Line 178
"aerias libratum Phoebus in auras"
Translated as: “Apollo [threw] the having been balanced item (the discus) into the lofty air”
In this line, the words “aerias” and “in auras” go together as they are both accusative, feminine, and plural; the words “libratum” and “Phoebus” go together as “Phoebus” is the subject of the sentence which is acting on the direct object of the sentence, “libratum”. As a side note, libratum is a perfect passive participle but it is treated as a noun referring to the discus. The manner in which these words are ordered in this line idiate that the construction of this clause is a chiasmus, meaning it has an ABBA word order. The construction of this line could also could also be interpreted as a Hyperbaton, meaning that it forms a picture using the placement of the words. The hyperbaton comes from the manner in which “libratum Phoebus” is surrounded by “aerias...in auras”. The word order mimics the way the sky (directly translated as “lofty air” from “aerias...in auras”) surrounds Apollo and the discus, thus creating an image the sky surrounds Apollo using only the word order.
Line 180
"in solidam longo post tempore terram"
Translated as: “[the discus fell] into the solid ground, after a long time”
In this line, the words “in solidam” and “terram” go together as they are both accusative, feminine, and singular. The words “longo” and “post tempore” go together as they are both ablative, neuter, singular. Just to be clear, “post” is an adverb so the case, number, and gender do not need to be considered. The way these verbs modify each other and are ordered indicates that the line is structured as a chiasmus, meaning it has an ABBA word order. The chiasmus of the line means that the line is literally read as “into the solid (after a long time) ground”. Based on the way the line is read, the chiasmus and structure creates a crooked and unsteady sense of time surrounding the time before discus struck and killed Hyacinth. I think Ovid’s goal in this line was to make it feel as if time was moving in slow motion before Hyacinth was killed. Almost as if, just as your life flashes before your eyes before you die, Apollo saw the entire event that unfolded in front of him in slow motion before Hyacinth died.
"aerias libratum Phoebus in auras"
Translated as: “Apollo [threw] the having been balanced item (the discus) into the lofty air”
In this line, the words “aerias” and “in auras” go together as they are both accusative, feminine, and plural; the words “libratum” and “Phoebus” go together as “Phoebus” is the subject of the sentence which is acting on the direct object of the sentence, “libratum”. As a side note, libratum is a perfect passive participle but it is treated as a noun referring to the discus. The manner in which these words are ordered in this line idiate that the construction of this clause is a chiasmus, meaning it has an ABBA word order. The construction of this line could also could also be interpreted as a Hyperbaton, meaning that it forms a picture using the placement of the words. The hyperbaton comes from the manner in which “libratum Phoebus” is surrounded by “aerias...in auras”. The word order mimics the way the sky (directly translated as “lofty air” from “aerias...in auras”) surrounds Apollo and the discus, thus creating an image the sky surrounds Apollo using only the word order.
Line 180
"in solidam longo post tempore terram"
Translated as: “[the discus fell] into the solid ground, after a long time”
In this line, the words “in solidam” and “terram” go together as they are both accusative, feminine, and singular. The words “longo” and “post tempore” go together as they are both ablative, neuter, singular. Just to be clear, “post” is an adverb so the case, number, and gender do not need to be considered. The way these verbs modify each other and are ordered indicates that the line is structured as a chiasmus, meaning it has an ABBA word order. The chiasmus of the line means that the line is literally read as “into the solid (after a long time) ground”. Based on the way the line is read, the chiasmus and structure creates a crooked and unsteady sense of time surrounding the time before discus struck and killed Hyacinth. I think Ovid’s goal in this line was to make it feel as if time was moving in slow motion before Hyacinth was killed. Almost as if, just as your life flashes before your eyes before you die, Apollo saw the entire event that unfolded in front of him in slow motion before Hyacinth died.