Baucis et Philemon

Translation and Style notes

Translate: Iuppiter huc specie mortali cumque parente venit Atlantiades positis caducifer aliis.

Jupiter came here in human form and with his father came the wand-bearing descendant of Atlas with his wings set aside.

Comment on ‘specie mortali’

Ablative of description: relates to common Roman belief that gods frequently roamed the earth in human disguise.

Comment on use of ‘Atlantiades’.

Suffix -ades means ‘descendant of’ - usually son or daughter, but here it means ‘grandson of Atlas’ i.e. Mercury (he was the son of Jupiter and Maia, whose father was Atlas, thus justifying their linkage).

This is an example of doctrina (‘learning’), where authors make indirect references to people or places to show off their mythological knowledge.

Comment on ‘positis…alis’.

Ablative absolute: reference to the belief that Mercury had wings which enabled him to fly around the world as the messenger of Jupiter.

Comment on ‘caducifer’:

Juxtaposed with his other distinctive feature, this is a reference to the wand/herald’s staff that was given to him by Apollo, with whom he was very friendly.

This was a reference to his role as the god of sleep, originally using the wand to open or close humans’ eyes; then it was associated with death, as he escorted the souls of the death to the Underworld.

Translate: mille domos adiere locum requiemque petentes, mille domos clausere serae.

They approached a thousand houses seeking a place to rest, bars closed a thousand houses.

Comment on ‘adiere’.

Adiere is a shortened form of adierunt. The shortening of -erunt and -eris to -ere is quite common in poets and historians, as it is a more convenient metrical form.

Comment on ‘locum requiemque’.

This literally means ‘a place and rest’ when it really means a place to rest; this use of two separate nouns to form one composite idea is called hendiadys. This subversion of form can be said to emphasise the extent of the gods’ search for human hospitality.

Comment on ‘mille domos’.

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses is called anaphora (another example being illa… illa). This is also an example of asyndeton, as there is no connecting word to join the two clauses, emphasising the hostility the gods’ faced.

Translate: tamen una recepit, parva quidem stipulis et canna tecta palustri, sed pia Baucis anus parilique aetate Philemon illa sunt annis iuncti iuvenalibus, illa consenuere casa paupertatemque fatendo efficere levem nec iniqua mente ferendo.

However, one received [them], small it is true, covered with stalks and marshy reeds, but the dutiful old woman Baucis and Philemon of similar age were united in their youthful years, they grew old in that cottage and acknowledging poverty and by bearing a not unfair mind they made it light.

Comment on ‘parili aetate’.

This is an ablative of description which emphasises that they were both old and of similar age.

Comment on ‘sunt annis iuncti iuvenalibus’.

This is an ablative of time when, as well as an example of assonance and inverted word order (for emphasis).

Comment on ‘consenuere casa paupertatemque fatendo’.

The prefix, ‘con’ in the word ‘consenuere’ emphasises their togetherness. This line also only consists of 4 words, which is very uncommon in poetry and tend to be used to give weight to the meaning.

Comment on ‘casa’.

This is an ablative of place; it is used instead of ‘domus’ (the form Ovid uses for the other houses), suggesting that their house is particularly smaller (emphasises their poverty).

Comment on ‘nec iniqua’.

nec negates iniqua; the use of a double negative is called litotes, making it equivalent to a strong positive (in this case, not unfair can be taken very fair, emphasising their virtue.

Comment on ‘fatendo…ferendo’.

Both words are ablatives of means as well as gerunds. It is also an example of marked homoioteleuton, emphasises the two ways in which the pair make light of their poverty. ‘dominos..famulos’ and ‘parentque iubentque’ are another example of this, stressing their harmony.

Translate: ‘nec refert, dominos illic famulosne requiras: tota domus duo sunt, idem parantque iubentque.’

It doesn’t matter if you’re seeking masters there or servants; the two are the whole house, the same people both obey and order.

Comment on ‘tota domus duo sunt’.

While this emphasises their harmony, this also stresses that the two did not own any slaves or hire any servants, emphasising their poverty in comparison to wealthy households that did.

Comment on ‘requiras…parentque iubentque’.

