Daedalus ingenio fabrae celeberrimus artis
ponit opus turbatque notas et lumina flexu
ducit in errorem variarum ambage viarum (8.159-161)
Specifically how to construe flexu and ambage. Roughly: ‘Daedalus, who was the most famous for his skill in sculpture, built this work - confusing the signs and leading eyes into error with the twists and turns [ambage] of the confusing tracks’. How does flexu fit in? I know some editions have flexum (agreeing with errorem) but I’m working with Hollis’ text which maintains the ablative.
It does seem rather redundant to have flexu as well as variarum ambage viarum, when both apply to lumina ducit in errorem even if the final phrase takes in turbatque notas too.
But just as Vergil had paid ostentatious tribute to Catullus’ description of the Labyrinth (inobservabilis error Cat.64.118, inextricabilis error Verg.Aen.6.28), Ovid evidently could not resist deploying the corresponding passages of both predecessors (labyrintheis e flexibus egredientem Cat., Daedalus … ambagesque resolvit Verg.)
This seems to me to be a typical example of Ovid trying to recreate in his handling of syntax and word order the very thing that he is trying to describe. I think you are meant to struggle through the twists and turns just as potential visitors (victims) struggle through the labyrinth.
Rather than redundancy “variarum ambage viarum” “expands on and enhance[s] by its alliteration” (so Anderson) “flectu”. If you are worried about the ablative think of it as “by means of twists”. Also perhaps its best not to think of “twists and turns” but just take the Latin as it comes. Then you get the sense of there is one set of twists and then another set of turns, which is the experience of being in a maze (in aMazement!).
This is also anticipated in line 158:
multiplicique domo caecisque includere tectis
a home with many turns and windings.
I wonder why you have understood “fabrae celeberrimus artis” as referring to sculpture? I think we are intended to understand Daedalus as a builder or architect. Ponit is used by Vergil as “build” (posuitque immania templa Aen.6.19) and opus has a more specific meaning than “work” see for example OLD
“10 A building, structure, erection (esp. of
a public nature). b (mil., usu. pl.) siege-works;
also, defensive works.”
so something like “built the structure” seems to be the sense.
Without wanting to over stress the point I think “notas” is significant. Anderson has " the usual indications by which one might proceed to the exit". Perhaps this is an explicit indication of what Ovid the poet is up to here.
