PVBLI·OVIDI·NASONIS
METAMORPHOSON
LIBER·I·313-415
DE·DEVCALIONE·PYRRHAQVE·FABVLA
Annotationibus Instructa in Usum Discipulorum
Annotations by Peter Cohee
latintutoring.biz
© 2006
Learning expectations for and sample exam on Ovid’s Deucalion and Pyrrha
Learning Expectations. Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid) was one of ancient Rome’s great masters of Latin poetry. Besides having great value in his own right, he is an excellent introduction to Vergil’s Aeneid and other Latin poets. We therefore want you to learn this sample well. Here are the standards we’ll use to evaluate your knowledge of it.
You will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of:
the structure of sentences (i. e. the clauses and phrases of which they are made);
what part of speech any given word is;
the specific form of words (e. g. case and number, tense and mood, etc.);
the function of words in their clause or phrase (e. g. adjective modifying a noun, a pronoun’s case-function, etc.);
the meaning of words in their context (vocabulary);
features of poetic style and literary devices (e. g. chiasmus, simile, word-framing, etc.)
You will also be expected to:
correctly translate or accurately paraphrase selected phrases, sentences, or passages;
comment critically on a given passage, correctly citing and translating the Latin to support your view;
demonstrate understanding of select passages or sentences;
make meaningful comparisons or applications from the reading to real experience.
Sample Exam. You should expect to find questions like these on your Deucalion and Pyrrhaexam/s:
∙ Identify the subordinate clauses and phrases in each of these examples:
Namque ego ... sī tē quoque pontus habēret, tē sequerer ... et mē quoque pontus habēret [pres. contrary to fact cond.]
dīc, Themi, quā generis damnum reparābile nostrī arte sit [indirect question]
nimbis ... remotis [ablative absolute]
superesse virum dē tot modo mīlibus ūnum ... vidit [acc. + infin. phrase]
∙ Identify the part of speech, specific form, and function of the following (371-374):
Inde ubi libātōs inrōrāvēre liquōrēsinroravere[verb, 1st conj., 1st pers. pl. perf. indic. act.]
vestibus et capitī, flectunt vestīgia sānctaevestigia[noun, 2nd decl. neut. pl., acc. dir. obj. of flectunt]
ad dēlūbra deae, quōrum fastīgia turpīdeae[noun, 1st decl., fem. sing. gen. of possession, defining delubra]
pallēbant mūscō stābantque sine ignibus ārae.sine[preposition, with abl. of separation as object, ignibus
∙ Identify these examples of poetic style and literary devices and discuss their effect on the lines in which they occur:
fastigia ... pallebant ... stabant- ... arae [chiasmus]
caecis obscura latebris / verba [synchysis]
-que ... et ... et [polysyndeton]
∙ Scan (i. e. analyze into metric feet) the following line:
Inde genus dūrum sumus experiēnsque labōrum [Inde ge / nus du / rum sumus // experi / ensque la / borum]
∙ Translate this passage(#4, lines 344-348) as precisely as possible; point out any noteworthy poetic devices.
Iam mare lītus habet, plēnōs capit alveus amnēs,
surgit humus; crēscunt iuga dēcrēscentibus undis;
postque diem longam nūdāta cacūmina silvae
ostendunt līmumque tenent in fronde relictum.
∙ Accurately paraphrase #6 (lines 367-374) in your own words.
∙ What is/are some moral lessons Ovid means to impart in this story? You may wish to include the flood and its causes, the love between Deucalion and Pyrrha, their reverence, or the creation of a new race out of stones. Cite and translate or accurately paraphrase the Latin which supports your view/s.
1. Deucalion and Pyrrha land on Mt.Parnassus after the flood. Ov. metam. 1. 313-323
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11 / Sēparat Āoniōs Oetaeīs Phōcis ab arvīs,
terra ferāx, dum terra fuit, sed tempore in illō
pars maris et lātus subitārum campus aquārum.
Mōns ibi verticibus petit arduus astra duōbus,
nōmine Parnāsŏs, superantque cacūmina nūbēs.
Hīc ubi Deucaliōn (nam cētera tēxerat aequor)
cum cōnsorte torī parvā rate vectus adhaesit,
Cōrycidăs nymphās et nūmina montis adōrant
fātidicamque Themin, quae tunc ōrācla tenēbat.
Nōn illō melior quisquam nec amantior aequī
vir fuit aut illā metuentior ūlla deōrum. /
1 separo, -are: separate, divide.
Aonii, -orum, m. pl.: the Aeonians (a people of the district of Boeotia in central Greece; acc. dir. obj. of separat.
Oetaeus-a-um: near Mt Oeta (map).