This is an example of parallelism echoing their domestic equality, while giving an epic flavour to the line as -que, -que were frequently used by both Ovid and Virgil in imitation of the Greek te…te which were used by Homer. ‘Requiras’ is an example of the present subjunctive (not taught at GCSE) as -ne introduces an indirect question.

Translate: 'ergo ubi caelicolae parvos tetigere penates semmissoque humiles intrarunt vertice postes’

Therefore when the heaven-dwellers arrived at the small household and entered the lowly posts with lowered heads

Translate: ‘membra senex posito iussit relevare sedili, cui superinicecit textum rude sedula Baucis.’

The old man ordered them to relax their limbs on a couch which had been put out, over which the busy Baucis threw a rough woven cloth.

Translate: ‘inde foco tepidum cinerem dimovit et ignes suscitat hesternos foliisque et cortice sicco nutrit et ad flammas anima producit anili,’

Then she separated the warm ash in the hearth and rouses yesterday’s fires and feeds [it] with leaves and dry bark, and brings forth flames with the breath of an old woman,

Translate: ‘multifadasque faces ramaliaque arida tecto detulit et minuit parvoque admovit aeno,’

and brought down torches split into many pieces and dry sticks from the roof, and made [them] smaller, and applied them to a small bronze pot,

Translate: ‘quodque suus coniunx riguo collegerat horto truncat holus foliis;’

and she strips a cabbage of its leaves which her own husband had gathered from the well-watered garden;

Translate: ‘furca levat ille bicorni sordida terga suis nigro pendentia tigno’

With a two-pronged fork he lifts the sooty back of a pig which was hanging on a black beam

Translate: ‘servatoque diu resecat de tergore partem exiguam sectamque domat ferventibus undis.’

and cuts off a thin slice from the long-preserved back, and, having cut it up, softens it in boiling water.

Comment on ‘ergo ubi caelicolae parvos tetigere penates’.

Synonym for gods imbued with greater reverence and richer description; is immediately juxtaposed with ‘parvos’, emphasises the house’s small size and the gods’ superiority. Hint at ‘penates’ original meaning of ‘household gods’ contrast with the might Olympian gods of Jupiter and Mercury. Plosive alliteration of ‘parvos penates’ emphasises this, almost as if the great thuds of the gods tentative treading can be heard, as well as being almost derogatory.

Comment on ‘sumisoque humiles intrarunt vertice postes’

The prominence of spondees (two long syllables) in this line slows down its cadence and mimicks the awkward action of the large gods bending down to get into the cottage. The internal rhyme (‘humiles’ and ‘postes’) emphasises this sense of extraordinary gods performing a monotonous, predictable action, which the reader might expect to only be consigned to the humble mortal experience.

Comment generally on lines 15-22.

From line 15 onwards, the sentences are dominated by the presence of active verbs, with a total of three in just line 20, many of which inhabiting the naturally emphatic position of the line’s outset.

• This impression of restlessness is further highlighted by the single long sentence within which the verbs work, spanning ten lines until the end of the extract. The effect is that not only are the clauses compressed in a successive fashion, emphasising both the quickness of the moment’s activity and the sense of claustrophobia that complements the reader’s image of a cramped house; this structural device also results in the omission of conclusive punctuation, as it is a semicolon which is responsible for the sentence’s only caesura, acting alongside only two other commas. These symbols are grammatically reserved for temporary pauses — therefore, just as the reader may experience breathlessness upon reading the passage, the reader may simultaneously imagine the fatigue experienced by the couple in their sustained efforts towards completing such continuous actions — just as the reader feels as though the relief of a full stop is beyond the horizon, a similar empathy can be extended to Baucis and Philemon, with an agenda of hospitality so hectic it appears to have no end.

• Note also the temporal shift from past to present tense (‘dimovit’ to ‘suscitat’), making the scene more vivid and palpable for the reader.

Comment on ‘textum rude sedula Baucis’.

This is a chiasmus (noun-adj-adj-noun) — this creates an emphasis on the comparison of qualities and character as opposed to appearance or form — i.e. roughness and busyness — to show that the poor couple’s background and living conditions have no impact on their ability to be pious, hospitable guests. This can also be taken to represent the disorientation caused by Baucis’ commendable efforts in easing her visitors.

