99. alumno: alumnus, foster son.
100. optandi…arbitrium (101): INTERLOCKED WORD ORDER, with optandi modifying muneris, of choosing a gift.
fecit: with arbitrium (power, opportunity), = made available, granted.
101. altore: altor, foster father.
102. usurus: the fut. partic. here has the force of destined to….
effice…vertatur (103): sc. ut.
103. fulvum: yellow.
104. solvit: solvere, to loosen, free, grant.
105. Liber: an early Italian god of fertility and vegetation who came to be associated with Bacchus.
quod…petisset: SUBJUNCT. OF QUOTED REASON.
106. Berecyntius: Berecyntian = Phrygian; Mount Berecyntus in Phrygia was sacred to the fertility goddess Cybele, who in some accounts was mother of Midas.
107. polliciti: pollicitum, promise.
108. vix…credens: i.e., that he had the power granted to him.
fronde: frons,leaf, leafy bough.
virentem: virere,to be green.
Midas’ excitement is followed by disillusionment and agony.
“Silenus” Jusepe de Ribera 17th century Museo del Prado Madrid, Spain
Scala/Art Resource, NY.
Laetus abit gaudetque malo Berecyntius heros, pollicitique fidem tangendo singula temptat, vixque sibi credens non alta fronde virentem ilice detraxit virgam; virga aurea facta est. 110 Tollit humo saxum; saxum quoque palluit auro. Contigit et glaebam; contactu glaeba potenti massa fit. Arentis Cereris decerpsit aristas; aurea messis erat. Demptum tenet arbore pomum; Hesperidas donasse putes. Si postibus altis 115 admovit digitos, postes radiare videntur. Ille etiam liquidis palmas ubi laverat undis, unda fluens palmis Danaen eludere posset.
109. ilice: ilex, oak tree.
virgam: virga,twig, shoot; the following series of repeated forms of the same word (virgam/virga, saxum/saxum, glaebam/glaeba, postibus/postes, palmas/palmis, undis/unda), a favorite device of Ovid’s known as POLYPTOTON, focuses attention on the multiple transformations. The effect is amplified through CHIASMUS (virentem…virgam; virga aurea and palmas…undis, unda…palmis), and etymologizing wordplay (contigit…contactu).
111. glaebam: glaeba, clod, lump of soil.
112. massa: mass, lump (of gold).
arentis:dried up.
Cereris: by a common METONYMY = of wheat.
decerpsit: decerpere,to pluck.
aristas: arista,ear of grain.
113. messis: harvest.
demptum: demere,to take away, pluck.
114. Hesperidas: Hesperides, Hesperides, daughters of Hesperus (the evening star of the west), who tended a garden in which grew golden apples.
donasse: = donavisse; sc. id (pomum).
postibus: postis,post, doorpost, pl. = a door.
116. laverat: lavare, to wash, bathe.
117. Danaen: Greek acc. sg. of Danae; daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos, Danae was impregnated by Zeus in the form of a shower of golden rain and from the union gave birth to the hero Perseus.
118. animo capit: lit., seizes with his mind = realizes, comprehends.
fingens: fingere,to fashion, mold, imagine.
119. gaudenti: sc. ei.
ministri: minister,servant, attendant.