Phocis, Phocidis, f.: Phocis, a region of central Greece bordering on Boeotia; nom. subj. of separat.
ab: (prep + abl. sep.) from.
arvum, -i, n.: (cultivated, planted) field; in pl. = lands.
2 terra ferax ... pars maris ... latuscampus: all nom.in appos. to Phocis.
terra, -ae, f.: land.
ferax, feracis: fertile, productive.
dum terra fuit: temporal clause, “while.”
sum esse fui: be
sed: (coord. conj.) but.
tempus, -oris, n.: time.
in: (prep. + abl. of time when) in, at.
ille illa illud: (demonstr. adj.) that.
3 pars, partis, f.: part.
mare, maris, n.: sea; part. or poss. gen., defining pars.
et: (coord. conj.) and; joins pars and campus.
latus subitarum campus aquarum: notesynchysis (ABAB).
latus-a-um: wide, broad.
subitus-a-um: sudden(ly appearing).
campus, -i, m.: plain, (uncultivated) field.
aqua, -ae, f.: water; gen. of material, describing campus.
4 mons, montis, m.: mountain; nom. subj. of petit.
ibi: (demonstr. adv.) there, in that place.
vertex, -icis, m.: peak, summit; abl. of means, “by,” “with.”
peto, -ere, peti(v)i, petitum: strive to reach, strike.
arduus-a-um: steep, lofty.
astrum, -i, n.: star; acc. dir. obj. of petit.
duo duae duo: two.
5 nomen, -inis, n.: name; abl. of respect, “by name.”
Parnasos, -i, m.: Parnassus, a high mountain in Phocis, special home of the god Apollo. See image above, right.
supero, -are: rise above, tower over.
-que: (enclitic coord. conj.) and.
cacumen, cacuminis, n.: peak, summit; nom. subj. of superant.
nubes, nubis, f.: cloud; acc. dir. obj. of superant.
6 Hic: (demonstr. adv.) here, in this place
ubi ... adhaesit: temporal clause, “when.”
Deucalion, -onis, m.: Deucalion, son of the Titan Prometheus; nom. subj. of vectus and adhaesit.
nam: (causal coord. conj.) for, you see ...
ceteri-ae-a: other (lower) things; acc. dir. obj. of texerat.
tego, -ere, texi, tectum: cover; note pluperfect tense!
aequor, -oris, n.: the sea, the great flood; nom. subj. of
texerat.
7 cum: (prep. + abl. accomp.) with.
consors, -sortis, c.: companion, partner, sharer.
torus, -i, m.: marriage bed; obj. gen. after consorte; “sharer of the marriage bed” = wife, i. e. Pyrrha, daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora.
parvus-a-um: small.
ratis, -is, f.: raft; abl. of means, “by” or “on.”
vehor, vehi, vectus sum: be carried, ride, sail.
adhaereo, -haerere, -haesi, -haesum: cling to, stick on.
8 Corycides, Corycidum, f. pl.: of the Corycian cave (on Mt Parnassus); the short acc. pl. ending is Greek..
nympha, -ae, f.: nymph, female woodland divinity; acc. dir. obj. of adorant.
numen, numinis, n.: divine power, god; acc. dir. obj. of adorant, connected to nymphas by et.
adoro, -are: worship, venerate; Deucalion and Pyrrha are the
understood subjects, “they.”
9 fatidicus-a-um: prophetic, oracular.
Themis, Themis, f.: Themis, the ancient goddess of justice, who occupied Parnassus before Apollo made his home and Delphic oracle there; (Greek) acc. dir. obj. of adorant.
quae ... tenebat: rel. clause defining Themin.
tunc: (demonstr. adv.) then, at that time.
oraculum, -i, n.: oracle, prophetic shrine; note the syncopated form orac(u)la;acc. dir. obj. of tenebat.
teneo, -ere, tenui, tentum: possess, occupy.
10 Non... quisquam ... vir: “not any man” = “no man.”
illo: (demonstr. pron.) abl. of comparison, “than that one,” “than he.”
melior melior melius: better (comparative degree of bonus-a-um).
nec: (coord. conj.) nor.
amans, amantis: (pres. act. participle of amare); loving; note comparative degree.
aequum, -i, n.: right, justice, fairness; obj. gen. afteramantior.
11 vir, viri, m.: man; nom. subj. of fuit.
aut: (coord. conj.) or.
illā: (demonstr. pron.) abl. comparison, “than her,” i. e. Pyrrha.
metuens, -entis: fearful (of), reverent (toward); note comparative degree.
ulla: (adj. pron., fem.) any woman; nom. subj. of understood fuit.
deus, -i, m.: god; obj. gen. after metuentior.