Comment on ‘suscitat hesternos foliisque et cortice sicco nutrit et ad flammas anima producit anili’

• The verb ‘suscitat’ is made even more powerful when taken in conjunction with the adjective ‘hesternos’, as the reader gets a strong sense through the internal sibilance of the former and the ‘t’ consonance of the latter of the scene’s soundscape, as it mimics the crackling of a fire. The fire, which already holds relevant connotations of vivacity and agitation is then descriptively enhanced through sensory detail and onomatopoeia.

• Note also the use of variatio (‘flammas’ and ‘ignes’, ‘sicco’ and ‘arida’) as well as the repetition of ‘et’ and ‘que’, emphasising feeling of endlessness to their work.

• Note the assonance of ‘anima…aninli’, emphasising her feeble breath due to old age.

Comment on ‘detulit et minuit parvoque admovit aeno’

The doubling/juxtaposition of ‘minuit’ and ‘parvoque’ emphasising idea of smallness, which pervades the whole text, as it pertains to not only the ‘dry sticks from the roof’, but the whole house, its inhabitants, and ultimately, the role of humans in the natural order of the world.

Comment on ‘furca levat ille bicorni’

Finally, the prevalence of verbs in the extract also by consequence displaces potential subject pronouns, with one of the two agents of the activity being mentioned only once in name (‘Baucis’ in line 15). Instead, the demonstrative ‘ille’ of line 22 is used to refer back to Philemon — echoing the sentiment that both Baucis and Philemon ‘are the whole house’ — a humble nod to the previous revelation that no slave nor servant works there: all the toiling mentioned above is underwent by just two people, accentuating its arduousness. Overall, this diminishment of the individual on favour of augmenting the minutiae of their labour also contributes to the overarching didactic message of the poem: to set aside the triviality of one’s worldly status and reputation, and rather seek to prioritise the nurturing of pious virtues such as industriousness and generosity with one’s time.

Comment on ‘sordida terga suis nigro pedentia tigno servatoque diu resecat de tergore partem exiguam sectamque domat ferventibus undis’.

• Note that ‘sordida terga’ is a poetic plural — this, when taken together with the adjective ‘nigro’, emphasises the sootiness of the cottage caused by smoke rising from an open fire, enhancing the atmosphere of airlessness and suffocation which is caused both literally and figuratively by the couple’s poverty.

• Note the polyptoton of ‘terga’ and ‘tergore’, ‘resecat’ and ‘sectamque’, indicating stylistic flair and creates rhythm/adds intention to Philemon’s movement.

• Note that ‘domat’ is a metaphor, in that it usually means ‘tame’ (a beast) but is here referred to as a method of softening pork meat. This, in conjunction with the hyperbolic use of ‘undis’ (bubbling water in a small pot can hardly be called ‘waves’) suggests that Ovid is trying to create irony by contrasting the heroic imagery synthesised by this lexicon (that is, an image of Philemon as a swashbuckling seafarer navigating the ‘waves’, or perhaps more contemporarily relevant — a gladiator ‘taming’ the likes of wild animals — both with an epic flavour) with the actuality of his own modest lifestyle and the mundane, domestic tasks he performs as part of it.

Translate: ‘interea medias fallunt sermonibus horas sentirique moram prohibent’.

Meanwhile they while away the intervening hours with conversation and they prevent the delay from being noticed.

Translate: ‘erat alveus illic fagineus dura clavo suspensus, ab ansa,’

There was a bathtub there made of beech suspended on a nail by a sturdy handle,

Translate: ‘is tepidis impletur aquis artusque fovendos accipit.’

This is being filled with warm water and receives limbs in need of warming.

Translate: ‘in medio torus est de mollibus ulvis impositus lecto sponda pedibusque salignis;’

In the middle is a mattress of soft sedge placed on a couch with a frame and with feet made of willow;

Translate: ‘vestibus hunc velant quas non nisi tempore festo sternere consuerant,’

they cover this with a blanket which they were not accustomed to spread except at festive time,

Translate: ‘sed et haec vilisque vetusque vestis erat, lecto non indignanda saligno.’

‘but even this cloth was both cheap and old, not to be thought unworthy of the couch made of willow'.

Translate: ‘accubuere dei’.

