THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

FABULA XIV.
SYRINX MUTATUR IN ARUNDINEM.
Pan falls in love with the nymph Syrinx, the daughter of the river Ladon,
and when she refuses to listen to his addresses, pursues her. She flies
from him till she is stopped by the waters of the Ladon, when she im
plores the assistance of the Naiads who transform her into reeds Out of
these Pan makes a pipe which is called by her name.
F.XPJ.ICATIO.
MERCURY, at the request of Argus, who is captivated with the music
of the pipe upon which he. is playing, proceeds to tell the manner in
which that instrument was invented, and relates the story of Pan and the
nymph Syrinx. As Pan, the god of shepherds, was the inventor of the
pipe, he is here said to have fallen in love with Syrinx, which is the
"Greek name for that pastoral instrument of music. Dionysius informs
us, that on the banks of the Ladon, the kind of reeds of which pipes were
made, grew in abundance ; and hence Syrinx is fabled to be the daughter
of the river Ladon. It is probable, that Pan (or the shepherds whom he
represents) was attracted by the sound which the sighing of the wind
among the reeds, effected; or, that by blowing into them, and hearing the
noise which was made, he conceived the idea of multiplying and varying
the sounds by joining several reeds together of different length, and thus
perfected the instrument.
The poet has thrown an attractive interest around the fable, by making
Syrinx one of the Naiads. Nor is she merely a fair nymph of the wa
ters, but the most celebrated for beauty, of all the nymphs of that region.
Another grace is added to her beauty, she is no less pure than fair; and
in her character and exercises, was the constant worshipper of Diana.
She had refused the converse of the Satyrs, Fauns, and Sylvans, and did
not deign even to listen to the addresses of Pan, but fled from him with
the utmost precipitancy, and preferred, at length, surrendering up her
life, rather than sully the virgin innocence and modesty which had been
the pride of her existence.
The story is in itself so pleasant, and so musical is the voice of Mer
cury in relating it, that the eyes of Argus become heavy with sleep;
when the god confirms their drowsiness with his magic wand, and strikes
off the head of Argus with his falchion. Juno collects the eyes, and
places them in the tails of her peacocks.
114
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