The music for this podcast was generously provided by Dr. Stefan Hagel.
Cover illustration and voice of Ovid provided by Lu (twitter: @DRScomics, instagram: @dead_romans_society, tumblr: @ovidiana).
Foley sounds for soundscape provided by zapsplat.com.
Hosting, English sections, and editing provided by Margrethe.
Transcript:
Mar: Salve aveque. This is Margrethe from Ovid Daily, for our podcast special: “Evenings with Ovid”. Joining me today from the far-off shores of the Black Sea is the eminent Latin poet Publius Ovidius Naso, (given voice by the excellent Lu), here to read one of his most moving works: Tristia. Last week, we heard Carmina Octava, in which you railed against a fair-weather friend for abandoning you in your time of need. I’m sure the loss of a close friend must have been painful. Are you ready to share the next installment?
L/O: Ita. Aures praebete, quaeso, ne oblivia me obruant.
L/O:
Detur inoffenso vitae tibi tangere metam,
qui legis hoc nobis non inimicus opus:
atque utinam pro te possint mea vota valere,
quae pro me duros non tetigere deos!
Donec eris sospes, multos numerabis amicos:
tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris.
Aspicis, ut veniant ad candida tecta columbae,
accipiat nullas sordida turris aves.
Horrea formicae tendunt ad inania numquam:
nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes.
utque comes radios per solis euntibus umbra est,
cum latet hic pressus nubibus, illa fugit,
mobile sic sequitur Fortunae lumina vulgus:
quae simul inducta nocte teguntur, abit.
Haec precor ut semper possint tibi falsa videri:
sunt tamen eventu vera fatenda meo.
Dum stetimus, turbae quantum satis esset, habebat
nota quidem sed non ambitiosa domus.
At simul inpulsa est, omnes timuere ruinam,
cautaque communi terga dedere fugae.
Saeva neque admiror metuunt si fulmina, quorum
ignibus adflari proxima quaeque solent.
Sed tamen in duris remanentem rebus amicum
quamlibet inviso Caesar in hoste probat,
nec solet irasci (neque enim moderatior alter)
cum quis in adversis, siquid amavit, amat.
De comite Argolici postquam cognovit Orestae
narratur Pyladen ipse probasse Thoas.
Quae fuit Actoridae cum magno semper Achille,
laudari solita est Hectoris ore fides.
Quod pius ad Manes Theseus comes iret amico,
Tartareum dicunt indoluisse deum.
Euryali Nisique fide tibi, Turne, relata
credibile est lacrimis inmaduisse genas.
Est etiam miseris pietas, et in hoste probatur.
Ei mihi, quam paucos haec mea dicta movent!
Is status, haec rerum nunc est fortuna mearum,
debeat ut lacrimis nullus adesse modus.
At mea sunt, proprio quamuis maestissima casu,
pectora processu facta serena tuo.
Hoc eventurum iam tunc, carissime, vidi,
ferret adhuc ista cum minus aura ratem.
Sive aliquod morum seu vitae labe carentis
est pretium, nemo pluris emendus erat:
sive per ingenuas aliquis caput extulit artes,
quaelibet eloquio fit bona causa tuo.
His ego commotus dixi tibi protinus ipsi
"scaena manet dotes grandis, amice, tuas."
Haec mihi non ovium fibrae tonitrusve sinistri,
linguave servatae pennave dixit avis:
augurium ratio est et coniectura futuri:
hac divinavi notitiamque tuli.
Quae quoniam vera est, tota tibi mente mihique
gratulor, ingenium non latuisse tuum.
At nostrum tenebris utinam latuisset in imis!
Expediit studio lumen abesse meo.
utque tibi prosunt artes, facunde, severae,
dissimiles illis sic nocuere mihi.
Vita tamen tibi nota mea est. Scis artibus illis
auctoris mores abstinuisse sui:
scis vetus hoc iuveni lusum mihi carmen, et istos,
ut non laudandos, sic tamen esse iocos.
Ergo ut defendi nullo mea posse colore,
sic excusari crimina posse puto.