The gods lie down.

Comment on lines 26-30 (interea…ulvis).

• Note the polysemous verb ‘fallunt’, while in this context, means to ‘while away’ (also emphasised by the enjambement between lines 26 and 27), but could with its alternative meaning refer to the initial deception of the gods towards Baucis and Philemon.

• Note the internal rhyme between ‘medias’ and ‘horas’; the idea of centredness is emphasised by polyptoton (‘medio’ in line 30), suggesting the concentrated action of Baucis and Philemon in their hospitable efforts. Moreover, this highlights the smallness of Baucis and Philemon’s home, in that the categories of domestic activity, such as those associated with bathing (‘alveus’) and resting (‘lecto’) which might occur in remote quarters of a larger home (such as a ‘villa’), all belong to one site of compact commotion.

• There is also an instance of chiasmus in line 29: ‘tepidis impletur aquis artusque fovendos’ (noun-adj-adj-noun), where the use of ‘fovendos’ (a gerundive of obligation) emphasises Baucis and Philemon’s earnest urgency to attend to their guests even before the divine revelation, thus accentuating the couple’s piety and foreshadowing their salvation.

Comment on lines 31-34.

• Note that ‘salignis’ is in an emphatic position, emphasising the cheapness of the material, as its reappearance in line 34 (‘saligno’) uses polyptoton to highlight this.

• The ‘w’ consonance of ‘vestibus nunc velant…vilisque vetusque’ (note also ‘-que’ assonance here) and the use of poetic plural emphasises the age and poor quality of the coverlet.

• The juxtaposition of two negatives ‘non nisi’ and ‘non indignanda’ creates a litotic effect, where the positive meaning is emphasised. In the case of the latter, this suggests that both the cloth and the couch were equally as spartan as the either. Here, Ovid can be interpreted as using euphemism to communicate thoroughly the couple’s poverty in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Comment on line 35.

• This single, short sentence creates a striking contrast with the rest of the passage, in that the form mirrors the content, as the temporary halting of the passage’s activity mirrors the gods’ resting. The markedness of this juxtaposition between the line and the long sentences detailing Baucis and Philemon’s efforts creates a sense of equivalence, as if their effort, despite its arduousness, is but a befitting offering to the gods, to whom sacrifices are due to be paid anyway. it signals a conclusion to the prosaic rituals of the mortal characters, foreshadowing the miraculous events ahead.

Translate: ‘interea totiens haustum cratera repleri sponte sua per seque vident succrescere vina;’

Meanwhile they see the mixing bowl, which had been drained so many times, refilled of its own accord and the wine increasing by itself;

Translate: ‘attoniti novitate pavent manibusque supinis concipiunt Baucisque preces timidusque Philemon et veniam dapibus nullisque paratibus orant.’

‘astonished by the strangeness, they fear and with hands facing upwards both Baucis and fearful Philemon form prayers and beg for pardon for the feast and for the lack of preparations’.

Translate: ‘unicus anser erat, minimae custodia villae, quem dis hospitibus domini mactare parabant;’

There was a single goose, the guardian of the very little house, which the masters were preparing to kill for the gods their guests;

Translate: ‘ille celer penna tardos aetate fatigat eluditque diu tandemque est visus ad ipsos confugisse deos’.

It, quick with its wings, tired them out [as they were] slow with age and eluded them for a long time, and at last seemed to have fled for refuge to the gods themselves.

Translate: superi vetuere necari ‘di’ que sumus, meritasque luet vicinia poenas impia’ dixerunt; ‘vobis immunibus huius esse mali dabitur.

The gods forbade [it] to be killed and they said ‘we are gods, the irreligious neighbourhood will pay the penalty it deserves. It will be given it you to be exempt from this evil.

Translate: ‘modo vestra relinquite tecta ac nostros comitate gradus et in ardua montis ite simul’.

Only leave your house and accompany our steps and go together with us into the steep parts of the mountain.

Comment on line 36-37.

• The structural emphasis on the miracle of the mixing bowl refilling itself and the wine increasing without any interference is achieved through the chiasmus ‘cratera repleri…succrescere vina’ and the juxtaposition of synonymous phrases ‘sponte sua per seque’, both serving to highlight Baucis and Philemon’s incredulity; this is further underlined by the sibilant soundscape of ‘sponte sua…seque...succrescere’, creating onomatopoeia which mirrors the minute sensory detail of the wine’s effervescence, elevating the tangibility of the supernatural scene.

