Cambridge Section 6, A Public Fight, Introducing Felix. Tablet inscriptions. Ovid Metamorphoses – Daedelus and Icarus
(The Ovid has been modified and given as prose, due to its very difficult nature. )
Cambridge Course Section 6 Pictures 1-12 are on pages 70 and 71.
| 1. servi per viam ambulabant | The slaves were walking through the street |
| 2. canis subito latravit | The dog suddenly barked |
| 3. Grumio canem timebat | Grumio was afraid of the dog. |
| 4. ‘pestis’ clamavit coquus | Pest shouted the cook. |
| 5. Clemens erat fortis. | Clemens was brave. |
| 6. sed canis Clementem superavit | But the dog overcame Clemens. |
| 7. Quintus per viam ambulabat. | Quintus was walking through the street. |
| 8. iuvenis clamorem audivit. | The young man heard the clamour. (noise) |
| 9. canis Clementem vexabat. | The dog was harrasing Clemens. |
| 10. Quintus canem pulsavit. | Quintus beat the dog. |
| 11. servi erant laeti | The slaves were happy. |
| 12. servi Quintum laudaverunt | The Slaves praised Quintus |
Section 6 In these two pieces the aim is to practice the use of two past tenses. The perfect where something has happened and ended and the imperfect where the action is continuous. Clemens was walking – imperfect, then the Greek punched the merchant – perfect, a finished action.
Pugna.
| Clemens in foro ambulabat. turba maxima erat in foro. Servi et ancillae cibum emebant. | Clemens was walking in the forum. There was a huge crowd in the forum. Slaves and slave girls were buying food. |
| multi pistores panem vendebant. poeta recitabat | Many bakers were selling bread. A poet was reciting. |
| mercator Graecus contentionam cum agricola habebat | A Greek merchant was having an argument with a farmer |
| mercater iratus pecuniam postulebat. | The angry merchant was demanding money. |
| subito agricola Graeco pulsavit, quod Graecus agricolam vituperabat | Suddenly the farmer punched the Greek, because the Greek was criticising him. |
| Pompeiani ridebant et agricolam incitabant. | The Pompeians were laughing and urging on the farmer. |
| Clemens, postquam clamorem audivit, ad pugnam festinavit. | Clemens, after he had heard the noise, hurried to the fight. |
| tandem agricola mercatorem superavit et e foro agitavit | Finally the farmer overcame the merchant and chased (him) from the forum. |
| Pompeiani agricolam fortem laudaverunt. | The Pompeians cheered the brave farmer. |
Felix
| multi Pomeiani in taberna vinum bibebant | Many Pompeians were drinking in the pub. |
| Clemens tabernam intravit. subito “Felix” clamavit | Clemens entered the tavern. Suddenly he shouted “Felix” |
| Clemens Felicem laete salutavit. Felix est libertus. | Clemens greeted Felix happily. Felix is a freeman. |
| Clemens Felicem ad villam invitavit. Clemens et Felix villam intraverunt. | Clemens invited Felix to the villa. Clemens and Felix entered the villa. |
| Clemens Caecilium et Metellam quaesavit. | Clemens searched for Caecilius and Metella. |
| Caecilius in tablino scribebat. Metella in horto sedebat | Caecilius was writing in the study. Metella was sitting in the garden. |
| Caecilius et Metella ad atrium festinaverunt et Felicem Salutaverunt. | Caecilius and Metella hurried to the atrium and greeted Felix. |
| postquam Quintus atrium intravit. Felix iuvenem spectavit. | Later Quintus entered the atrium. Felix looked at the young man |
| libertus erat valde commotus, paene lacrimabat; sed ridebat. | The freeman was very emotional, he was almost crying, but laughing. |
| tum Clemens ad culinam festinavit. Grumio in culina dormiebat. | Then Clemens Hurried to the kitchen. Grumio was sleeping in the kitchen. |
| Clemens coquum excitavit et total rem narravit | Clemens roused the cook and told him everything. |
| Coquus, quod erat laetus, cenam optiman paravit. | The cook, because he was happy, prepared the best(a magnificent) dinner. |
Felix et fur
post cenam Quintus rogavit ‘pater, cur Felix nunc est libertus? olim erat servus tuus.’
tum pater totam rem narravit.
