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5.3.2.19: 3.696–707

  • Page ID
    88633
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    protinus abstractus solidis Tyrrhenus Acoetes
    clauditur in tectis; et dum crudelia iussae
    instrumenta necis ferrumque ignesque parantur,
    sponte sua patuisse fores lapsasque lacertis
    sponte sua fama est nullo solvente catenas.                                     700
    perstat Echionides, nec iam iubet ire, sed ipse
    vadit ubi electus facienda ad sacra Cithaeron
    cantibus et clara bacchantum voce sonabat.
    ut fremit acer equus, cum bellicus aere canoro
    signa dedit tubicen pugnaeque adsumit amorem,                             705
    Penthea sic ictus longis ululatibus aether
    movit, et audito clamore recanduit ira.

    Study Questions

    • What noun does the attribute solidis (696) modify? How does the word order enact meaning?
    • Parse iussae (697). What noun does it agree with?
    • What type of ablative is lacertis (699)?
    • What does the -que after lapsas (699) link?
    • Identify the two subject accusatives and the two infinitives of the indirect statement introduced by fama est (700).
    • What construction is nullo solvente (700)?
    • Parse bacchantum (703).
    • What noun does the attribute bellicus (704) modify?
    • What kind of genitive is pugnae (705)?
    • Parse ictus (706). What noun does it agree with?
    • What type of ablative is longis ululatibus (706)?
    • What kind of construction is audito clamore (707)?

    Stylistic Appreciation

    • How does Ovid generate a sense of marvel at the liberation of Acoetes?
    • Discuss the illustrative value of the simile in lines 704–05.

    Discussion Points

    Profile Pentheus’ state of mind. Why does he remain unimpressed by the miraculous liberation of Acoetes? What makes him rush to his doom on Mount Cithaeron?

    protinus right on, straightaway, immediately
    abstraho, -here, -xi, -ctum to drag away, remove forcibly
    sponte sua of itself, spontaneously
    foris, -is, mainly in plural: fores, -um, f. door, gate
    labor, -bi, -psus to move, glide; to slip, fall
    lacertus, -i, m. upper arm (from shoulder to elbow)
    catena, -ae, f. fetter, shackle, chain
    persto, -are, -stiti to stand firmly, remain steadfast, persist
    vado, -ere to go, walk, rush
    Cithairon/ Cithaeron, -onis, m. Cithaeron (mountain in Boeotia)
    eligo, -igere, -egi, -ectum to select, choose, pick out
    bacchor, -ari, -atus to celebrate the rites of Bacchus,
    to act like a Bacchante, rave, rage
    fremo, -ere, -ui, -itum to roar, resound, growl, grumble
    canorus, -a, -um melodious, euphonious
    tubicen, -cinis, m. a trumpeter
    icio, -ere, -i, -tum to strike, smite
    recandesco, -ere, -dui to grow white/ hot (again), glow

    5.3.2.19: 3.696–707 is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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