Chapters 16-18 with context

sic acceptam cum gaudio plenam urnulam Psyche Veneri citata rettulit.

In this way Psyche with joy received the full urn and swiftly brought it back to Venus.

nec tamen nutum deae saevientis vel tunc expiare potuit:

However she was not able to appease the will of the raging goddess even then:

nam sic eam maiora atque peiora flagitia comminans appellat,

For Venus, threatening her thus with greater and worse outrages, called her,

renidens exitiabile:

smiling in a deadly fashion:

‘iam tu quidem maga videris quaedam mihi et alta prorsus malefica,

“Now indeed you seem to me some great and entirely profound witch, you

quae talibus praeceptis meis obtemperasti naviter;

who complied with my instructions of such a kind diligently;

sed adhuc istud, mea pupula, ministrare debebis.

but my little girl, you will still have to attend to that [service].

sume istam pyxidem’

Pick up that box”

et dedit;

and she gave it to her.

‘protinusque ad inferos et ipsius Orci ferales penates te derige.

“Immediately point yourself towards the Underworld and the funeral dwellings of Orcus himself.

tunc conferens pyxidem Proserpinae,

Then conveying the box to Proserpina,

“Proserpinae” - who is she?

Daughter of Ceres who was kidnapped by Pluto and made his wife and Queen of the Underworld

“petit de te Venus,” dicito,

say: ‘Venus seeks from you

“modicum de tua mittas ei formositate,

that you send to her a small amount of your beauty,

“formositate” - what is unclear here?

Whether this was used as a healing salve for Cupid’s injury or a beauty cream for Venus.

vel ad unam saltem dieculam sufficiens:

or at least [an amount] lasting enough for one little day:

nam quod habuit dum filium curat aegrotum consumpsit atque contrivit omne.”

for all which she possessed, she has used up and worn out while she was caring for her poorly son.’

sed haud immaturius redito,

“But return in good time,

“haud immaturius” - what does this suggest?

Venus wants Psyche to return in good time but spend some time in the dangerous Underworld.

quia me necesse est indidem delitam theatrum deorum frequentare.’

since it is necessary for me to anoint myself from the same place and then visit the theatre of the gods.”

tunc Psyche vel maxime sensit ultimas fortunas suas

Then Psyche felt to the greatest possible degree that her fortunes were the worst

et velamento reiecto

and with the blindfold thrown back,

“velamento reiecto” - what does this metaphor show?

Psyche’s full realisation after a period of ignorance.

ad promptum exitium sese compelli manifeste comperit:

she discovered that she was clearly being forced to an immediate destruction:

quidni, quae suis pedibus ultro ad Tartarum Manesque commeare cogeretur?

why not, she who would be forced on her own feet actually to travel to Tartarus and the Shades?

“Manes” - what are these?

Spirits of the dead living in the underworld and often representative of the Underworld itself.

nec cunctata diutius pergit ad quampiam turrim praealtam

Having hesitated for no longer time, she went on to a certain lofty tower,

“turrim praealtam” - where is this idea from?

Attic Comedy (Aristophanes’ Frogs) but also may parody Zoroastrian funeral rites.

indidem sese datura praecipitem;

intending to hurl herself headlong from the same place;

sic enim rebatur ad inferos recta atque pulcherrime se posse descendere.

For in this way she was thinking that she could go down to the Underworld rightly and most finely.

sed turris prorumpit in vocem subitam, et

But the tower broke into unexpected speech and

“turris” - another example of?

Inanimate objects breaking out into speech.

‘quid te’ inquit ‘praecipitem, o misella, quaeris extinguere?

said; “Why poor lady, do you seek to kill yourself headlong?

quidque iam novissimo periculo laborique isto temere succumbis?

And why do you succumb now recklessly to the most recent danger of that task?

nam si spiritus corpore tuo semel fuerit seiugatus,

For if your life is once separated from your body,

ibis quidem profecto ad imum Tartarum,

you will indeed go down to the depths of Tartarus certainly,

sed inde nullo pacto redire poteris

but from there under no condition will you be able to return.

mihi ausculta.

Listen to me!

Lacedaemo Achaiae nobilis civitas non longe sita est;

“Sparta, the noble city-state of Achaea is situated not far away;

huius conterminam deviis abditam locis quaere Taenarum.

Seek Taenarus, which is adjacent to this [city], hidden in remote places.

inibi spiraculum Ditis,

In that place is the breathing-hole of Hades

et per portas hiantes monstratur iter invium

and through the gaping gates is shown an impassable way,

cui te limine transmeato simul commiseris,

to which you entrust yourself, once the threshold has been crossed at the same time,

iam canale directo perges ad ipsam Orci regiam.

now by direct passage you will go to the very palace of Orcus.

sed non hactenus vacua debebis per illas tenebras incedere,

But you will not have to enter through those shadowy places utterly empty-handed,

sed offas polentae mulso concretas ambabus gestare manibus,

but must carry cakes of barley-meal, kneaded together with honeyed wine in both hands

at in ipso ore duas ferre stipes.

and must convey two coins in your very mouth.

iamque confecta bona parte mortiferae viae

And now with a goodly share of the infernal road completed,

continuaberis claudum asinum lignorum gerulum cum agasone simili,

you will encounter a lame donkey - a bearer of wood, along with its driver, likewise [lame]

qui te rogabit decidentes sarcinae fusticulos aliquos porrigas ei;

who will ask you to hand to him some sticks which are toppling from his load;

sed tu nulla voce deprompta tacita praeterito.

but you, with not a word uttered, silent, pass by!

nec mora, cum ad flumen mortuum venies,

And with no delay when you come to the river of the Dead,

cui praefectus Charon protinus expetens portorium,

its overseer, Charon, immediately demanding his toll,

sic ad ripam ulteriorem sutili cymba deducit commeantes.

on these terms leads down those travelling to the further bank in this patchwork boat.”

ergo et inter mortuos avaritia vivit,

Therefore, Greed lives even amongst the Dead

“avaritia” - relevance?

Aemilianus - the main target of Apuleius in his Apology in which avaritia is a key theme - is nicknamed Charon partly because of his enrichment from inheritance due to sudden death.

nec Charon ille vel Ditis sectator tantus deus, quicquam gratuito facit,

and that Charon - such a great god or attendant of the Underworld – he does nothing for free,

sed moriens pauper viaticum debet quaerere,

but rather a poor man, when dying, must seek a travelling allowance

et aes si forte prae manu non fuerit,

and unless he has money at hand by chance,

nemo eum expirare patietur.

no one will allow him to breathe his last.

huic squalido seni dabis nauli nomine de stipibus quas feres alteram,

To this dirty old man, you will give as payment for the fare one of the two coins which you will bear,

sic tamen ut ipse sua manu de tui sumat ore.

in such a way however that he himself takes it out of your mouth with his own hand.

“sua manu” - possibly indicative of what?

Possibly ritualistic move

nec setius tibi pigrum fluentum transmeanti quidam supernatans senex mortuus putres attollens manus orabit

Likewise, when you are crossing the sluggish river [Styx] a certain deceased old man, swimming over, raising his decaying hands will beg you

“transmeanti quidam supernatans senex mortuus putres” - what two things could this be referencing?

Aeneas’ pilot Palinurus - who had been swept off the deck of a ship in a storm - demanding the correct burial rite or Plato’s presentation of the Underworld in his “Phaedo” where dead souls try to cross the river

ut eum intra navigium trahas:

to pull him inside the boat:

nec tu tamen illicita afflectare pietate.

However, don’t you be influenced by a pity that is forbidden to you.