LectitōOpen the reader

Lectitō › Ovid › Metamorphoses, Book 15 › Metamorphoses 15.450–478

Ovid · Metamorphoses XV

Metamorphoses 15.450–478

Pythagoras ends his teaching

English onlyRead it word by word

Met. 15.450Haec Helenum cecinisse penātigerō Aenēae
mente memor referō, cognātaque moenia laetor
crēscere et ūtiliter Phrygibus vīcisse Pelasgōs.
That Helenus sang this to Aeneas, bearer of the household gods, I recall with a mindful heart, and I rejoice that kindred walls are growing, and that the Pelasgians conquered to the Phrygians' advantage.
Met. 15.453Nē tamen oblītīs ad mētam tendere longē
exspatiēmur equīs, caelum et quodcumque sub illō est,
455inmūtat fōrmās tellūsque et quidquid in illā est:
nōs quoque, pars mundī, quoniam nōn corpora sōlum,
vērum etiam volucrēs animae sumus inque ferīnās
possumus īre domōs pecudumque in corpora condī,
corpora, quae possunt animās habuisse parentum
460aut frātrum aut aliquō iūnctōrum foedere nōbīs
aut hominum certē, tūta esse et honesta sināmus
nēve Thyestēīs cumulēmus viscera mēnsīs!
But lest we stray far afield with horses that forget to make for the goal, the sky and whatever is under it changes its forms, and so does the earth and whatever is in it: we too, a part of the world, since we are not only bodies but also winged souls, and can pass into the dwellings of wild beasts and be lodged in the bodies of cattle, let us allow bodies that may have held the souls of our parents or brothers or of those joined to us by some bond, or at least of men, to be safe and respected, and let us not stuff our insides with Thyestean banquets!

Met. 15.463Quam male cōnsuēscit, quam sē parat ille cruōrī
impius hūmānō, vitulī quī guttura cultrō
465rumpit et inmōtās praebet mūgītibus aurēs,
aut quī vāgītūs similēs puerīlibus haedum
ēdentem iugulāre potest, aut ālite vēscī,
cui dedit ipse cibōs!
How badly he trains himself, how impiously he prepares himself for human blood, who cuts the calf's throat with the knife and offers unmoved ears to its lowing, or who can slaughter a kid that utters cries like a child's, or feed on a bird to which he himself has given food!
Met. 15.468Quantum est, quod dēsit in istīs
ad plēnum facinus?
How much is lacking in these acts from complete crime?
Met. 15.469Quō trānsitus inde parātur?To what is the way being prepared from there? Met. 15.470Bōs aret aut mortem seniōribus imputet annīs,
horriferum contrā boreān ovis arma ministret,
ūbera dent saturae manibus pressanda capellae!
Let the ox plough, or owe its death to the years of old age, let the sheep furnish arms against the shuddering north wind, let the well-fed she-goats give their udders to be pressed by hands!
Met. 15.473Rētia cum pedicīs laqueōsque artēsque dolōsās
tollite nec volucrem viscātā fallite virgā,
475nec formīdātīs cervōs inclūdite pennīs,
nec cēlāte cibīs uncōs fallācibus hāmōs!
Away with nets and traps and nooses and deceitful arts; do not trick the bird with the limed twig, nor hem in deer with dreaded feathers, nor hide barbed hooks in deceptive food!

Met. 15.477Perdite, sīqua nocent, vērum haec quoque perdite tantum:
ōra vacent epulīs alimentaque mītia carpant!"
Destroy whatever does harm, but even these only destroy: let your mouths abstain from such feasts and take gentle nourishment!'

Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō

Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×1, gerunds and gerundives ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (149 words)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
canō, -ere, cecinī, cantussing; of a trumpet: sound (receptuī canere: sound the retreat)
penātiger, -gera, -gerumcarrying the household gods (of Aeneas)
mēns, mentis f.mind, spirit
memor, -orismindful, remembering (+ gen.)
referō, referre, rettulī, relātusbring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia
cognātus, -ī m.kinsman, relative
que, enclitic conj.and
moenia, -ium, n. plur.walls
laetor, -ārī, -ātus sumrejoice, be glad
crēscō, -ere, crēvī, crētumgrow, rise (in power)
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
ūtiliter (adv.)usefully, profitably, to advantage
vincō, -ere, vīcī, victumconquer, defeat
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
oblīvīscor, -līvīscī, -lītusforget
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
mēta, -ae f.turning-post; goal, end point
tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentumstretch out; hold out
longē, adv.far
exspatior, -ārī, -ātus sumstray from the course, wander off
equus, -ī, m.horse
caelum, -ī, n.heaven, sky
quīcumque, quaecumque, quodcumquewhoever, whatever
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
immūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuschange, alter
fōrma, -ae, f.form, appearance; beauty
tellūs, -ūris f.earth, land (poetic)
quisquis, quidquid (quicquid)whoever, whatever
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
nōsplur. of ego
quoque, adv.also
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
mundus, -ī m.world, universe
quoniam, conj.since now, since
nōn, adv.not
corpus, corporis, n.body
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
vērum (conj.)but, but in fact; nōn modo ... vērum etiam: not only ... but also
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
volucris, -is, f.bird
anima, -ae, f.breath, soul, life
ferīna, -ae f.game, venison
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
domus, -ūs, f.house, home
pecus, pecudis, f.head of cattle, beast, sheep, goat
condō, -dere, -didī, -ditusput together, found; store away
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
parēns, -entis m./f.parent
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
frāter, frātris, m.brother
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.some, any
iungō, iungere, iūnxī, iūnctusjoin; yoke, harness
foedus, -eris n.treaty, alliance
homō, hominis, m.man
certē (adv.)certainly, surely; at any rate
tūtus, -a, -umsafe
honestus, -a, -umrespected, honourable
sinō, -ere, sīvī, situsallow, permit, let
nēve or neu, conj.and that not, and not, nor
Thyestēus, -a, -umof Thyestes, who was fed his own sons
cumulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusheap up; crown, cap (one deed with another)
viscus, -eris n. (usu. pl. viscera)inner organs, vitals; the heart, the core
mēnsa, -ae f.table
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
male, adv.badly, ill
cōnsuēscō, -suēscere, -suēvī, -suētusbecome accustomed; in tenses of completed action, have become accustomed, be accustomed or wont
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
cruor, -ōris m.blood (shed), gore
impius, -a, -umwicked, impious
hūmānus, -a, -umof man, human
vitulus, -ī m.bull calf, young bullock; (Vulgate) the golden calf
guttur, -uris n.throat
culter, cultrī, m.knife
rumpō, rumpere, rūpī, ruptusbreak, burst
immōtus, -a, -umunmoved, unchanging
praebeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushold forth, supply, furnish, give; show, present, exhibit
mūgītus, -ūs, m.lowing, bellowing
auris, -is, f.ear
vāgītus, -ūs m.crying, wailing (of a baby)
similis, -elike, similar (vērī similis: likely)
puerīlis, -eof a boy, of childhood
haedus, -ī m.young goat, kid
ēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusput forth, give out, utter
iugulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscut the throat of, murder
āles, ālitis m./f.bird (especially a bird of omen)
vēscor, -īfeed on, eat
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
cibus, -ī, m.food
quantus, -a, -umhow great or much?
dēsum, deesse, dēfuībe lacking, fail
iste, ista, istud, dem. pron.that of yours, that
plēnus, -a, -umfull
facinus, facinoris, n.deed, crime
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
trānsitus, -ūs m.crossing, passage
inde (adv.)from there; then
bōs, bovis, gen. plur. boum, dat. and abl. plur. bōbus, m. and f.ox, bull, cow
arō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusplow
mors, mortīs, f.death
senex, senis, m.old man
imputō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscharge to someone's account; claim credit for (a favour)
annus, -ī, m.year
horrifer, -era, -erumdreadful, terrifying; bristling, freezing
contrā, prep, with acc.against, contrary to
ovis, -is, f.sheep
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
ministrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumserve, wait on (+ dat.)
ūber, -eris n.teat, breast
satur, -ura, -urumfull, well-fed, sated; rich, deep (of colour)
manus, -ūs, f.hand
pressō, -ārepress; squeeze, milk (udders)
capella, -ae f.she-goat, little goat
rēte, -is n.net
cum, prep, with abl.with
pedica, -ae f.a snare for the feet, fetter
laqueus, -ī, m.noose
ars, artis, f.art
dolōsus, -a, -umcrafty, deceitful, cunning
tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātuslift, raise; take away, remove; ancorās tollere, to weigh anchor
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
viscātus, -a, -umsmeared with birdlime
fallō, fallere, fefellī, falsusdeceive
virga, -ae f.rod, stick, staff
formīdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbe afraid, dread
cervus, -ī, m.stag
inclūdō, -clūdere, -clūsī, -clūsusshut up in, inclose, imprison
penna, -ae f.feather; (pl.) wings
cēlō, -āre, -āvī, -ātushide, conceal
uncus, -a, -umhooked
fallāx, -ācisdeceitful, treacherous
hāmus, -ī m.hook, barb
perdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusdestroy, ruin; lose, waste
sī quis, sī qua, sī quidif anyone, if any (sī + the indefinite quis)
noceō, -ēre, nocuī, nocitum (+ dat.)harm, hurt
tantum, adv.so much or far, only
ōs, ōris, n.mouth
vacō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumbe empty, be unoccupied
epulae, -ārum f. pl.feast, banquet
alimentum, -ī n.food, nourishment
mītis, -emild, gentle (adv. mītissimē: as gently as possible)
carpō, -ere, -sī, -tuspluck
Ovid, Metamorphoses XV. Latin text: H. Magnus, Die Metamorphosen des P. Ovidius Naso (Gotha, 1892), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.