After dinner Quintus aked ‘Father, why is Felix now a freeman? Once he was our slave.’ Then father told him everything.
Caecilius: Felix olim in tablino scribebat. Felix est solus.
Once, Felix was writing in the study. Felix is alone
Clemens et Grumio cibum in foro quaerebant.
Clemens and Grumio were obtaining food in the forum.
Metella aberat, quod sororem visitabat.
Metella was away because she was visiting her sister
Felix: pater tuus aberat, quod argentinariam in foro administrabat.
Your father was out because he was in the forum managing his money.
Caecilius: nemo erat in villa nisi Felix et infans. parvus infans in cubiculo dormiebat.
Nobody except Felix and a baby were in the house. A small baby was sleeping in a bedroom.
subito fur per ianuam intravit. Fur tacite atrium circumspectavit;
Suddenly a burglar entered through the door. The burglar quietly looked around the atrium.
cubiculum intravit ubi infans erat. Felix nihil aaudivit, quod intente laborabat
He entered the bedroom where the baby was. Felix heard nothing because he was working carefully. (intent on his work)
fur parvum infantum e villa tacite portabat. Subito infans vagivit.
The burglar was carrying the baby quietly out of the villa. Suddenly the baby cried out.
Felix, postquam clamorem audivit, statim e tablino festinavit.
After Felix heard the noise, at once hurried from the study.
‘furcifer!’ clamavit Felix iratus, et furem ferocier pulsavit
‘Scoundrel!’ shouted the angry Felix and punched the burglar fiercely.
Felix paene necavit. Iia Felix parvum infantem servavit.
Felix nearly killed him. So Felix saved the little baby.
Felix: dominus, postquam rem audivit, erat laetus et me liberavit.
The master when he heard everything, was happy and freed me.
ego igitur sum libertus.
I therefore am a freeman.
Quintus: ‘sed quis erat infans?’
‘But who was the baby?’
Caecilius ‘erat Quintus!’
‘It was Quintus!’
Some inscribed stone tablets have been recently uncovered in the ruins of Pompey, here is my translation of three of them –
A serious Complaint
ursus in tabernam introit et cervisiam imperavit
A bear went into a pub and demanded a beer.
tabernarius ex taberna ad dominum concurrit dicens, ‘O domine! O domine! ursus est in taberna et cervisiam desiderat’
The barman rushed to his master, saying, ’oh master!, oh master! There is a bear in the pub and he wants a beer’
dominus tabernario respondit. ‘stulte , utrum cerevisiam an pomis vendimus in taberna?
The master replied to the barman ‘Idiot, do we sell beer or apples in a pub?
urso cerevisiam vendis et, quia ursi stulti sunt, pretium est sestertium dicis.”
You sell the beer to the bear and, because bears are stupid, say the price is a sesterce.”
tabernarius in taberna rediit et urso cervisiam dedit dicens ‘pretium sestertium’
The barman returned to the pub and gave the bear a beer saying, ‘price a sesterce’
ursus non respondit, sed cervisiam recepit.
The bear did not reply but accepted the beer.
tabernarius, fabulans in modo tabernariorum dixit, ‘saepe ursi in taberna non videmus’
The barman said, talking in the style of barmen (talking the way barmen do.) ‘we don’t often see bears in the pub’
‘ad hos pretia’, ursus respondit ‘ non miror’
‘At these prices’ replied the bear, ‘I’m not surprised’
Finding a Job
canis in Laborem Centrum intrat et labor rogat.
A dog goes into the Job Centre and asks for work.
‘tu es felix’, scriba respondit, ‘circus est in urbe, canis qui loquat amabunt.’
‘You’re in luck’, replies the clerk, the circus is in town, they will love a talking dog.
‘ille mihi non est bonum’, canis inquit, ‘artifex plumbarius sum’
“That’s no good to me” says the dog “I’m a plumber”.
