THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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56<br />
P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS<br />
Fulmine, et excussit subjecto Pelio Os^am.<br />
Obruta mole sua cum corpora (lira jacerent,<br />
Perfusarn inulto natorum sanguine terrain<br />
Immaduisse ferunt, calidumque animasse cruorem:<br />
Et, ne nulla ferze stirpis monumenta manerent,<br />
NOTVE.<br />
3. Ad sidera: to the stars. This is a<br />
common hyperbole, when any thing very<br />
high is spoken of.<br />
Ho to, let us build n city and tower, whose lop<br />
may reach uiiio heaven. GENESIS xix. 4.<br />
Turrj'm in praacipili siantem sumisque sub aslra<br />
Edaclam leclis. .1 IN KID ii. 460.<br />
3. Slruvisse monies : had piled up the<br />
mountains.<br />
4. Patir omniptttens: the omnipotent<br />
father; Jupiter, who is styled the father<br />
of pods and men.<br />
The account given here of the bittle of<br />
the giants and the pods, is very freble<br />
when compared with the following descrip<br />
tion of the bnttle of the Titans and gods,<br />
as given by another poet:<br />
On ihe other side, nlerl<br />
The Titan plmhm v eloerd: then litinds of sir*1 ncili<br />
Jo.ne.I pro\\rss. and d-splayed the work of war<br />
Tremendous then lh' irniounsiiraMe sea<br />
Ronrrd; enrlh re-echoed ; heaven's wide arch<br />
abo\e<br />
Groaned Fliniter'ng; broad Olympus reeled<br />
throughout<br />
Down lo its rooted base, beneath Uir rush<br />
Of Ihosr i minor nils : ihe ttirk eh:ism of hell<br />
WHS shaken with Ihe trcmlil nij. with tbr tramp<br />
Of hollow footsteps and strong I mile-strokes.<br />
,\nd measureless uproar of wild pursuit.<br />
So they against eneh oilier, through the air<br />
Hurled intermixed their weapons, scattering<br />
groans<br />
Where'er they fell. The vo'ce of nrrn :es rose<br />
Wilh rallying «hout through the starred firma<br />
ment,<br />
And with a mighty wnr-cry. hoih thrir liosis<br />
Encountering closed. Nor longer then did -love<br />
furl) down his force; lint sudden ;n his soul<br />
There (frewdilated strength, and it was filled<br />
"With his omn potcnce. tlis whole of m :glit<br />
Broke from him. and the godheml rushed ;ibroad.<br />
The vaulted sky. the mount Olympus flashed<br />
With his cont'iiual.presenrr, for he passed<br />
[ncesRiint forth, and l Tghtened wlit-rr lie trod- ]<br />
Hurled from hi*? nervous grasp.thc lightnings flew<br />
Reiterated swift, the whirling flush<br />
Caei sac*red splendor, and the ihundcrnoli<br />
Fell. Then on every side the foodfit 1 earth<br />
Roared m the burning flame, and far and near<br />
The trackless depth of fon-sts crushed wilh firr.<br />
Yea, ihe broad e:irth burned rod. ihc sircams of<br />
Nde<br />
Glowed, niiil the desert wnters of The sea.<br />
Round and around the Titans* earthy forms<br />
Rolltd llie hoi vapor on its fiery surge;<br />
Streamed upward, nml in one unbounded bln/c<br />
Sw jiihed ihe eelcstiiil nir. Keen rushed ihe tight.<br />
Quivering from thunder's wr.llien flash, each<br />
orb.<br />
Strong though they were, intolerable smote<br />
And seorclied their blasted vision Through<br />
the void<br />
Without,lh1 enormous conflagration hurst,<br />
Anrl snatched the dark of Cliaos. But to see<br />
AVtth hunion eye. and hear wilh ear of man<br />
Had been, as on a time llie heaven and eurlh<br />
LIBER I.<br />
6. Cum dira cor<br />
pora jacerent obrula<br />
EU& mole, ferunt ter<br />
rain perfusam inulio<br />
sanguine iifit&fum im-<br />
maduisse<br />
J) Et, ne nulla mo<br />
numeiita manere nt<br />
Met, hurtling in mid-air : as nether earth<br />
Crashed from the centre, and ihe wreck cf<br />
heaven<br />
