C. Valerius Catullus, Carmen 64.76–85
The narrator pauses the description of the coverlet to recount the backstory that brought Theseus to Crete: a grim tribute owed by Athens after the death of Androgeus, and the role of the Minotaur in it.
Tier 1
ōlim Athēniēnsēs māgnum malum patiēbantur. Androgeus, fīlius rēgis Mīnōis, in Athēnīs mortuus erat. propter hanc caedem, Athēnae poenās dare cōgēbantur.
quotannīs Athēniēnsēs iuvenēs et puellās ad Crētam mittēbant. hī iuvenēs et hae puellae Minōtaurō cibus erant. Minōtaurus eōs edēbat.
Athēnae in māgnō perīculō erant. Thēseus ipse sē offerre voluit. Thēseus prō cārā patriā morī parātus erat. nōn voluit aliōs Athēniēnsēs sīc morī.
ergō Thēseus in nāvem ascendit. ventī lēnēs nāvem mōvērunt. Thēseus fortis ad rēgem Mīnōem in Crētam vēnit. domus rēgis māgna et superba erat.
Tier 2
Athēnae ōlim cōgēbantur poenās dare propter caedem Androgeī. quotannīs ēlēctōs iuvenēs et virginēs pulcherrimās Athēniēnsēs Minōtaurō in cibum dabant.
quod moenia Athēnārum hīs malīs premēbantur, ipse Thēseus suum corpus prō cārīs Athēnīs offerre optāvit. nōluit enim aliōs cīvēs suōs ad Crētam sīc portārī.
atque ita, levī nāve prōcēdēns ventīsque lēnibus iuvātus, ad magnanimum Mīnōem vēnit et ad superbās sēdēs eius.
Tier 3
nam perhibent ōlim Athēnās, crūdēlī peste coāctās, exsolvere poenās caedis Androgeoneae: solēbant dare Minōtaurō, in dapem, ēlēctōs iuvenēs et simul decus innuptārum.
quīs malīs cum angusta moenia vexārentur, ipse Thēseus optāvit suum corpus prō cārīs Athēnīs prōicere, potius quam tālia fūnera Cecropiae ad Crētam portārentur.
atque ita, levī nāve nītēns ac lēnibus aurīs, vēnit ad magnanimum Mīnōem sēdēsque superbās.
Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum
- nam perhibent ōlim crūdēlī peste coāctam
- Androgeoneae poenās exsolvere caedis
- ēlēctōs iuvenēs simul et decus innuptārum
- Cecropiam solitam esse dapem dare Mīnōtaurō.
- quīs angusta malīs cum moenia vexārentur,
- ipse suum Thēseus prō cārīs corpus Athēnīs
- prōicere optāvit potius quam tālia Crētam
- fūnera Cecropiae nec fūnera portārentur.
- atque ita nāve levī nītēns ac lēnibus aurīs
- magnanimum ad Mīnōa vēnit sēdēsque superbās.
Original draft written by Robert Amstutz