Comment on lines 38-41.

• The dental ‘t’ alliteration and the word stress falling on the roots ‘ton’ and ‘nov’ in ‘attoniti novitate’ emphasise the strangeness of the event, shocking Baucis and Philemon to the extent the experience can be implicitly compared to being struck by lightning.

• The semantic field of astonishment is further stressed by the verb ‘pavent’ and adjective ‘timidus’ on successive lines, both of which denote fear and overwhelm in the imposing presence of the gods.

• The noun ‘dapibus’ (‘feast’) is employed ironically instead of relatively nondescript synonyms such as ‘cibus’ or ‘cena’ in order to emphasise the contrary reality of the scanty meal, as one would not have to ‘pray for pardon’ (‘veniam…orant’) if a rich and copious banquet was earnestly presented, thus highlighting Baucis and Philemon’s mortification as a result of learning they had unknowingly served such paltry fare to the great Olympians. On the other hand, ‘dapibus’ can be seen as a genuine emphasis of Baucis and Philemon’s meticulous efforts which compensate for any of the meal’s material deficiencies: instead, the gods enjoy a metaphorical ‘feast’ of hospitality.

Comment on lines 41-42.

• The emphatic position of ‘unicus’ emphasises Baucis and Philemon’s poverty in that they were only able to afford one goose to protect their home— an animal which was commonly positioned as guardians (‘custodia’) of households in the Roman world— the most famous of which being the sacred geese of the of Capitoline Hill which alerted the Roman guards to the incoming invasion of the Gauls. This allusion to legend not only demonstrates Ovid’s learning (‘doctrina’), but also further serves as an ironic contrast to the base reality of Baucis and Philemon’s domestic circumstances, in that the goose which protects the household is neither in formidable numbers nor belongs to a goddess’ temple but rather a lowly cottage. Thus, despite the goose being an accessory to the household, the ill-equipped nature of the home is not mitigated, but continues to be accentuated by its description.

• Underlined by the ‘ae’ assonance, the oxymoronic juxtaposition of the superlative ‘minimae’ and noun ‘villae’ (usually suggesting a grand house or country estate) echoes the previous use of ‘dapibus’, in that the contrary reality of the cottage’s smallness, and, by extension, Baucis and Philemon’s poverty is inversely emphasised.

• The reference to Baucis and Philemon as ‘domini’ (masters) is another ironic addition, as masters are the heads of households, of which slaves were often included; however, it has previously been revealed that their household consists of no such members to be ‘masters’ of!

Comment on lines 43-45.

• The juxtaposition of ‘diu tandemque’, both words suggesting a considerable length of time, emphasises the desperation of Baucis and Philemon to appease the Gods, the futility of the chase regardless, and the fraility of Baucis and Philemon due to their old age (‘tardos aetate').

• The elision of ‘tandemque est’ quickens the cadence of the line, mirroring the hastiness of the action.

• The pronoun ‘ipsos’ is not only an emphatic pronoun, but is placed in the emphatic position at the end of the line, thus highlighting the stateliness and intimidation of the gods.

Comment on lines 45-48.

• The juxtaposition of synonyms ‘deos’ and ‘superi’ at the end of one clause and at the start of another reinforces the indisputable gravity of the gods’ authority; this is further emphasised by the contrast in length between the clauses which describe Baucis and Philemon’s chasing of the goose and the gods’ command for it to be spared, demonstrating the immensity of divine power — as well as the relative powerlessness of humans— in that the former is able to be concentrated and effectively communicated in just three, measured words.

• The direct speech emphasises the divine magnitude of the scene, as this is the first time both the reader as well as Baucis and Philemon is exposed to the voice of the gods themselves, emphasised by the solemn isolation of the first dental, monosyllabic utterance ‘di’ (‘gods’), confirming with certainty that the humble Baucis and Philemon were hosting more than just regular guests.

