THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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TABULA IV.<br />
JUPITER IN FORMAM DIANJE.<br />
As Jupiter makes a survey of the world, for the purpose of restoring what<br />
ever had been destroyed by the conflagration of the world in consequence<br />
of Phaethon's imprudence, he comes to Arcadia, and falls in love with<br />
Cailisto, the daughter of Lycaon. To favor his intentions, he assumes the<br />
form of Diana, and thus imposes upon the nymph.<br />
EXPLICATIO.<br />
ALTHOUGH the ancients .supposed that the godhead was divided into<br />
innumerable attributes, each of which was represented by a person, they<br />
still believed there was one principal god, the creator and ruler of all<br />
things. This subdivision of the power of the deity into personages, Was<br />
the primary cause of much confusion in their mythology, which was<br />
greatly increased by the circumstance of different princes assuming the<br />
names of the deities, to give greater dignity to their pretensions. Thus<br />
many princes assumed the name of Jupiter, and in time their own indi<br />
vidual names were forgotten, while that of the god remained. The most<br />
distinguished of these were the Lycsean Jupiter, and the Cretan, as re<br />
lated in the hymn to Jupiter by Callimachus. The Lycsean Jupiter was<br />
doubtless some prince, who had his residence upon Mount Olympus,<br />
from which circumstance, as well as its cloud-capt appearance, that<br />
mountain came to be synonymous with Heaven, and was so employed<br />
in the fictions of the poets.<br />
Ovid has therefore artfully connected with the story of Phaethon, an<br />
amour of the Lycasan prince with a young huntress of Arcadia, who on<br />
account of her fondness for the chase, is represented to have been an<br />
attendant of the goddess Diana. To practise an imposition upon her<br />
unprotected innocence, he may have assumed the disguise of female<br />
attire, or his transformation into the form of Diana may be altogether a<br />
gratuitous addition of the poet, for the embellishment of the story. Or,<br />
as I have stated in the story of the loves of Apollo and Clymene, the<br />
whole may be the imposition of some cunning priest of Jupiter upon the<br />
credulity of an innocent huntress.<br />
The fable contains several moral lessons, as it tends to display the<br />
effects of crime upon the person who indulges in it. The grove once<br />
so pleasant to her, and the conscious woods are her aversion ; so occupied<br />
is she with thoughts of her guilt, that she almost forgets her bow and<br />
quiver; the silent lip, the abstracted manner, the downcast eye. the fallen<br />
countenance, the timid look, the sudden flush, and the slow step, indicate<br />
the change and the degradation that have come upon her spirit. In this<br />
we but follow the poet, who includes the innocen. maiil in the guilt of<br />
the deity.<br />
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T pater omnipotens ingentia mo?nia coeli<br />
Circuit; et, ne quid Jabefactum viribus ignis<br />
Corruat, explorat: qure postquam firma, juique<br />
Koboris csse vidct: terras, hominumquc labores<br />
fc Perspicit. Arcadiffi tamen est impensior illi 5<br />
Cura SUJE. Fontesque et nondum audentia labi<br />
Flumina restituit: dat terra gramina, frondes<br />
Arboribus ; tesasque jubet revirescere sylvas.<br />
Dum redit, itque frequens; in virgine Nonacrina<br />
Ilsesit; et accept! caluere sub ossibus ignes. 10<br />
Non erat hujus opus lanam mollire trahendo;<br />
NOT^iE.<br />
3. Explorat: explores; searches diligently.<br />
3. Snirolioris: of their strength; of iheir proper strength.<br />
5. ArmditB sure: of his Arcadia, because Jupiter himself is said to<br />
have been born in Lycia, a mountain of that place.<br />
But say. thou first and grisliest power above!<br />
Shall I Dictrean or T,ycicaii Jove<br />
Attempt to sing? Who knows thy mighty line?<br />
And -who can tell, except by power Oivine,<br />
If Ida's hills tliy sacred birth may claim.<br />
Or tar Arcadia boast an equal fame ? CA: .LLIMACHUS.<br />
7. Rcstituil: reslored.<br />
10. Ilcesit: he was fixed-to the spot: ho<br />
7. Vat. terras gramina: he gives grass to stopped and gazed steadfastly. Thus Vir<br />
the earth. gil:<br />
Heaven his -wonted face renewed,<br />
Hsec oculis. hsec pectore toto<br />
And with fresh flowrets hill and valley giniles. Ikcret. .liNEiD i. 717.<br />
MILTON. 10. Iffnes: flames; love.<br />
9. Virgine Nonacrina: a virgin of No- 11. Hujus; of her; of Callisto.<br />
nacris, a mounlain of Arcadia; Cailisto, 11. Trahendo: by teasing; by card<br />
the daughter of'Lycaon.<br />
ing.<br />
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