et tradunt manibus post terga ligatis sacra dei quendam Tyrrhena gente secutum. [574-576]
‘However’ they said ‘we did capture this man, his companion and a servant of the rites’ and with his hands tied behind his back they hand over a certain man of Etruscan origin, a follower of the rites of the god.
Aspicit hunc Pentheus oculis quos ira tremendos fecerat, et quamquam poenae vix tempora differt, ‘o periture tuaque aliis documenta dature morte’ ait, ‘ede tuum nomen nomenque parentum et patriam morisque novi cur sacra frequentes.’ [577-581]
Pentheus regards this man with eyes which anger had made terrifying, and although he defers the time for the punishment with difficulty he says ‘O you who are going to perish and provide, by your death, an example serving as a warning to others, say your name and the name of your parents and your homeland and tell me why you attend the rites of a new cult.’
Hunc avus, hunc Athamus, hunc cetera turba suorum corripiunt dictis frustraque inhibere laborant. Acrior admonitu est, irritaturque retenta et crescit rabies moderaminaque ipsa nocebant. [564-567]
His grandfather, Athamas, the rest of the crowd of his people rebuke him with words and strive in vain to curb him. He is made keener by their reproof, and the retained rage is provoked and grows and their very efforts to hold him back did more harm than good.
Ille metu vacuus ‘nomen mihi’ dixit ‘Acoetes, patria Maenoia est, humili de plebe parentes. Non mihi quae duri colerent pater arva iuvenci, lanigerosve greges, non ulla armenta reliquit.
He, free from fear, said ‘My name is Acoetes, my homeland is Maeonia, my parents were of the humble lower orders. My father did not leave me fields for tough bullocks to cultivate, or wool-bearing flocks, nor any cattle.
