THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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278 P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>N/S LIBER IV.<br />
Volvitur Ixion; et se sequiturque, fugitquc,<br />
Molirique suis letuin patruelibus ausae,<br />
Assiduae repetunt, quas perdant, Belides, undas.<br />
Gluos omnes acie postquam Saturnia torva<br />
Vidit, et ante omnes Ixiona: rursus ab illo<br />
Sisyphon aspiciens; cur hie e fratribus, inquit,<br />
Perpetuas patitur poenas; Athamanta superbum<br />
Regia dives habet; qui me cum conjuge semper<br />
Sprevit ? et exponit caussas odiique viaeque;<br />
Quidque velit. Quod vellet, erat, ne regia Cadmi<br />
Staret; et in facinus traherent Athamanta sorores.<br />
Imperium, promissa, preces, confundit in unum,<br />
Sollicitatque deas. Sic hsec Junone locuta,<br />
Tisiphone canos, ut erat turbata, capillos<br />
Movit; et obstantes rejecit ab ore colubras.<br />
Atque ita, Non longis opus est ambagibus, infit,<br />
Facta puta, quaecunque jubes: inamabile regnum<br />
Defere ; teque refer coeli melioris ad auras.<br />
NOTJE.<br />
50<br />
55 55. Quod vellet, erat,<br />
n* regia Cadmi Btaret<br />
Mento summam aquam altingens sili enectus lalicem perlusuin confrerere in vas,<br />
.Tantalus. CICEKO, Tusc.<br />
Quod tamen expleri nulla rutione potest.<br />
LUCRET. Lib. iii. 1031<br />
45. SiaypJte. Sisyphus was a son of<br />
El Daniu proles, Veneris qu£e numina kcsit,<br />
./Eolus and Enaretta. He was a noted In cava Lelhxas doliu pnrtat aquas.<br />
robber, and for his crimes waa condemned<br />
TIBULL. Lib. i. Kleg. iii. 79<br />
in the Infernnl Regions to roll a huge stone<br />
50. Ante omnes. Juno is described as<br />
to the top of a mountain, which no sooner looking with aversion on Ixion, because of<br />
came near the summit, t lian it rolled back the insult which he had oflered to her.<br />
with accelerated rapidity. Hence, his pun<br />
51. Car hie. Juno maliciously inquires,<br />
ishment waa eternal. His labors are well<br />
described by Homer:<br />
Why is Sisyphus punished in the Infernal<br />
Regions, while hia brother Alhamas reigns<br />
I turned my eye. and as I turned surveyed in a palace 1<br />
A mournful vision, tlie Sis> phian shade!<br />
AVith many a weary step, and many a groan, 57. Imperium, promisfa, preces. There<br />
Up llie high hill lie heaves a huge round stone; is a gradation here that forcibly expresses<br />
The hugr. round stone, resulting with a bound, the violence of ihc hatred of Juno, and of<br />
Thunders impetuous down, uud smokes along the degradation which it involves. First,<br />
the ground ODYSSEY xi.<br />
with royal digniiy, she commands; she<br />
Nixmilcm trudere monte then attempts to bribe a compliance; and,<br />
Saxum, quod lumen a suinmo jam verlice<br />
rursum<br />
lastly, like a suppliant, has recourse to<br />
Volvitur. LUCRET. Lib. iii. 1013.<br />
humble entreaty.<br />
62. Facta puta: consider done. It is the<br />
46. Ixion. He was the son of Phlegyas, duly of a servant to obey a ruler promptly.<br />
and a king of Thessaly. Abhorred by all A French courtier, in expressing his zeal<br />
for the treacherous murder of hia father-in- in the service of his prince, once said, "It<br />
law, Jupiter took him up to heaven, where the thing is possible, consider it already<br />
he sought to dishonor Juno. For this, Ju<br />
done; if impossible, still expect that it will<br />
piter struck him to Tartarus with light be done."<br />
ning, and had him bound to a wheel, which 64. Roratis oquts : with sprinkled wa<br />
revolved continually.<br />
ter. As the Iris is produced from vapors,<br />
