Original Text
The Creation
Ante mare et terrās et quod tegit omnia caelum 5
ūnus erat tōtō nātūrae vultus in orbe,
quem dīxēre chaos: rudis indigestaque mōlēs
nec quidquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eōdem
nōn bene iūnctārum discordia sēmina rērum.
nūllus adhūc mundō praebēbat lūmina Tītān, 10
nec nova crēscendō reparābat cornua Phoebē,
nec circumfūsō pendēbat in āere tellūs
ponderibus lībrātā suīs, nec bracchia longō
margine terrārum porrēxerat Amphītrītē;
utque erat et tellūs īllīc et pontus et āēr, 15
sīc erat īnstabilis tellūs, innābilis unda,
lūcis egēns āēr; nūllī sua fōrma manēbat,
obstābatque aliīs aliud, quia corpore in ūnō
frīgida pugnābant calidīs, ūmentia siccīs,
mollia cum dūrīs, sine pondere, habentia pondus. 20
Hanc deus et melior lītem nātūra dirēmit.
nam caelō terrās et terrīs abscidit undās
et liquidum spissō sēcrēvit ab āere caelum.
quae postquam ēvolvit caecōque exēmit acervō,
dissociāta locīs concordī pāce ligāvit: 25
-break-
Vix ita līmitibus dissaepserat omnia certīs,
cum, quae pressa diū fuerant cālīgine caecā, 70
sīdera coepērunt tōtō effervēscere caelō;
neu regiō foret ūlla suīs animālibus orba,
astra tenent caeleste solum fōrmaeque deōrum,
cessērunt nitidīs habitandae piscibus undae,
terra ferās cēpit, volucrēs agitābilis āēr. 75
Sānctius hīs animal mentisque capācius altae
dēerat adhūc et quod dominārī in cētera posset:
nātus homō est, sīve hunc dīvīnō sēmine fēcit
ille opifex rērum, mundī meliōris orīgō,
sīve recēns tellūs sēductaque nūper ab altō 80
aethere cognātī retinēbat sēmina caelī.
quam satus Īapetō, mixtam pluviālibus undīs,
fīnxit in effigiem moderāntum cūncta deōrum,
prōnaque cum spectent animālia cētera terram,
ōs hominī sublīme dedit caelumque vidēre 85
iussit et ērēctōs ad sīdera tollere vultūs:
sīc, modo quae fuerat rudis et sine imāgine, tellūs
induit ignōtās hominum conversa figūrās.
(6) Vultus, vultus m. - appearance
(6) “Unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe” - what poetic device does Ovid use here?
(7) “Dixere”is 3rd person, plural. How does this change the story?
(7) Rudis, rudis, rude - rough, wild
(9) Seminis n. - seed, beginning
(9) Why does Ovid use “semina” to describe “discordia”? What poetic device is this?
(10) Praebeo, praebere, praebui, praebitus - expose, put forward
(11) Cresco, crescere, crevi, cretus - come forth, arise
(11) Phoebe, daughter of Uranus and Gaea, is often mistaken as the goddess of the Moon. She is actually the goddess of prophetic radiance.
(14) Margine, marginis f. - edge, border
(14) Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon, was the goddess and queen of the sea. She is often depicted as the female personification of the ocean itself.
(15) “Utque erat et tellus illic et pontus et aer” - What poetic device is used here, and how does it help tell the story?
(16) Innabilis, innabilis, innabile - that cannot be swum
(16) “Erat instabilis tellus” - How does this early instability reflect our modern narrative of the earth’s creation?
(16) “Innabilis unda” - Why do you think Ovid judges water’s stability based on its usefulness to humans?
(17) “Nulli sua forma manebat” - How does this set up The Metamorphoses?
(19) Siccus, sicca, siccum - dry
(23) “...liquidum spisso secrevit ab aere caelum” - why might a roman believe this to be true?
(21) Lis, litis f. - quarrel
(23) Spissus, -a, -um - thick, dense, crowded
(25) Concors, concordis - harmonious, like-minded
(25) “Dissociata locis concordi pace ligavit” - How might this be a commentary on politics and humans in general?
(70) Caligo, caliginis f. - mist, gloom, darkness
(74) Nitidus, -a, -um - shining, glimmering, bright
(75) Agitabilis, agitabilis, agitabile - mobile, agile
(74-75) - Why would Ovid pay special attention to the stars, fish, and birds? What significance do they have in common?
(76) Capax, capacis - large, roomy
(79) Opifex, opificis m. - workman
(80) “Ab alto aethere” - What poetic device is this?
(85) Sublimis, -e - high, lofty
(88) Induo, induere, indui, indutus - put on, cover