GCSE Latin: Ovid: Alcyone fears for her husband, Ceyx who has to go on a journey

Latin

consilii tamen ante sui, fidissima, certam
te facit, Alycyone; cui protinus intima frigus
ossa receperune, buxoque simillimus ora
pallor orbit, lacrimisque genae maduere profusis.
ter conata loque, ter fletibus ora rigavit,
singultuque pias interrumpente querellas
'quae mea culpa tuam' dixit 'carissime, mentem
verdit? ubi est, quae cura mei prior esse solebat?
iam potes Alcyone securus abesse relicta?
iam cia longa placet? iam sub tibi carior absens?
aequora me terrent et ponti tristis imago!
et laceras nuper tabulas in litore vidi,
et saepe in tumulis sine corpore nomina legi.
quoe tua si fleci precibus sententia nullis,
care, potest, coniunx, nimiumque es certus eundi,
me quoque tolle simul! certe iactabimur una,
nec, nisi quae patiar, metuam; pariterque feremus,
quidquid erit, pariter super aequora lara feremur.

English

But he [Ceyx] informs you in advance,
Ever-trusting Alcyone, of his plan;
At once a cold shiver ran through her,
A pallor just like boxwood spread over her lips,
and her cheeks were made wet with a flood of tears.
Three times she tried to speak, three times she soakes her lips with tears,
and whils sobbing broke up her heartfelt longings she said:
"Which fault of mine, my darling, changed your heart?
The care for me which used to be there before - where is it?
Could you have abandoned Alcyone and now be away without worry?
Do you now like the long journey? Am I more special to you now when I'm not there?
The waves and the dread vision of the sear terrify me!
Lately I have seen planks shattered on the short,
And also read the names on the tombs with no body.
But if your intention, dear husband, cannot be swayed by any pleas,
And you are so very certain of going - take me with you too!
No doubt we shall be thrown about together, and I shall fear only what I suffer;
Whatever will be, we shall bear it equally,
We shall be borne alike over the broad seas."

Notes

The second line consists entirely of dactyls. Lines 13 and 14 are very well orderd in the Latin.

Metre

All lines are hexameters. This means there are six feet in each line. The line is broken in the middle, which reflects the mood of Alcyone.

Suggested Exam Questions

- consilii ... sui (line 1). Whose plan is this, and what is it?
- From lines 2-4 give two descriptions in Englihs of Alcyone's reaction to being informed of the plan.
- What do lines 5-6 tell us about how Alcyone sounded when she spoke?
- Translate lines 7-10
- Give three details from line 11-13 of the vision which Alcyone claims to have had
- me quoque tolle simul! (line 16). Explain why Alcyone makes this demand.

Sound

6,7 interrumpente querellas... "dwelling" on double consonants, assonance of u, e. (l.6) and alliteration of m (l.7) -> brokenness of Alcyone's speech.
7-10 stream of rhetorical questions, becoming increasingly intense and personal -> self pity?; iam...iam...iam (ll.9-10) -> gasping
15, 17 frequent puctuation -> "choppiness" of speech due to emotion
17, 18 patiar/pariter, feremus/feremur -> verbal tricks bind the lines together, so underscoring Alcyone's wish to be together with Ceyx

Choice of words

2, 9 Alcyone -> personalises the scene
16, 18 iactabimur...feremur: passives -> Alcyone and Ceyx area at the mercy of greater forces