Tālia praefantēs quondam fēlīcia Pēlei
carmina dīvīnō cecinērunt pectore Parcae.
Praesentēs namque ante domōs invīsere castās
hērōum et sēsē mortālī ostendere coetū 385
caelicolae nōndum sprētā pietāte solēbant.
Saepe pater dīvum templō in fulgente, revīsēns
annua cum fēstīs vēnissent sacra diēbus,
cōnspexit terrā centum prōcumbere taurōs.
Saepe vagus Līber Parnāsī vertice summō 390
Thȳiadas effūsīs euantīs crīnibus ēgit,
cum Delphī tōtā certātim ex urbe ruentēs
acciperent laetī dīvum fūmantibus ārīs.
Saepe in lētiferō bellī certāmine Māvors
aut rapidī Trītōnis era aut Rhamnūsia virgō 395
armātās hominum est praesēns hortāta catervās.
Sed postquam tellūs scelere est imbūta nefandō,
iūstitiamque omnēs cupidā dē mente fugārunt,
perfūdēre manūs frāternō sanguine frātrēs,
dēstitit exstīnctōs nātus lūgēre parentēs, 400
optāvit genitor prīmaevī fūnera nātī
Līber ut innūptae poterētur flōre novercae,
ignārō māter substernēns sē impia nātō
impia nōn verita est dīvōs scelerāre parentēs,
omnia fanda nefanda malō permixta furōre 405
iūstificam nōbīs mentem āvertēre deōrum.
Quārē nec tālīs dignantur vīsere coetūs
nec sē contingī patiuntur lūmine clārō.
vocabulary
praefor –fātus sum: say by way of preface
Pēleus (disyllabic) –eī acc. Pēlea voc. Pēleu: son of Aeacus, mortal spouse of Thetis, father of Achilles
dīvīnus –a –um: divine
Parca –ae f.: a Roman goddess of birth; one of the Fates or Moirai
invīsō –ere –vīsī –vīsus: go to see; look upon
hērōs –ōis m.: a hero 385
coitus (coetus) coitūs m.: meeting; band, company, group, crowd
caelicola –ae m./f.: an inhabitant of heaven, god or goddess
spernō spernere sprēvī sprētum: scorn, spurn, reject
fulgeō fulgēre fulsī: shine brightly, gleam
revīsō –ere: pay another visit; go back and see, return to
annuus –a –um: yearly
fēstus –a –um: festal, holiday
sacrum sacrī n.: a sacred object or observance, rite
cōnspiciō cōnspicere cōnspexī cōnspectus: catch sight of, lay eyes on
prōcumbō –cumbere –cubuī –cubitum: bend or fall forward
taurus taurī m.: a bull
Līber Līberī m.: the wine god, Bacchus 390
Parnāsus –ī m.: Parnassus, mt. near Delphi
vertex verticis m.: whirlpool, whirlwind; top of the head; summit
Thyias –adis f.: a Bacchant or Maenad, orgiastic worshiper of Bacchus/Dionysus
effūsus –a –um: loose; disorderly, in disarray
euhāns –antis: uttering the Bacchic cry euan!
crīnis crīnis m.: a lock or braid of hair; hair
Delphī –ōrum m. pl.: place in Phocis, Greece, sacred to Apollo and Dionysus; metonymy, the people of Delphi
certātim: with eager rivalry
ruō ruere ruī rūtum: rush
fūmō fūmāre fūmāvī fūmātus: emit smoke, smoke
lētifer –era –erum: bringing death, deadly
certāmen certāminis n.: contest
Māvors –vortis m.: Mars, god of war
rapidus –a –um: strongly flowing, swiftly moving, rapid; scorching, consuming 395
Trītōn –ōnis m.: Triton, a sea god; a river in Boeotia sacred to Athena/Minerva
(h)era –ae f.: a woman in relation to her servants; mistress, i.e., the woman or goddess one serves (as opp. to a kept woman)
Ramnūsius –a –um: of or native to Ramnus, a district of Attica (epithet of Nemesis, the Ramnusia virgo)
armō armāre armāvī armātus: arm, equip with arms
caterva –ae f.: company, squadron, mass
imbuō –ere –uī –ūtus: drench, steep; dip or wet for the first time; inaugurate, give first experience
nefandus –a –um: unspeakable; wicked, unlawful, impious
iūstitia –ae f.: justice
cupidus –a –um: desirous, eager
perfundō –ere –fūdī –fūsus: pour through, drench, suffuse, imbue
frāternus –a –um: of or from a brother, fraternal
dēsistō dēsistere dēstitī dēstitus: cease, desist 400
exstinguō exstinguere exstinxī exstinctus: dead, deceased
lūgeō lūgēre lūxī lūctum: mourn
genitor genitōris m.: father; pl., parents
prīmaevus –a –um: youthful
innūptus –a –um: unwed
potior potirī potitus sum: get possession of
noverca novercae f.: stepmother
ignārus –a –um: ignorant, uncomprehending
substernō –sternere –strāvī –strātum: lay or spread beneath; (of a woman) offer oneself sexually to a man
impius –a –um: wicked, irreligious, without pietas
scelerō scelerāre scelerāvī scelerātus: stain or defile with wicked acts
Penātēs –ium m.: household gods, the tutelary gods of the Roman pantry
fandus –a –um: speakable, proper, lawful 405
permisceō –ēre –miscuī –mistus (–mixtus): blend thoroughly, mix up
iustificus –a –um: just
āvertō avertere avertī aversus: divert; remove, steal
dīgnor –ārī –ātus sum: consider worthy; deign, see fit
vīsō vīsere vīsī vīsus: go to see; look at, gaze at, view