The Heroides of Ovid Ariadne Theseo Background:

from perseus.tufts.org

Minos, the son of Jupiter and Europa, offended with the Athenians, because they had murdered his son Androgeos, made war upon them, and obliged them to send yearly seven young men, and as many virgins, to be devoured by the Minotaur. At last the lot fell upon Theseus, who, arriving in Crete, slew the Minotaur; and being instructed by Ariadne how to escape out of the labyrinth, afterwards fled with her to the isle of Naxos. There, admonished by Bacchus, he left Ariadne, and carried Phaedra her sister (whom he had also brought with him,) forward to Athens. She, awaking, and not finding him, writes this epistle, in which she accuses him of perfidy and inhumanity, and endeavors to move him to compassion, by a mournful representation of her misery.

(Charles le Brun - Theseus verlsst Ariadne auf Naxos)

(William de Morgan - Ariadne)

The Heroides of Ovid

X. Ariadne Theseo Section I: Illa relicta feris etiam nunc, improbe Theseu, vivit. Et haec aequa mente tulisse velis? Mitius inveni quam te genus omne ferarum; credita non ulli quam tibi peius eram. quae legis, ex illo, Theseu, tibi litore mitto unde tuam sine me vela tulere ratem, in quo me somnusque meus male prodidit et tu, per facinus somnis insidiate meis. 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 8

illa refers to Ariadne. These first two lines are not part of Ariadne's letter, but are a comment from a reader of the letter to Theseus. Theseu vocative haec neuter plural substantive genus omne neuter accusative singular credita eram = I had been entrusted quae = haec (verba/epistula) - it is a relative pronoun here, as it often is when it begins a sentence velum, n. = sail tulre a syncopated form of tulrunt insidior, insidir, insiditus sum = to lie in ambush (vocative participle)

Questions for Discussion: 1. In line 2, what does aequa modify? What is the effect of Ovid's placement of aequa? 2. In line 3, what degree adjective is mitius and what noun does it modify? What other adjective of the same degree exists in line 4? 3. Based on Ariadne's statements in lines 3-4, how does she feel about Theseus? Use two Latin words from these lines to support your opinion. 4. Note the separation of the adjective, tuam, and the noun it modifies, ratem, in line 6. What is the effect of this separation and how does the placement of tuam adjacent to sine me contribute to the meaning of this statement. (It may help to read and consider this line in Latin). 5. In line 7, tu, is one of two subjects of prodidit. What is the other subject of this verb? How is it possible for this subject to betray Ariadne?

Section II: Tempus erat, vitrea quo primum terra pruina spargitur et tectae fronde queruntur aves; incertum vigilans ac somno languida movi Thesea prensuras semisupina manus: nullus erat. referoque manus iterumque retempto perque torum moveo bracchia: nullus erat. excussere metus somnum; conterrita surgo membraque sunt viduo praecipitata toro. protinus adductis sonuerunt pectora palmis utque erat e somno turbida, rupta coma est.
9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18

10

15

vitre pruin = glassy frost; macrons help to determine its case and use fronde ablative of instrument with tectae queror, quer, questus sum = to complain, grumble, gripe incertum = adv. uncertainly, not firmly, not completely Thesea accusative singular, object of prensurs prend, prendere, prend, prensus = to reach for; here describing mans (acc. pl.) semisupinus, semisupina, semisupinum = half-lying on one's back torus, m. = bed, couch excuti, excutere, excuss, excussus = to shake off; for the form, excussre, c.f. Tulre (6) viduus, vidua, viduum = widowed, bereft, unmarried adducts palms macrons help with case, lit. with my palms drawn together my chest resounded; which more freely means my hands drummed on my chest. utque = ut + que is ut used with the indicative or subjunctive?

Questions for Discussion: 1. Based on lines 9-10, what season is it when Ariadne is abandoned? 2. Based on lines 11-12, what is Ariadne's frame of mind as she wakes up? Use two Latin words from these lines to support your opinion. 3. What figure of speech is used in lines 13-14 with the word nullus? What effect does this repetition have on the passage. 4. Explain the meaning of vidua on line 16. What word is it modifying? How does its meaning reflect Ariadne's current situation? What might Ariadne be implying by using this word? 5. What is the effect of the alliteration at the end of line 17, pectora palmis? 6. Describe Ariadne's appearance as she awakens on the island. Use at least two Latin words from the passage to support your statements.

Section III: Luna fuit; specto siquid nisi litora cernam; quod videant oculi, nil nisi litus habent. nunc huc, nunc illuc et utroque sine ordine, curro, alta puellares tardat harena pedes. interea toto clamanti litore "Theseu!" reddebant nomen concava saxa tuum et quotiens ego te, totiens locus ipse vocabat; ipse locus miserae ferre volebat opem.
19 20 21 24 siquid = if at all, if anything cern, cernere, crv, crtus = see, distinguish (cernam = tense?) quod videant ocul indirect question quod = what utrque = in both directions nomen tuum chiasmus

20

25

Questions for Discussion: 1. Explain Ariadne's state of mind in this passage. What makes you think that she is feeling this way? 2. In line 25-26, the subject is ipse locus. Explain how the locus can vocabat. What does Ovid intend here? 3. Explain the different senses that Ovid appeals to in this passage. What words evoke these senses? 4. Ovid uses repetition again in this passage. Where does he employ this and what is the effect?

