Ovid Project

What is this story about (Context)

In Liber VII of the Metamorphoses, Ovid retells the fable of the creation of the Myrmidon people. This section in the Metamorphoses follows the King of Crete, Minos, who is seeking revenge for the death of his son, Androgeus. Androgeus was murdered in Athens, and, for that, Minos is searching for allies to wage a war against Athens.

Ovid, while recounting the story of Minos’s pursuit for allies, also recounts the story of a great plague decimating the population of Aegina. The Prince of Aegina, Aeacus, survives this plague. Distressed by the loss of his people, Aeacus seeks his said-to-be father, Jupiter, for help. As Aeacus observes a tree, sacred to Jupiter, covered with many ants, he demands Jupiter to give him the same number of citizens as the number of ants on the tree. As Aeacus dozes off, he sees the tree shake off the ants vigorously. He observes the ants, now on the ground, turn into humans––the Myrmidons.

The tale then returns to Minos. After much defeat in securing allies, Minos turns toward Aegina for help. Not only is Minos turned down by Aeacus, but by the time that Minos arrives in Aegina, so does Cephalus, the ambassador of Athens. Aeacus recounts to both Minos and Cephalus the tragic plague that hit the people of Aegina, as well as the godly repopulation that he witnessed.

This website will specifically look at the scene in which Aeacus demands citizens from his father as well as the transformation of the ants into the Myrmidons.

"When Aegina Is Depopulated by a Plague King Aescus Asks Zeus to Turn the Ants into People."

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"aspiciō nōscōque: adeunt rēgemque salūtant"

"Solis, Virgil. Myrmidons; People from Ants for King Aeacus."

Latin Text

Take a look at the literal translation of the metamorphosis of the ants into people, as well as see notes and vocabulary and the original latin text with macrons.

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"Zeus Turns Ants into Men to Help Aeacus."

Rhetorical Analysis

A look at the way that Ovid depicts the main character, Aeacus, and the temperatement with which Aeacus talks to the gods. Aeacus's actions diverge from the Roman societal norm.

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Attonitus tantō miserarum turbine rērum,
"Iuppiter ō!" dīxī, "sī tē nōn falsa loquuntur
dicta sub amplexus Aegīnae Āsōpidōs isse,
nec tē, māgne pater, nostrī pudet esse parentem,
aut mihi redde meōs aut mē quoque conde sepulcrō!"
ille notam fulgōre dedit tonitrūque secundō.
"accipiō sintque ista precor felicia mentis
sīgna tuae!" dīxī, "quod dīs mihi, pīgneror ōmen."
forte fuit iūxtā patulis rārissima rāmīs
sacra Iovī quercus dē sēmine Dōdōnaeō;
hīc nōs frūgilegās aspēximus āgmine longō
grande onus exiguō formīcās ōre gerentēs
rūgōsōque suum servāntēs cortice callem;
dum numerum mīror, "totidem, pater optime," dīxī,
"tū mihi dā cīvēs et inānia moenia supple!"
intremuit rāmīsque sonum sine flāmine mōtīs
alta dedit quercus: pavidō mihi membra timōre
horruerant, stābantque comae; tamen ōscula terrae
rōboribusque dedī, nec mē spērāre fatēbar;
spērābam tamen atque animō mea vōta fovēbam.
nox subit, et cūrīs exercita corpora somnus
occupat: ante oculōs eadem mihi quercus adesse
et rāmōs totidem totidemque animālia rāmīs
ferre suīs visa est pariterque tremēscere mōtū
grāniferumque āgmen subiēctīs spargere in arvīs;
crēscere quod subitō māius māiusque vidētur
ac sē tollere humō rēctōque adsistere truncō
et maciem numerumque pedum nigrumque colōrem
pōnere et hūmānam membrīs indūcere fōrmam.
somnus abit: damnō vigilāns mea visa querorque
in superīs opis esse nihil; at in aedibus ingēns
murmur erat, vocēsque hominum exaudīre videbar
iam mihi dēsuētās; dum suspicor hās quoque somnī
esse, venit Telamon properus foribusque reclūsīs
"spēque fidēque, pater", dīxīt "māiora vidēbis:
ēgredere!" ēgredior, quālēsque in imāgine somnī
vīsus eram vidisse viros, ex ōrdine tālēs
aspiciō nōscōque: adeunt rēgemque salūtant.

616: • Amplexus, amplexūs (m) – embraces; • What is the use of the inifinitive "isse";

618: • Condō, condere, condidī, conditus – to hide; • Hint: what are "redde" and "conde"

619: • Tonitrus, tonitrūs (n) - thunder; • Fulgor, fulgōris (m) – a flash of lightning;

620: • Fēlīx, fēlīcis – omen; • Why is "sint" in the subjunctive mood?;

622: • patulus, patula, patulum – spread out;

624: • frūgilegās... formīcās – fruit-gathering ants (frūgilegus, frūgilega, frūgilegum | formīca, formīcae (f))

625: • What is "gerentēs" describing (gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus – to carry)? Additionally, what are the adjective and noun that are the direct object in this participial phrase? Do not confuse these two words with what "gerentēs" is describing.

