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LATIN 116
Latin 116 Final Examination (after the fact)

on Ovid's Metamorphoses I

passage 5

mirantur sub aqua lucos urbesque domosque
Nereides, silvasque tenent delphines et altis
incursant ramis agitataque robora pulsant.
nat lupus inter oves, fulvos vehit unda leones,
unda vehit tigres; nec vires fulminis apro,               305
crura nec ablato prosunt velocia cervo,
quaesitisque diu terris, ubi sistere possit,
in mare lassatis volucris vaga decidit alis.

1. Here is what the ancient poet and literary critic Horace says will happen to an artist who tries to bite off more than he can chew:

 “qui variare cupit rem prodigialiter unam,
delphinum silvis appingit, fluctibus aprum. (Ars Poetica, 29-30)
 

“The man who desires to vary a single subject strangely
will paint a dolphin in the trees, a wild boar on the waves.”

How did Ovid respond to this rule of poetry, which Horace intended to dissuade poets from doing such things? See the passage below for a hint. Underline the apporpriate lines and then discuss them briefly in the context of Ovid’s poem. Was Horace right? (10 pts)

2. Return to the Ovidian passage above. I want you to SOV this passage. Put an S over every noun in the nominative (don’t worry about adjectives), a V over every conjugated (finite) verb, an O over every direct object. Ignore prepositional phrases and all other constructions/forms that do not fit the above description. There are 25 in all. (1 pt each)

3. Now translate the passage as literally as possible (40 pts)

return to 116 Final Exam list of questions

copyright 2001 Janice Siegel, All Rights Reserved
send comments to: Janice Siegel (jfsiege@ilstu.edu)

date this page was edited last: 06/29/2005
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