6.9
[1] et audāciter in capillōs eius inmissā manū trahēbat eam nēquāquam renitentem. Quam ubi prīmum inductam oblātamque sibi cōnspexit Venus, lātissimum cachinnum extollit et quālem solent furenter īrātī, caputque quatiēns et ascalpēns aurem dexteram: [2] “Tandem,” inquit “dignāta es socrum tuam salūtāre? An potius marītum, quī tuō vulnere perīclitātur, intervīsere vēnistī? Sed estō sēcūrā, iam enim excipiam tē ut bonam nurum condecet,” et, “Ubī sunt” inquit “Sollicitūdō atque Tristitiēs ancillae meae?” [3] Quibus intrō vocātīs torquendam trādidit eam. At illae sequentēs erīle praeceptum Psȳchēn misellam flagellīs afflīctam et cēterīs tormentīs excruciātam iterum dominae cōnspectuī reddunt. [4] Tunc rūrsus sublātō rīsū Venus “Et ecce” inquit “nōbīs turgidī ventris suī lēnōciniō commovet miserātiōnem, unde mē praeclārā subole aviam beātam scīlicet faciat. (5) Fēlīx vērō ego quae in ipsō aetātis meae flōrē vocābor avia et vīlis ancillae fīlius nepos Veneris audiet. Quanquam inepta ego quae frūstrā “fīlium” dīcam: (6) imparēs enim nūptiae et praetereā in vīllā sine testibus et patre nōn cōnsentiente factae lēgitimae nōn possunt vidērī ac per hōc spurius iste nāscētur, sī tamen partum omnīnō perferre tē patiēmur.”
Psyche is dragged before Venus, who mocks her, hands her over for torture, and rages at the thought of becoming grandmother to Psyche’s unborn child.
inmissā…renitentem: This closely echos Lucius’ position in 3.2.1: immissa manu trahere me sane non renitentem. Both Psyche and Lucius are being taken to an authority who will determine their punishment: for Lucius, the magistrates; for Psyche, Venus.
quam: connecting relative referring to Psyche
quālem solent furenter īrātī: “the kind the furiously angered are accustomed to [give]”. Soleo is an intransitive verb, with an implied complementary infinitive.
qualem: refers back to cachinnum
intervīsere: infinitive of purpose (A&G §460)
estō sēcūrā: “don’t worry”
ut…condecet: “as it befits a good daughter-in-law.” Venus is being sarcastic.
torquendam: gerundive of purpose
nōbīs: dative of reference
commovet: conative present (A&G §467), implying that Psyche is attempting (and failing) to get Venus to feel bad for her.
aviam beātam: predicate accusative (A&G §392-393)
audiet = vocabitur; see 5.28.4
imparēs: “unequal.” Venus may just mean god vs. mortal, but Osgood notes she may also be treating Psyche as a slave. Since Roman law forbade marriage between free citizens and enslaved people, Apuleius is being funny by having Venus talk as if divine marriages followed human laws (5.26.6–7).
imparēs…vidērī: Venus makes three escalating legal objections: the marriage is 1) imparēs nūptiae, between an unequal couple; 2) sine testibus, without witnesses: and 3) patre nōn cōnsentiente, without a father’s consent (Osgood). Apuleius is continuing with the joke that gods follow human laws.
perferre: “carry to term”
patiēmur: the royal we; also introduces an indirect statement.
renītor, -nītī: to resist
cachinnus, -ī, m: immoderate laughter
ascalpo, -ere: to scratch
dignor, -arī: to deem worthy
socrus, -ūs, f: mother-in-law
interviso, -ere: to inspect secretly
Tristitiēs, -ēi, f: Sorrow
erīlis, -e: of the head of the family, master/ mistress’s
misellus, -a, -um, adj: see 5.18.4
excrucio, -are: to torment, torture
turgidus, -a, -um: swollen
lēnōcinium, -ii, n: pimping out
subolēs, -is, f: offspring
avia, -ae, f: grandmother
spurius, -ī, m: a bastard