Fell ruining from high. Nbl less, when gods<br />
Grappled with gods, the shout und clang of arms<br />
Commingled, and the tumult roared from heaven.<br />
Shrill rushed the hollow winds, and roused<br />
throughout<br />
A shaking anil a gathering dnrk of dust,<br />
With crashing-; und the livid lightning's gleam,<br />
And thunder and its boll the enginery<br />
O] Jove; und in the midst of either host<br />
They bore upon their blasl the cry confused<br />
Oi' battle and ihe shouting. For Ihe din<br />
Of siglil-appalhng strife immense uprose ;<br />
And there the in ght of deeds was show n, till noW<br />
The fight declined. Bul first with grappling front<br />
Sicadiast they stood, und boro the brunt of war<br />
Amid the foremost. lowering in the van.<br />
The war-iinsnted Uyges, ISriareus,<br />
And Coitus. biUrrcst conflict waged ; for they.<br />
Thick following ilince a liundrud rorks in air<br />
Flung irorn Uieir sinewy hold; wilh missile<br />
storm<br />
The Tii«a hosi o'ershadowing, them they drove.<br />
Vainglorious as they were, wilh bends or<br />
FI re n glli<br />
OYroormug iliein. beneath llie expanse of earth,<br />
And 1 ouiid with galling chains; so far beneath<br />
This earih, as earth is distant from the sky.<br />
HESIOIV.<br />
4 Olifmpum. A range of mountains in<br />
Thessaly, forming the eastern boundary ot<br />
the vnle of Tempc. Its greatest elevation<br />
is about tOOU feet. It is shaded with groves<br />
of oaks, and forests of pines. As its sum<br />
mit was often enveloped In mists, the an-<br />
eients supposed it reached the heavens,<br />
and therefore made it the residence of the<br />
gods. The poets use Olympus, therefore,<br />
as synonymous with Heaven.<br />
Olympus ecnoes from its sno'-v-topt heads.<br />
The dwell-ngs of immortals. HESIOD.<br />
5. Excussit: struck off Ossa from Pelion,<br />
lying under it.<br />
T«T »unt conali imponere Pelio Ossam.<br />
GHORCHC i. 290.<br />
5. Pelio. A mountain in Thessaly,<br />
united with Ossa, which terminates at the<br />
vale of Tempe. It hns n broad summit,<br />
like a table mountain, and hence fiction<br />
reports it to have supported Ossa, whiihis<br />
smaller, and runs up to a point.<br />
5. Osfnm. A mountain in Thessaly, ot<br />
a conical shape, with a single top. Its<br />
height is about 4000 feet.<br />
Fratresquc tendenics opaco<br />
Pcl'on imposuisse Olympo. HORACE.<br />
fi. Dim corpora : the drendbodies of the<br />
piants. Alexander Polyhistor states that<br />
the gods overthrew tho immense tower in<br />
the plains of Babylon, upon those who<br />
I<br />
I. METAMORPHOSEON.<br />
In facieiii vertisse hominum. Sed et ilia propngo<br />
Contemptrix Superum, Eievrcijue avidissimacffidis,<br />
Et violenta fuit. Scires e sanguine natos.<br />
NOT.E.<br />
1Q<br />
57<br />
fein: stirris, vcrtisse<br />
iu facirm hominum.<br />
Scd et j Ha propago<br />
fuit eonlempirix<br />
constructed it. Syncelluseays, that Nim- Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host.<br />
rod, who was the first open apostate from He nn his impious fbes right onwnrcl drove,<br />
the true God, and the leader of the rebel<br />
Gloomy as night: under his burning wheels<br />
The steadfast empyrean shook throughout;<br />
lious Cuthites, wns destroyed at the fall All but the throne.itself, of God. Full soon<br />
of that huge fabric.<br />
Among them he arrived, in his righl hand<br />
6. Olrttta mole: overwhelmed by their Grasping icn thousand thunders, which he sent<br />
own mnss-.<br />
Before- him. such as in iheir eoule infixed<br />
Pliigues : ihey. astonished, all resistance lost,<br />
Vis consilii cxpers mole mil sua. HORACE. AH courage: down their idle weapons dropt:<br />