.
2. Jupiter clears the skies while Neptunus and Triton calm the waters. Ov. metam. 1. 324-335a
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12 / Iuppiter, ut liquidīs stāgnāre palūdibus orbem
et superesse virum dē tot modo mīlibus ūnum
et superesse vidit dē tot modo mīlibus ūnam,
innocuōs ambō, cultōrēs nūminis ambō,
nūbila disiēcit nimbīsque Aquilōne remōtīs
et caelō terrās ostendit et aethera terrīs.
Nec maris īra manet positōque tricuspide tēlō
mulcet aquās rēctor pelagī, suprāque profundum
exstantem atque umerōs innātō mūrice tēctum
caeruleum Trītōna vocat conchaeque sonantī
inspīrāre iubet fluctūsque et flūmina signō
iam revocāre datō. /
1 Iuppiter, Iovis, m.: Jupiter (Jove), king of the gods, who sent the flood upon the wicked human race; nom. subj. of vidit, disiecit, and ostendit. See image above, with Victory, sceptre, and eagle.
ut ... vidit: temporal clause, “as,” “when.”
liquidis ... stagnare ... orbem et superesse virum ... unum et superesse ... unam: acc. + inf. phrases, objects of vidit. Note the parallel construction of word order.
liquidus-a-um: clear.
stagno, -are: be swamped, be covered.
palus, paludis, f.: pool; abl. of means, “by,” “with.”
orbis, orbis, m.: the world, the earth.
2 et:(coord. conj.) and.
supersum, -esse, -fui: survive, remain alive.
vir, viri, m.: man(i. e. Deucalion).
de: (prep. + abl. sep.) from, out of.
tot: (incecl. demonstr. adj.) so many.
modo: (adv.) only.
milia, milium, n. pl.: thousands (of people); don’t confuse with miles, militis, m., soldier!
unus-a-um: one, a single.
milibus unum ... milibus unam: notejuxtaposition of
contrasting words.
3 video, -ere, vidi, visum: see, notice, observe.
unam: one woman (note gender, i. e. Pyrrha).
4 innocuus-a-um: innocent.
ambo ambae ambo: both; acc. pl. masc., in apposition to virum ... unum and unam.
cultor, -oris, c.: worshiper; acc. pl. in apposition.
numen, -inis, n.: divinity; obj. gen. definingcultores.
5 nubila, -orum, n. pl.: (storm) clouds; acc. dir. obj. of disiecit.
disicio, -ere, -ieci, -iectum: scatter, break apart; Iuppiter is the subject.
nimbis- ... remotis: abl. absolute = temporal clause, “when.”
nimbus, -i, m.: black rain cloud.
-que: (enclitic coord. conj.) and; joins disiecit and ostendit.
Aquilo, -onis, m.: Aquilo, the north wind; abl. of means, “by,” “with,” modifying remotis.
removeo, -ere, -movi, -motum: remove, take away.
6 et ... et: (coord. conj.) both ... and.
caelo terras ... aethera terris: notechiastic (A:B :: B:A) arrangement by case (dative: accusative :: accusative:dative), with the double play on forms of terra. The placement of et ... et and the verb in the center makes this a “golden line.”
caelum, -i, n.: heaven, sky; dat. ind. obj. ofostendit.
terra, -ae, f.: land, earth; acc. dir. obj. of ostendit.
ostendo, -ere, -endi, -ensum: show, reveal
aether, aetheris, m.: the upper atmosphere, the sky; acc.
dir. obj. of ostendit.
7 Nec: (coord. conj.) Nor, And ... not.
mare, maris, n.: sea; subj. gen. definingira..
ira, -ae, f.: wrath, anger; nom. subj. of manet.
maneo, -ere, mansi: remain, linger.
posito tricuspide telo: abl. absolute.
pono, -ere, posui, positum: put down, put away.
tricuspis, -idis: three-pronged.
telum, -i, n.: weapon, spear(i. e. his trident).
8 mulceo, -ere, mulsi, mulsum: calm, soothe, stroke.
aqua, -ae, f.: water; acc. dir. obj. of mulcet.
rector, -oris, m.: ruler(i. e. the sea god Neptunus), nom. subj. of mulcet, vocat, and iubet.
pelagus, -i, n.(note gender!): sea; obj. gen. definingrector.
supra: (prep. + acc. of extent of space) above, over.
profundum, -i, n.:the deep (sea).
