Humanitext Reader

Ovid · The Heroines §9.86-9.168

Hercules' Labors and Deianira's Resolve to Die

Passage 19 of 54 · Latin

Summary

Deianira contrasts Hercules' legendary heroic deeds with his current submission to Omphale, and upon learning of his imminent death from her poisoned tunic, she resolves to commit suicide and bids her family farewell.

§9.86Infantem caudis involuisse manum, §9.87Ut Tegeaeus aper cupressifero Erymantho §9.88Incubet et vasto pondere laedat humum. §9.89Non tibi Threiciis adfixa penatibus ora, §9.90Non hominum pingues caede tacentur equae; §9.91Prodigiumque triplex, armenti dives Hiberi §9.92Geryones, quamvis in tribus unus erat; §9.93Inque canes totidem trunco digestus ab uno §9.94Cerberos inplicitis angue minante comis; §9.95Quaeque redundabat fecundo vulnere serpens §9.96Fertilis et damnis dives ab ipsa suis; §9.97Quique inter laevumque latus laevumque lacertum §9.98Praegrave conpressa fauce pependit onus; §9.99Et male confisum pedibus formaque bimembri §9.100Pulsum Thessalicis agmen equestre iugis.
that as an infant you wrapped your hand in their coils; how the Tegean boar lies upon cypress-bearing Erymanthus and bruises the earth with its vast weight; The faces fixed to Thracian portals are not left unmentioned by you, nor the mares fat with the slaughter of men; and the triple monster, Geryon, rich in Iberian cattle, though he was but one in three bodies; and Cerberus, divided from a single trunk into as many dogs, his hair intertwined with threatening snakes; and the serpent that overflowed from her fertile wounds, fruitful and rich from her very losses; and that exceedingly heavy burden which hung compressed by the throat between your left side and left arm; and the equestrian host, ill-trusting in their feet and double-membered form, routed from the Thessalian heights.
§9.101Haec tu Sidonio potes insignitus amictu
Can you, adorned in a Sidonian cloak, say these things?
§9.102Dicere? non cultu lingua retenta silet?
Is your tongue not held back and silenced by your attire?
§9.103Se quoque nympha tuis ornavit Iardanis armis §9.104Et tulit a capto nota tropaea viro.
The Lydian nymph also adorned herself with your weapons, and carried off well-known trophies from her captive man.
§9.105I nunc, tolle animos et fortia gesta recense; §9.106Quo tu non esses, iure vir illa fuit.
Go now, lift up your spirit and recount your brave deeds; she was rightfully the man, since you were not.
§9.107Qua tanto minor es, quanto te, maxime rerum, §9.108Quam quos vicisti, vincere maius erat.
In this you are as much lesser than she, as it was a greater thing to conquer you, greatest of men, than for you to conquer those whom you defeated.
§9.109Illi procedit rerum mensura tuarum — §9.110Cede bonis; heres laudis amica tuae.
To her goes the measure of your deeds — yield your possessions; your mistress is the heir of your glory.
§9.111O pudor! hirsuti costis exuta leonis
O shame!
§9.112Aspera texerunt vellera molle latus!
The rough pelt stripped from the ribs of the shaggy lion covered her soft side!
§9.113Falleris et nescis — non sunt spolia illa leonis, §9.114Sed tua, tuque feri victor es, illa tui.
You are deceived and know it not — those are not the spoils of the lion, but yours; you are the victor of the wild beast, but she of you.
§9.115Femina tela tulit Lernaeis atra venenis, §9.116Ferre gravem lana vix satis apta colum, §9.117Instruxitque manum clava domitrice ferarum, §9.118Vidit et in speculo coniugis arma mei!
A woman carried weapons blackened with Lernaean poison, she who was scarcely fit to bear a distaff heavy with wool, and equipped her hand with the club that tames wild beasts, and saw in her mirror the armor of my husband!
§9.119Haec tamen audieram; licuit non credere famae, §9.120Et venit ad sensus mollis ab aure dolor — §9.121Ante meos oculos adducitur advena paelex, §9.122Nec mihi, quae patior, dissimulare licet!
Yet I had heard these things; I was permitted not to believe the rumor, and the pain came from my ear to my senses but gently — Now a foreign mistress is brought before my very eyes, nor am I allowed to dissimulate what I suffer!
§9.123Non sinis averti; mediam captiva per urbem §9.124Invitis oculis adspicienda venit.
You do not allow me to turn away; the captive woman comes through the middle of the city, to be gazed upon by unwilling eyes.
§9.125Nec venit incultis captarum more capillis, §9.126Fortunam vultu fassa decente suam; §9.127Ingreditur late lato spectabilis auro, §9.128Qualiter in Phrygia tu quoque cultus eras.
Nor does she come with unkempt hair in the manner of captive women, acknowledging her lot with a downcast face; She enters, widely conspicuous with broad gold, just as you too were adorned in Phrygia.
§9.129Dat vultum populo sublimis ut Hercule victo; §9.130Oechaliam vivo stare parente putes.
She looks down upon the people from on high, as if Hercules were conquered; you would think Oechalia was still standing, with her father alive.
§9.131Forsitan et pulsa Aetolide Deianira §9.132Nomine deposito paelicis uxor erit, §9.133Eurytidosque Ioles atque Aonii Alcidae §9.134Turpia famosus corpora iunget Hymen.