626: • "Servantes" acts the same as "gerentēs."; • Servō, servāre, servāvī, servātus – to keep;

628: • Suppleō, supplēre, supplēvī, supplētus – to fill (imperative, just like "da"); • Moene, moenis (n) – city wall;

629: • "Flāmine" is in the ablative case and is the object of the preposition "sine."

630: • altus, alta, altum – nourished; • pavidus, pavida, pavidum – timorous;

632: • rōbur, rōboris – oaktree; • Translate "me sperare" as an inderict statement;

635: • The main verb of this sentence can be found in line 637 ("visa est"). The lines in between and after are indirect statements with the infinitives: "ferre," "adesse," "tremexcere," and "spargere". Pay close attention to what is the subject and what is the direct object.

636: • In this line, transcripts Ms, Nc, U, and P suggest that the “ramos” is “rami,” most likely in the genitive singular case; however, transcript S suggests that it is “ramos,” being the plural accusative. Tarrant's edit uses “ramos” as the direct object, which allows the Latin text to flow.

638: • grānifer, grānifera, grāniferum – grain-bearing;

639: • This line could possibly be “crescere desubito et maius maiusque videri,” as seen in transcripts ∆ (Urb, E, H, M, N, U, S), Ba, c, and P; however, Tarrant suggests that line 639 goes as follows: “crescere quod subito maius maiusque videtur,” as seen in transcripts Nc, Bc, F, G, and L. In Tarrant’s edit, the latin word “quod” is used as a conjunction and creates a clause (instead of “et”). Within this clause, instead of having two infinitives like the alternative suggests, “videtur” (in replace of “videri”) gives the clause a main verb. This in result allows the Latin to flow smoother at the cost of the “de” prefix on “subito.” • "videtur" will be used to trigger complimentary inifinitives in the following lines.

640: • Translate the clause "recto... trunco" as an ablative absolute;

641: • Māciēs, macieī – thinness;

643: • Damnō, damnāre, damnāvī, damnātus – to refect; • Vigilō, vigilāre, vigilāvī, vigilātus - to wake; • queror, querī, questus sum - to complain;

644: • Aedis, aedis (f) – palace; • Where is the indirect statement?

645: • Dēsuētus, dēsuēta, dēsuētum – unaccustomed (what is this adjective describing?);

646: • In the indirect statement supply "voces" as the direct object;

646: • Foris, foris – door; • reclūdō, reclūdere, reclūsī, reclūsus – to open;

649: Readers note: the adjacency of the two forms of “egredior” notes the the instantaneous response of an action to the command. This line may be a glimpse at the true nature of Aeacus.

651: Readers note: Ovid, with the last clause, is now removing the narrative from Aeacus, and transferring it back to himself.

Stunned by the great twist of miserable events,
I said, “O Jupiter, if not false words say that
you came under the Asopidian embraces of Aegina
and it does not shame you to be the father of us, great father,
then either return my people to me or hide me also in a grave.”
He gave a sign with a flash of lightning and with following thunder,
“I accept and I beg [that] the omen may be a sign of your
understanding,” I said, “in what you give to me, I pledge the omen.”
By chance nearby there was the thinnest oak-tree with spread out branches
sacred to Jupiter, from the seed of Dodona;
here we observed fruit-gathering ants in a long line
carrying a great load in [their] small mouths
and keeping their own trails in the wrinkled bark;
while admiring the numbers, I said, “best father, you
give to me just as many citizens and you fill the empty city walls!”
The nourished oak-tree trembled and it gave a sound with the having been shaken branches
without a breeze: limbs to me had trembled by means of the timorous fear
and [my] hair was erect; however, I gave kisses to the ground
and to the oak-tree, nor was I confessing that I hope;
however, I was hoping and, moreover, I was favoring my wishes in [my] mind.
Night approaches, and sleep occupies [my] having been worked body by means of anxiety.
Before my own eyes, it seemed that the same oak-tree
and same number of branches exists, and that it carries the same number of animals
on its own branches, and that it trembles with the same motion
and that it scatters the grain-bearing troops in the having been cast below fields;
For suddenly it seems to rise bigger and bigger
and to rise up from the ground and to stand up with having been straighten torso
and to put away the thinness and the number of feet and [their] black color
and to lead in human form by means of limbs
Sleep goes away: Waking, I reject my vision and complain
that nothing in the gods of help exists; but there was a great murmur
in the palace, and I seemed to hear clearly the voices of men
now unaccustomed to me; while I suspect that these are the [voices] of sleep,
Prosperous Telamon came and with the door having been opened
said, “father, you will see things greater [things] than both hope and faith:
go out!” I go out, what sort of men I had seemed to have seen
in the image of sleep, I see such a sort of men in order
and I recognize them: they approach and they salute the king.

