THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

304 P. OVIDII NASONIS LIBER IV,
Prsecutiunt: largis satiantur odoribus ignes:
Sertaque dependent tectis : lotique lyraxjue
Tibiaque, et cantus, animi felicia Ia5ti
Argumenta, sonant. Reseratis aurea valvis
Atria tola patent, pulchroque instructa paratu;
Cepheni proceres ineunt convivia regis.
Postquam epulis functi, generosi muncre Bacchi
DifTudere animos: cultusque habitusque locorum
Q.ufflrit Abantiades. Q.ua5renti protinus unus
Narrat Lyncides, moresque, habitusque virorum
Q.ua5 simul edocuit, Nunc, 6 fortissime, dixit,
Fare precor, Perseu, quanta virtute, quibusque
Artibus abstuleris crinita draconibus ora.
Narrat Abantiades gelido sub Atlante jacentem
Esse locum, solida tutum munimine molis ;
Cujus in introitu geminas habitasse sorores
Phorcydas, unius partitas luminis usum:
Id sc solerti, furtim dum traditur astu,
Supposita cepisse manu: perque abdita longe,
Deviaque, et sylvis horrentia saxa fragosis
Gorgoneas tetigisse domos: passimque per agros,
Pcrque vias vidisse hominum simulacra ferarumque
In silicem ex ipsis visa conversa Medusa:
Se tamen horrenda? clypei quod Iseva gerebat, 30
./Ere repercusso, formam aspexisse Medusae :
Dumque gravis somnus colubrasque ipsamque tenebat,
Eripuisse caput collo: pennisque fugacem
Pegason et fratrem matris de sanguine natos ;
her husband. The torch of Love is the
allegorical one that inflames the heart.
Here Love his golden shafts employs, here lights
His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings.
MILTON.
Concutit tredas geminus cupido.—SBNEC. CEo.
7. Largis odoribus: with copious per
fumes.
8. Loti. By metonymy for instruments
made of the lote tree.
11. Patent: are thrown open.
19. Crinita draconibus : having dragons
for hair; haired with dragons.
23. Phorcydas. The Phorcydes, called
also Graite, were the daughters of Phorcys
and Ceto. They were hoary-haired from
their birth, whence they were called Graiee.
They had but one eye, which was in com
mon. This was stolen by Perseus. They
were the guardians of the Gorgons. Their
names were Pephredo (Horrifier), Enyo
(Shaker), and Deino (Terrifier).
23. Unius luminis. The Graioe had but
a single eye among them.
Till thou sholt come to the Gorgonian plains
Of Cistbene, where dwell the swan-like forms
Of Phorcys' daughters, bent and white with age;
One common eye have these, one common tooth,
NOT^E.
10
15
20
25 25. Per lota long*
abdita, deviaque, at
saxa horrentia frago
sis silvis.
And never does the sun with cheerful ray
Visit them darkling, nor the moon's pale orb
That silvers o'er the night.
^SCHYLITS'S PROMETBKUS CHAINED
27. Gorgoneas domos: the habitations
of the Gorgons; where the three Gorgons,
Medusa, Enryale, and Stheno lived. Me
dusa alone was mortal.
The Gorgons nigh,
Their sisters there, spread their broad wings
and wreathe
Their horrid hair with serpents, fiends abhorred,
Whom never mortal could behold, and live.
.aJscHYLus's PKOMETIIEUS CUAIHSD
And Gorgous dwelling on the brink of night
Beyond the sounding main; where, silver-
voiced,
Th' Hesperian maidens in their wotches sing;
Euryale, and Slheno, and Medusa.
Sad is her lot, since mortal; but the two
Immortiil and of undecaying youlh.
Yet her alone the blue ha red god of waves
Enfolded, on the tender meadow-grass,
And bedded flowers of spring.
HESKIOD'S THEOOONT.
34. Pegason. A winged horse, which,
like his brother Chrysaor, sprang from the
blood of Medusa, at the time Perseus
severed her head from her body when
asleep. On seeing the light, he immedi
FABULA VIII. METAMORPHOSED N. 305
Addidit et longi non falsa pericula cursfis: 35
Q.ua3 freta, quas terras sub se vidisset ab alto;
Et qua? jactatis tetigisset sidera pennis.
Ante expectatum tacuit tamen, excipit unus
Ex numero procerum, quarens, cur sola sororum
Gesserit alternis iministos -crinibus angues. 40
Hospes ait, quoniam scitaris digna relatu,
Accipe qusesiti causam. Clarissima forma,
Multorumque fuit spes invidiosa procorum
Ilia, nee in tola conspectior ulla capillis
Pars fuit; inveni, qui se vidisse reierrent. 45
Hanc pelagi rector templo vitiasse Minerva?
Dicitur: aversa est, et castos segide vultus
Nata Jovis texit. Neve hoc impune fuisset;
Gorgoneum turpes crinem mutavit in hydros.
Nunc quoque ut attonitos formidine terreat hostes, 50
Pectore in adverse, quos fecit, sustinet angues.
ately fled to Mount Helicon, on which, by
» stroke of his loot, he produced ihe foun
tain Hippocrene, which was sacred to the
Muses.
When Perseus smote
Her neck, and snatched the severed bleeding
head,
The great Chryeaor then leaped into life,
And 1'egasus the steed, who, born beside
Old Nilus' fountains, thence derived a name.
For a thrilling description of a spectral
horse, I would reler the reader to " The
Buccaneer," a powerful poem, by Richard
H. Dana, Esq., of Cambridge, Mass.
What did Perseus do after his conquest
of the monster ?
To which of the gods did he assign the
principal altar?
What took place after this ?
At the feast, what request was made of
Perseus ?
Where did he say the Graia3 resided?
What was there peculiar about them ?
Who were the guards of the Gorgons?
Where did the Gorgons reside, according
to Ovid ?
Where does Hesiod say they resided ?
How did Perseus look on Medusa wilh-
out being changed to stone ?
39
NOTJE.
QU^ESTIONES.
43. Ilia fuit clarissi-
rna_forrnfl, spesque in
vidiosa multorurn pro
corum j nee ulla pars
in ea lota, fuil con
spectior capillis.
35. Non falsa pericula : the real dan
gers. Slheno and Euryale pursued him
after he had cut off the head of Medusa.
38. Ante expectatum: before he was ex
pected to stop. This is the charm of all
relating of stories, to stop before the audi
ence is weary.
39. Sola sororum. Why Medusa alone
of the sisters ?
51. Sustinet angues. Minerva bears the
Gorgon's head on her shield. It is some
times found in the lorica that encases her
breast.
What sprung from the blood of Medusa t
Why was the hair of Medusa turned
into serpents ?
By the Graiae, whom are we to under
stand ?
How arc they said to have one eye ?
How did Perseus steal it ?
By the Gorgons, what are we to under
stand ?
Give the names of the three, and their
explanation ?
How may Perseus be said to cut off the
head of Medusa ?
How will we interpret the springing of
Pegasus and Qhrysaor from her blood t