The Classical Review http://journals.cambridge.org/CAR Additional services for The Classical Review: Email alerts: Click here Subscriptions: Click here Commercial reprints: Click here Terms of use : Click here Ovid, Heroides and Amores Ovid, Heroides and Amores. With an English translation by Grant Showerman, Professor of Latin in the University of Wisconsin. (The Loeb Classical Library.) Pp. 524. Heinemann, 1914. 5s. net. S. G. Owen The Classical Review / Volume 29 / Issue 06 / September 1915, pp 184 - 185 DOI: 10.1017/S0009840X00048848, Published online: 27 October 2009 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0009840X00048848 How to cite this article: S. G. Owen (1915). The Classical Review, 29, pp 184-185 doi:10.1017/S0009840X00048848 Request Permissions : Click here Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/CAR, IP address: 128.122.253.228 on 21 Apr 2015 184 THE CLASSICAL REVIEW OVID, HEROIDES AND AMORES. Ovid, Heroides and Amores. With an mentary on the A mores which provokes English translation by GRANT disgust on account of the author's lewd- SHOWERMAN, Professor of Latin in ness, which leaves no depths of ob- the University of Wisconsin. (The scenity ancient or modern unexplored. Loeb Classical Library.) Pp. 524. I give a few examples of faulty scholar- Heinemann, 1914. 5s. net. ship. H. i. 1 hanc tua Penelope lento tibi mittit, Ulixe. Here lento is trans- THOUGH this new literal translation of lated ' slow of return,' which it does the Heroides and A mores does not attain not mean. What it does mean is ' cold- to any special grace of style, it is less hearted,' 'indifferent,1 as in i. 66 ubi bald than Riley's by no means con- lentus abes ? where Showerman's trans- temptible version in Bonn's series. To lation ' where do you idly tarry,' is represent Ovid, a prince of stylists, also wrong. So also in ii. 23 and viii. 18, adequately in a language not his own in both which places the translation is is an almost impossible task. To those incorrect. H. ii. 17 sceleratc is mis- who have forgotten their Ovid, or are translated 'wretched man.' It means making his acquaintance for the first 'you criminal' or ' wicked man,' and is time, the new version will be helpful; rightly translated ' wicked' in H. x. 35. but it must be used with caution, for H. x. 26 hinc scopulus raucis pendet it is by no means perfect. Words are adesus aquis is wrongly rendered ' a sometimes omitted; thus H. vi. 66 cliff hangs over from it, gnawed into by ventus concava vela tenet is rendered ' the deep-sounding waves.' The Latin for wind bellies out the sail,' which ignores ' a cliff' is rupes: the word scopulus means the word tenet and mistranslates vela as ' a peaked rock.' Ovid is describing a singular. H. x. 15 adductis sonuerunt projecting rock protruding from the pectora palmis is rendered ' my palms mountain. H. ii. 118 et cecinit maestum resounded upon my breasts,' which devia carmen avis is rendered ' the bird ignores adductis. Sometimes the read- that shuns the light chanted her mourn- ing translated is not that of the text, ful note.' But devia means ' solitary.' as ii. 122 quaeque patent oculis litora lata It is Gray's 'moping owl.' H. vi. 31 meis. Here the translation ' where'er tua facta requirere coepi is rendered ' I the sea-view opens broad before my began to ask of your fortunes.' Coepi eyes' is a rendering of the reading means ' I begin,' and facta means quaque patent oculis aequora lata meis. ' exploits.' H. vi. 39, 40 singula dum Am. I. xii. 19 ilia dedit turpes ravis narrat, studio cursuque loquendi \ detegit bubonibus umbras is the reading of the ingenio vulnera nostra suo is awkwardly text; but the translation ' it gave its translated ' while part by part he tells foul shade to hoarse horned owls' ren- the tale, such, in the rushing eagerness ders the reading raucis. Sometimes of his speech, is his unconscious art tenses are incorrectly represented: thus that he lays bare my wounds.' Studio H. vi. 18 obsequium, maneo si tua, grande cursuque loquendi at any rate should be tuli is rendered ' I shall think myself translated ' with eagerness and whirling treated with all indulgence, so I remain words.' Am. I. viii. 62 res est ingeniosa yours.' But tuli is perfect. The dare means not' giving calls for genius ' meaning is ' If I remain your wife, I but ' talent shows itself in giving.' have won your