Post haec avārī Dītis appāret domus.

hīc saevus umbrās territat Stygius canis,

quī trīna vastō capita concutiēns sonō

rēgnum tuētur. sordidum tābō caput785

lambunt colubrae, vīperīs horrent iubae

longusque tortā sībilat caudā dracō.

pār īra fōrmae: sēnsit ut mōtūs pedum,

attollit hirtās angue vibrātō comās

missumque captat aure subrēctā sonum,790

sentīre et umbrās solitus. ut propior stetit

Iove nātus antrō, sēdit incertus canis

et uterque timuit. — ecce lātrātū gravī

loca mūta terret; sībilat tōtōs mināx

serpēns per armōs. vōcis horrendae fragor795

per ōra missus terna fēlīcēs quoque

exterret umbrās. solvit ā laevā ferōs

tunc ipse rictūs et Cleōnaeum caput

oppōnit ac sē tegmine ingentī tegit;

victrīce magnum dexterā rōbur gerēns800

hūc nunc et illūc verbere assiduō rotat,

ingeminat ictūs. domitus īnfrēgit minās

et cūncta lassus capita summīsit canis

antrōque tōtō cessit. extimuit sedēns

 

uterque soliō dominus et dūcī iubet;805

mē quoque petentī mūnus Alcīdae dedit.

    Theseus describes how he and Hercules arrived at Dis’s palace, and Hercules tamed Cerberus.

    The passage elaborates on Virgil, Aeneid 6.417–425.

    782: avārī: Dis is “greedy” because he takes and keeps all souls.

    784 sonō: ablative of manner (AG 412)

    785 tabō: “in its putrid gore,” ablative of specification (AG 418)

    787 dracō: ancient representations of Cerberus often show his body covered in snakes, such as a sixth-century hydria now in the Louvre.

    788 pār īra fōrmae:  supply est: “his anger matches his appearance.”  motūs: accusative noun, not a participle.

    789 vibrātō: “quivering.” The chiastic arrangement of nouns and adjectives suggests how the snakes are embedded in the dog’s mane.

    790 aure: ablative of means (AG 408)

    791 et = etiam, “even”

    792 antrō: dative with propior (AG 383)

    793 uterque: both Cerberus and Hercules. latratū gravī: ablative of means (AG 408)

    795 armōs: referring to the whole side of the animal (LS armus II), a poetic and Vergilian usage.

    796–97 felicēs quoque … umbrās: i.e., the shades in the Elysian Fields, far off from Cerberus’ lair. solvit: “loosened,” “took off,” or “removed.” ā laevā: “from his left shoulder”

    798 Cleonaeum caput: the head of the Nemean Lion, a typical part of Hercules’ attire, as on the Louvre hydria.

    799 oppōnit: “thrust out” (Fitch 2018). tegmine, dexterā: ablatives of instrument (AG 409).

    801 verbere: ablative of manner (AG 412)

    802 īnfrēgit: “checked,” i.e. stopped (LS infringo II)

    804 antrōque tōtō cessit: “he emerged from the whole cave,” suggesting Cerberus’ immense size. Fitch (2018) translates, “emerged from the cave that it filled.”

    805 uterque … dominus: Dis and his wife Proserpina. They are often depicted sitting together as rulers of the Underworld, as on an Apulian volute krater (ca. 320 BC) now in the Kiel Antikensammlung. soliō: locative ablative (AG 426). dūcī iubet: “ordered (Cerberus) to be led away.” The subject is uterque dominus.

    806 petentī … Alcidae: dative. Theseus and Pirithous had been held captive in the Underworld after attempting to abduct Proserpina. Hercules receives the captive Theseus as a gift (LS munus II.C).

    avārus –a –um: greedy

    Dīs –ītis m.: Dis; Pluto

    territō territāre territāvī territātus: to fill with alarm; affright

    Stygius –a –um: Stygian; pertaining to Styx (river)

    ternī –ae –a: 3 each

    vāstus –a –um: empty, desolate; vast

    concutiō –ere –cutere –cussī –cussum: to shake; strike

    sonus sonī m.: sound

    tueor tuērī tūtus sum: to look at

    sordidus –a –um: dirty; poor, humble, lowly

    tābum –ī n.: putrid blood; pus

    lambō –ere –ī –itus: to lick

    colubra –ae f.: a female serpent

    vīpera –ae f.: a viper

    horreō horrēre horruī: to shake, dread

    iuba –ae f.: the mane of a horse; of a serpent

    torqueō torquēre torsī tortum: to twist

    sībilō sībilāre sībilāvī sībilātus: to hiss

    cauda –ae f.: the tail, coda

    dracō –ōnis m.: dragon, serpent 

    mōtus mōtūs m.: motion, movement

    attollō attollere: to raise up, lift up

    hirtus –a –um: hairy

    vibrō vibrāre vibrāvī vibrātus: to shake

    captō captāre captāvī captātus: to seize

    sonus sonī m.: sound

    propior propius; proximus –a –um: nearer; nearest

    Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter, Jove

    antrum –ī n.: cave

    incertus –a –um: uncertain

    lātrātus –ūs m.: barking; baying

    mūtus –a –um: inarticulate, silent

    sībilō sībilāre sībilāvī sībilātus: to hiss

    mināx –ācis: threatening 

    serpēns –entis (gen. pl. serpentum) m./f.: snake

    armus –ī m.: the shoulder

    horreō horrēre horruī: to shake, dread

    ternī –ae –a: 3 each

    exterreō –ēre –uī –itus: to frighten; alarm

    laeva –ae f. (sc. manus): the left hand

    rictus –ūs m.: an open mouth, gaping jaws

    Cleonaeus -a - um: of Cleonaeus; Cleonaean

    oppōnō oppōnere opposuī oppositum: to set before, against; oppose 

    tegmen (tegumen) –inis n.: means of covering; skin

    victrīx –cis: victorious, triumphant

    rōbur rōboris n.: oak, strength

    illic illaec illuc: pron., that person or thing

    verber –eris n.: whip, lash; a beating

    assiduus –a –um: established, steady

    rotō rotāre rotāvī rotātus: to move like a wheel; whirl about

    ingeminō ingemināre ingemināvī ingeminātus: to repeat

    domō domāre domuī domitus: to tame, subdue

    īnfringō –ere –frēgī –frāctus: to break in; break

    minae –ārum f. pl.: battlements, threats

    lassus –a –um: tired, weary

    submittō submittere submīsī submissum: to place under

    antrum –ī n.: cave

    extimēscō –ere –timuī: to be afraid

    solium –iī n.: seat; throne

    dominus dominī m.: master, lord

    Alcīdēs –ae. m.: a descendant of Alceus; Hercules

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