THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
ill<br />
FABULA II.<br />
ANIMALIUM HOMINISQUE CREATIO.<br />
Inhabitants are assigned to the several divisions of the earth. The heavent<br />
receive the stars and the gods > the waters receive the fish; the earth the wild<br />
beasts, and the air the birds. The creation of man.<br />
EXPHCATIO.<br />
The world having been prepared for the reception and sustentation of<br />
inhabitants, the celestial Architect now peoples each region with its ap<br />
propriate class. The gods, and the stars, which the ancients supposed to<br />
partake of the nature of the gods, occupy the celestial space. The first<br />
act of animal creation takes place, and the waters are stocked with their<br />
infinite multitudes. As the lowest organization of animals is formed ir<br />
tie waters, this is agreeable to philosophy, and to the account of the first<br />
ret of animal creation in Genesis, the bringing forth of the waters. In<br />
Genesis, however, the waters bring forth not only the cold-blooded animals,<br />
fishes, and reptiles, but the lower orders of warm-blooded animals also,<br />
the birds. This is agreeab'e to the soundest philosophy, for birds are<br />
next in order to fishes, live in the same, or a similar element, and like<br />
fishes, move through the water or the air by a similar resistance of those<br />
elements to the organs with which they respectively strike them. Our<br />
poet speaks next of the beasts, and then of the birds. The Biblical<br />
account places the formation of beasts last. Their organization is the<br />
most perfect of all animals. To be lord of the creation just finished, man<br />
is formed by Prometheus, the son of lapetus or Japhet. In the account<br />
there appears to be h mingling of allegory and history. lapetus, the son<br />
of Coelus and Terra, and the brother of the Ocean, as described by Hesiod,<br />
is no doubt Japhet, the son of Noah, called the brother of the Ocean, from<br />
his surviving the flood. As the sons of Japhi-t peopled "the isles of the<br />
Gentiles," according to Scripture, it is possible he was ranked among the<br />
gods, and that to him, or to his son, Prometheus, may have thus been<br />
attributed the formation of man. It is most probable that the fable of<br />
Prometheus's stealing fire from heaven to animate man, and the intro<br />
duction of disease and death by Pandora, sent for his punishment, is a<br />
confused account of the Creation and Fall of man. Prometheus may be<br />
regarded as a personification of rtpo^iti'a, the divine wisdom, which<br />
formed man, as he is the chief work of creation. Thus Hesiod repre<br />
sents Mulciber, or the plastic power of the deity, as forming man. Again,<br />
as the fall, which brought "sin and all our wo," was in consequence of<br />
man's coveting knowledge, " ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil,"<br />
nence diseases and death are said to follow in consequence of fire, which<br />
typifies knowledge, being; stolen from heaven. Disease and death were<br />
introduced, moreover, by Pandora, who is plainly the Eve of Scripture<br />
See the story of Prometheus in Lempriere's Dictionary.<br />
33<br />
I<br />
EU regie foret ulla suis ammantibus orba; 1<br />
^ Astra tenent cceleste solum, formeeque deorum :<br />
i. Neuuiia<br />
Cesserunt nitidis habitanda1 piscibus undre: 10011(11)11?; as-<br />
Terra feras copit: volucres agitabilis aer. jK^rn? *<br />
NOTJE.<br />
1. -AY» regio: nor might any region be destitute of proper ani<br />
mals. The earth wax nt first "without form and void:" it was now<br />
the purpose of the deily to fill it.<br />
Uneven ami earth nt first were of one form.<br />
Kut when their illfferent pnrls were separata.<br />
Thence sprung: bensts, fowls, and all the shoals of fish,<br />
Na>. even men themselves. EURIPIDES.<br />
2. A stra. The constellniions are here spoken of as real animals<br />
inhabiting the heavens. The Plotonists regarded the stars as intelli<br />
gent beings.<br />
Anaximandcr affirmed the stars to Le the eternal gofls. PLUTAHCB.<br />
The stars being generated in the ethereal space, it is a natural inference to<br />
suppose them endued with such a decree of sense and understanding us<br />
places ilicm in the rank of gods. Vs NATUBA DEORUM.<br />
It linth been delivered down to us, by the ancients, and those of old times,<br />
both that the stars are gods, mid that the Divinity comprehended the whole,<br />
or universal nature. ARISTOTLE.<br />
The first inhabitants of Greece appear to me The Subians hold thai there is no God besideg<br />
to have esteemed these only to lie gods, us many the stars; that they are all deities, hut that tlie<br />
of the barbarians now do, the sun. and moon, sun is the great, or chief god. MAIHONIDES.<br />
end the eurth anil stars, and heaven. I'LATO'S . . , , ,<br />
CRATTTLUS. A modern poet, with the enthusiasm ot<br />
The first natural philosophers looked upon the n lruc, Sahian, spcnks of the stnrs as nniiun<br />
mid moon, and other wander ng stars, and rnated, and enshrining an Intelligent soul,<br />
the eli ments. nnd the things that were connected in ihe following beautiiul language:<br />
with these, to be the only gole srirj|3 , bri(f|lt as em<br />
The most anc-ent people of Etopl. looking up Young Eden's lu'rthnight sow ye shine<br />
to the world alioye ove them, em, and an llir tlir ualure uarure ot" the On all her flnwrrs and fountains first,<br />
universe, ami being struck with astau'shmcnt<br />
uniwors^ n.»» *"•;—— ——- • ' y pr Knnrl-liTl.r f———..