THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

84
P. OVIDII N ASONIS
Squallebant musco; stabantque sine ignibus aras.
Ut templi tetigere gradus, procumbit uterque
Pronus humi, gelidoque pavens dedit oscula saxo.
Atque ita, Si precibus, dixcrunt, Ntimina justis
Victa remollescunt, si flectitur ira Deorum;
Die, Themi, qua generis damnum reparabile nostri
Arte sit, et mersis fer opem mitissima rebus.
Mota Dea est; sortemque dedit: Discedite templo;
Et velate caput; cinctasque resolvite vestcs :
Ossaque post tergum magnts jactate parentis.
that it was placed in the nrlytum, corre
sponding to the HOLY OF HOLIES of the
Jewish temple. The statue referred to by
Luctan, 88 that of Juno, was doubtless a
representation of the earth, as will be seen
by reading the whole description.
NOT-iE.
They of Hierapolis say, thru once, in their
country, a great chasm suddenly opened in the
earth, which swalloweil up this amazing quan
tity of water; whereupon Deucalull erected
altars, and near the chasm bunt and consecrated
this temple. ... In token and remembrance of
this account, they have a singular custom.
Twice a year, sea-water comes into the temple,
or is rather brought in. not, however, by the
priests nlone, but all the Syrians and Arabians,
and likewise a multitude of people who live he-
yond the Euphrates, rim all to the sen and fetch
water to pour into the temple. This ceremony,
they say, Deucalion himself ordained to be ob
served in the temple, as an everlasting com
memoration, no less of the universal calamity
than of the wonderful means by which the earth
again became dry. . . . The inner temple has
two compartments. The first, every one enters
that pleases: to the second, yon ascend by a
couple of steps, but though they are quite open
on the farther side, the priests alone havo the
privilege to go in, and even of them not all, but
only tl-ey who have nearest access to the gods,
and whose office it is to perform the whole ser
vice of the innermost sanctuary. In this recess
of the temple stand the statues of Juno and of a
god. to which, though it can be no other than
Jupiter, they give a different name. Uoth are of
gold, and both represented sitting, Juno drawn
by lions, the other by bulls. In the middle, be
tween these two, there stands another golden
image', of a peculiar kind. It has no appropriate
form, but, so to speak, has been compounded of
several divine forms. Neither do the Assyrians
give it any particular name, calling it only the
Emhlem, not knowing what to say, authenti
cally, either of its origin or its aspect. Some
give it a reference to Bacchus, others to Deuca
lion, others to Semiramis; for, because this
image has a dove on the top of its head, they
feign it to represent Semiramis. It is every
year twice solemnly driuvn to the sea, when
they intend, agreeably to what was observed be
fore, to fetch tlie sea-wiiter lo he poured into the
temple. LVCIAN DE SYRIA DEA.
The tripod itself was not originally a three-
footed stool, but was a chest or ark filled with
tones, or a seal. CELIUS.
5. Quorum fastigia: whose top.
6. Squallebant: wag defiled.
6. Sine ignibus: without fire.
LIBER I.
7. Ut tetigere gra
due templi, utcrque
procumbitpronus hu
mi, que payers dedit
oseula gelido saxo
Atque dixerunt ita, S".
Numina, victa justis
precihus, remolles-
cunt, si ira Dcorum
flectitur; Themi, die,
qua arte damnum nos
tri generis sil
13. Dca mota est,
cue dedit sortem:
Discedite templo; et
velate caput; que re-
Her altars flame with flowers no more
Hut on her fallen and crumbled shrines
The mournful moonbeam palely shines.
ASTHOT.OGT
8. Fronut limni: prone on the ground;
with their faces to the earth.
Nee fiToevmbert humi prostratum et pandere
pal mas
Ante Deflm dclubra. LOCUKTIUS^
8. Pavens: fearful; filled with sacred
awe of the divinity.
9. Precihus justis ; by just prayers, viz.
by the prayers of just men.
IQ. V ittn: overcome ; moved.
Iff, Remollescunt: are mitigated; rslent.
Can you behold
My tears, and not once reknl ? SHAKsrHAHF-
11. lieparabile sit: can be repaired.
12. Qua arte: h y what art. The son of
Prometheus evidently expected that he
would be called upon to employ some
agency in the reproduction of mankind,
like that which his father had exerted.
12. Mersis rebus: to our ruined, over
whelmed affairs. As the ruin was effected
by aj, - _____ is very expressive. __
-TSTSnrtem .-the lot; the response.
14. Velate capul: veil your head. It is
possible this custom of veiling the head is
taken from the Jewish history. Plutarch
states that the head was veiled in reverence
of the gods. It may have been done to
prevent any object's diverting the mind.
Hclenus commands it to be observed by
./Eneas.
rurpureovelare comas adopertus amictu.
JENEID iii. 405.
And Moses put the veil upon bis face again,
until he went in to speak with him. EXODUS
xxiv. 35.
14. Kcfolvite: unloose thy girded gar
ments. This custom of the heathens, oi
covering every part of the body in sacri
fice, appears borrowed from the Jewish
ritual. In the sacrifice of the Passover,
the Jews were to gird their loins; hence
we infer the general custom was different.
Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine
altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered
thereon. EXODUS xx. 26.
15. Ossa: the bones of their great mq-
FABTJLA X.
METAMORPHOSEON.
Obstiipuere diu: rumpitque silentia voce
Pyrrha prior: jussisque Dese parere recusat:
Detque sibi veniam, pavido rogat ore : pavetque
Ltedere jactatis maternas ossibns umbras.
Interea repel unt csecis obscura latebris
Verba datae sortis secum, inter scquc volutant.
Indi1 Promethides placidis Ephnethida dictis
Mulcet, et, Aut fallax, ait, est solertia nobis,
Aut pia sunt, nullumque nefas oracula suadent.
Magnri parens, terra est: lapides in corpore terrae
Ossu renv dici: jaccre hos pest terga jubcmur.
Conjugis augurio quamquam Titania mota est;
Spes tarnen in dubio est. Adeo ccclestibus ambo
Diffidunt monitis. Sed quid tentare nocebit ?
Descendunt; velantque caput, tiuiicasque recingunt;
Et jiibscs lapides sua post lestigia mittunt;
Saxa (quis hoc credat, nisi sit pro tcste vetustas ?)
Ponere duriticm co?p£re, suumque rigorem-;
Molliriquc moia, mollitaque ducere forrnam.
ther. The stones of the earth are often
thus spoken of.
15. Mafnuz parcntis. This was not only
so figuratively, but genealogically; for
Terra, the earth, was the grandmother
ooth of Deucalion and Pyrrha.
16. Eupil tilentia. See note on the same,
page 63.
17. Eecusat. Pyrrha, on account of filial
piety, refuses to obey the oracle.
19. Jactatis ossilius ; by throwing her
bones.
19. Mnternas umbras. The nncicnts be
lieved that the spirit could not be at rest,
if the repose of the dead were disturbed.
20. Ca-cis lulebris: with dark mystery ;
with hidden meanings.
NOT^E.
85
solvite cinctaa ve*stee;
10 Obslupuere diu:
qne Pyrrlia prior
rumjtit silentia voc«:
c,ue recusat pnrere
jussis Den'. que rogat
Of) Plvido ore, ut detsibi
*" veniam: imvelque
lo?dere maternus um
bras jactatis ossihue.
22. Inde Promethi-
cles mulcct Kpimethi-
da placidie diet! 1*, et
ail. Aut woifra solertia
or: est fnllax nolus, aul
**" oraciila sunt pia, sua-
ilemc|iienullum ncfas.
Alagna parens est
27. Quumqunm Ti-
tania mota est augu-
rio SKI conjugis, ta-
men spee est in dnbio.
gA Artec ambo diffidunt
rcelestibns monitis.
Sert quid nocebit ten-
tare?
32. Saxa, (quis cre-
dnt hoc, nisi vetustns
eit pro teste ?) ca-pere
poiiere duritiem, su-
he should receive the government who first
kissed his mother, when Brutus, pretend
ing to stumble soon after, kissed the earth,
and fulfilled the oracle.
As toon as he (Charles V.) landed, he fell upon
the ground, and considering himself now as
dead to the enrlh, he said, " Naked came I out
of my mother's womb, and naked I now return
to thee, thou common mother of mankind."
ROBEETSON.
r? fflTijf TraVTOiv, AijjiSrijp itlmraof-rcipa.
ORPHSUS
27. Conjitgis augurio: by the intcrpr*
tation, the conjecture of her spouse.
27. Titania: Pyrrha, the grand-daughter
of Titan.
21. Stcum: with themselves; together. 29. Diffidunt: are distrustful. They do
Z?___ i t '3*- l-\ i: .1 _
22. Prmncthidfs. Deucalion, the son of not feel satisfied that they have rightly in
Prometheus.
terpreted the response of the oracle. Faith
22. Epimrtliida. Pyrrha, the daughter must not only be implicit, but enlightened
of Epimedicus.
also.
23. FaUax est solertia ; my discernment 30. Discedunl: they depart from tho
is fallacious ; deceives me.
temple.
31. Jutsos lapides: t he stones that they
Which, if my augury deceives me not. were commanded to throw.
SlIAKSFEARE.
31. Post vestigia: behind their footsteps,
21. Pia sunt : are pious. The oracles viz. behind their backs.
did not require them to commit any filial 32. Pro tefte: for a witness; as a wit
impiety.
ness.
24. Nulhim nrfns: no wickedness. 32. Vttusias. The thing bore the attes
25. Aldgaa parenf terra : our great pa tation of aril iquity ; it had been an acknow
rent is the earth. The epithet parens is ledged fact for a long series of years.
well applied lo the earlh; it brings forth 33. Pojtere durititm: to lay aside their
andsustains alltrceE and fruits, nourishes hardness. The process of transformation
all animals, and receives them, when had already commenced.
dying, into her maternal bosom. When the 34. Mora: by delay ; gradually.sons
of Tarciuin, with Junius Brutus, in 34. Ducere formam: to assume form.
quired at Delphos, which one was to reign They began to take something of the shape
at Koine, the response of Apollo was, that of man.
H