THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

P. OVIDII NASONIS
METAMORPHOSEON.
LIBER II.
ARGUMENTUM.
HAVING arrived at the palace of the Sun, Phaethon is acknowledged by
Apollo to be his son; but not content with this, demands, as a proof of
his descent, the guidance of the solar chariot. Unequal to the task- of
curbing the fiery-footed horses, he sets the world upon fire, and is struck
by Jupiter with a thunderbolt. His mother Clymene, and his sisters
at length find his remains by the side of the river Po, where the latter,
through grief, are changed into trees, from which distil tears. These
are hardened by the sun, and change to amber. Cycnus, the cousin of
Phaethon, also laments his untimely end, and is changed to a swan. In
travelling over the earth to restore what has been injured, Jupiter meets
with Callisto, one of Diana's nymphs, and assuming the form of Diana,
debauches her. Juno changes Callisto into a bear, which Areas, her
son, would have shot some years after, unless Jupiter had transferred
both to the heavens, and made them neighboring constellations. Juno,
after this, descended to the old Oceanus to complain of the indignity, after
which she was carried to heaven by her peacocks, who had been lately
variegated. The crow at this time was changed from white to black,
because he did not obey the warning of Cornix, (who related also her
own transformation into a raven, and that of Nyctimene into an owl,) but
told to Apollo the adultery of Coronis, who was slain by the god. Ocyrrhoe
predicts the future to Esculapius, the son of Apollo and Coronis, and by
divine wrath is changed into a mare. Her father Chiron, in this cala
mity, invokes Apollo, but he was in Elis, tending herds, and, in conse
quence of love, was so careless, that Mercury stole a part of them. Bat-
tus, who alone was privy to the theft, for his treachery is changed by
Mercury into a touchstone. Going thence into Attica, Mercury possesses
Herse, the daughter of Cecrops. Agraulos, her sister, moved with envy
is changed to stone. Mercury drives to the shore the herds of Agenor
by order of Jupiter, who transforms himself to a bull, and carries Europa
'nto Crete.
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