Sortes Ovidianae 27 Aprilis anno 2020

[Patricio]

In this time of uncertainty I decided to look to the Classics for guidance. When it comes to bibliomancy, the Iliad and the Aeneid are old hat; I’m going for the Metamorphoses. Here’s 5.538-542, my Sortes Ovidianae for the day.

Sōlusque ex omnibus illud
Ascalaphus vīdit, quem quondam dīcitur Orphnē,
inter Avernālēs haud ignōtissima nymphās,
ex Acheronte suō silvīs peperisse sub ātrīs;
vīdit et indiciō reditum crūdēlis adēmit.

The only one of all of them who saw this was Ascalaphus, whom, it is said, Orphne, hardly unknown among the infernal nymphs, bore to her husband Acheron in the black forests; the cruel man saw it, and by telling of it, deprived her of her return.

This is when Proserpina is abducted and carried down to the underworld by Pluto. Her mom Ceres makes a deal with Jupiter to get her back, but the silly girl has nibbled on seven pomegranate seeds, so she has to stay downstairs half the year. Ascalaphus is the one who ratted her out, but she gets back at him by turning him into an owl (profanam fecit avem).

https://art.famsf.org/sites/default/files/styles/artwork_view/public/artwork/tempesta/5049161418900051.jpg?itok=jtl6H-sG

The lesson: When you’re someplace risky, like the underworld or the supermarket, don’t stick your hand in your mouth.

Or maybe: Don’t rat out your neighbors for breaking social distancing guidelines.

P.S. Orphne is a pretty good name for a Hell-nymph. Ὄρφνη = tenebrae, obscuritas.

--Patricio

[Ed Cryer]

I grew up with Sortes Vergilianae; mostly due to an early history lesson
about our King Charles I. He was said to have done the random opening of
the Aeneid, and hit upon Dido's curse to the departing Aeneas - that
wars and civil wars galore should arise between Carthage and Rome.

Later I read Aeneid book 6, where A visits the Sibyl at Cumae and asks
for his future foretold. And he says;
foliis tantum ne carmina manda,
ne turbata volent rapidis ludibria ventis;
(don't trust your verses just to leaves, lest they fly about as sport
driven by the swift winds)

Many a time since then during an autumn fall I've been walking down a
tree-lined avenue and the winds have blown thousands of leaves around me
in swirls; and I always think of old Cumae.
In addition to that I think of a line from Homer's Odyssey, where he
says that the generations of men fall like leaves in autumn.

I wonder what the final death count of Covid-19 will be. Will it top the
Spanish flu of a century ago; quinque milies milia hominum.


Ed

[Patricio]

So when you riffle through the leaves of a book to take your sortes, you’re snatching at a wind-blown leaf in the Sybil’s cave.

> Many a time since then during an autumn fall I've been walking down a
> tree-lined avenue and the winds have blown thousands of leaves around me
> in swirls; and I always think of old Cumae.
> In addition to that I think of a line from Homer's Odyssey, where he
> says that the generations of men fall like leaves in autumn.
>
> I wonder what the final death count of Covid-19 will be. Will it top the
> Spanish flu of a century ago; quinque milies milia hominum.

Probably not, but I don't know nuttin".

--Patricio

> Ed