THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

TABULA VII.
CONCILIUM DEORUM.
In consequence of the wickedness of men, Jupiter calls an assembly of tha
Celestials, in. which, after giving an account of the state of morals upon
earth, he resolves upon the destruction of the human race.
EXPLICATIO.
The general depravity of mankind had cried to heaven for vengeance,
and Jupiter, as Jehovah did, in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, went
down to earth to observe the character and conduct of men, and "see
whether they had done according to the cry of it." Jn his sojourn, the
corruption of morals was found to be universal, his own life was at
tempted by violence, and with horrid impiety, human flesh was served up
to him, at a banquet. Returning to heaven, with divine indignation, he
convenes an assembly of the gods, to deliberate upon a general destruc
tion of mankind. In the heathen authors, we have several accounts of
conventions of the gods, upon occasions of interest; in the Iliad of Homer,
to declare for the Greeks or the Trojans, in the war at Troy ; in the
Odyssey, to favor the return of the wandering Ulysses ; and in the ^Eneid
of Virgil, to provide for the safety of a fugitive prince ; but all of them,
in dignity and importance, are infinitely below the present occasion, when
the destruction of a world is the subject of consideration.
Having taken his seat, in terrible majesty, with the gods assembled
around him, Jupiter opens his indignant mouth, and, reverting to the
attempt of the giants upon heaven, says that war was less grievous to
him than the prevailing wickedness; that it was from one race, but that
now all flesh is corrupt, and must be destroyed ; he had tried every effort
to reclaim them, but in vain. He expresses his solicitude for the purity
and safety of the semigods, who are inhabitants of the earth, since Ly-
caon, noted for cruelty and audacity, had not scrupled to attempt his
destruction, though he was armed with the lightning, and was sovereign
of heaven. The gods, affected with indignation at the wicked insult to
their sovereign, demand Lycaon for vengeance, when Jupiter informs then
that he is already punished, and goes on to relate his crime, and the
kind of punishment. These form the subject of the next fable, which is
a part of Jupiter's narrative. The striking conformity of what passes in
this ussi-inbly of the gods, to what is recorded in the sixth chapter of
Genesis, will be apparent to the most casual reader, in which it is stated,
"there were giants in the earth in those days," and that God, having en
deavored to reclaim man, says : "My spirit shall not always strive w;lh
man," and repenting that " he had made man," declares, " I will destroy
man whom I have created, from the face of the earth."
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pater ut summa vidit Saturnius arce, 1
Ingemit: ct, facto nondum vulgata recenti
Fceda Lycaonice referens convivia mensffi
Ingentes animo et dignas Jove concipit iras ;
Conciliumque vocat. Tenuit mora nulla vocatos. 5
Est via sublimis, coelo manifesta sereno,
Lactea nomen habet; candore notabih's ipso.
NOTjE.
1. Qua;.- which things; the general impiety and violence.
1. Saturnius pater. Jupiier, the son 01 Saturn.
1. Summa arre: from the highest citadel of heaven.
2. Faclo recenti: t he deed being recent.
3. Rrferens: recalling to his mind; recollecting.
3. Fuda convivia •• the abominable leasts, in which human flesh was
served up to the guests.
3. Lycaonia mensa;: of the table ef Lycaon.
4. Iwtenlcs iras • great wrath, and worthy of Jupiter.
5. Mora nulla: no delay detained them when called. When God
calls, obedience should be prompt.
C. Via. The Milky Way is formed, according to the poets, by the
milk which fell on ihe sky when Jupiter put Hercules to the breast
of Juno, while asleep. The true nature of
the Milky Way was known to Arisiotle,
Manilins, and others. Aristotle described
it as the splendor of innumerable distant
stars. It is a great zone encircling the
whole sphere of the heavens, in a direction
from nonh-cast to south-west. It con
sists of an infinite number of stars.
This remarkable belt, when examined through
powerful telescopes is found to eousisl entirely
of stars, scattered by millions, like glittering
dust, on the black ground of the general hea
vens. Sm JOHN llEusciiKL.
A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold,
And pavement stars, ns stars to us appear j
Seen in the galaxy, that Milky Way,
Like to a circling zone, powdered with stars.
MILTON
7. Lnctea. This word being a name, ia
here taken as a noun, and put in appeal
tion with nomen.
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