THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

FABULA V.
CADMUS ET HERMIONE IN DRACONES.
Cadmus and Hermione, affected by the calamities that had happened to theij
family, abandon Thebes and go into Ulyricum. Here he suspects that his
afflictions have been in consequence of the dragon which he slew being
sacred to some god; after which he and his wife are changed to serpents.
EXPLICATIO.
As some learned men contend that Cadmus was a real personage, in
accordance with that view, and for the sake of heroic interest, we regarded
him as an historical character, in our explanations of Fables I. and II.
Book HI. But the achievements of Cadmus could not have been the
work of tin individual, for he is said to have led colonies into Phenicia,
Cyprus, llhodcs, Thera, Thasus, Anape, and Samothracia ; to have dis
covered and have wrought mines of gold and copper in Cyprus and else
where ; to have founded settlements, and one hundred cities in Africa:
to have established colonies in Attica, Euboea, Boeotia, and Illyrin; to have
reigned in Armenia, and, after reigning at Thebes for sixty-two years, to
have reigned in Illyria. Besides this, he is said to have been tne in
ventor of letters.
Now, all these things may be referred to a tribe, but could not have
been the work of an individual. We will, therefore, regard Cadmus,
(anciently written KdSfi^v,) not as a real character, but a personification
of the Cadmonites, a race spoken of in the Bible, who lived near Baal
Hermon, in Syria. On this account, and probably beraijse a body of
Hermonians accompanied the Cadmonites to Boeotia, Hermione is alle-
gorically the wife of Cadmus. The people around Baai Hennon were
given to serpent-worship, and in consequence were called Hivites, from
Hivia,« serpent. Ancient authors say, that in Hermon and Alount Libanus
were many Batrvjua (Beth-el, house of God); these were the upright
stones that formed the serpent-temples. Hence, Cadmus, who is de
scribed as identical with the Taut* of the Phenicians, the Thouth of the
Egyptians, and the Hermes of the Greeks, is said to have taught the
worshipt of the serpent, and at last to have been changed into a serpent.
As the temples used by the worshippers of the serpent were built of up
right stones, disposed in the form of that reptile, it is a myth of easy ap
plication to say that Cadmus was changed into a serpent. As Scinele
(Sema-el, the token of God, i. e. the Rainbow), and Ino (lone, the dove],
are daughters of Cadmus; and Bacchus (Noah) his grandson, it is readily
perceived, that Cadmus (the Cadmonites) brought the traditions of the
Deluge into Greece: as also the tradition of the serpent of Paradise,
which, at first regarded as oracular, became a symbol a talisman and
at length a god through the nations.
* Tani is Hie firs! lhal invented letters—whom the Egyptians called Tliouth, ihe Alexandrians
Tholh. but the Orceka rendered Hermes—Pmr.o ATOD L.USEBIUM.
Cmlinus. ncit only a royiil epithet, liul tin epithet of Hermes.—VETUS AUCTOR APUD PIIAVORIM.M
Cadmus, who is Ihe same as Hermes. SCHOUAST ON IACOPIIRON".
t Tiuil consecrated the Jbrm of Ihe dragon and ofserpenls; and the P!ienici»"s and Egyptians
after him dtil the snme.—EUSKBIUS, I'K.BH. EVANG., Iiib. i.. Cap. 10.
The Greeks received Hie worship of Hie serpent from Ciclums.—Vosstus.
286
ESCIT Agenondes natam parvumque nepotem
TEquoris esse deos. Luctu seneque malorum
Victus, et ostentis, qua plurima viderat, exit
Conditor urbe sua; tanquam fortuna locorum
Non sua se premeret: longisque erratibus actus
Contigit Illyricos profuga cum conjuge fines.
Jamque malis annisquc graves, dum prima retractant
Fata domfis, relcguntque sues sermone labores;
Nuin sacer ille mca tntjectus cuspide serpens,
Cadmus ait, fuerit: turn, ciini Sidone profectus
Vipereos sparsi per hmnum, nova semina, denies?
ducin si cura defim tain certa vindicat ira,
Ipse precor scrpcns in longam porri«;ar alvum.
Divit; et, ut serpens, in longam tenditur alvum:
Duratasque cuti squamas increscere sentit,
1. Agenoridrs. Cadmus, the son of
Ape nor.
4. Urtiffua. From Thebes, which he
had founded.
6. lllyricns. Illyriemn, now Upper .Al
bania, v, as n count ry of Greece, the precise
limits 'if which nre not known. It was
bounded on tlie ejsM by a ratiw of moun
tains that sep.ir.ites it from Tlicwwily; on
the roulli by F.pirus. now Lower Aflmiiin;
and on the west by Marc Harjiiaticuin.
7. Malis iinnisuue p*aves: weighed
down with misfortunes nnd with years.
"\Vhen ape ami waul, O ill-nxilcheil pair.
Show man w is made to mourn.—BIBXS.
10
15
9. nif trrpmt. The srrpenl which he
hnd sl.iin, as related in Lib. III., Fab. I.
12. Vhnli-al. Cadmus is led to suppose
that I he mNfiirl tines which he has suffered,
have been inflicted by some deity, to whom
llic serpent which he slew was sncred.
13 Ijiftr fcrjieny porriftar: m ay I myself
be extended, n pcrpcnl. The ophite
liicrogriiin is found wherever ihc scrpcnt-
worship prevailed. It appears on coins,
medals, temples, and pillars, undrr vnriotta
modifications, as shown in Figures 1 to 7.
The fcrpent of Paradise was the original
of the whole. See note on Serpentis,
page 92.
287