• On the other hand, the emphatic position of ‘meritas’ at the outset of a new clause as well as the ‘-as’ assonance of ‘meritas…poenas’ emphasises the gods’ capacity to be ruthless, foreshadowing the ‘punishment’ inflicted on the rest of the village following their inhospitality. The severity of the gods is further highlighted by the enjambed ‘impia’, suggesting a bitter moral condemnation of the other villagers in direct juxtaposition with the manner in which Baucis and Philemon are repeatedly characterised (that is, ‘pia’ — pious).

• Moreover, when the gods’ use of high-modality future tense ‘luet’ (‘will pay’) and the passive ‘dabitur’ (‘will be given’) is taken together with the declarative nature of the statements, this creates a foreboding, almost prophetic tone: the gods have already dictated both the fate of Baucis and Philemon, as well as the impious villagers who refused their reception.

Comment on lines 48-50.

• The parallelism of each command ending in an imperative serves to emphasise the gods’ prerogative over Baucis and Philemon; nevertheless, the juxtaposition of ‘vestra’ and ‘nostros’ (‘your’ and ‘our’), creates a sense of vigilant providence, thus emphasising the overarching thematic message of the story — that measured by worldly standards, Baucis and Philemon are insignificant: they are poor, their physical faculties are in decline, and they have authority over none— not even their own house animals. However, the simple act of duly paying their respects to their divine superiors is enough to elevate them beyond their mortal peers and grant them the highest honour of God-given salvation from the devastation warranted by their wrath.

Translate: ‘parent ambo baculisque levati nituntur longo vestigia ponere clivo.’

‘Both obey and, supported by their sticks, they strive to place their footsteps on the long slope.’

Translate: ‘tantum aberant summo, quantum semel ire sagitta missa potest';’

‘They were as far away from the top as an arrow, once discharged, can go.’

Translate: ‘flexere oculos et mersa palude cetera prospiciunt, tantum sua tecta manere.’

‘They turned their eyes and see the rest [of the village] submerged in the marsh, only their own roof remained.'

Translate: ‘dumque ea mirantur, dum deflent fata suorum, illa vetus dominis etiam casa parva duobus vertitur in templum’

‘And while they are marvelling at these things, while they weep for the rates of their own [friends], that old house, small even for its two masters, is turned into a temple,’

Translate: ‘furcas subiere columnae, stramina flavescunt aurataque tecta videntur caelataeque fores adopertaque marmore tellus.’

‘columns replace the poles, the thatch becomes yellow and the roof is seen to be golden and the doors engraved and the ground covered in marble.’

Translate: ‘talia tum placido Saturnius edidit ore: “dicite, iuste senex et femina coniuge iusto digna, quid optetis.’”’

‘Then the son of Saturn uttered such words with a calm expression: “honest old man and woman worthy of an honest husband, speak what you desire”.’

Translate: ‘cum Baucide pauca locutus iudicium superis aperit commune Philemon:’

‘Having spoken briefly with Baucis, Philemon reveals the joint decision to the gods:’

Comment on lines 50-51.

• The emphatic position of ‘parent’ at the outset of the line emphasises the pious nature of Baucis and Philemon as well as reinforcing the didactic message of the importance of reverence towards the gods.

• The internal rhyme between ‘longo’ and ‘clivo’ places emphasis on the compounding factors which contribute to the task’s difficulty: not only is Baucis and Philemon established to be in a state of physical decline as a result of old age (‘baculis…levati’), the terrain itself is hostile and uninviting, therefore serving to further accentuate Baucis and Philemon’s piety regardless of the challenge. The fact that these two factors surround the verb ‘nituntur’ (‘strive’) powerfully suggests the effortful nature of the climb, highlighted by the three successive spondees in line 51 which slow the line’s cadence much akin to the laboured movement of Baucis and Philemon.

Comment on lines 52-54.

• The accusatives of extent ‘tantum’ and ‘quantum’ uses a simile to compare Baucis and Philemon’s progress to the limited trajectory of a discharged arrow; this serves not only to reemphasise the seemingly interminable difficulty of the climb, as in comparing Baucis and Philemon to a flimsy and breakable arrow, their mortal frailty, and, by extension, their piety, is further demonstrated as the former fails to deter them from fulfilling their obligations.