Another hopeful candidate
vir etiam in Laborem Centrum intrat. ‘Nihil habimus’ scriba dixit, ‘sed ….
A man also goes into the Job Centre. ‘We have nothing’, says the clerk, ‘except….
gorilla a Paigntonum Zooum mortus est. persona egunt dum alium animal adipiscere possunt.’
the gorilla at Paignton Zoo is dead. They need someone to stand in until they are able to get another animal.
cibus et habitus parant. vir desperatus est et laborem capit.
They provide food and a costume.’ The man is desperate and takes the job.
primus diffidentiam est, sed turbae eum amant et eum applaudunt.
At first he is diffident, but the crowds love him and clap him.
tramplinus videt et eo salit
He sees a trampoline, and bounces on it.
populi applaudunt et clamantur, sic altior et altior salit dum in caveam proximum leonorem salit.
The people clap and cheer, so higher and higher he bounces until he bounces into the lions’ cage next door
leo immensus eum concurrit. vir terrens est. ‘succurre!’ stridet
A huge lion runs up to him. The man is terrified. “Help!” he squeaks.
‘quiesce!, stulte!’ leo inquit ‘aut uterque dimittens erimus”
“Shut up, idiot” says the lion “or we’ll both get the sack”
Translator’s Note -Just goes to show how old some chestnuts are!
Almost Ovid – Daedelus and Icarus Latin Text with translation
I intended to give this to you “straight”, but Ovid Just doesn’t obey the rules at all. He doesn’t always put the verb at the end of a clause, and he splits words that would normally be together in a clause like a noun and its adjective(s). He also doesn’t seem to have much regard for tense, and as you will see nips backwards and forwards with impunity. It makes interpreting slow going, so I am afraid I have tampered with the great poet, organised the sentences more traditionally and given the story as prose, though I have kept in the tense changes. I have kept in as much as I can of the original words, just made it simpler to read. (Sorry Ovid!)
I have also reproduced the Breugel picture “The Fall of Icarus.” If you are not familiar with this picture the first question is “Where is Icarus?” If you look in the bottom right hand corner you will see a pair of pale legs disappearing under the waves, and a few white feathers. With it is the poem by W. H. Auden “The Musee de Beaux Arts”. Ovid’s poem imagines the humble people on the ground being amazed by the god like winged creatures in the sky, but I think Breugel, and Auden’s take on it is – well, look, tragedies happen but life goes on.
Back story – Daedelus is a brilliant engineer, architect, sculptor, craftsman. His statues are said to be so lifelike you would expect them to move. A Greek from Athens he is banished from the city after allegedly murdering his nephew by pushing him off the Acropolis because he was jealous of the younger man’s talent as an inventor.
He is given refuge by Minos, king of Crete, and works for him, most notably designing and building the Labrynth to contain the Minotaur. It is so complex, once in, no one can find their way out, and the Minotaur will never escape.
This backfires as Minos imprisons Daedelus and his son Icarus in a tower so that he cannot reveal the secrets of the Labrynth ……….
Daedelus interea Cretan et longum exsilium odit. loci natalis doluit.
Daedelus meanwhile hated Crete and long exile. He ached for the place of his birth (homeland)
sed clausus erat pelago.”Minos terram dominat” inquit “et undas obsruat: sed caelum certe patet; ibimus illac
But he was imprisoned by the sea. “ Minos rules the land” he said “and he shuts off the waves but the sky at least is clear; we will go that way”
Minos omnia possideat, non possidet aera.”
Minos may possess everything, but he does not possess the heavens
dixit animum dimittit in artes natramque novat.
So saying he sets free (applies) his mind and with his skill changes nature (alters the nature of things)
nam in ordine pennas ponit, a minima coeptat, tum longior sequit.
Now he lays down feathers in orderly lines. He begins with the smallest, then follows with the longer.
sic rusticae fistulae Panos paulatim vergunt.
As the rustic pipes of Pan sloped little by little.
tum lino medis adligat et ceris imas ungat, atque cum perfectus est , curvamine parvo flectit.
Then he binds with linen thread in the middle and smears with wax at the ends, and when it is finished he bends into an arc,
ut veras aves imitatat .
