Ovid Lines 1-11 - Analysis

◇ = Analysis of Latin || ✪ = Context

Jupiter came here in human form¹ and, with his father,

Came the wand-bearing descendant of Atlas, having set aside his wings.

✪1: specie mortali: it was believed in ancient times that gods frequently roamed the earth in human disguise.

Jupiter came here in human form and, with his father²,

Came the wand-bearing descendant of Atlas², having set aside his wings.

✪2: parente … Atlantiades: this is an example of doctrina (learning); authors often made references, sometimes obscure, to people or places, to show off their knowledge. Mercury is described as the descendant of Atlas because Mercury was the son of Jupiter (parente) and Maia, who was the daughter of Atlas, making Mercury therefore the grandson of Atlas.

Jupiter came here in human form and, with his father,

Came the wand-bearing³ descendant of Atlas, having set aside his wings³.

◇✪3: caducifer alis: the juxtaposition of these two words is to emphasise their association with Mercury, the messenger god.

They approached⁴ a thousand houses, seeking a place to rest,

Bolts shut⁴ a thousand houses.

◇4: adiere … clausere: the ending of both of these words has been repeated (called homoioteleuton), it helps to reinforce the fact that these gods were struggling to find hospitality and facing rejection from so many people.

They approached a thousand houses⁵, seeking a place to rest,

Bolts shut a thousand houses⁵.

5: mille domos: anaphora (repetition) used for emphasis and rhetorical effect.

But the dutiful⁶ old woman Baucis and Philemon of a similar age

6: pia: emphatically placed within the line, as it is this quality, duty towards the gods, which saves Baucis and Philemon from destruction.

Were united in their young years⁷ in that cottage, and they grew old⁷

7: iuncti iuvenalibus … consenuere: the assonance of ‘iu-’ and the prefix con emphasises their togetherness.

Were united in their young years in that⁸ cottage, and they grew old

In that⁸ cottage, and by acknowledging their poverty

8: illa … illa: further anaphora, used to enhance their longevity and consistency in life but also in their relationship with one another.

In that cottage, and by acknowledging⁹ their poverty

And bearing⁹ it with a not unfair mind, they made it unimportant.

9: fatendo … ferendo: homoioteleuton – used to emphasise the two ways in which the pair make light of their poverty.

The two are the whole house, and¹⁰ the same people both obey and¹⁰ give orders.

10: -que … -que: a device frequently used by Ovid in imitation of the Greek τε … τε, which were used by Homer, their use here therefore, gives an epic flavour to the poem.