THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

FABULA III.
ACTION IN CERVUM MUTATUS.
Actseon, the son of Aristams and Autonoe, overcome with heat, comes to the
valley of Sargaphie, where he surprises Uiana and her nymphs bathing
Covered with confusion, and resolved to prevent his relation of the acci
dent, she changes him into a stag, when he is torn in piecee by his own
dogs.
EXPLICATIO.
THIS Fable most probably rests upon an historical basis, and records
the destruction of Actseon for some interruption of the worship of the
goddess Diana. Diodorus Siculus, lib. iv. 81, says, that he attempted to
offer violence to the goddess, and was, in consequence, changed into a
stag, and devoured by his own dogs; but Euripides says, he was pun
ished because he boasted himself superior to Diana in hunting. Stesi-
chorus relates that he was not changed into a stag, but that the goddess
sewed him up in the skin of that beast, and caused his dogs to tear him
to pieces. It is possible, that anciently with the worship of Diana, as
with that of Minerva, the ceremony of the Bath may have existed, which
Actseon with profane eyes may have witnessed; and, in consequence,
been driven from the society of men. As the stag is a fearful and timo
rous animal, Actseon's flight from his pursuers may have given rise to
the fabulous transformation. While a wanderer from men, he may have
died in solitude, and his dogs may have preyed upon his corse, and hence
the fabulous dilaceration while he was alive.
Again, if, after his impiety towards the goddess, he became affected
with lunacy, and wandered from the society of men, it might be said he
was transformed by Diana, or the Moon, into a stag, which is noted for
its timidity. His dogs may have preyed upon him after death, as in the
supposition above ; or, what is by no means unusual, his dogs may have
gone mad during the intense heat of the canicular days, and may have
torn their master to pieces. Scaliger says, that various hunters in Cor
sica have been destroyed thus by their own dogs. Again, he may have
been pursued by bloodhounds after his impiety towards Diana.
Some would interpret this Fable morally, by supposing that Actseon,
neglecting the pursuit of virtue and heroical deeds, while daily frequent
ing the woods, and contending with wild beasts, is fabled to put off the
nature of man, and to degenerate into a beast; when, impoverished at
last by his dogs, he is said to be devoured by them. Pakephatus takes
this latter view of the Fable. Others, again, are disposed to regard the
destruction of Actseon by his own dogs, as an allegory, in which is set
set forth the fact, that his substance was eaten up by the parasites that
had caressed and fawned upon him.
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AM stabant Thebse: poteras jam, Cadme, videri
Exilic felix. Soceri tibi Marsque Venusque
Contigerant: hue adde genus de conjuge tanta,
Tot natos, natasque, et pignora cara nepotes ;
Hos quoque jam juvenes. Sed scilicet ultima semper 5
Expectanda dies homini: dicique beatus
Ante obitum nemo, supremaque funera debet.
NOTVE.
1. Slalanl Thelce: Thebes stood. The city was now built.
1. Cadme. The poet now addresses Cadmus, by way of apostrophe.
2. Mars Vtnusque. Cadmus married Harmoma, or Hcrmione, the
daughter of Venus and Mars. To grace the nuptials, all the gods of
Olympus attended, and presented the bride with gifts.
Yet to his arma
The queen oflove consigned her beauteous daughter
Ilurmonia; and from her, to crown liis joys,
Sprung Polydorus. EURIPIDES.
4. Tot natos.
Polydore.
4. Nalasque. Four daughters are men
tioned. Agave, Autonoe, Semele, and Inc.
4. Nepotes. The grand-children of Cad
mus weie, Artrcon, the son of A utonoe and
Arista?ua; Biirrlms, the son ol Semele
and .Tupiier; Pentheus, the son of Agave
and Echinn; and Meticerla and Learchus,
by Ino and Aihamas.
5. Jam juvents: now adult.
5. Ultima semper. This sentiment was
first uttered by Kolon to Croesus, king of
The different mythologists mention but one son,
Lydia, when the latter was vaingloriously
displaying his riches and power, and
considering himself the hnppicst of_men.
When conquered afterwards by Cyrus,
captured, and tied to a pyre, nbout to be
slain, he recalled to mind tlic words of
Solon, which, in his case, had been ora
cular:
Call no man happy till you know the nature
of his death: he is, et best but fortunate. ....
He who possesses the ILCSI advantages., and
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I