9 exsto, -are: stand out, rise up out of.
atque: (coord conj.) and (also); connects the participles exstantem and tectum, both defining Tritona.
umerus, -i, m.: shoulder; acc. of ‘respect’, further defining tectum, lit. “covered-to-his-shoulders” = “with his shoulders covered” etc.
innatus-a-um: natural, native (i. e. in which he was born).
murex, muricis, m.: murex, a mollusk of the eastern Mediterranean; its defensive ‘ink’ makes a dark blue to purple dye; abl. of means, “by” or “with,” defining tectum.
tego, tegere, texi, tectum: cover.
10 caeruleus-a-um: sea-blue, dark blue.
Triton, Tritonis, m.: Triton, son of Neptunus; acc. dir. obj. of vocat and iubet.
voco, -are: summon, call forth (from the sea).
concha, -ae, f.: conch, a large sea-shell; dat. obj. of compound verbinspirare. See image next page.
-que: (enclitic coord conj.) and; joins vocat and iubet.
sono, -are: resound, echo, boom, blast.
11 inspiro, -are: blow into (+ dat.)
iubeo, -ere, iussi, iussum: order, command.
fluctus, -ūs, m.: wave; acc. obj. of revocare.
-que: (encl. coord conj.) and; joins inspirare and revocare.
et: (coord. conj.) and; connects fluctus with flumina.
flumen, -inis, n.: river; acc. obj. of revocare.
signo ... dato: abl. absolute.
signum, -i, n.: signal.
12 iam:(adv.) now, already; take closely with dato.
revoco, -are: call back, ‘revoke’.
do dare dedi datum: give.
3. Triton blows on his conch shell trumpet and the flood recedes. Ov. metam. 1. 335b-342
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8 / Cava būcina sūmitur illī,
tortilis, in lātum quae turbine crēscit ab īmō,
būcina, quae, mediō concēpit ubi āëra pontō,
lītora vōce replet sub utrōque iacentia Phoebō.
Tum quoque, ut ōra deī madidā rōrantia barbā
contigit et cecinit iussōs inflāta receptūs,
omnibus audīta est tellūris et aequoris undīs
et quibus est undīs audīta coercuit omnēs. /
1 cavus-a-um: hollow.
bucina, -ae, f.: trumpet, horn(i. e. the concha).
sumo, -ere, sumpsi, sumptum: take up.
illī: (demonstr. pron.) dat. of agent, lit. “by that one,” “by
him,” (i. e. Triton).
2 in latum ... quae ... ab imo: rel. clause defining bucina, unusual because of the late position of the relative pronoun quae, an example of hyperbaton. Note how the twisting word order depicts the inner complexity of the shell. Translate as quae tortilis crescit ab imo turbine in latum.
tortilis, -e: twisted, winding.
in latum: “in width.”
turbo, -inis, m.: whorl, spiral; abl. of manner, “in a spiral,” “spiral-fashion.”
cresco, -ere, crevi:increase.
ab: (prep. + abl. of source/separation) from.
imum, -i, n.: lowest point, bottom.
3 quae ... litora voce replet sub utroque iacentia Phoebo: rel. clause defining the repeated bucina (epanalepsis).
medio concepit ubi aeraponto: indefinite temporal/circumstantial clause, “when(ever)” etc. Another example of hyperbaton, with the subordinating conjunction ubi postponed late into its own clause.
medius-a-um: middle (of).
concipio, -ere, -cepi, -ceptum: take in, fill up with; the understood subject is the bucina. The perfect tense is ‘gnomic’, indicating what always happens in such instances; translate as simple present or present perfect.
āër, āëris, m.:air, breath; (Greek) acc. dir. obj. of concepit.
pontus, -i, .m.:sea; abl. of place where, “in.” What ‘word-
picture’ does the wide separation of medio and ponto create?
4 litus, -oris, n.: shore; acc. dir. obj. of replet.
vox, vocis, f.: sound; abl. of means, “by” or “with.”
repleo, -ere, -plevi, -pletum: fill.
sub: (prep. + abl. of place where) under.
uterque utraque utrumque: either (of two).
iaceo, -ere, iacui: lie, be situated.
Phoebus, -i, m.: another name for Apollo, the sun god; by metonymy, Phoebus = the sun itself. What does Ovid mean by “under either sun”? What word-picture has he created by the wide
separation of litora and iacentia?
5 Tum: (adv.) Then.
quoque:(adv.) also.
ut ... contigit et cecinit ... receptus: temporal clauses, “as,” “when.”
os, oris, n.: mouth; in pl. = lips; acc. dir. obj. of contigit.
deus, -i, m.: god, divinity(i. e. Triton); possessive gen., “of” or “the god’s.”
iubeo, -ere, iussi, iussum: order, command.
madidus-a-um: dripping wet, soaked.
inflo, -are: blow into; definesbucina.
receptus, -ūs, m.: (order to) retreat, withdrawal; ‘cognate’ acc. dir. obj. of cecinit.
rorans, -antis: moist, wet.
barba, -ae, f.: beard; abl. of cause, “from,” “because of.”
