Wednesday, July 15th, 2020

Phaedra to Hippolytus, part 4 (Ovid, Heroides 4.147-176)

Despite my royal status and lineage, I am begging you. Spare me, please. May you get everything you want as a huntsman. tolle morās tantum properātaque foedera iunge — quī mihi nunc saevit, sīc tibi parcat Amor! nōn ego dēdignor supplex humilisque precārī. 150                                   heu! ubi nunc fastūs altaque verba iacent? et pugnāre diū […]

Wednesday, July 8th, 2020

Phaedra to Hippolytus, part 3 (Ovid, Heroides 4.105-146)

Phaedra asks Hippolytus to put off his huntsman’s persona and relax, then offers to come out on the hunt with him. She offers to abandon Theseus and move to Troezen to be with Hippolytus. Theseus is already ignoring and slighting both of them, she argues. Their close family connection is no problem, even an asset. […]

Monday, July 6th, 2020

Phaedra to Hippolytus, part 2 (Ovid, Heroides 4.37-84

Phaedra wants to take up hunting like Hippolytus and is driven to the extremes of mental derangement. Perhaps it is some family curse that the women of her Cretan line all suffer in love (Europa, Pasiphae, Ariadne)? Phaedra describes how attractive she found Hippolytus when she first saw him at Eleusis. See Peter J. Davis, […]

Thursday, July 2nd, 2020

Phaedra to Hippolytus (Ovid, Heroides 4.1-36)

Quā, nisi tū dederis, caritūra est ipsa, salūtem mittit Amāzoniō Cressa puella virō. perlege, quodcumque est: quid epistula lēcta nocēbit? tē quoque in hāc aliquid quod iuvet esse potest; hīs arcāna notīs terrā pelagōque feruntur.   5 īnspicit acceptās hostis ab hoste notās. ter tēcum cōnāta loquī ter inūtilis haesit lingua, ter in prīmō restitit ōre […]