5.17

[1] Sīc īnflammātae, parentibus fastīdienter appellātīs et nocte turbātīs vigiliīs perditā, mātūtīnō scopulum pervolant et inde solitō ventī praesidiō vehementer dēvolant lacrimīsque pressūrā palpebrārum coāctīs hōc āstū puellam appellant: [2] “Tū quidem fēlīx et ipsā tantī malī ignōrantiā beāta sēdēs incūriōsa perīculī tuī, nōs autem, quae pervigilī cūrā rēbus tuīs excubāmus, clādibus tuīs miserē cruciāmur. [3] Prō vērō namque comperimus nec tē, sociae scīlicet dolōris cāsūsque tuī, cēlāre possumus immānem colubrum multinōdīs volūminibus serpentem, venēnō noxiō colla sanguinantem hiantemque ingluviē profundā, tēcum noctibus latenter adquiēscere. [4] Nunc recordāre sortis Pȳthicae, quae tē trucis bēstiae nūptiīs dēstinātam esse clāmāvit. Et multī colōnī quīque circumsecus vēnantur et accolae plūrimī vīdērunt eum vesperā redeuntem ē pāstū proximīque flūminis vadīs innatantem.

Notes

Vocabulary

Media

Psyche’s sisters scheme to ruin her marriage, jealous that she has married a rich god. They are the subject of īnflammātae and the main verbs.

nocte turbātīs vigiliīs perditā: “After the night was spent with disturbed wakefulness…” The sisters are so distracted they can’t even sleep.

ipsā … ignōrantiā: Abl. of cause with beata: “blessed because…” (A&G §404).

prō vērō: “As a fact.”

sociae scīlicet dolōris cāsūsque tuī: Sociae (we, allies…) agrees with the sisters. Scilicet (“obviously”) adds a sarcastic tone to this.

cēlāre: This verb can support two direct objects. The first is tē and the second is the indirect statement immānem… adquiēscere.

serpentem: Take as a form of serpō, ‘to creep, slither.’ The sisters’ description of Cupid is similar to the Laocoön scene in Vergil’s Aeneid, 2.206-10 (Kenney ad loc.). (See Media for image)

colla sanguinantem: Take colla as an accusative of respect: “(being) bloody with respect to his neck(s).”

recordāre: 2nd s. imperative of recordōr. Verbs of remembering take a genitive as their object.

sortis Pȳthicae: See 4.33 for the oracle. In a snake context, Apollo’s epithet as the killer of Python is apt.

fastīdienter: (adv.) disdainfully, scornfully

mātūtīnō: (adv.) early, in the morning

pervolō, -āre: to dash through

pressūra, -ae f.: pressing, pressure

palpebra, -ae f.: eyelid (usually plural)

āstus, -ūs m.: craft, cunning

ignōrantia, -ae f.: ignorance (of) (+ obj. gen.)

incūriōsus, -a, -um: careless, indifferent (+ obj. gen.)

pervigil, -is: wide awake

excubō, -cubāre, -cubuī, -cubitum: to be alert (for), sleep outside to keep watch

comperiō, -īre, -perī, -pertum: to find out with certainty, learn

coluber, -brī, m.: a snake, serpent

volūmen, -inis, n.: coiling

ingluviēs, -ēī f.: maw, jaw

latenter: (adv.) secretly

circumsecus: (adv.) around, in the surrounding area

accola, -ae m./f.: neighbor

pāstus, -ūs m.: pasturing, feedinginnatō, -āre: to swim in

The sisters’ description of Cupid is similar to the Laocoön scene in Vergil’s Aeneid, 2.206-10. This marble statue group depicts Laocoön and his sons being violently constricted and consumed by snakes. (Vatican City, Musei Vaticani). Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.