THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS METAMORPHOSEON. LIBER!!.<br />
Fert prsedam. Pavet hose; littusque ablata relictum<br />
Respicit: et dextra cornu tenet; altera dorso<br />
Imposita est: tremulos sinuantur flamine vestes.<br />
NOTJE.<br />
ZEPHTETIS. Oh! what now ensued was still<br />
pleasanler! In an instant, the sea drew, as it<br />
were, n carpel o'er its wave?, and became as<br />
smooth and unruffled as a meadow. We all<br />
held our breaths, and followed as silent specta<br />
tors at a distance. Before them, flew myriads<br />
of cupids, so near to the surface, that sometimes<br />
their toes feathered the waters, having torches<br />
in their hands, and chanting hymeneals. The<br />
Nereids, rising from the water, mostly half<br />
naked, rode upon the hacka of dolphins on either<br />
side, and clapped their hands for joy. The Tri<br />
tons, also, and the other inhabitants of the sea,<br />
that were not of frightful aspect, danced around<br />
the lovely maid. Aye, Neptune himself had<br />
ascended his car, with Amphilrile by his side,<br />
40<br />
and exultingly went before, as if to smooth the<br />
way for his swimming brother. And, that no<br />
thing might be wanting, a couple of vigorous<br />
Tritons bore the goddess of love, recumbent in<br />
her shell, strewing flowers of every kind urjon<br />
the bride. It was one continued procession<br />
from the coast of Phenicia quite to Crete. They<br />
had scarcely landed on that island, when away<br />
went the bull, and Jupiter, in his own form,<br />
takn.g J£uropa by the hand, led her, glowing<br />
with a delicious blush, and hardly daring to<br />
open her eyes, to the Dictean cave. This done,<br />
we all retired, some this way, and some tha*<br />
upon the sea, and set about blowing and blus<br />
tering as usual.—DIALOGUES <strong>OF</strong> MARINE DEIUIS.<br />
QU^ESTIONES.<br />
Whither did Mercury go after the pun-1<br />
ishment of Agraulos ?<br />
For what purpose ?<br />
"With whom was Jupiter in love ?<br />
Into what did he transform himself?<br />
Was Europa at first fearful of him 1<br />
Did his gentleness overcome her timi<br />
dity ?<br />
Did she venture to sit upon him ?<br />
What did he do then?<br />
Was she affrighted ?<br />
How is the fable to be explained?<br />
"Were virgius often carried off in ancient<br />
timei?<br />
What writers speak of the rape of Eu<br />
ropa?<br />
Did princes often assume the names of<br />
the gods to give dignity to their preten<br />
sions t<br />
Who was Asterius ?<br />
Who was Picus ?<br />
Were Asterius, Picus, and the Cretan<br />
Jupiter probably all the same individual?<br />
How, then, is the transformation into a<br />
bull to be regarded ?<br />
How would some others explain the<br />
Fable?<br />
P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS<br />
METAMORPHOSEON.<br />
LIBER III.<br />
ARGUMENTUM.<br />
JUPITER carries Europa to Crete, and resumes his true form, and makes<br />
himself known to her. Agenor sends his son, Cadmus, in quest of Eu<br />
ropa, and orders him not to return home, unless he recover her. Find<br />
ing the search fruitless, Cadmus consults Apollo where he shall fix his<br />
residence, and is directed by a heifer to the spot where he is to found a<br />
city. About to return thanks to the gods by a sacrifice, he sends his<br />
companions to a fountain for water, when they are all devoured by the<br />
dragon that guards it. Cadmus arrives and slays the dragon, and at the<br />
command of Minerva sows the teeth of the serpent in the earth, from<br />
which rise armed men, a part of whom assist him in building Thebes.<br />
Cadmus now becomes happy, though in exile, until his grandson,<br />
Actaeon, is changed into a stag by Diana, (because surprised by him<br />
while bathing,) and is afterwards devoured by his own dogs. Juno<br />
rejoices in this calamity of the house of Agenor, and now contemplates<br />
the destruction of Semele, the daughter of Cadmus, who had become a<br />
favorite of Jupiter. Assuming the form of Beroe, the nurse of Semele,<br />
she persuades her to ask Jupiter to visit her, attended by all the insignia<br />
of his majesty. He consents, and Semele is consumed to ashes ; but her<br />
son, Bacchus, is rescued from destruction.<br />
Tiresias, afterwards a famous prophet, delivers his first oracle in the<br />
case of Narcissus, a beautiful youth, who, slighting Echo and other<br />
nymphs that loved him, pines away with love of himself. Pentheus<br />
treats the prophet with indignity, when the old man declares the horrible<br />
fate that awaits him when Bacchus shall visit Thebes. Bacchus comes<br />
to Thebes with his attendants, when Pentheus seizes Acostes, one of<br />
them, who gives an account of his own attachment to the new god, and<br />
of the transformation of the Tyrian sailors to dolphins. After this, Pen<br />
theus goes to Cithosron to behold the rites of Bacchus with sacrile<br />
gious eyes, when he is torn to pieces by the Bacchanals.<br />
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