Poetry of Maledictions: A Commentary on the Ibis of Ovid

304 Pages·2014·14.82 MB·English

A COMMENTARY ON THE IBIS OF OVID
POETRY OF MALEDICTIONS:

A COMMENTARY ON THE IBIS OF OVID

By

CAROL JEAN GORDON, B.A., M.A.

A Thesis

Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies

in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

McMaster University

September, 1992
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ( 1992)
McMASTER UNIVERSITY (Classics) Hamilton, Ontario
TITLE: Poetry of Maledictions: A Commentary on the Ibis of Ovid
AUTHOR: Carol Jean Gordon, B.A. (Brock University), M.A. (McMaster
University)
SUPERVISOR: Professor P. Kingston
NUMBER OF PAGES: xxv, 277
ii
Abstract
The Ibis of Ovid, an enigmatic poem written during the poet's exile at
Tomis, contains a series of violent and allusive imprecations drawn from history and
mythology. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a detailed study of the poem,
to aid readers in their understanding and appreciation of the historiae caecae and
ambages in which Ovid takes such delight; accordingly, an introductory chapter attempts
to outline the historical and literary background to the poem, with particular attention
devoted to placing the poem more firmly within the sphere of imprecatory writing in the
ancient world. Following this is an explanatory commentary which covers models,
parallels for topoi, and explanations of references, meanings, and allusions in the Ibis.
Inevitably, this commentary is indebted to the efforts of previous commentators;
however, I have endeavoured throughout to suggest additional lines of enquiry and to
provide a fresh perspective on a challenging work.
111
Acknowledgements
It is a pleasure to record my thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Peter Kingston,
for his assistance, advice and patience during the preparation of this dissertation; thanks
are also due to Dr. A.G. McKay, and Dr. Paul Murgatroyd, for their careful reading of
the manuscript, and numerous helpful suggestions.
I am very grateful to my sister, Mary Anne Russell, for her generous help in the
typing and formatting of the manuscript, my brother-in-law, Alan, for his conversion
programmes, and to my parents for their encouragement and support. Many others have
lent their support along the way, and to all of them, especially Judy Growe and Sam,
thank you. I would also like to thank the Oxford University Press for permission to
reproduce their text of the Ibis.
The preparation of this dissertation was aided by a fellowship from the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, which I gratefully acknowledge.
iv
List of Abbreviations and Short Titles
The following abbreviations in the commentary should be noted.
Andre J. Andre, Ovid: Contre Ibis, Paris, 1963.
Audollent A. Audollent, Defixionum Tabellae, Paris, 1904.
Ellis P. Ovidii Nasonis Ibis, Oxford, 1968-82.
La Penna A. La Penna, Publi Ovidii Nasonis Ibis, Firenze, 1957.
LIMC Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae, Zurich, 1981-.
Otto A. Otto, Die Sprichworter und sprichwortlichen Redensarten der Romer,
Leipzig, 1890.
RE A. Pauly, G. Wissowa and W. Kroll, eds., Real-Encyclopadie der
Klassischen Altenumswissenschaft, Stuttgart, 1894-1978.
Roscher W. Roscher, Ausfiihrliches Lexicon der griechischen und romischen

Mythologie, Leipzig, 1884.

TLL Thesaurus linguae Latinae, Leipzig, 1900.

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements .................................. iv

List of Abbreviations and Short Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Text ........................................... vii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

I. The Exile of Ovid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. The Ibis and traditions of cursing

in the Ancient World ....................... 7

III. Mythological Exempla and the Ibis ............... 24

IV. The Ibis as an Inverse Genethliakon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Vl
In memoriam Jean Smith Woodward
TEXT

(a reproduction of S.G. Owen's text of the Ibis, contained in P. Ovidi
Nasonis Tristium Libri Quinque, Ibis, Ex Ponto Libri Quattuor, Halieutica
Fragmenta (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1915), by permission of Oxford
University Press.)
SIGLA
F = Francofurtanus, saec. xii

G = Galeanus 213, saec. xii

H = Holkhamicus, saec. xiii

P = Philippicus nunc Berolinensis, saec. xiii

T = Turonensis 879, saec. xiii ineuntis
V = Vindobonensis 885, saec. xii

X = Parisinus 7994, saec. xiii

B = Canonicianus Lat. 20, saec. xv

w = Codices omnes aut fere omnes
<; = Codices aliqui recentiores
deft. = detlorationes Ellisii

Atregatensis 65

Parisina 17903

Musei Britannici 18459

bodleiana Canon. patr. Lat. 43

vii
TEXT
TEMPVS ad hoc lustris bis iam mihi quinque peractis
omne fuit Musae carmen inerme meae;
nullaque, quae possit, scriptis tot milibus, extat
littera Nasonis sanguinolenta legi;
nee quemquam nostri, nisi me, laesere libelli, 5
artificis periit cum caput Arte sua.
unus, et hoc ipsum est iniuria magna, perennem
candoris titulum non sinit esse mei.
quisquis is est, nam nomen adhuc utcumque tacebo,
cogit inassuetas sumere tela manus. 10
ille relegatum gelidos Aquilonis ad ortus
non sinit exilio delituisse meo,
vulneraque inmitis requiem quaerentia vexat,
iactat et in toto nomina nostra foro,
perpetuoque mihi sociatam foedere lecti 15
non patitur miseri funera flere viri;
cumque ego quassa meae complectar membra carinae,
naufragii tabulas pugnat habere mei,
et, qui debuerat subitas extinguere flammas,
hie praedam medio raptor ab igne petit. 20
nititur ut profugae desint alimenta senectae.
heu quanto est nostris dignior ipse malis!
di melius, quorum Ionge mihi maximus ille est,
qui nostras inopes noluit esse vias.
huic igitur meritas grates, ubicumque licebit, 25
pro tam mansueto pectore semper agam.
aud iet hoc Pontus. faciet quoque forsitan idem
terra sit ut propior testificanda mihi.
at tibi, calcasti qui me, violente, iacentem,
quod licet et misero, debitus hostis ero. 30
desinet esse prius contrarius ignibus umor,
iunctaque cum luna lumina solis erunt,
parsque eadem caeli Zephyros emittet et Euros,
et tepidus gelido flabit ab axe Notus,
et nova fratemo veniet concordia fumo, 35
quem vetus accensa separat ira pyra,
9 latebit F7X II gelidas ... oras EutycMs,G.L.K. v. 475 12 suo BP Eutyches 14
n. n.) uerba canina (carina Zatrwscianus) F7X cod. Zatrwscianus; cf 230 16 miseri] uiui
G 22 ille BGHX Zamoscianus 23 est om. T 27 audiat G Zamoscianus 30
quod) qua G: quam P quo ... deditus B Bin et P: hei FHTV: heu GX Zammcianus
34 gelido tepidus G 35-36 posr 38 lransposuit Schrader
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