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auguro, -are, -avi, -atum or (as here)
as deponent: auguror, -ari, -atusto foretell by augury, predict, prophesy
procul (adv.)
some way off, (far) away
proles, -is, f.
offspring
digno, -are, -avi, -atum or (as here)
as deponent: dignor, -ari, -atusto consider worthy
lacer, -era, -um
mutilated, mangled; torn, rent
spargo, -gere, -si, -sum
to scatter, sprinkle, strew, disperse
foedo, -are, -avi, -atum
to make filthy/unclean, soil, stain, befoul
numen, -inis, n.
divine power, divinity
proturbo, -are, -avi, -atum
to drive forth, push out of the way
3.527–37
dicta fides sequitur, responsaque vatis aguntur.
Liber adest, festisque fremunt ululatibus agri:
turba ruit, mixtaeque viris matresque nurusque
vulgusque proceresque ignota ad sacra feruntur. 530
‘Quis furor, anguigenae, proles Mavortia, vestras
attonuit mentes?’ Pentheus ait; ‘aerane tantum
aere repulsa valent et adunco tibia cornu
et magicae fraudes, ut, quos non bellicus ensis,
non tuba terruerit, non strictis agmina telis, 535
femineae voces et mota insania vino
obscenique greges et inania tympana vincant?
Study Questions
- Parse dicta.
- Who is Liber?
- What is the subject of fremunt (528)? What is the effect of its placement in the sentence?
- Sort out what each of the five -que in 529–30 (festisque, mixtaeque, matresque, nurusque, vulgusque, proceresque) links. Which one is technically speaking superfluous? Why does Ovid use it nevertheless?
- What is the case of anguigenae and proles Mavortia (531)?
- Identify the three subjects of valent (the main verb of the sentence) (533).
- What type of clause does ut (534) introduce?
- What is the antecedent of the relative pronoun quos?
- Identify the three subjects of terruerit (the verb of the relative clause introduced by quos) (535).
- Identify the four subjects of vincant (the verb of the ut-clause) (537).
Stylistic Appreciation
- How does Ovid bring out stylistically the Dionysiac spirit that has gripped the inhabitants of Thebes in 527–30? (Include consideration of the use of the connective -que.)
- Analyze the overall design of Pentheus’ rhetorical question aerane … vincant? (532–37).
Discussion Points
- Why is Pentheus so upset about the behaviour of his subjects? To what does he object specifically?
- Discuss the role of gender in Pentheus’ rhetoric.
- What ‘character type’ does Pentheus conform to? Can you think of contemporary public figures who exhibit similar traits?
Liber, -eri, m.
Bacchus
festus, -a, -um
festive, merry
(cf. dies festus
a holiday observed in honour of a god)
fremo, -ere, -ui, -itum
to rumble, roar, hum, buzz
ululatus, -us, m.
drawn-out cries, howling, yelling
ruo, -ere, -i
to rush
misceo, -ere, -ui, mixtum
to mix, blend, mingle, confound
nurus, -us, f.
daughter-in-law
(here: in poetry, usually in plural)
young (married) woman
proceres, -um, m. pl.
the leading men of a country
anguigena, -ae, m. [anguis + genus]
offspring of a serpent or dragon
Mavortius, -a, -um
of or belonging to Mars, warlike
attono, -are, -ui, -itum
to strike with lightening, drive crazy
aes, aeris, n.
copper, bronze, brass
(musical) instrument made thereoftantum (adverbial use of the acc. of tantus)
to such an extent/ degree
repello, -ere, reppuli, repulsum
to drive back, repel, repulse
aduncus, -a, -um
hooked, curved
tibia, -ae, f.
pipe
(cf. tibia curva
a pipe with a curved end, associated with Eastern religious rites)
cornu, -us, n.
horn
fraus, -dis, f.
mischief, crime, deceit, trickery
ensis, -is, m.
sword
stringo, -ngere, -nxi, -ctum
to bind fast, secure; draw tight; scratch
(here) to bare, unsheatheinsania, -ae, f.
madness, frenzy, folly
obscenus, -a, -um
disgusting, filthy, loathsome, lewd
grex, -egis m.
flock, herd, band, troop
inanis, -is, -e
empty, hollow
tympanum, -i, n.
percussive instrument, drum
3.538–50
vosne, senes, mirer, qui longa per aequora vecti
hac Tyron, hac profugos posuistis sede penates,
nunc sinitis sine Marte capi? vosne, acrior aetas, 540
o iuvenes, propiorque meae, quos arma tenere,
non thyrsos, galeaque tegi, non fronde decebat?
este, precor, memores, qua sitis stirpe creati,
illiusque animos, qui multos perdidit unus,
sumite serpentis! pro fontibus ille lacuque 545
interiit: at vos pro fama vincite vestra!
ille dedit leto fortes: vos pellite molles
et patrium retinete decus! si fata vetabant
stare diu Thebas, utinam tormenta virique
moenia diruerent, ferrumque ignisque sonarent! 550
Study Questions
- What case is senes (538)?
- Identify and explain the mood of mirer (538).
- What noun do the demonstrative adjectives hac — hac (539) modify?
- What construction does sinitis (540) introduce and what part of it has been omitted (and needs to be supplied mentally)?
- Explain the case of meae. What noun has to be supplied mentally after meae?
- What is the antecedent of quos (541)? Why is quos in the accusative?
- Parse este (543).
- Identify and explain the mood of sitis … creati (543).
- What noun does illius (544) modify?
- What does the -que after illius (544) link?
- On what noun does the genitive serpentis (545) depend?
- What does the -que after lacu (545) link?
- Parse vos (546).
- What kind of conditional sequence does si (548) introduce? (Note: the combination imperfect indicative (vetabant) in the protasis + imperfect subjunctive (diruerent, sonarent) in the apodosis does not easily match onto any type you will find in grammars.)
- Explain the form of Thebas (549).
veho, -here, -xi, -ctum
here passive in middle sense
to convey, carry
to travel, sail, ride
Tyros, i, f.
Tyre (a city on the Phoenician coast)
profugus, -a, -um
fugitive, exiled
penates, -ium, m. pl.
tutelary divinities of the household
acer, acris, acre
sharp, fierce, vigorous, energetic
thyrsus, -i, m.
a wand crowned with ivy used in the worship of Bacchus
galea, -ae, f.
a soldier’s helmet
frons, frondis, f.
foliage, leafy boughs, garlands
memor, -oris (adjective)
mindful
fons, -ntis, m.
spring, well, fountain
lacus, -us, m.
lake, pond, pool
intereo, -ire, -ii, -itum
to die, perish
decus, -oris, n.
high esteem, honour, glory
patrius, -a, -um
of/ belonging to a father, ancestral, native
Thebae, -arum, f. pl.
Thebes
tormentum, -i, n.
rope, catapult; torture, agony
diruo, -ere, -i, -tum
to demolish, wreck
Stylistic Appreciation
Analyze the rhetorical techniques Pentheus uses in his appeal to the Thebans. Are they effective?
Discussion Points