7. Perfusam: sprinkled; bedewed with O'er shielJs.nnd helms,and helmed heads he rode^<br />
the blood.<br />
Of thrones and mighly Seraphim proslraie,<br />
7. Natorum: of her sons ; the giants.<br />
That wished the mountains now might be again<br />
THrownon them ae a slielier from his ire.<br />
I saw, with pity saw, Kurill's monstrous son, Nor less on either side tempestuous tell<br />
AVitli all hie hundred Leads subdued by force, His arrows, from the fourfuld-visaged four,<br />
Bul him llie \engeful boll, instinci \\itli fire, "Distmcl with eyes, and from llie hviiig wheels<br />
Smole sore, and uashed him from liis haughly Dislincl alike with mullilude of eyes:<br />
- vaunls;<br />
One spirit in them ruled ; and every eye<br />
Pierced through his soul, and vviihered all his Glared lichining, mid shot forth pernicious fire<br />
slrength. JEsciiYLue.<br />
Among the accursed, mat withered all iheir<br />
8. Irnmadutsse : became wet.<br />
strength,<br />
8. Auimasse: lor animavisse, by syncope; And of iheir wonted vigor left them drained<br />
animated the warm gore.<br />
Exhausted spiritless afflicted fallen!<br />
Yet half his strength he pnt not forlh, but<br />
9. JMonumenta: monuments; vestiges. checked<br />
11. Cvntetmjtrix' a dcspiscr of the gods. His thunder in mid volley; for he meant<br />
11. Superum: of the gods above; de Not lo destroy, hul root ihem out of heaven :<br />
rived from super, above.<br />
The overthrown he raised, and as aheid<br />
11. Avidisshna cadis: most greedy of Of goats, or timorous flock together thronged,<br />
Drove them before him thunderstruck, pursued<br />
slaughter. Impious both to gods and men. With terrors andwjth furies, lo Ihe bounds<br />
12. Natos e sanguine: born of blood. And crystal wall of heaven; which, opening<br />
Having given before the destruction of the wide,<br />
Titans by Jupiter, I will close, .for the Rolled inward, and n spacious gap disclosed<br />
sake of comparison, wilh the expulsion of Inlo the vaeteful deep: ihe monstroussighl<br />
Struck ihem wilh horror backward; but far<br />
the rebel-angels by the Son of God:<br />
worse<br />
So spake the Son, and into terror changed Urged ihem behind : headlong themselves they<br />
His roiinicnauce, too severe lo be beheld,<br />
ih re w<br />
And lull of" wraih beiil on his enemies. Down from ihe verge of heaven: eternal wrath<br />
At once the four spread out their starry wing's Eurnt after ihem to the Loliomless pit.<br />
AVilh dreadful shade eonliguous ; end ihc orbs<br />
PARADISE<br />
Of his fierce chanoi rolled, as wilh ihe sound<br />
What is ihe subject of this Fable ?<br />
Who were the giants ?<br />
Whose sons were they ?<br />
How may this lie interpreted ?<br />
Of how many different interpretations is<br />
the fable suscepl ible ?<br />
Mention llie historical events to which it<br />
may have allusion ?<br />
How may it allude to the changes that<br />
took place after the Fall of Man?<br />
Was the Fall of the Angels known to<br />
the ancients ?<br />
Who mention it among the ancients ?<br />
Was the confusion of tongues known to<br />
the ancient Greeks and Romans ?<br />
QU^STIONES.<br />
What author speaks of it in particular ?<br />
How would you account for the ana<br />
chronism, as the confusion took place after<br />
the flood ?<br />
How would you account for the connec<br />
tion of Olynipus with the events ?<br />
Where is Olympus ?<br />
Why was it supposed the residence ot<br />
the gods?<br />
Where is Ossa ? Pclion ?<br />
Wlmt appearance of these mountains<br />
might justify the fiction of their being<br />
placed upon each other?<br />
What became of the blood of the giants ?<br />
What was their character ?