• The idea of a flood symbolising the gods’ wrath echoes stories throughout Greek mythology, including that which destroyed all of humanity except for Deucalion and Pyrrha. Through this description, therefore, Ovid both demonstrates his learning (‘doctrina’) while emphasising the magnitude of the destruction, imbuing the scene with cataclysmic, almost apocalyptic terror.

Comment on lines 55-56.

• The emphatic position of the adjective ‘suorum’ at the end of the line where nouns and verbs are usually positioned emphasises Baucis and Philemon’s horror and grief at the sight of their fellow villagers annihilated— this not only further highlights the gods’ capacity to be merciless, but accentuates the extent to which the virtuous Baucis and Philemon are willing to extend their compassion to those who are flawed even by their impiety (‘impia’). Their sense of overwhelm is reinforced by the anaphora of ‘dum’ in ‘dumque…dum’ across the incisive window of two neighbouring clauses; the dental consonants and sense of the repeated words (‘while’) creates a feeling of temporal suspension as if the divine phenomena all occur in synchrony, suggesting the gods’ power is so absolute as to transcend all natural law, including the linear passage of time.

• The recurring irony of ‘dominis’ is juxtaposed with ‘casa parva’, serving the dual purpose of reminding the reader of Baucis and Philemon’s poverty, in that their home was too small even for two people, as well as to set up for the dramatic subversion that will be the following description of the house’s lavishly transformed state.

Comment on lines 57-59.

• The emphatic position of ‘vertitus’ not only inaugurates the series of transformations about to take place, but also echoes the central theme of Ovid’s work, the Metamorphoses, at large.

• The asyndetic listing of transformations emphasises both the gods’ power as well as suggesting the apogee of Baucis and Philemon’s amazement and wonder; this is further highlighted by the homoioteleuton of ‘-taque’ in parallel positions across two lines, which, when compounded by the dental consonance, creates a sense of awe-filled grandeur.

• The semantic field of materials (‘stramina’, ‘aurata’, ‘marmore’) further invigorates the imagery of resplendence and luxury.

Comment on lines 60-62.

• The use of ‘Saturnius’ (‘Son of Saturn’) emphasises Ovid’s learning (‘doctrina’) of mythological lineages while contributing to the stately tone.

• Ovid re-enters direct speech, where the use of imperatives in the gods’ previous commands is echoed by the opening ‘dicite’, once again reasserting the gods’ formidable authority.

• The chiastic arrangement of the noun-adjective pairs ‘iuste senex’ and femina…digna’ creates a sense of robust certainty in the sincere virtue of Baucis and Philemon, whereas their honesty is emphasised by the polyptoton ‘iuste…iusto’.

Comment on line 63.

• The use of ‘commune’ (‘joint’) stands as further proof of Baucis and Philemon’s harmony, echoing the previous sentiments of their togetherness (e.g. ‘iuncti iuvenalibus’).

Translate: ‘“esse sacerdotes delubraque vestra tueri poscimus, et quoniam concordes egimus annos,’

‘We ask to be priests and to guard your shrine, and since we have spent years in harmony,

Translate: ‘auferat hora duos eadem, nec conuigis umquam busta meae videam neu sim tumulandus ab illa.”’

…may the same hour carry off the two of us, so that never shall I see the grave of my wife nor need to be buried by her.

Translate: ‘vota fides sequitur; templi tutela fuere, donec vita data est.’

Fulfilment followed their prayers, they were the guardian of the temple as long as life was given.

Translate: ‘annis aevoque soluti ante gradus sacros cum starent forte locique narrarent casus,’

When weakened by years and time, they were standing by chance in front of the sacred steps and telling the events of the place,

Translate: ‘frondere Philemona Baucis, Baucida conspexit senior frondere Philemon.’

Baucis [caught sight of] Philemon sprouting leaves, aged Philemon caught sight of Baucis sprouting leaves.

Translate: ‘iamque super geminos crescente cacumine vultus mutua, dum licuit, reddebant dicta’

And now with a treetop growing over their two faces, they were exchanging mutual words while they could,

Translate: ‘“vale” que “o oniunx” dixere simul, simul abdita texit ora frutex.’

…and at the same time said: ‘goodbye, oh spouse’, at the same time a shrub hid and covered their faces.

