Niobe
Previous fabula: Antiopa Euripidis (Fabula 8). This page is Fabula 9 only. Latin and English are given paragraph by paragraph, so each paragraph can be checked against the other. Further fabulae are added as they are finished; see the Hyginus index.
1
Amphion et Zetus Iouis et Antiopes Nyctei filii iussu Apollinis Thebas muro circumcinxerunt usque ad †semedustum, Laiumque Labdaci regis filium in exsilium eiecerunt, ipsi ibi regnum obtinere coeperunt.
Amphion and Zethus, sons of Jupiter and of Antiopa, daughter of Nycteus, at Apollo's command surrounded Thebes with a wall as far as †semedustum, and drove Laius, son of King Labdacus, into exile; they themselves began to hold the kingdom there.
2
Amphion in coniugium Niobam Tantali et Diones filiam accepit, ex qua procreauit liberos septem totidemque filias; quem partum Niobe Latonae anteposuit, superbiusque locuta est in Apollinem et Dianam quod illa cincta uiri cultu esset, et Apollo uestem deorsum . . . . . . atque crinitus, et se numero filiorum Latonam superare.
Amphion took Niobe, daughter of Tantalus and Dione, in marriage; by her he fathered seven sons and as many daughters. Niobe set this brood above Latona, and spoke rather proudly against Apollo and Diana, because [Diana] was girded in a man's dress, and Apollo [wore] his garment [hanging] down ... and [was] long-haired; and she said that she surpassed Latona in the number of her children.
3
ob id Apollo filios eius in silua uenantes sagittis interfecit [in monte Sipylo], et Diana filias in regia sagittis interemit praeter Chloridem. at genetrix liberis orba flendo lapidea facta esse dicitur in monte Sipylo, eiusque hodie lacrimae manare dicuntur.
For this reason Apollo killed her sons, hunting in the forest, with arrows [on Mount Sipylus], and Diana killed her daughters in the palace with arrows, except Chloris. But their mother, bereft of her children, is said to have become stone by weeping on Mount Sipylus, and her tears are said to flow to this day.
4
Amphion autem cum templum Apollinis expugnare uellet, ab Apolline sagittis est interfectus.
Amphion, however, when he wanted to storm Apollo's temple, was killed by Apollo with arrows.
Notes
- Paragraph 1, †semedustum is marked corrupt in Packhum (dagger). It is kept with the dagger, its meaning not guessed. The Latin is asyndeton here (no et), so the English reads “they themselves began”, not “and themselves began”.
- Paragraph 2, liberos: rendered “sons”, which the context gives: liberos septem totidemque filias, seven sons and as many daughters.
- Paragraph 2, the lacuna: dots follow uestem deorsum as supplied. The English supplies nothing silently: “[wore]”, “[hanging]”, and “[was]” are in brackets, so the English does not look more complete than the Latin.
- Paragraph 2, illa: not named in the Latin; Diana, the huntress in male dress, is the likely referent, bracketed in the translation as [Diana] and flagged here rather than settled silently.
- Paragraph 2, se ... superare: accusative + infinitive after locuta est: she said that she surpassed Latona, not a second “because” clause. The logic is boast, then claim, not two reasons.
- Paragraph 3, [in monte Sipylo] is bracketed in Packhum; manare is given with the a supplied (man<a>re).
- Edition check, still open: this Latin text has not yet been checked against a printed critical edition; the points above were checked against the Packhum online text.
Next fabula: Chloris (Fabula 10). Corrections are welcome via the contact form; please say which paragraph you mean.