“Gnāte mihī longē iūcundior ūnice vītā, 215
gnātē, ego quem in dubiōs cōgor dīmittere cāsūs
redditē in extrēmā nūper mihi fīne senectae,
quandoquidem fortūna mea ac tua fervida virtūs
ēripit invītō mihi tē, cui languida nōndum
lūmina sunt gnātī cārā saturāta figūrā, 220
nōn ego tē gaudēns laetantī pectore mittam,
nec tē ferre sinam fortūnae signa secundae,
sed prīmum multās exprōmam mente querēlās
cānitiem terrā atque īnfūsō pulvere foedāns,
inde īnfecta vagō suspendam lintea mālō, 225
nostrōs ut lūctūs nostraeque incendia mentis
carbasus obscūrāta decet ferrūgine Hibērā.
Quod tibi sī sānctī concesserit incola Itōnī,
quae nostrum genus ac sēdēs dēfendere Erechthei
adnuit, ut taurī respergās sanguine dextram, 230
tum vērō facitō ut memorī tibi condita corde
haec vigeant mandāta, nec ūlla oblitteret aetās,
ut simul ac nostrōs invīsent lūmina collīs,
fūnestam antennae dēpōnant undique vestem
candidaque intortī sustollant vēla rudentēs, 235
quam prīmum cernēns ut laetā gaudia mente
agnōscam, cum tē reducem aetās prōspera sistet.”
Haec mandāta prius cōnstantī mente tenentem
Thēsea ceu pulsae ventōrum flāmine nūbēs
āerium niveī montis līquēre cacūmen. 240
At pater, ut summā prōspectum ex arce petēbat
ānxia in adsiduōs absūmēns lūmina flētūs,
cum prīmum īnflātī cōnspexit lintea vēlī,
praecipitem sēsē scopulōrum ē vertice iēcit
āmissum crēdēns immītī Thēsea fātō. 245
Sīc fūnesta domūs ingressus tēcta paternā
morte ferōx Thēseus, quālem Mīnōidi lūctū
obtulerat mente immemorī, tālem ipse recēpit.
quae tum prōspectāns cēdentem maesta carīnam
multiplicēs animō volvēbat saucia cūrās. 250
vocabulary
iūcundus –a –um: pleasant, delightful 215
ūnicus –a –um: one and only, singular, unique, special
exter extera exterum: farthest, the farthest part of; final
nūper: recently
senecta –ae f.: old age
quandōquidem: rel. since
fervidus –a –um: hot; fervent, passionate, lusty
invītus –a –um: unwilling
languidus –a –um: weary, drooping, flaccid
saturō saturāre saturāvī saturātus: fill, satisfy, sate 220
figūra figūrae f.: form, shape, aspect, appearance
laetor laetārī laetātus sum: rejoice, be glad
exprōmō –ere –prōmsī –prōmptum: bring out, express
querēla querēlae f.: complaint, protest, lament
cānitiēs –eī f.: white or gray coloring; whiteness of hair; gray hair
īnfundō –ere –fūdī –fūsus: pour in or on
pulvis pulveris m.: dust; sand
foedō foedāre foedāvī foedātus: make foul, soil
īnficiō (īnficiscō) –ere –fēcī –fectus: dyed 225
suspendō suspendere suspendī suspēnsum: hang, suspend
linteum –ī n.: linen cloth; napkin; sail
mālus –ī m.: apple
lūctus lūctūs m.: the expression of grief; lamentation, grief, sorrow
incendium incendi(ī) n.: conflagration; inflammation, agony
carbasus –ī f. (pl. carbasa –ōrum n.): sail, canvas
obscūrō obscūrāre obscūrāvī obscūrātus: darken
dicō dicāre dicāvī dicātus: indicate, show; assign, bestow
ferrūgō –inis f.: rust; any color from reddish purple to nearly black
Hibērus –ī m.: of Iberia, Spanish
quod: because, the fact that
incola incolae m. or f.: inhabitant
Itōnus –ī f.: Boeotian town famous for its cult of Athena
Erectheus –eī m.: legendary king of Athens
adnuō –ere –nuī (ūtus –rare): nod assent; consent 230
taurus taurī m.: a bull
respergō –ere –spersī –spersus: sprinkle, spatter, splash
memor memoris: remembering, mindful
conditus –a –um: put away, preserved
vigeō –ēre –uī: be vigorous and active, flourish
mandātum –ī n.: command
oblitterō (obliterō) –āre –āvī –ātum: cause to be forgotten, wipe out
invīsō –ere –vīsī –vīsus: go to see; look upon
collis collis m.: hill, mountain
fūnestus –a –um: associated with mourning; funereal
antenna –ae f.: the horizontal yardarm of a sailing ship
dēpōnō dēpōnere dēposuī dēpositus: put down, lay down (in birth), put away
intorqueō –ēre –torsī –tortus: twisted or twined 235
sustollō –ere: raise
vēlum vēlī n.: sail
rudēns –entis m.: rope, line
quam prīmum: as soon as possible
āgnōscō āgnōscere āgnōvī agnitus: recognize
redux –ucis: brought back, returned, restored
prōsper or more frequently prōsperus –a –um: agreeable to one's wishes, prosperous
sistō sistere stitī status: cause to stand, set; present, hand over
cōnstāns cōnstantis: steady, resolute, steadfast
Thēseus –ī m.: son of Aegeus, seducer of Ariadne (later husband of her sister Phaedra), slayer of the Minotaur
ceu: part. introducing similes: in the same way as, as, like
flāmen –inis n.: a blast or gust of wind; wind, breeze
nūbēs nūbis f.: cloud
āerius –a –um: of the air, airy 240
niveus –a –um: snowy, white
linquō linquere līquī: leave, quit
cacūmen –inis n.: peak, tip
prōspectus –ūs m.: view, prospect
ānxius –a –um: anxious
assiduus –a –um: settled; constantly present, persistent, unremitting
absūmō absumere absūmpsī absūmptum: use up, consume, exhaust; do away with, remove by death
flētus fletūs m.: weeping; tears
cōnspiciō cōnspicere cōnspexī cōnspectus: catch sight of, lay eyes on
praeceps praecipitis: plunging headfirst; headlong; sudden
scopulus –ī m.: a projecting rock or cliff
vertex verticis m.: whirlpool, whirlwind; top of the head; summit
immītis –e: ungentle, pitiless, violent 245
paternus –a –um: of a father; paternal
ferōx ferōcis: fierce
Mīnōis –idis f.: a female descendant of Minos, Ariadne
immemor –oris: forgetful, heedless, feckless
prōspectō prōspectāre prōspectāvī prōspectātus: gaze out
carīna –ae f.: keel, hull; by metonymy, ship
multiplex –plicis: having many twists and turns; varied 250
volvō volvere voluī volūtum: cause to roll
saucius –a –um: wounded, afflicted