THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

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