This truly resembles the birds.
filius una Icarus iuxta stabat, et ignarus res sibi periculosum tractabat,
His only son Icarus was standing nearby, and ignorant that he was handling things dangerous to himself,
ore renidente, captabat plumas quas aura evolabant,
With smiling mouth (laughingly), was trying to catch the feathers that flew out in the breeze
et pollice ceram molliit.
and softening the wax with his thumb
sic patris mirabile opus impediit.
Thus he impeded the marvellous work of his father.
postquam manus ultima ponebat, opifex inter alas geminas libravit
After the ultimate hand (final touch) was put, the craftsman balanced between the twin wings.
suus corpus ascendit et in aura mota pependit.
His body rose and hovered in the moving air.
puerum etiam instruit “media” que “ut limite curras, Icare” ait “moneo, si demissior,
He also instructed the boy “ take the middle way” and “ so you should limit your path. Icarus” he stressed “I warn you, if you go lower
aspero maris pennas gravabit, si celsior, ignis adurat.
the sea spray will weigh down the feathers, if higher, the fire (heat of the sun) might burn.
inter utrumque vola.
Fly between the two.
nec te Booten ut Helicen Orionis ensem strictumque spectare iubeo:
I order you neither to look at Booten(The bright star Arcturus) or Helicen (The Great Bear) nor the straight(drawn) sword of Orion.
viam ducam.”
I will lead the way”
pariter praecepta volandi tradit ignotas umeris alas accomodat.
Equally (at the same time as) he delivers the teachings of flying (flying lessons) he fits the wings onto the ignorant (unknowing) shoulders.
inter opus monitus genae seniles lachrima maduereit, et patriae tremuere manus.
Throughout the work of warning (throughout his warnings) the old man’s cheeks were wet with tears, and the father’s hand shook.
dedit oscula nato non iterum repetenda suo
He gave to his first born a never to be repeated kiss
pennisque leviter, commitque volat sed filio timet,
And rises on his wings and flies strongly but he fears for his son
velut avis ex alto nido ad caelum inanem teneram prolem produxit.
Just as a bird will lead out a tender fledgling from the high nest into the empty air
felium sequi hortatur damnosasque artes erudit
He urged his son to follow and taught his fatal arts
et ipse suas alas movit et nati respexit.
And he himself moved his wings and looked back to his son.
hos aliqis tremula dum captat hirundine pisces,
thus a fisherman who captured fish with his trembling rod,
aut pastor baculo stivave innixus arator vidit et obstipuit,
or shepherd with his staff, a ploughman leaning on his plough handle saw and were amazed
quisque credidit esse deos aethera carpare possent
and believed them to be gods able to occupy the heavens.
sed puer audax volatum coepit gaudere, ducem deseruit ad caelumque celcissime volavit
but the reckless boy, beginning to enjoy the flight, left his leader and flew higher into the sky.
rapidi vicinia solis ceram pennarum vincula mollit, cerasque tabuerat:
swiftly the nearness of the sun softened the wax binding the feathers. The wax melted.
nudos quatit ille lacertos, Remigioque carens sed non ullas auras percipit,
he shakes(flaps) his bare arms, but is not able to catch the air.
caeruleo devoravit quod nomen eius perpetuo feret: pater nomen clamans tam aquae ceperunt.
He was swallowed by the dark blue sea that forever bears his name: his father crying out his name as the waters took him.
pater infelix, nec iam pater, “Icare,” dixit,“Icare,”dixit “ubi es?
The unhappy father, not even now a father, called “Icarus, Icarus where are you?
qua te regione requiram?”“Icare” dicebat:
in what region should I look (where should I look?)”” Icarus”, he called
tum pennas adspexit in undis. suas artes exsecrans corpus sepulcro condidit, et tellus a nomine filii morti postea vocatus erat.
Then he caught sight of the feathers in the waves. Cursing his arts he buried the body in a grave, and thereafter the land was called by the name of his of his dead son.
W. H. Auden – ” Musee de Beaux Arts”
About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer’s horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel’s Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.