Retorical Analysis

In Roman society, it is societal norm to talk to the gods politely and to not demand. In Roman literature, authors reflect this by using the subjunctive mood when a character talks to the gods. The mood shows politeness because the verb holds a connotation of uncertainty by the use of “may” or “might” and removes the connotation of a demand. Additionally, characters in Roman literature are often depicted as treating a single god as a plural entity. Ovid is no exception; in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Liber VIII, the story of Baucis and Philemon is an example of these methods in use, specifically when either of these two main characters are speaking to the gods. For example, Baucis and Philemon, when asking the gods for a favor, use the subjunctive hortatory, and never the imperative. In Liber VII, Ovid diverges from these methods to show contrast when depicting Aeacus. Ovid depicts Aeacus in the opposite manner of Baucis and Philemon: Aeacus uses the imperative to demand what he desires from the gods and treats himself as a plural being. Aeacus, throughout the fable of the creation of the Myrmidon people, shows a lack of respect when talking to the gods.

Aeacus’s lack of respect can specifically be seen when he is demanding his said-to-be father, Jupiter, to repopulate Aegina. In line 628, Aeacus says, “tū mihi dā”; “dā” is the 2nd person singular present imperative, which makes this line very direct and commanding: “You give to me.” Ovid specifically adds emphasis on the “you” by adding “tū,” because the second person is already inclusive to “dā.” Furthermore, Aeacus tries to instill guilt into Jupiter by saying, “nec tē, māgne pater, nostrī pudet esse parentem.” The literal translation of this line is “and if it does not shame you, great father, to be the father of us.” This, at first glance, appears to be polite because Aeacus is giving Jupiter the attribute of greatness; however, looking at the word placement and word choice, this response is rather rude. Ovid places “esse parentem” (“to be father”) last in the line, placing emphasis on that Jupiter is a bad father because of the shame Jupiter holds for being Aeacus’s father. Additionally, in this line, one can see the lack of politeness by Aeacus referring to himself in the plural with “nostrī” and Jupiter in the singular with “tē.” The verb number in this line should have been the other way around. The rudeness in Aeacus’s speech is obvious and evident throughout the entirety of the tale.

Artistic Analysis

To be added

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Quiz your knownledge

1. What does the word "frūgilegās" in line 624 go with?

Nōs
Formīcās
Hīc
None of the above

3. Which line has the most elisions?

639
642
649
651

5. What grammarical construction exists in lines 635-636?

Indirect statement
Ablative absolute
Subjunctive purpose clause
Gerundive clause

7. What is the reason that "spē" and "fidē" in line 648 are in the ablative case?

Ablative of cause
Ablative by means
Ablative absolute
Ablative of comparison

9. What is the subject of the indirect statement in lines 615-616?

Tē
Falsa
Amplexus
Aegīnae

11. What is the case of "opis" in line 644?

Nominative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative

2. What is the correct tense and mood for the verb "salūtant" in line 651?

Present subjunctive
Future indicative
Present indicative
Imperfect subjunctive

4. What poetic device exists in line 625?

Polysyndeton
Tmesis
Apostrophe
Synchysis

6. What is the case of "optime" in line 627?

Ablative
Vocative
Dative
Nominative

8. What does the relative pronoun "quod" in line 621 describe?

Ōmen
Jupiter
Aeacus
Undeclared

10. Which line contains a midline caesura in the correct place?

643
644
645
648

12. What is the word "conde" in line 618?

Noun, ablative
Noun, nominative
Verb, imperative
Perfect passive participle in the ablative case

1=B | 2=C | 3=C | 4=D | 5=A | 6=B | 7=D| 8=A | 9=A | 10=D | 11=B | 12=C

Bibliography

Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.

Schane, Tristan. Myrmidons. N.d. Tristan Schane. Web.<https://ferrebeekeeper.files.wordpress.com /2013/08/myrmidons.jpg>.

Ovid, and Henry T. Riley. The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books I-VII. New York: Translation Pub., 1925. Print.

Solis, Virgil. Myrmidons; People from Ants for King Aeacus. 1581. Web. <http://www.latein-pagina.de/ovid_illustrationen/virgil_solis/ buch7/vs7_11.htm>. (Latin Text Picture)

Zeus Turns Ants into Men to Help Aeacus. 17C AD. Aeacus. Web. <http://www.maicar.com/GML/Aeacus.html>. (Rhetorical Analysis Picture)

Ovid, and R. J. Tarrant. P. Ovidi Nasonis Metamorphoses. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.

When Aegina Is Depopulated by a Plague King Aescus Asks Zeus to Turn the Ants into People. N.d. Web. <http://ovidmeta.jp/dat/pic/1651ovid-p.196a.jpg>. (Context Essay Picture)

Thoughtfully built and coded by Matthew Stallone. All code can be found at: github.com/mstallone/Ovid-Project

Email me • Last updated: 4/13/15

The Story of The Creation of the Myrmidon People in Ovid's Metamorphoses

Latin Text

Rhetorical Analysis

Bibliography