THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

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