Tum gravia mōnstrī colla permulcēns manū

adamante textō vincit. oblītus suī

cūstōs opācī pervigil rēgnī canis

compōnit aurēs timidus et patiēns trahī,810

erumque fassus, ōre summissō obsequēns,

utrumque caudā pulsat anguiferā latus.

postquam est ad ōrās Taenarī ventum, et nitor

percussit oculōs lūcis ignōtae novōs,

 

resūmit animōs vīctus et vastās furēns815

quassat catēnās; paene victōrem abstulit

prōnumque retrō vēxit et mōvit gradū.

tunc et meās respexit Alcīdēs manūs;

geminīs uterque vīribus tractum canem

īrā furentem et bella temptantem irrita820

intulimus orbī. vīdit ut clārum diem

et pūra nitidī spatia cōnspexit polī,

[oborta nox est, lūmina in terram dedit,]

compressit oculōs et diem invīsum expulit

aciemque retrō flexit atque omnī petīt825

cervīce terram; tum sub Herculeās caput

abscondit umbrās.

— Dēnsa sed laetō venit

clāmōre turba frontibus laurum gerēns,

magnīque meritās Herculis laudēs canit.

    Theseus describes how Hercules led Cerberus up to the surface. He offers an amusing picture of Hercules as a dog walker who almost can’t keep hold of the leash. He also helps his rescuer get Cerberus under control.

    807 manū: ablative of instrument (AG 409). Hercules pets the tamed dog.

    808 adamante textō: “with braided adamant” (adamant was a semi-mythical very hard substance); this is evidently the same leash as the catenae mentioned below (816). vincit: from vinciō, vincīre (“bind”), not vincō, vincereoblītus suī: “forgetting himself,” i.e. forgetting his former fierceness, now that Hercules has tamed him.

    810 patiēns: “allowing himself,” governs the infinitive trahī.

    811 ōre summissō: ablative of manner (AG 412)

    813 est … ventum: “we came,” impersonal passive

    814 lūcis ignōtae: take with 813 nitor. novōs: “unaccustomed” (LS novus I.B.2). Cerberus had never seen sunlight before.

    817 mōvit gradū: “dislodged (him) from his position” (LS gradus II.A)

    818 et:  = etiam, “also.” meās respexit … manūs: “looked to my hands,” i.e. required my help.

    819 geminīs … viribus: ablative of instrument (AG 409); “with the strength of two people.”

    820 irā: ablative of manner (AG 412)

    821 orbī: “into the world” (i.e., out of the Underworld); dative indicating place to which (AG 428). ut: “as soon as,” with vīdit and conspexit. For temporal ut + perf. indic., see LS ut II.B.1.

    823 “Darkness rose over him; he turned his gaze to the ground” (Fitch). Most editors, including Fitch (1987), have deleted this line, which looks like a variation on the idea of 824 that was inserted by a later interpolator.

    825–26 omnī … cervice: ablative of instrument (AG 409). Cerberus seeks with all three necks to hide his face on the ground. petīt: = petīvit.

    826–27 Cerberus finally finds refuge in Hercules’ huge shadow.

    827–29 Theseus ends his account of the journey to the Underworld to welcome the Chorus on stage, who wear laurels “on their brows” (frontibus). laetō … clamōre: ablative of manner (AG 412).

    mōnstrum mōnstrī n.: monster; omen

    collum collī n.:  neck

    permulceō –ēre –mulsī –mulsus or mulctus: to stroke; calm

    adamās –antis m.: the hardest iron, adamant; steel

    texō texere texuī textus: to weave, braid

    vinciō vincīre vīnxī vīnctus: to bind, tie up

    oblīvīscor oblīvīscī oblītus sum: to forget

    opācus –a –um: shady, dark

    pervigil –ilis: ever watchful

    timidus –a –um: fearful, afraid

    erus –ī m.: an owner, master

    submittō submittere submīsī submissus: to place under

    obsequor obsequī obsecūtus sum: to obey

    cauda –ae f.: the tail, coda

    pulsō pulsāre pulsāvī pulsātus: to push, strike

    anguifer -a -um:  serpent-bearing 

    ōra –ae f.: shore, coast

    Taenarus or Taenaros –ī m. or Taenarum –ī n.: Taenarus

    nitor –ōris m.: brightness, lustre

    percutiō percutere percussī percussus: to pierce, strike

    īgnōtus –a –um: unknown

    resūmō –sūmere –sūmpsī –sūmptus: to take up again, resume

    vāstus –a –um: empty, desolate; vast

    furō furere: to rage, be mad

    quassō quassāre quassāvī quassātus: to shake violently

    catēna –ae f.: chain, fetter

    prōnus –a –um: sloping downwards; prone to

    retrō: backwards

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

    geminus –a –um: twin, paired

    furō furere: to rage, be mad

    tentō tentāre tentāvī tentātus: to try

    irritus –a –um: invalid, void, vain

    pūrus –a –um: clean, unsoiled, pure

    nitidus –a –um: shining, bright

    cōnspiciō cōnspicere cōnspexī cōnspectus: to catch sight of, behold

    polus –ī m.: pole, heavens

    oborior –orīrī –ortus sum: to arise, appear

    comprimō comprimere compressī compressus: to compress

    invīsus –a –um: hated

    expellō expellere expulī expulsus: to drive out, propel, expel

    retrō: backwards

    flectō flectere flēxī flexus: to bend; turn, direct; persuade

    cervīx cervīcis f.: neck

    Herculeus –a –um: of Hercules; Herculean

    abscondō abscondere abscondī or abscondidī absconditus: to put out of sight, hide

    dēnsus –a –um: thick; close, compact

    laurus –ī f.: laurel

    meritus merita meritum: deserved, worthy 

    Herculēs –is m.: Hercules

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