Gurges, Gurgitis: Polysemous Yet Specific

Written and Researched by Matthew Winter ‡ Latin translations by Matthew Winter

When searching for a Latin word to translate as “sea”, one would most plausibly resort to using the frequently-employed pelagus or mare, alternative words designating “the sea” or “ocean”. But, if you wanted a rather matchless and peculiar sounding word, gurges would fit the bill not only because of its idiosyncrasy, but on account of its exclusive set of possible translations no other word possesses. Not only does its meaning incorporates the “sea”, but also a wide range other maritime constructions, such as a “whirlpool” and “great abyss”—gurges does truly charter an ensemble of translations that are fitting to be used at any occasion.

As recorded in Catullus’ Carmina 65, Catullus, coping with the recent death of his brother, writes to friend Hortalus (or styled Ortalus in the poem) on his brother’s current death—as we are able to see how he died—gurges portrays that Catullus’ brother died from some naval accident or perhaps drowning(?), as the Latin shows. “namque mei nuper Lethæo in gurgite fratris / pallidulum manans alluit unda pedem / Troia Rhœteo quem subter litore tellus / ereptum nostris obterit ex oculis” (Catullus 65.5-8). “For in fact, a pouring wave recently flowed past the somewhat-pale leg of my brother in a whirlpool in Lethæus, which beneath the Rhœtean seashore, Trojan dry-land crushed him, having been snatched away from our eyes.” Catullus was very piquant in choosing such a word to portray what he felt described the situation best.

We see this stimulating, maritime noun used as it most commonly is used—gurges, however when examined completely in Latin literature, will translate much beyond the limits that Catullus used it. Cicero cleverly employed the use of gurges in this oration: “...cuius ego imperium, non Aplium vallum contra ascensum transgressionemque Gallorum, non Rheni fossam gurgitibus illis redundantem Germanorum immanissimis gentibus obicio et oppono...” (Cicero, In L. Calpurnium Pisonem, 33 (excerpt)). “...to which supreme power I object and oppose: not against a risen, line of palisades of the Alps and a violation of the Gauls, not [against] the overflowing canal of the Rhine with whirlpools; [against] those monstrous nations of the Germans...” 

Here, Cicero describes the Rhine River, which divides France from Germany, as an “overflowing canal with whirlpools”, creating a mental picture of a fierce and ravaging river. Perhaps Cicero used gurges to depict the river Rhine as savage as the Gauls and Germans themselves. As used by Ovid in Metamorphoses, gurges is seen to be chosen quite particular, as the poet captured the essence of the noun. “...lentisciferumque tenetur / Liternum multamque trahens sub gurgite harenam / Volturnus niveisque frequens Sinuessa columbis...” (Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.713-5). “...Liternus, bearing mastic trees, are keeping much and the hauling [River] Volturnus (keeping) sand beneath the pools of water and populous with snowy doves...” In this instance, Ovid uses gurges as a common noun with no complex meaning—you can translate it here as just “a pool of water” or perhaps “the river”, referring back to Volturnus.

Deviating from its common translations, gurges, in a new sense, situates itself under a rather chthonian viewpoint as it portrays a proper noun through use of it pairing with an adjective to create an “idea”. But although a seemingly unique way to translate this noun, when the entire scope of Latin literature is examined, it is easy to speculate that gurges is an annex of the sea and ocean—not like pelagus or mare—but in a darker sense. It speaks of bodies of water in line with “death”; it accompanies meaning for bodies of water of the underworld, as shown here. “at ille / iam sedet in ripa tætrumque novicius horret / porthmea, nec sperat cænosi gurgitis alnum / infelix nec habet quem porrigat ore trientem” (Juvenal, Satires, 3.254-7). “On the contrary, this man already encamps on the bank and the beginner shutters at the black ferryman (who is Charon), neither an unproductive alder (plant) trusts of the muddy, raging abyss (which is the Styx) nor holds the third part which might extend to the mouth (of the river, i.e., Styx).”