Section IV: Mons fuit; apparent frutices in vertice rari; hinc scopulus raucis pendet adesus aquis. adscendo; vires animus dabat; atque ita late aequora prospectu metior alta meo. inde ego--nam ventis quoque sum crudelibus usa-vidi praecipiti carbasa tenta Noto. aut vidi aut fuerant quae me vidisse putarem; frigidior glacie semianimisque fui.
27 28 30 31 32

30

34

frutex, fruticis n. = shrub, bush scopulus aqus synchises metior, metr, mensus sum = measure, estimate sum usa = usa sum; utor, ut, usus sum = to use, enjoy the friendship of (with abl.) praeceps, (gen.), praecipitis = headlong, precipitous carbasus, a, um = (made from) flax, linen; supply vela (6) tenta = perfect passive participle from teneo; modifies vela, supplied Notus, m. = south wind; the directional winds were named in Latin glaci which use of the ablative with frigidior?

Questions for Discussion:

1. Draw a simple picture of Ariadne and what she saw from the top of the mountain. 2. Ovid uses synchises, ABAB, word order in line 31. Explain how this mimics the meaning of the line. 3. Ovid uses repetition again in lines 32-33. Explain how he uses this to highlight Ariadne's current mental and emotional state.

Section V: nec languere diu patitur dolor. excitor illo, excitor et summa Thesea voce voco. "quo fugis?" exclamo "scelerate revertere Theseu! flecte ratem! numerum non habet illa suum!" Haec ego. quod voci deerat, plangore replebam; verbera cum verbis mixta fuere meis.
35 langure c.f. tulre (6) langue, langure, langu = to become faint or languid or weak diu supply quam diu quam = as long as scelertus, a ,um = wicked, accursed revertor, revert, reversus sum = to turn back; revertere present singular imperative numerum suum i.e. illa, the boat, is missing one person, Ariadne. haec ego missing the verb, supply dix haec neuter plural substantive, supply verba quod = cum dsum, desse, dfu, dfuturus = to be wanting, lack, abandon, fail vc = dative object with derat; supply mihi = for me reple, replre, replv, repltus = to fill again fure c.f. tulre (6), excussre (15)

35

40

37 38 39

Questions for Discussion: 1. Ovid often presents contrasting images in his poetry. This selection offers another contrast. How should Ariadne be feeling after her time on the summit? How does she, in fact, feel? 2. Based on her statements directed at Theseus, lines 37-38, how does Ariadne feel about him? 3. What is the effect of the ellipsis in line 39? How does it portray Ariadne's current emotional state. 4. In line 40, Ovid uses alliteration. What sound is repeated and why does Ovid choose to draw attention to these words?

Section VI: Has tibi plangendo lugubria pectora lassas infelix tendo trans freta lata manus; hos tibi qui superant ostendo maesta capillos; per lacrimas oro, quas tua facta movent: flecte ratem, Theseu, versoque relabere vento; si prius occidero, tu tamen ossa feres.
145 147 148 149 150

145

150

hs... lasss modifies mans (146) accusative plural, translate in apposition to mans lassus, a, um = faint, weary, tired maestus = sad, gloomy modifies the subject (ego) super, superre, superv, supertus = overcome, survive move, movre, mv, mtus = to move, affect, provoke relbere c.f. revertere (37) s... fers Future More Vivid Condition

Questions for Discussion: 1. Ariadne often resorts to plagendo pectora in this poem. How many times does he talk about this action? What does it signify and when, in our modern times does someone engage in this action? 2. If Ariadne shows her hair qui superant, what do you think happened to the rest of it? 3. At this point in her letter, Ariadne is entreating Theseus to return again. Why do you think she wants him to return and how would she treat him upon this return? Use Latin from the poem to support your ideas. 4. Ariadne ends the letter with a conditional statement. Explain two different ways to interpret tu tamen ossa ferres.

METER

The selections from Ovid, from the Ars Amatoria and Heroides, are in elegiac couplet, a meter created by the early Greek lyric poets for a variety of themes (drinking, military, history, dedications, epitaphs, laments, and love poems) and to be accompanied by music on the flute. While the meter of Roman elegy is almost totally derived from its Greek originals, it is original to the Romans in its treatment. Latin love poetry is traditionally composed in elegiac couplet. It consists of two paired lines of primarily dactylic ( -uu) meter: the first line, which contains six feet, is a hexameter line; the second, which contains five feet, is a pentameter. The elegiac couplet, particularly as Ovid composed it, tends to be sense contained, in that each line of verse presents a complete idea. Elegiac Couplet: Ovid 1.1, 1.9, 2.17

The first line, the hexameter verse, allows the substitution of spondees ( ) in any of the first four feet. The pentameter verse permits the substitution of spondees only in the first two feet. <http://www.iona.edu/latin/meter.html>