3.813
The Argonautica 3.813 · The sun is sweeter3.813The sun is sweeter
Lines 813–816. She remembers the pleasures of life and the friends of her own age.
· · ·
μνήσατο1
mnḗsato
She remembered
μὲν2
mèn
—
τερπνῶν3
terpnôn
the pleasuresdelights
ὅσʼ4
hós’
that
πέλονται5
pélontai
are
ἐνὶ6
enì
among
ζωοῖσι7
zōoîsi
the living
, μνήσαθʼ8
mnḗsath’
she remembered
περιγηθέος9
perigēthéos
her merryvery glad
ὁμηλικίης10
homēlikíēs
friendscompanions of her age
, οἷά11
hoîá
assuch as
τε12
te
—
κούρη13
koúrē
a girl does
; καί14
kaí
and
τέ15
té
—
ἠέλιος16
ēélios
the sun
γένετʼ17
génet’
becamewas
γλυκίων18
glykíōn
sweeter
οἱ19
hoi
for her
εἰσοράασθαι20
eisoráasthai
to look atto behold
ἢ21
ḕ
than
πάρος22
páros
before
, εἰ23
ei
if
ἐτεόν24
eteón
truly
γε25
ge
—
ἐπεμαίεθʼ26
epemaíeth’
she weighedgrasped at
ἕκαστα27
hékasta
each thing
νόῳ28
nóōi
in her mind
. She remembered the pleasures that are among the living, she remembered her merry friends, as a girl does; and the sun became sweeter for her to look at than before, if she truly weighed each thing in her mind.
She remembered the pleasures that are among the living, she remembered her merry friends, as a girl does; and the sun became sweeter for her to look at than before, if she truly weighed each thing in her mind.
Interpretation
She remembered all the pleasures of the living; she remembered her merry friends, as a girl will; and the sun was sweeter to look on than ever before, as she weighed each thing in her mind.
As a girl does, she remembers her friends, and the sun looks sweeter than before. Mooney quotes the French translator de Mirmont: "jeune fille, elle se souvenait des compagnes de son âge et de leur gaieté."
The last line is exact. Life looks sweeter "if she truly weighed each thing in her mind," in Mooney's paraphrase: Apollonius shows her reasoning her way back from death.
3.817
The Argonautica 3.817 · Waiting for dawn3.817Waiting for dawn
Lines 817–821. Hera turns her mind, and she longs for morning.
· · ·
And she put it back off her knees, changed by Hera's promptings, and no longer did she waver between plans; but she longed for dawn to rise and appear soon, so that she could give him the charming drugs, as promised, and meet him face to face.