77.1Hīs rēbus cognitīs Mēdēa rem aegrē tulit, et regnī cupiditāte adducta mortem rēgī per dolum īnferre cōnstituit.When she learned this, Medea was angry, and led on by desire for the kingdom she decided to bring about the king's death by a trick. 77.2Hōc cōnstitūtō ad fīliās rēgis vēnit atque ita locūta est: "Vidētis patrem vestrum aetāte iam esse cōnfectum neque ad labōrem regnandī perferendum satis valēre.Having decided this, she came to the king's daughters and spoke as follows: "You see that your father is already worn out with age and is not strong enough to bear the labor of ruling. 77.3Vultisne eum rūrsus iuvenem fierī?"Do you want him to become young again?"Note. Vultisne: -ne attached to the first word turns the sentence into a question. 77.4Tum fīliae rēgis ita respondērunt: "Num hoc fierī potest?Then the king's daughters answered: "Surely this cannot be done?Note. Num: introduces a question expecting the answer 'no'. 77.5Quis enim umquam ē sene iuvenis factus est?"For who ever was made a young man from an old one?" 77.6At Mēdēa respondit: "Mē medicīnae summam habēre scientiam scītis.But Medea replied: "You know that I have the greatest knowledge of medicine. 77.7Nunc igitur vōbīs dēmōnstrābō quō modō haec rēs fierī possit."So now I will show you how this thing can be done."
77.8Postquam fīnem loquendī fēcit, arietem aetāte iam cōnfectum interfēcit et membra eius in vāse aēneō posuit, atque ignī suppositō in aquam herbās quāsdam īnfūdit.After she had finished speaking, she killed a ram already worn out with age and put its limbs in a bronze pot, and lighting a fire underneath she poured certain herbs into the water.Note. ignī suppositō: ablative absolute, 'a fire being placed beneath'. 77.9Tum, dum aqua effervēsceret, carmen magicum cantābat.Then, while the water was boiling, she chanted a magic song. 77.10Mox ariēs ē vāse exsiluit et vīribus refectīs per agrōs currēbat.Soon the ram leapt out of the pot and, its strength restored, ran about the fields.