THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

•H
P. OVIDII NASONIS
Tempera cum blandis absumsit inania verbis; 45
Vim parat, et sequitur. Fugio, densumque relinquo
Littus, et in molli nequicquam lassor arena.
Inde Deos, hominesque voco: nee contigit ullum
Vox mea mortalem: mota est pro virgine virgo,
Auxiliumque tulit. Tendebam brachia coelo: 50
Brachia coeperunt levibus nigrescere pennis.
Rejicere ex humeris vestem molibar: at ilia
Pluma erat; inque cutem radices egerat imas.
Plangere nuda meis conabar pectora palmis;
Sed neque jam palmas, nee pectora nuda gerebam. 55
Currebam; nee, ut ante, pedcs re^nebat arena:
Et summa tollebar humo. Mox acta per auras
Evehor, et data sum comes inculpata Minerva?.
Quid tamen hoc prodest, si diro facta volucris
Crimine, Nyctimene nostro successit honori I 60
NOTVE.
Lorenzo dc' Medici. His villa, called Am-
bra, and situated on the banks of the Om-
brone, was overflowed during an inunda
tion, and the prince commemorated the
circumstance by an agreeable fable, which
formed the subject of one of his beautiful
poems, and was also exquisitely carved on
an amber Fiaschetto.
A nymph named Ambra, bathing in ihe Om-
brone, the river god is enamored of her; he
cndeavorp lo seize upon lier, and she flies away
along the banks. The river overflows, but cnn-
not overtake her. He calls for assistance to
Arno, his elder brother, who swells up his
stream, and prevents her further flight. Om-
brone has nearly reached her, when she pours
out her supplications to Diunu; and, ns Dnphne
was transformed into a laurel, she is changed
into a rock. It appears to me, that it was the
intention of Lorenzo to celebrate his villa of
Ambra, which, at a time of inundation, is fre
quently surrounded by water, and to give a
poetic origin to his favorite residence, ami the
lovely eminence on which it is placed- ILLUS
TRATIONS OF THE LIFE OF LoilEXZO DE1 MEDICI.
44. Pelagi Deus. This whole storj of
Coronis is susceptible of a fine historical
interpretation. Corone of Messenia was
situated upon the Sinus Messeniacus,
which was subject to sudden risings of the
tide. Coronca in Bceotia was near the
Copatc lake; which, like the Nile, often
overflows the whole adjacent country.
Hence Neptune may be said to fall in love
with Coronis, and pursue her. As the
name Coreiie signifies crow, hence the fa
bulous transformation into that bird. In
the vicinity of the town of Coronea was the
temple of Minerva Itonis, in which the
general council of the Boeotian states as
sembled. Hence Coronea, the crow, is
under the protection of Minerva. Calli-
machus, in his- Hymn to the Bath of'Pal
las, speaks of Coronca and its adjacent
LIBER II.
48. Inde voco Decs
hominesque: nee \ ox
mea contigit ullum
mortnlem: virgo esl
mota pro virgine, tu-
litque auxilium.
£4. Conabar plan-
gere nuda pectora
meis palmis- sed ne
que jam gerebam pal
mas, nee uuda pec
tora.
jrove as dear to Minerva. The august
ceremony of the Bath probably took place
here. As the owl was a symbol of that
goddess, it is said to supplant the crow
in her affections.
46. Vim parat. Pan, in like manner,
after employing words of blandishment,
pursues Syrinx with all his speed, as re
lated in a former Fable.
47. Nequicquam lassor: I am wearied in
vain; I weary myself in vain.
48. Inde Deos. After making every ex
ertion of her own, she implores the assist
ance of the gods, and of men. Heaven
may be supplicated wiih confidence, after
we have done all that is in our own power.
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
lempted above that ye are able; but will with
the temptation also make a -way to escupe.
1 CORINTHIANS x. 13.
49. Mota est virgo : a virgin was moved
in behalf of a virgin. Minerva wns moved
for Coronis. Heaven interposes to save
the virtuous, when every human means
fails.
52. Eejicere vestem: to throw off the gar
ment. The garment had already begun
to change into feathers.
53. Egerat imas; had driven the lowest
roots.
57. Tollrlar humo: I was raised from
the ground. Coronis was now upborne by
wings, being changed into a crow.
57. Acta per auras: impelled through
the air.
58. Comes inculpata: a blameless com
panion. She was inviolate from Nep
tune.
59. Diro crimine: a dreadful crime ; the
crime of incest.
59. Volucris: a bird. She was changed
to a night-owl.
FABULA VII. METAMORPHOSEON.
Who was Coronis of Phocis 1
Who fell in love with her ?
When pursued by Neptune, into what
was she changed ?
Who effected the transformation ?
How do you explain Neptune's pursuing
her?
How do you explain her transformation
to a crow ?
How may this whole fable be explained
historically ?
What similar fable in the history of Lo
renzo de' Medici ?
How may the city of Coronea be fabled
to be the daughter of Cproneus ?
Who was Erichthonius, and how pro
duced ?
What is the meaning of the word Erich
thonius ?
How do you explain the attempt of Vul
can upon Minerva ?
How do you explain the circumstance of
Erichthonius being half man and half
Bcrnentf
QU^STIONES.
171
What was the basket of Attic oziers?
What is the second interpretation "of
Who was Cecrops said to be ?
How do you explain the double nature
of Cecrops ?
What were the names of his daugh
ters ?
Explain the meaning of these different
names 1
How dp the three Cecropidie guard
Erichthonius in the ozier basket ?
How do you interpret the action of Ag.
raulos ?
Wherefore does the crow become dis
agreeable to Minerva?
Explain this! Of what is the crow the
symbol ?
Is there especial enmity between the
crow and owl ?
Why is the owl sacred to Minerva?
Why is the owl said to be preferred to
the crow by Minerva ?