C. Valerius Catullus, Carmen 64.103–115
The flashback now turns from Ariadne's interior turmoil to the encounter Theseus has come to Crete to face. The passage describes the contest in the labyrinth and the role of the thread Ariadne has supplied.
Tier 1
Ariadna tacitē deīs dōna prōmīsit. deī vōta eius audīvērunt. dōna Ariadnae nōn ingrāta erant.
sīcut māgnus ventus arborem in monte frangit, ita Thēseus Minōtaurum vīcit. Minōtaurus in terram cecidit. cornua sua frustrā in ventum movēbat.
Thēseus tūtus erat. Thēseus māgnam laudem habēbat. Thēseus ē labyrinthō exiit. Thēseus fīlum tenēbat. fīlum Ariadnae eum ad portam dūxit.
Tier 2
interim Ariadna tacitē dīs vōta suscēpit et parva dōna prōmīsit; dōna eius nōn ingrāta erant, neque vōta frustrā fuērunt.
sīcut māgnus ventus, magnā vī in altō monte arborem fortem movēns, eam ē rādīcibus ēruit. ita Thēseus, mōnstrum saevum corpore domitō, in terram prōstrāvit; Minōtaurus frustrā cornua in vānōs ventōs iactābat.
inde Thēseus, tūtus et cum māgnā laude, pedem reflexit, vestīgia errantia tenuī fīlō regēns, nē in viīs labyrinthī errāret nec exitum āmitteret.
Tier 3
Ariadna tamen, nōn ingrāta mūnuscula dīvīs frustrā prōmittēns, tacitō labellō vōta suscēpit.
nam velut indomitus turbō, flāmine contorquēns rōbur, ēruit quercum aut cōnigeram pīnum sūdantī cortice, brāchia in summō Taurō quatientem (illa procul, rādīcitus exturbāta, prōna cadit, lātē quaevīs cumque obvia frangēns): sīc Thēseus saevum mōnstrum, corpore domitō, prōstrāvit, nēquīquam cornua iactantem vānīs ventīs.
inde, sospes, multā cum laude, pedem reflexit, errābunda vestīgia tenuī fīlō regēns, nē, ē labyrinthēīs flexibus ēgredientem, inobservābilis error tēctī frustrārētur.
Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum
- nōn ingrāta tamen frustrā mūnuscula dīvīs
- prōmittēns tacitō succēpit vōta labellō.
- nam velut in summō quatientem brāchia Taurō
- quercum aut cōnigeram sūdantī cortice pīnum
- indomitus turbō contorquēns flāmine rōbur,
- ēruit (illa procul rādīcitus exturbāta
- prōna cadit, lātē quaevīs cumque obvia frangēns,)
- sīc domitō saevum prōstrāvit corpore Thēseus
- nēquīquam vānīs iactantem cornua ventīs.
- inde pedem sospes multā cum laude reflexit
- errābunda regēns tenuī vestīgia fīlō,
- nē labyrinthēīs ē flexibus ēgredientem
- tēctī frustrārētur inobservābilis error.
Original draft written by Robert Amstutz