Qua potes, excusa, nec amici desere causam:
qua bene coepisti, sic bene semper eas.
Mar: Gratias tibi ago, Ovidi. I have here the English translation of our guest’s poem, originally translated by A.L. Wheeler in 1924.
“Be it your lot to reach life’s goal without stumbling—you who read this work of mine in no unfriendly spirit. Would that in your behalf my prayers may prevail which in my own did not affect the cruel gods! So long as you are secure you will count many friends; if your life becomes clouded you will be alone. You see how the doves come to a white dwelling, how an unclean tower harbours no birds. Ants seek a granary, but an empty one never: no friend will approach when wealth is lost. As a shadow accompanies those who pass through the rays of the sun, but when the sun is hidden, hemmed in by clouds, the shadow vanishes, so the fickle crowd follows the light of good fortune, but, when once the veil of darkness covers it, the crowd is gone. I pray this may always seem untrue to you, yet from my fate its truth must be admitted.
“Whilst I stood upright, my house, well known indeed but courting no honours, found enough to throng it. Yet, as soon as the shock came all men feared its fall and discreetly turned their backs in common flight. I wonder not if they dread the fierce lightnings whose flames are wont to blast everything nearby; nevertheless a friend who is steadfast in times of stress is approved by Caesar in the case of an enemy, however he may hate him, and he is not wont to be angry for no other shows greater restraint when one continues in adversity to love whatever he has loved before. After hearing the tale of Argive Orestes’ comrade, even Thoas, they say, approved of Pylades. The unwavering loyalty of Actor’s grandson for mighty Achilles was wont to be praised by Hector’s lips. When loyal Theseus accompanied his friend to the shades, they say the god of Tartarus was grieved. When they told you, Turnus, of the fidelity of Nisus and Euryalus, we may believe that your cheeks were moist with tears. There is loyalty even for the unfortunate and it finds approval even in an enemy. Ah me! how few do these words of mine affect! Such is my condition, such is now the state of my affairs that there should be no measure to my tears. Yet my heart, in the depths of grief from its own disaster, has been calmed by your advancement. This I saw approaching, dear one, as early as the time when the breeze was as yet bearing onward that bark of yours less swiftly. If there is a reward for character or for a life without blemish, nobody was more highly to be prized; or if anyone has by liberal arts achieved prominence, you have eloquence which renders every cause a good one. Moved by this I said at once to you, “A mighty stage awaits thy gifts.” This was told me by no sheep’s liver or thunder on my left or the note or wing of a bird I had observed; it is an augury and inference of the future based on reason: by this I made my divination and gained my knowledge.
“Since this proves true, with my whole heart I congratulate you and myself that your ability has not been obscured. But mine! would it had been obscured in the depths of darkness! It had been best that light had failed my pursuit. And just as you are aided, my eloquent friend, by serious arts, so arts unlike them have injured me. Yet my life is well known to you; you know that with those arts their author’s character had no connexion; you know that this poem was written long ago, an amusement of my youth, and that those jests, though not deserving praise, were still mere jests. So then although my crimes can be defended by no plea however brilliant, yet an excuse can be made for them, I think. As far as you can, make that excuse; do not abandon the cause of a friend. On this condition may you ever travel happily along the road upon which you have happily set out.”
Mar: Thank you so much for listening, and be sure to tune into Ovid Daily’s “Evenings with Ovid” next week for the next installment of Ovid’s Tristia. Vale beneque placideque quiescas!
Mar: A transcript for this podcast is available at oviddaily.substack.com. Our text comes from the 1924 Loeb Classical Library edition of the Tristia, edited and translated by A.L. Wheeler. Our music is performed by Dr. Stefan Hagel on the Hellenistic Aulos, a link to which is available in the description, and on our website on our “Resources” page. Foley sounds for our soundscape are provided by zapsplat.com. Our lovely cover art was illustrated by Lu, and you can see more of Lu’s art on Twitter @DRScomic, or on Tumblr @ovidiana. If you wish to contact Ovid Daily, you may email me at oviddaily@substack.com.
Tristia 1.9