Perhaps, when the Aetolian Deianira is driven out, she will lay aside the name of mistress and become your wife, and ill-famed Hymen will join the shameful bodies of Eurytus' daughter Iole and Aonian Alcides.
§9.135Mens fugit admonitu, frigusque perambulat artus, §9.136Et iacet in gremio languida facta manus.
My mind flees at the thought, and a cold chill creeps through my limbs, and my hand lies limp in my lap.
§9.137Me quoque cum multis, sed me sine crimine amasti.
You loved me too along with many others, but me without crime.
§9.138Ne pigeat, pugnae bis tibi causa fui.
Do not regret it; twice I was the cause of battle for you.
§9.139Cornua flens legit ripis Achelous in udis §9.140Truncaque limosa tempora mersit aqua; §9.141Semivir occubuit in lotifero Eueno §9.142Nessus, et infecit sanguis equinus aquas.
Weeping on the wet banks, Achelous gathered up his horns and plunged his mutilated temples into the muddy water; The half-man Nessus fell in lotus-bearing Evenus, and his equine blood stained the waters.
§9.143Sed quid ego haec refero? scribenti nuntia venit
But why do I recount these things?
§9.144Fama, virum tunicae tabe perire meae.
As I write, a messenger rumor comes, that my husband is dying from the poison of my tunic.
§9.145Ei mihi! quid feci? quo me furor egit amantem?
Ah me! What have I done? Whither has love's madness driven me?
§9.146Inpia quid dubitas Deianira mori?
Impious Deianira, why do you hesitate to die?
§9.147An tuus in media coniunx lacerabitur Oeta, §9.148Tu sceleris tanti causa superstes eris?
Shall your husband be torn to pieces in the midst of Oeta, while you, the cause of so great a crime, survive?
§9.149Siquid adhuc habeo facti, cur Herculis uxor §9.150Credar, coniugii mors mea pignus erit!
If I still have any claim to be believed the wife of Hercules, my death will be the pledge of our marriage!
§9.151Tu quoque cognosces in me, Meleagre, sororem!
You too, Meleager, will recognize a sister in me!
§9.152Inpia quid dubitas Deianira mori?
Impious Deianira, why do you hesitate to die?
§9.153Heu devota domus! solio sedet Agrios alto;
Alas, doomed house!
§9.154Oenea desertum nuda senecta premit.
Agrius sits on the high throne; helpless old age oppresses the abandoned Oeneus.
§9.155Exulat ignotis Tydeus germanus in oris; §9.156Alter fatali vivus in igne situs; §9.157Exegit ferrum sua per praecordia mater.
My brother Tydeus is in exile on unknown shores; the other was placed alive in the fatal fire; Our mother drove the iron through her own breast.
§9.158Inpia quid dubitas Deianira mori?
Impious Deianira, why do you hesitate to die?
§9.159Deprecor hoc unum per iura sacerrima lecti, §9.160Ne videar fatis insidiata tuis.
I pray for this one thing by the most sacred rights of our marriage bed, that I may not seem to have plotted against your life.
§9.161Nessus, ut est avidum percussus harundine pectus, §9.162'Hic,' dixit, 'vires sanguis amoris habet. ' §9.163Inlita Nesseo misi tibi texta veneno.
Nessus, when his greedy breast was pierced by the arrow, said: 'This blood has the power of love.' I sent you a garment smeared with the poison of Nessus.
§9.164Inpia quid dubitas Deianira mori?
Impious Deianira, why do you hesitate to die?
§9.165Iamque vale, seniorque pater germanaque Gorge, §9.166Et patria et patriae frater adempte tuae, §9.167Et tu lux oculis hodierna novissima nostris, §9.168Virque — sed o possis! — et puer Hylle, vale!
And now farewell, elderly father and sister Gorge, and my country, and brother snatched away from your country, and you, today's light, the last to my eyes, and my husband — but oh, may you be able! — and my boy Hyllus, farewell!

Notes

  1. 9.86involuisse — This infinitive continues the accusative-and-infinitive construction from line 85, listing the heroic feats Hercules used to boast of before Omphale. The subject accusative 'te' is understood.
  2. 9.102retenta silet — The perfect passive participle 'retenta' (held back) agrees with the subject 'lingua' (tongue), which goes with the intransitive verb 'silet' (remains silent). 'cultu' is an ablative of cause/instrument referring to the effeminate attire.
  3. 9.108vincere maius erat — A comparative structure based on the correlatives 'tanto... quanto...' in line 107. The infinitive 'vincere' (to conquer) acts as the subject of 'maius erat', with 'te' (you) as its direct object, comparing it with 'quam quos vicisti' (than those whom you conquered).
  4. 9.144virum... perire — An accusative-with-infinitive clause (indirect statement) in apposition to or explanatory of 'Fama' in line 143. 'virum' is the subject accusative, and 'perire' is the infinitive.
  5. 9.168o possis — An independent parenthetical clause using the present subjunctive to express a wish (equivalent to 'utinam possis'). It reveals Deianira's tragic and lingering love, wishing against hope that Hercules might survive the poison.

Cite this passage

Ovid, The Heroines §9.86-9.168. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi002.humanitext-lat2:9.86-9.168

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