THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS<br />
METAMORPHOSEON.<br />
LIBER II.<br />
ARGUMENTUM.<br />
HAVING arrived at the palace of the Sun, Phaethon is acknowledged by<br />
Apollo to be his son; but not content with this, demands, as a proof of<br />
his descent, the guidance of the solar chariot. Unequal to the task- of<br />
curbing the fiery-footed horses, he sets the world upon fire, and is struck<br />
by Jupiter with a thunderbolt. His mother Clymene, and his sisters<br />
at length find his remains by the side of the river Po, where the latter,<br />
through grief, are changed into trees, from which distil tears. These<br />
are hardened by the sun, and change to amber. Cycnus, the cousin of<br />
Phaethon, also laments his untimely end, and is changed to a swan. In<br />
travelling over the earth to restore what has been injured, Jupiter meets<br />
with Callisto, one of Diana's nymphs, and assuming the form of Diana,<br />
debauches her. Juno changes Callisto into a bear, which Areas, her<br />
son, would have shot some years after, unless Jupiter had transferred<br />
both to the heavens, and made them neighboring constellations. Juno,<br />
after this, descended to the old Oceanus to complain of the indignity, after<br />
which she was carried to heaven by her peacocks, who had been lately<br />
variegated. The crow at this time was changed from white to black,<br />
because he did not obey the warning of Cornix, (who related also her<br />
own transformation into a raven, and that of Nyctimene into an owl,) but<br />
told to Apollo the adultery of Coronis, who was slain by the god. Ocyrrhoe<br />
predicts the future to Esculapius, the son of Apollo and Coronis, and by<br />
divine wrath is changed into a mare. Her father Chiron, in this cala<br />
mity, invokes Apollo, but he was in Elis, tending herds, and, in conse<br />
quence of love, was so careless, that Mercury stole a part of them. Bat-<br />
tus, who alone was privy to the theft, for his treachery is changed by<br />
Mercury into a touchstone. Going thence into Attica, Mercury possesses<br />
Herse, the daughter of Cecrops. Agraulos, her sister, moved with envy<br />
is changed to stone. Mercury drives to the shore the herds of Agenor<br />
by order of Jupiter, who transforms himself to a bull, and carries Europa<br />
'nto Crete.<br />
L 2 125<br />
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