Commentary on Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.339-510: Echo and Narcissus

437-453: After falling in love with his own reflection, Narcissus has tried to embrace his would-be lover but found he cannot. Now, he is distraught, unable to eat or sleep. He complains to the woods about his misfortunes, claiming the woods have never seen a lover as miserable as he is. Narcissus also laments that despite his many attempts, he and his would-be lover can never seem to touch each other, for he still does not understand that he is trying to kiss a reflection.

437 Cereris: metonymy for wheat, or food in general. Narcissus refuses all physical food, instead nourishing himself with his own reflection: looking at his would-be lover is all the sustenance he needs.

Non illum...non illum: repetition of non with illum specifically emphasizes Narcissus’ desperation and his inability to possess himself

440 per oculos perit ipse suos: Narcissus is literally perishing out through his eyes, or by means of his eyes, but not because of his eyes.

442 ecquis: more intense than a simple quis

442-445: Narcissus addresses the woods directly as if they were friendly bystanders, but he does not address Echo, who is actually capable of listening to him.

443 scitis enim et multis latebra opportuna fuistis: reminds readers that Narcissus is in a locus amoenus, a landscape particularly conducive to secret affairs and, in the Met., to rape. By addressing the woods themselves, Narcissus seems to call to mind the many rapes and near misses of the Met. committed in the woods, and the objects of desire who have become part of the silvae to which he speaks. Is he bemoaning his impotency, his inability to rape in this line? Or is his entire address to the trees foreshadowing for his own fate as a flower?

444 agantur: subjunctive in a causal cum clause

445 tabuerit: perfect subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic

446: Ovid plays up the irony of Narcissus’ situation through the duality and reversal of video and placet.

447 tantus tenet error amantem: widely considered to be an interjection by the narrator, not a part of Narcissus’ speech. By inserting himself into the middle of his speech, just as it’s reaching its peak, Ovid undercuts the gravity of Narcissus’ complaint.

Error: the word used by the narrator to absolve Actaeon of any guilt earlier in Book 3, at 142. By reusing error, Ovid draws attention to the fact that it is an unintentional error that dooms both Actaeon and Narcissus: in Actaeon’s case, he accidentally stumbles upon Diana naked, and in Narcissus’ case, he does not know that the man he’s falling in love with is his own reflection.

448 quoque: introduces a relative clause of purpose

449 via...montes...moenia: subjects of separat along with mare

450 aqua exigua: either heightens the drama because Narcissus is so close to being with his would-be lover and yet cannot reach him, or undermines Narcissus’ lament by drawing attention to how ridiculous his situation is.

453 putes: potential subjunctive introducing an indirect statement, “you might think that…”