The River Styx, an etching by G. Doré

Psyche and Charon, oil on canvas by J. R. Spencer-Stanhope, Roy Miles Gallery, London

 By context, it is very apparent to see that the cænosi gurgitis is the Styx, not because of that being the only capable reference, but because of the other hints embedded in the text such as the porthmea, who is undoubtedly Charon (the ferryman who took souls to the Underworld—across the River Styx). Something similar to this construction (with gurges) occurs in Virgil’s Æneid. “hinc via Tartarei quæ fert Acherontis ad undas. / turbidus hic cæno vastaque voragine gurges / æstuat atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam” (Virgil, Æneid 6.295-7). “From this source, [there is] a passage which does bring near to the waves of the Tartarean Acheron. 

In this place, a turbid whirlpool (which is the lake Avernus) seethes with filth in the monstrous watery-chasm and even in Cocytus it discharges violently all its grains of sand.” Although not speaking of the Styx, gurges is used to portray the River Acheron, another river in the Underworld—and the passage is quite violent, speaking of the “whirlpool” which vomits sand into the River Cocytus; geographically, the Cocytus and Acheron rivers meet at Lake Avernus in the underworld. So, on broader terms gurges can both refer to the vomiting Acheron and/or Lake Avernus (a “whirlpool”, because of vomiting Acheron).

One final example in correlating the use of gurges to translate as a Proper noun, or designate something particular by name, Juvenal again uses this word, but not in a Stygian or Cocytian sense. “veniet classis quocumque vocarit / spes lucri, nec Carpathium Gætulaque tantum / æquora transiliet, sed longe Calpe relicta / audiet Herculeo stridentem gurgite solem” (Juvenal, Satires 14.277-80). “The class will come wherever the prospect of profit will have summoned, and not a plant with narcotic juice of so great a size will jump across the Gaetulian Sea, but will distantly hear the gnashing sun in the forsaken Rock of Gibraltar from the Herculean sea.” Despite the fact that gurges is used in a subterranean sense at regular intervals, Juvenal decides in his fourteenth satire to relapse its general meaning  as “sea”, but when carefully used here, it gains a different sense. Paired with Herculeo, gurgite and Herculeo are simultaneously translated together with the definition of “the Atlantic ocean”, referring to beyond Calpe relicta, “the forsaken Rock of Gibraltar”. It is clever the way Latin authors paired up this noun to receive a greater meaning than gurges is capable alone!

After being confronted with the many possible translations recruited from context or being understood, we can see the connection Catullus would have made (from the first example) when he wrote about the death of his brother. Catullus, being the clever poet that he is, used gurges not only to signify how his brother died, but as well make a connection that he is now in the Underworld as “a pouring wave recently flowed past the somewhat-pale leg of my brother in a whirlpool in Lethæus”. Lethæus is another word for the Underworld, so like Juvenal and Virgil, Catullus uses gurges here as another connection to the underworld—to display the mastery of his poetry. Although at times this word seems quite polysemous (variable in meaning), gurges is a noun that will always be specific—and will always be treasured as a “whirlpool” of meanings!

References Sited

Goold, G. P, editor. Juvenal, Satire 3. Fordham University Archives: The Loeb Classical Library, January 1999.  Accessed March 20, 2012 from

Hendry, Michael, editor. Juvenal, Satire 14. Curculio, 1998-2001. Accessed March 21, 2012

IntraText. Cicero, In L. Calpurnium Pisonem , 8. Accessed March 20, 2012

Kant, Larry. “The Interpretation of Religious Symbols in the Graeco-Roman World:  A Case Study of   Early Christian Fish Symbolism” (3 vols), “Chapter Three: Fish Symbolism in Early Christian Texts.” Yale University, 1993. Accessed March 20, 2012

Latin Library, the. Ovid, Metamorphoses. “P. Ovidi Nasonis Metamorphosen Liber Qvintus Decimus”. Accessed March 21, 2012

Latin Library, the. Virgil, Æneid. “P. Vergili Maronis Æneidos Liber Sextus”. Accessed March 20, 2012

Lewis, Charles T., Ph.D.; Short, Charles, LL.D. A Latin Dictionary. Entry: “gurges”. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879. Accessed March 20, 2012

William Whitaker’s Words. Entry: “gurges.”  University of Notre Dame, 1993-2007. Accessed March 20, 2012