6 contingo, -ere, -tigi, -tactum: touch, contact; the subject is still bucina, the conch shell.
et: (coord. conj.) and; connects contigit with cecinit.
cano, -ere, cecini: signal, ring out; the subject is still bucina.
7 omnis, -e: every; in pl. = all.
audio, -ire, -ivi, -itum: hear, obey.
tellus, -uris, f.: land; ‘possessive’gen. in a sense that is almost of place where, i. e. the waters on land and in the sea. The ‘waves of the land’ are rivers and streams.
aequor, -oris, n.: sea.
unda, -ae, f.: wave, water; abl. of ‘agent’, “by.”
8 quibus est undis audita:rel. clause defining the undas understood by omnes. To translate, alter to et (bucina) coercuit omnes (undas a) quibus (bucina) est audita.
undis: this noun is said to be ‘attracted into its own relative clause’; this happens in Latin when a word that would be subject or direct object is modified by certain adjectives (such as omnis) then further defined by a relative clause.
coerceo, -ere, -cui, -citum: force together, get under control.
Neptunus stands, wielding his trident, while Triton, rising from the sea beneath him, blows on his conch shell trumpet. Sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in1620, now in the Victoria and AlbertMuseum, London. Height: 182.2 cm.
4. Deucalion and Pyrrha understand that they are alone in the world. Ov. metam. 1. 344-355
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12 / Iam mare lītus habet, plēnōs capit alveus amnēs,
surgit humus; crēscunt iuga dēcrēscentibus undis;
postque diem longam nūdāta cacūmina silvae
ostendunt līmumque tenent in fronde relictum.
Redditus orbis erat; quem postquam vīdit inānem
et dēsōlātās agere alta silentia terrās,
Deucaliōn lacrimīs ita Pyrrham adfātur obortīs:
“O soror, o coniūnx, o fēmina sōla superstes,
quam commūne mihi genus et patruēlis orīgō,
deinde torus iūnxit, nunc ipsa perīcula iungunt,
terrārum, quāscumque vident occāsus et ortus,
nōs duō turba sumus; possēdit cētera pontus.” /
1 Iam: (adv.) Now.
mare, maris, n.: sea; nom. subj. of habet.
litus, -oris, n.: shore, coastline; acc. dir. obj. of habet.
habeo, -ere, -ui, -itum: occupy, possess.
plenus-a-um: full.
capio, -ere, cepi, captum: take in, contain.
alveus, -i, m.: stream- or river-channel.
amnis, -is, m.: (waters of a) stream, river.
2 surgo, -ere, -rexi: rise up, become visible.
humus, -i, f. (note gender!): earth, ground; nom. subj. of surgit.
cresco, -ere, crevi: grow, increase.
iugum, -i, n.: mountain ridge or pass; nom. subj. of crescunt.
decrescentibus undis: abl. absolute; note the word-play cre-sc-unt ... de-cre-sc-entibus.
decresco, -ere, crevi: (begin to) subside, decrease.
unda, -ae, f.: wave, water.
3 post: (prep. + acc. of limit of time) after.
-que: (enclitic coord. conj.) and.
dies, -ei, f.: day.
longus-a-um: long.
nudatus-a-um: bare, exposed to view.
cacumen, -inis, n.: tree-top; acc. dir. obj. of ostendunt.
silva, -ae, f.: forest, woodland; nom. subj. of ostendunt and
tenent.
4 ostendo, -ere, -tendi, -tensum: show, reveal.
limus, -i, m.: mud; acc. dir. obj. of tenent.
teneo, -ere, tenui, tentum: keep, hold.
in: (prep. + abl. place where) on.
frons, frondis, f.: leafage, leaves.
relinquo, -ere, -liqui, -lictum: leave behind.
5 reddo, -ere, -didi, -ditum: restore.
orbis, -is, m.: world, earth.
quem postquam ... vidit ... terras: temporal clause containing two acc. + inf. constructions as objects of vidit.
quem = orbem;‘connective relative’, whichdoes not introduce a true relative clause. The pronoun is here equivalent to a conjunction + demonstrative, et eum (orbem); translate as “it.”
postquam: (subord. conj.) after (not “afterward/s”!)
video, -ere, vidi, visum: see, observe.
quem (esse) inanem: acc. + inf. phrase, object of vidit.
inanis, -e: empty, devoid of (other) life.