Comment on lines 64-65.

• The structural orderliness of the noun-verb chiasmus ‘esse sacerdotes delubra…tueri’ creates a sense of considered deliberation, in that Baucis and Philemon have made peace with their mortality, while the emphatic placement of the infinitive verbs highlights their enduring presence in the temple, first as its guardians, and then as the trees which surround it.

• The use of first person plural verbs ‘poscimus’ and ‘egimus’, as well as the adjective ‘concordes’ emphasises Baucis and Philemon’s harmony and togetherness.

• The poetic plural ‘delubra’ emphasises the significance of the temple as a place of divine worship, while the use of optative subjunctive (‘auferat…videam…sim’) creates an imploring tone: taken together, this serves to accentuate the piety which merited Baucis and Philemon’s salvation from the gods’ wrath.

Comment on lines 66-67.

• The emphatic, end position of ‘nec…umquam’ which encloses ‘conuigis’ highlights the extent of Baucis and Philemon’s sincere and profound love for one another, as this even leads to the complete disfavour of life alone (depicted as an emotional burden by the gerundive of obligation ‘tumulandus’) over death itself. This is further suggested by the use of poetic plural in ‘busta’, where a single grave is magnified into a graveyard by Philemon’s imagined grief.

Comment on lines 68-69.

• The short but definitive clause, ‘vota fides sequitur’, demonstrates the facility of their wishes’ fulfilment by the omnipotent gods; the chiastic pattern of ‘t’ and ‘f’ alliteration across the whole line emphasises the efficacious realisation of Baucis and Philemon’s prayers.

• The polyptoton ‘tutela’ echoing the former use of ‘tueri’ serves to emphasise the gods’ attentiveness of Philemon’s request: just like the word reappears verbatim, Baucis and Philemon’s wishes were fulfilled to the exact extent they were originally delineated. Moreover, this serves to highlight Baucis and Philemon’s role as guardians of the temple, and, by extension, their unwavering piety into even older age as well as after life itself.

Comment on lines 69-71.

• The extended passage of time Baucis and Philemon spend as guardians of the temple is emphasised by the alliterative pair of nouns ‘annis aevo’ (‘by years and time’); this sense of continuity is mirrored in form by the long sentence of which the phrase occupies the outset, as well as the repetition of ‘-que’ in ‘aevoque…locique’, and the repeated use of the imperfect tense in the subjunctive (‘starent…narrarent’). Overall, the reader is made to feel as though Baucis and Philemon have experienced the full, unhurried course of their lives, rendering the approach of its natural end one of bittersweet contentment.

Comment on lines 71-72.

• Here, the entangled chiastic syntax enhances the vivid imagery of Baucis and Philemon’s burgeoning arboreal entanglement, while the exchange of nominative and Greek accusative cases (‘Philemona Baucis’ to ‘Baucida…Philemon’) not only alludes to the scene’s mythological origins but mirrors the very nature of their transformation. This sense of transcendent unity is further emphasised by the sharing of the verb ‘conspexit’ and the repetition of the infinitive verb ‘frondere’, where Baucis and Philemon’s established spiritual togetherness is elevated beyond metaphor into an absolute, physical togetherness.

Comment on lines 73-74.

• The chiastic arrangement of ‘geminos crescente cacumine vultus’ mirrors the way Baucis and Philemon are increasingly enclosed by the growing treetop; this kinaesthetic imagery is further animated by the ‘c’ consonance in ‘crescente cacumine’, creating a susurrous soundscape which imitates the gentle rustling of Baucis and Philemon’s newly-sprouted leaves. Once again, their togetherness is emphasised by the use of ‘geminos’ (variation on the previous ‘duos’) and ‘mutua’; their existences are now so entwined as to have achieved ‘twin’-like indistinguishability.

Comment on 74-76.

• The singular form of ‘spouse’ (‘coniunx’) consolidates Baucis and Philemon’s unity while the anadiplosis of ‘simul, simul’ emphasises that the metamorphosis takes place while they are still speaking; here, Ovid re-enters into direct speech one final time: instead of centring the mighty voice of the gods, however, the reader is made privy to the tender, pithy exchange between the two old lovers before they evanesce into inanimate eternity.