Iūno, cūr nōndum furis?

mē mē, sorōrēs, mente dēiectam meā110

versāte prīmam, facere sī quicquam apparō

dignum novercā. vōta mūtentur mea:

nātōs reversus videat incolumēs pater

manūque fortis redeat. invēnī diem,

invīsa quō nōs Herculis virtūs iuvet.115

mē vīcit? et sē vincat et cupiat morī

ab īnferīs reversus. hīc prōsit mihi

Iove esse genitum. stābō et, ut certō exeant

ēmissa nervō tēla, lībrābō manū,

regam furentis arma, pugnantī Herculī120

tandem favēbō—scelere perfectō licet

admittat illās genitor in caelum manūs.

 

Movenda iam sunt bella: clarēscit diēs

ortūque Tītān lūcidus croceō subit.

 

    Juno asks the Furies to drive her mad as well so she can participate in the assault on Hercules’ mind. Instead of wishing him dead, she wants him to return alive from the Underworld so she can watch him destroy his family.

    110 mē mē: the repetition indicates Juno’s agitation, as at 99 hōc hōc.

    110–11 mente dēiectam meā … prīmam: in apposition with . Juno asks to be “driven out” of her mind first, before Hercules (dēiectam > dēiciō; see L-S deicio I.B.1, “Military technical term, to drive out, dislodge an enemy from his position”).

    112 novercā: the adjective dignus governs an ablative of specification (AG 418.b), as usual.

    113 reversus: referring to Hercules. pater: i.e., Hercules.

    113–14 videat … redeat: jussive subjunctives.

    114 manūque: ablative of specification (AG 418) with fortis. Juno does not want Hercules’ hand to be too weak to kill his children.

    115 quō: ablative of time when (AG 423); its antecedent is diem.

    116 Notice this line’s careful distribution of groups of ascending syllabic units: a group of three syllables (mē vīcit), followed by four syllables (et sē vincat), concluded by six (et cupiat morī). This common rhetorical figure has various names: tricolon abundans, a tricolon crescendo, or an ascending tricolon.

    116–17 reversus: referring to Hercules.

    117–18 hīc: “here,” i.e. “in this regard,” not hĭc which would mean “he.” Supply the word Herculem as the subject of esse in indirect statement introduced by prōsit mihi, “let it be useful to me that ….”

    118–19 In prose word order these lines would read stābō et manū lībrābō, ut ēmissa tēla certō nervō exeant. The conjunction ut introduces a purpose clause (AG 531.1). Juno will help Hercules aim his bow so that his arrows do not miss. certō… nervō: an example of a transferred adjective (hypallage): technically it is the arrows, not the bow-string, that will be “unerring.”

    120 furentis: referring to Hercules. Herculī: like other verbs meaning “favor,” the verb faveō typically governs a dative (AG 367).

    121 scelere perfectō: ablative absolute (AG 419), referring the completion of the murders.

    121–22 licet … admittat … genitor: licet (“it is permitted,” “he may”) introduces a substantive clause of purpose (AG 565) with the subjunctive admittat. Hercules’ genitor is Jupiter.

    122: illās … manūs: Hercules’ hands become an important theme of Act 5. See in particular his address to his novercālēs manūs (line 1236).

    123–4 Juno announces the coming of day, followed by the Chorus’s entrance to the stage.

    123 movenda: as at line 5, a passive periphrastic phrase (AG 500.2) with the dative of agent (mihi) unexpressed. For moveō = “begin,” see L-S moveo I.2.a.

    124 ortūque: ablative of accompaniment (AG 413). Tītān: the Sun.

    Iūnō Iūnōnis f.: Juno

    furō furere: to rage, be mad

    dēiciō dēicere dēiēci deīctum: to throw down, eject

    versō versāre versāvī versātus: to keep turning, whirl/spin

    apparō apparāre apparāvī apparātus: to get ready, prepare

    noverca novercae f.: stepmother

    incolumis –e: uninjured; safe

    invīsus –a –um: hated

    Herculēs –is m.: Hercules

    Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter, Jove

    ēmittō ēmittere ēmīsī ēmīssus: to send out, release

    nervus –ī m.: muscle, tendon; cord, string

    lībrō librāre librāvī librātus: to balance; aim; brandish, swing, shoot, throw

    faveō favēre fāvī fautūrus: to favor

    perficiō perficere perfēcī perfectus: to complete, accomplish

    admittō admittere admīsī admīssus: to send to, admit

    genitor genitōris m.: father

    clārēscō clārescere clāruī: to become clear to the ear or eye; grow loud

    ortus ortūs m.: rising, beginning; sunrise, the East 

    Tītān –ānis m.: a Titan

    lūcidus –a –um: bright, shining

    croceus –a –um: of saffron, saffron–colored; yellow

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