Ā
spīnōsās Erycīna serēns in pectore cūrās
illā tempestāte, ferōx quō ex tempore Thēseus
ēgressus curvīs ē lītoribus Pīraeī
attigit iniūstī rēgis Gortȳnia tēcta. 75
Nam perhibent ōlim crūdēlī peste coāctam
Androgeōnēae poenās exsolvere caedis
ēlēctōs iuvenēs simul et decus innūptārum
Cecropiam solitam esse dapem dare Mīnōtaurō.
Quīs angusta malīs cum moenia vexārentur, 80
ipse suum Thēseus prō cārīs corpus Athēnīs
prōicere optāvit potius quam tālia Crētam
fūnera Cecropiae nec fūnera portārentur.
Atque ita nāve levī nītēns ac lēnibus aurīs
magnanimum ad Mīnōa venit sēdēsque superbās. 85
Hunc simul ac cupidō cōnspexit lūmine virgō
rēgia, quam suāvīs exspīrāns castus odōrēs
lectulus in mollī complexū mātris alēbat,
quālēs Eurōtae prōgignunt flūmina myrtōs
aurave distīnctōs ēdūcit verna colōrēs, 90
nōn prius ex illō flagrantia dēclīnāvit
lūmina quam cūnctō concēpit corpore flammam
funditus atque īmīs exārsit tōta medullīs.
vocabulary
ā: expletive of distress, pity, or entreaty
assiduus –a –um: settled; constantly present, persistent, unremitting
lūctus lūctūs m.: the expression of grief; lamentation, grief, sorrow
externō –āre –āvī –ātum: drive out of one's wits, madden, panic
spīnosus –a –um: thorny, prickly
Erycīna –ae f.: Venus, goddes of Mt. Eryx in Sicily
serō serere sēvī satum: sow, plant
ferōx ferōcis: fierce
Thēseus –ī m.: son of Aegeus, seducer of Ariadne (later husband of her sister Phaedra), slayer of the Minotaur
curvus –a –um: bent, curving
Pīraeus –ī m.: the Piraeus, port of Athens
attingō attingere attigī attāctus: touch; touch upon (in speaking), mention 75
iniūstus –a –um: unjust
Gortȳnius –a –um: of Gortyn, poet., Cretan
perhibeō –ēre –uī –itus: present, bestow; say, hold, maintain, give out
crūdēlis crūdēle: savage, cruel
pestis pestis f.: physical destruction; plague, affliction, bane
Androgeōnēus –a –um: of Androgeos, son of Minos and Pasiphaë
exsolvō –ere –ī –solūtus: unfasten; discharge, pay
ēlectus –a um superl. electissimus: select, choice
innūptus –a –um: unwed
Cecropia –ae f.: Athens, the city of Cecrops, first king of Attica.
daps dapis f.: a sacrificial meal; any feast or meal; food
Mīnōtaurus –ī m.: the Minotaur, son of Pasiphaë
angustus –a –um: narrow 80
vexō vexāre vexāvī vexātus: buffet, harry, ravage, afflict
Athēnae Athēnārum f.: Athens
prōiciō –icere iēcī –iectum: fling forth, throw forward; renounce
potius: more, more than, rather
Crēta –ae (or Crētē –ēs) f.: Crete, large island south of the Aegean Sea, home of King Minos and Ariadne
nītor nītī nīxus sum: lean; press onward; rely, depend
lēnis –e: easy, gentle
magnanimus –a –um: noble-spirited, brave, bold 85
Mīnōs –ōis m.: Minos, legendary king of Crete, husband of Pasiphaë
cupidus –a –um: desirous, eager
cōnspiciō cōnspicere cōnspexī cōnspectus: catch sight of, lay eyes on
suāvis suāve: agreeable, pleasant
exspīrō exspīrāre exspīrāvī exspīrātus: exhale, pant, emit (a fragrance); be exhaled
odor –ōris m.: smell, odor, fragrance
lectulus –ī m.: bed, couch (dim. of lectus)
complexus –ūs m.: embrace
Eurōtas –ae m.: the river that runs through Sparta
praecingō –cingere –cinxī –cinctum: encircle, stand around
myrtus –ī m./f.: the myrtle tree, a bushy shrub with oval leaves and fragrant white or rosy flowers, common to southern Europe
distinctus –a –um: separate, different, distinct 90
vernus –a –um: of spring, vernal
flagrans –ntis: flaming, burning, intense
dēclīnō dēclīnāre dēclīnāvī dēclīnātus: lower, decline
concipiō concipere concēpī conceptum: take in, catch, conceive, contract (a disease); conceive (a child), produce, be the mother of
funditus: from the bottom up; utterly
exardescō –ardescere –arsī –arsum: catch fire, blaze up
medulla medullae f.: the marrow of the bones; the interior, inside, seat of the emotions