23 HERCULES 23 - THIRD LABOUR: THE CERYNEAN STAG WITH NOTES AND INTERLINEAR TRANSLATION

HERCULES 23 - THIRD LABOUR: THE CERYNEAN STAG

THIS IS A VASE PAINTING OF HERCULES AND THE CERYNEAN STAG.
a)
Postquam Eurystheó caedés Hydrae núntiáta est, mágnus timor animum éius occupávit. Iussit igitur Herculem cervum quendam ad sé referre; nóluit enim virum tantae audáciae in urbe retinére. Híc autem cervus, cúius cornua aurea fuisse tráduntur, incrédibilí fuit celeritáte. Herculés igitur prímó vestígiís eum in silvá persequébátur; deinde ubi cervum ipsum vídit, omnibus víribus currere coepit. Úsque ad vesperum currébat, neque nocturnum tempus sibi ad quiétem relinquébat, frústrá tamen; núlló enim modó cervum cónsequí poterat. Tandem postquam tótum annum cucurrerat (ita tráditur), cervum cursú exanimátum cépit, et vívum ad Eurystheum rettulit.

b)

Some words have been chosen for special consideration and are listed below. For the words not included in this list please refer to the WORDLIST in PAGES TOP RIGHT SIDE BAR.

Noluit – perfect tense of nolle (infinitive – to not want), meaning ‘he did not want’.

tantae audáciae -  The genitive of description, like the ablative of

description, consists always of a noun with a modifying word, meaning ‘of such great boldness’.

Autem – autem sometimes means however, but often, as here, it simply introduces an explanation, we might translate it as ‘now’.

Aurea fuisse – fuisse is the perfect infinitive of sum (esse is present infinitive) and aurea is ablative used to indicate what something is made of, therefore the construction means ‘to have been of gold’.

Traduntur – ‘they are said’, or ‘are reported’ plural as referring to ‘cornua’ the horns which is plural.

incredibili celeritate – ‘incredibly swift’, ablative of description.

Vestigiis – ‘by the tracks’, this is ablative of means.

Persequebatur – imperfect tense of the deponent verb persequor, to follow up, pursue; remember these verbs look passive but are active in meaning.  The imperfect tense usually means ‘was etc.’ but ‘was following’ doesn’t sound quite satisfactory here and as the imperfect tense can also convey the idea of ‘began to follow’ this is how we have translated it here.

omnibus víribus – this is ablative of manner meaning ‘with all his might’.

Currébat – imperfect tense to express continued action, ‘he kept on running.'

Sibi  - dative of reference, ‘to himself’.

ad quiétem, 'for rest.' Purpose is frequently expressed by ad.

Cucurrerat – here we have the pluperfect being used with postquam which happens sometimes when the lapse of time has been mentioned.

Cursu – because of the race, ablative of cause.

exanimátum – the participle is here equivalent to a relative clause :qui exanimatus erat, ‘which had fainted’ .

Rettulit – perfect tense of referre to bring back, translate ‘brought it back.’

c)

Note: This section is not translated into idiomatic English but is intended, together with the notes, to give you the gist of the meaning; you can then come up with your own improved translation.

Postquam Eurystheó caedés Hydrae núntiáta est,

After the slaughter of the Hydra was announced to Eurystheus,

mágnus timor animum éius occupávit.

A great fear occupied his mind.

Iussit igitur Herculem cervum quendam ad sé referre;

He ordered Hercules therefore to bring him back a certain stag,

Nóluit enim virum tantae audáciae in urbe retinére.

For he did not want to keep a man of such boldness in the city.

Híc autem cervus, cúius cornua aurea fuisse tráduntur,

Now this stag, of which the horns were  reported to have been of gold,

incrédibilí fuit celeritáte.

Was incredibly fast.

Herculés igitur prímó vestígiís eum in silvá persequébátur;

Hercules therefore at first began to follow him from his tracks in the wood;

deinde ubi cervum ipsum vídit,

then when he saw the stag itself,

omnibus víribus currere coepit.

He began to run with all his strength.

Úsque ad vesperum currébat,

He kept on running into the evening,

neque nocturnum tempus sibi ad quiétem relinquébat,

and not (even) at night did he allow himself time to rest,

frústrá tamen; núlló enim modó

in vain however; for in no way

cervum cónsequí poterat.

Could he catch up with the stag.

Tandem postquam tótum annum cucurrerat

At length after he had run all of a year

(ita tráditur), cervum cursú exanimátum cépit,

(so it is reported), he caught the stag which had fainted because of the race,

et vívum ad Eurystheum rettulit.

And brought it back alive to Eurystheus.

d) The following section is as a) but without the macrons for you to copy and: i) to see if you can put the macrons in; ii) provide your own translation.

Postquam Eurystheo caedes Hydrae nuntiata est, magnus timor animum eius occupavit. Iussit igitur Herculem cervum quendam ad se referre; noluit enim virum tantae audaciae in urbe retinere. Hic autem cervus, cuius cornua aurea fuisse traduntur, incredibili fuit celeritate. Hercules igitur primo vestigiis eum in silva persequebatur; deinde ubi cervum ipsum vidit, omnibus viribus currere coepit. Usque ad vesperum currebat, neque nocturnum tempus sibi ad quietem relinquebat, frustra tamen; nullo enim modo cervum consequi poterat. Tandem postquam totum annum cucurrerat (ita traditur), cervum cursu exanimatum cepit, et vivum ad Eurystheum rettulit.