Notes
Original Latin Notes
Dīxerat haec Tellūs: neque enim tolerāre vapōrem
ulterius potuit nec dīcere plūra suumque
rettulit os in sē propiōraque manibus antra;
at pater omnipotēns, superōs testātus et ipsum,
quī dederat currus, nisi opem ferat, omnia fātō 305
interitūra gravī, summam petit arduus arcem,
unde solet nūbēs lātīs indūcere terrīs,
unde movet tonitrūs vibrātaque fulmina iactat;
sed neque quās posset terrīs indūcere nūbēs
tunc habuit, nec quōs caelō dēmitteret imbrēs: 310
intonat et dextrā lībrātum fulmen ab aure
mīsit in aurīgam pariterque animāque rotīsque
expulit et saevīs conpescuit ignibus ignēs.
cōnsternantur equī et saltū in contrāriā factō
colla iugō ēripiunt abruptaque lōra relinquunt: 315
illīc frēna iacent, illīc tēmōne revulsus
axis, in hāc radiī frāctārum parte rotārum
sparsaque sunt lātē lacerī vestīgia currūs.
At Phaethōn rutilōs flammā populante capillōs
volvitur in praeceps longōque per āera tractū 320
fertur, ut interdum dē caelō stēlla serēnō
etsī nōn cecidit, potuit cecidisse vidērī.
quem procul ā patriā dīversō maximus orbe
excipit Ēridanus fūmantiaque abluit ōra.
Naidēs Hesperiae trifida fūmantia flamma 325
corpora dant tumulō, signant quoque carmine saxum:
hic : sitvs : est : phaethōn : cvrrvs : avrīgā : paternī
qvem : sī : nōn : tenvit : magnīs : tamen : excidit : avsis
Nam pater obductōs lūctū miserābilis aegrō
condiderat vultūs, et, sī modo crēdimus, ūnum 330
īsse diem sine sōle ferunt: incendia lūmen
praebēbant aliquisque mālō fuit ūsus in illō.
at Clymenē postquam dīxit, quaecumque fuērunt
in tantīs dīcenda malīs, lūgubris et āmēns
et laniāta sinūs tōtum percēnsuit orbem 335
exanimēsque artūs prīmō, mox ossa requīrēns
repperit ossa tamen peregrīna condita rīpa
incubuitque locō nōmenque in marmore lectum
perfūdit lacrimīs et apertō pectore fōvit.
301 Tellūs: tellūs, tellūris f. personification of tellūs f. Earth.
302 Suumque: suum, sua, suum his, hers, its, (possessive).
303 Antra: antrum n. cave, hollow.
304 Omnipotēns - this word is what the English word omnipotent meaning all powerful is derived from.
304 at pater omnipotēns - Ovid references Vergil’s aeneid by describing Jupiter the same way Vergil did.
305 Ferat - present subjunctive “should/would”.
306 Interitūra - future active participle.
307-308 Unde… unde - Ovid uses anaphora here to show what the acropolis/tower is used for.
307 Nūbēs: nūbis f. cloud, swarm.
308 Vibrātaque… iactat - both perfect passive participles that connect to the direct object.
309 Indūcere: indūcō, indūxī, inductum - I lead, bring in, present active infinitive.
310 Dēmitteret: dēmittō, dēmittere, dēmīsī, dēmissum - I send down, cast down.
311 Lībrātum - perfect passive participle.
311 Aure: auris f. ear.
312 Mīsit: mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum - I send.
312 When Ovid uses aurīgam to refer to Phaethon he mocks him. We can see that the etymology of aurīgam (aurea + agō) literally means “rein holder”. Ovid using this term to describe Phaethon who so quickly dropped the reins brings his crude and ironic humor to light.
313 Since seeing phrases like “ignibus ignēs” can be somewhat daunting you might need a base to translate from, you can base your translation off of the flames doing something to the flames.
314 Contrāriā: ontrārius, -a, -um - opposite, contrary.
316 Revulsus: revulsus, -a, -um - plucked out.
317 Frāctārum: frāctus, -a, -um - participle: having been broken.
318 Vestīgia: vestīgium n. - track, trace, mark.
319 At Phaethōn: Here we follow Phaethon's burning falling corpse through the sky.
320 Volvitur: volvō, volvere, volvī, volūtum - I roll, tumble.
321 Ut… stella: Ovid uses a simile here, he compares Phaethon's fall to a comet's flight.
322 Vidērī: videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsum - I see.
323 Procul ā patriā: Ablative, place from which.
324 Abluit: abluō, abluere, abluī, ablūtum - I wash, clean off.
325 Trifida: trifidus, -a, -um - three-pronged.
326 Saxum: saxum n. - rock, wall of stone.
327 Hic situs est: Common inscription on tombstones in ancient times.
328 Excidit: excidō, excidere, excidī - I fall out, tumble.
329 Obductōs: obductus, -a , -um - led forwards, blocked.
330 Vultūs: vultus m. - gaze, look, face.
331 Incendia: incendium n. - heat, fire.
333 Clymenē: Phaethon’s mother.
334 Lūgubris: lūgubris, -is, -e - mournful, pitiable.
335 Sinūs: sinus m. - bosom, breast.
336 Artūs prīmō: Clymenē was expecting to be able to find Phaethon’s body, not his bones.
337 Repperit: reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertum - I learn, find out.
339 Perfūdit lacrimīs: Here Clymenē drenches Phaethon’s name on the tomb with her tears.
339 Apertō: apertus, -a, -um - Having been exposed.