high devotion.' Am. I. Am. I. ix. 32 ingenii est experientis amor xii. 26 the imperfect fleret translated means not ' love is for the soul ready ' weeps' should be ' wept.' for any proof' but ' love demands re- sourceful talent.' Am. I. x. 15-16 etpuer The translator's scholarship is at est et nudus A mor; sine sordibus annos times faulty: a more careful study of I et nullas veste, ut sit apertus, habet Palmer and Shuckburgh's editions of the means not ' Love is both a child and Heroides and Nemethy's of the Amores naked; his guileless years and lack of would have removed many shortcom- raiment are a sign that he is free,' but ings. I ignore Brandt's ambitious com- THE CLASSICAL REVIEW 185 1 Love is a child and naked; a child moves them from their place.' The without greed, unclothed to show his plurals meritis and flumina become sin- simple heart.' Am. I. xii. 24 cognitor gulars ; the meaning of nititur and viva means not a 'judge' but an 'attorney.' are misapprehended. I should trans- The translation of H. vi. 83-88 is late the lines : ' Not by her beauty and especially unsatisfactory: deserts does she win your favour, but nee facie meritisque placet, sed carmina novit she is skilled in spells and cuts deadly diraque cantata pabula fake metit. grasses with enchanted knife. She ilia reluctantem cursu deducere lunatn assays to draw down the unwilling nititur et tenebris abdere solis equos ; Moon from her course, and hide the ilia refrenat aquas obliquaque flumina sistit; Sun's horses in darkness; she curbs ilia loco silvas vivaque saxa movet. the waters and stays winding rivers; 'Her charm for you is neither in her she moves forests and virgin rocks from beauty nor her merit; but you are their place.' Viva means ' natural,' not made hers by the incantations she ' artificial.' It is unpleasant to pick holes. knows, by the enchanted blade with These remarks are offered in the hope which she garners the baleful herb. She that revision in a later edition may strives with the reluctant moon, to bring remove faults from a version on which it down from its course in the skies, and much trouble has evidently been be- makes hide away in shadows the steeds stowed, and which is a spirited attempt of the sun; she reins the waters in, and to supply a translation for general use stays the down-winding stream ; she of these inimitable poems. charms life into trees and rocks, and S. G. OWEN. WEIDMANN'S SERIES. (1) Quintiliani, liber X., erkl. von (2) It is worth while to keep this E. BONNELL; 6te Aufl.von H. ROHL. edition of Aen. I.-VI. beside the longer (2) Vergils Gedichte erkl. von TH. commentaries, because it puts together LADEWIG, C. SCHAPER und P. .DEU- in a small space the most important TICKE. II. Buch I.-VI. der Aneis. aids to interpretation, so that one can i3te Aufl., bearb. von PAUL JAHN. find what one wants at a glance. 341 pp. M. 3.20. (3) M. Tullii Jahn's aim is to make it possible Ciceronis Orator erkl. von W. KROLL. ' Vergil aus seinen Mustern und aus 228 pp. M. 2.80. (4) Ciceros Reden : sich heraus zu verstehen.' He has Phil. III.-VI. 120pp.; Phil.VII.-X. added considerably to the general stock 121 pp. M. 1.20 each volume. of illustrative matter, especially from (5) Sophokles erkl. von F. W. the Appendix Vergiliana. In general he SCHNEIDEWIN und A. NAUCK; Aias, gives references to Vergil himself and iote Aufl., neue Bearb. von L. RADER- quotations from earlier and contem- MACHER, 196 pp.; Antigone, ute porary poets. The bibliography of Aufl., besorgt von EWALD BRUHN. recent writings (p. 311) is useful; : M. 2.20 each. (6) Cornelius Nepos mention is made there and also in the erkl. von K. NIPPERDEY, in liter Preface of Roiron's £tude sur Vimagina- Aufl. besorgt von K. WITTE. tion auditive de Virgile (Paris, 1908), M. 3.40. (7) Thukydides erkl. von J. 'ein sehr bedeutendes Werk Uber Vergils CASSEN. Zweites Buch. 5te Aufl., Selbstbenutzu ng.' bearb. von J. STEUP. 330 pp. M. (3) Kroll's commentary on the 3.60. Orator, appropriately dedicated to Skutsch's memory, is a new book EXCEPT the Quintilian, which is a replacing that of Otto Jahn. His school edition, these books will be special aim has been, he tells us, useful to mature scholars. I propose 'Ciceros rhetorische Theorie aus der to call attention very briefly to certain Geschichte der griechischen Rhetorik notable features. zu erklaren und die griechischen Aequi-.