Illic Jmioncm tentare Ixionis nusi<br />
or small drops of rain, the term roratis (like<br />
Versuiilur celeri uoxia membra rola. dew) is used.<br />
TIBULL. Lib. i. Eleg. iii. 73.<br />
65. Lustravit. Iris purified Juno from<br />
48. Belidrs. The fifty daughters of Da- the pollution which she had contracted by<br />
iiaus, son of Bclus, who all, with (he ex visiting the Shades below. The Romans<br />
ception of Hypermnestra, on their wedding were accustomed to purify themselves with<br />
night killed their husbands, who were ihe waier after they returned from a house in<br />
sons of their uncle jEgyptus. For this which a dead body lay, or from a funeral.<br />
crime they were condemned iii the Infer 65. Thaumantias. There is evident re<br />
nal Regions to fill with water a cask which ference here to ihe Rainbow of the Flood.<br />
waa perforated in the bottom. Hence, That the ancients had preserved tho tradi.<br />
their labor was endless.<br />
tion of the Bow being made a sign of the<br />
60<br />
FABULA III. METAMORPHOSEON. 279<br />
Lffita redit Juno: quam coelum intrare parantem<br />
Roratis lustravit aquis Thaumantias Iris. 65<br />
NOTJE.<br />
covenant between God and man, is evi<br />
dent from frequent passages in the poets.<br />
Iris, or ihe Rainbow, is mythologically<br />
said to be the daughter of Thaumas. Now<br />
T/iaum-as is a compound word (iwrawn),<br />
and signifies Ihe abyss and Jire. It is well<br />
known, that the rainbow is formed by the<br />
rays of the sun falling on minute drops of<br />
rain: ihe Rainbow seen by Noah was pro<br />
bably produced by the sun's rays falling<br />
on the drops of rain which were exhaled<br />
from ihe waters of the retiring abyss; and,<br />
hence, the propriety of the allegory. An<br />
allegory, by Piolemy Hephestion, in which<br />
Arke (the ark) is spoken of as the daughter<br />
of Thaumas, and sister of Iris, refers to the<br />
same Noachic history:<br />
fH li 'Apifi] Qavnavros Jjv SvyaTtjp, qj TJ dSeXiJtrj<br />
*lpis.~Nov. HIST. Lib. iii.<br />
65. Iris. The tradition of the Rainbow<br />
appears to have been widely diffused<br />
amone the nations. It is designated by<br />
God niinself as a sign, or token, of his<br />
Covenant, or Oath. Hesiod calls it the<br />
Great Oaih of the gods; and various other<br />
authors call it a sign, or token.<br />
And God said, This is the token of the cove<br />
nant which I make between me and you, and<br />
every living creature that ii with you, for per<br />
petual generations. I do set my bow in the<br />
cloud and I will remember my covenant,<br />
which is between me and you, and every liv<br />
ing creature of all flesh : and the waters shall<br />
no more become a flood to destroy all fle»h.<br />
GENESIS ix. 12, 15.<br />
Swift-footed Iris, nymph of Tlmnmas horn,<br />
Tukcs -with no frequenl embassy her wuy<br />
O'er the broad main's expanse, when haply<br />
strife<br />
Has risen, and controversy 'midst the gods,<br />
If there be one 'midsl those who dwell in heaven<br />
That utlers falsehood, Jove sends Iris down<br />
To bring from far, in golden ewer, the wave<br />
Of multitudinous name, the mighty oath,<br />
That from a higli rock inaccessible<br />
Glides cold. TUEOGONY.<br />
"Ipiaaiv ioiKOTES, 3j re Kpovtbllf<br />
'Ei> j-ti£i trrnpitf, TEPAS tupliruv dvSpwnut.<br />
ILIAD xi. 27.<br />
Like to the bow, which Jove amid the clouds<br />
Set us a token to desponding man.<br />
'Hvrj iropQvpiijv^Ipiv ^vrjToitft Tnvvoay<br />
Zevs if ovpav6§cv, Ttpas iutlEval- ILIAD xvii. 547.<br />
Just as when Jove amid the heavens displays<br />
His bow mysterious, for a lasting sign.<br />
Tcffjiup Si fiporots KOI