THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

I FABULA
ill
III.
SORORES PHAETHONTIS IN ARBORES; CYCNUS IN OLOKEM.
The mother and sisters of Phaethon, after a diligent search for his body, at
ler-glh find his tomb in Italy, erected by the Nci'ads. His sisters give
themselves up to lamentation, and are changed into poplar trees, from
which drop tears that become amber. Cycnus his cousin is changed into
a swan.
EXFLICATIO.
As Phaethon falls into the river Po, his sisters are fabled to be changed
into poplars, because these trees grow better near the water. Because
immoderate grief stupifies, they are reported to become fixed to the earth.
Amber being an exudation of trees, and of the color of the sun, it is finely
imagined'to be the tears of the daughters of Apollo. Cycnus is repre
sented as changed into a swan, because the name signifies swan. Lucian,
who was fond of ridiculing the mythology of his times, in an account of
a fictitious journey to the Po, makes himself merry over the incidents
described in the fable: " I cherished the hope, that if ever in my life 1
should visit the Eridanus, I would convince myself by personal experi
ence ; by remaining with the skirts of my coat spread out under one of
those poplars, till I could catch at least a few of those miraculous tears,
and convey them home as an everlasting memorial. It happened not long
since, that I travelled into those parts, and was obliged to proceed np the
Eridanus. I looked carefully everywhere about me, but neither poplar
trees nor amber were to be seen ; neither did the inhabitants know even
so much as the name of Phaethon. At length, on asking the sailors how
far we were from the amber-weeping poplars, they laughed in my face,
and desired me to express in plain language what I meant, when I told
them the old story. ' What crack-brained driveller,' said they, has imposed
such silly stuff" upon you ? We have not seen a charioteer fall from the
sky, nor are there any such trees as you speak of in our parts. Were it
so, do you think \ve should be such fools as to row for two oboli a-day,
when we need only gather poplar tears for becoming rich ?' I was, how
ever, cheered by the certain expectation of being compensated for the dis
appointment, by the singing of the swans which frequent the banks of
that river. Accordingly, I again inquired of the sailors when the swans
would come, and plant themselves on both sides of the river in two choirs,
to delight us with their famous singing ? Here the laughter broke out
afresh. 'But, good friend,' said they, 'will, then, the lies you repeat about
our country never have an end? We have passed our whole lives on the-
Eridanus, and it rarely happens that we see swans in the marshy grounds
on the river; but their screams are so horribly unmusical, that the jack
daws and crows are sirens compared to them. It is really surprising
where you could pick up such lies about our country.' "
148
AIDES HespericB trifida fumantia flamma
Corpora dant tumulo, signantque hoc carmine saxum :
HlC SITUS EST PlIAKTHOX, CURRUS AURIGA PATF.RM ;
Q.T.TEM SI NON TENUIT, MAOXIS TAMEN EXC1D1T AUSIS.
Nunc pater obductos luctu miserabilis ffigro 5
Condiderat vultus: et, si mod6 credimus, unum
Isse diem sine sole ferunt: incendia lumen
Prffibebant; aliquisque malo fuit usus in illo.
At Clymene postquam dixit, quascunque fuerunt
In tantis dicenda malis; lugubris et amens, 10
NOT-iE.
1. Naides Hesperias: Hesperian or Italian Naiads. They are Baiu
to bury his blazing body, because water extinguishes fire.
1. Trijid.af.ammA: from the three-forked flame ; viz. lightning.
2. Dant tumulo: commit to the tomb.
2. Hoc carmine: with this vecee; willi this inscription.
2. Hie situs est: here lies. This line and the following constitute
the epitaph upon Phaethon.
4. Nun tenuit: he did not hold; was you desire, still you will merit equal praise
unable to manage. with Phaethon; for the same may be said
4. Excidvt ausis: he fell by a great un- of your attempt on Homer, that was said
dertaking. This epitaph is well suited to of his effort to drive the chariot of the sun:
the character of the rash youth it comme- 'Quern si non tenuit, magma tamen excidit
morales, and should teach youth modesiy ausis."'
and moderation. When Angel Politian 5. Obductos luctu: overspread with
attempted to render Homer into Latin sorrow.
verse, and was boasting everywhere of his 5 . Condiiteral vultus: had hid his counlahors
and success, he wrote to many men tenance. Grief very naturally seeks reof
letters asking their advice. Cardinal tirement.
Papiensis facetiously replied: "I think 8. Aliguis usus: some advantage,
the commenced work should not be die- 8. In -illo malo: in that calamity; vii.
continued; if you do not accomplish what the conflagration.
N2 1«