OF THE

THE loves of Paris and Oenone, and the legend regarding the birth and early history of the former, which form the groundwork of this epistle, were unknown to Homer. What follows is the substance of the tale as narrated by Apollodorus.

Hector was the first-born of Priam and Hecuba. When Hecuba was about to produce a second child, she dreamed that she had given birth to a blazing torch, which kindled a conflagration that spread over the whole city. Priam, having been informed by her of the vision, sent for Aesacus (his son by Arisbe, a former wife), who was skilled in the interpretation of dreams, an art which he had been taught by Merops, his maternal grandfather. Aesacus pronounced that the boy would prove the destruction of his country, and bade them expose the babe. Priam, as soon as it was born, gave it to one of his herdmen, named Agelaus, to be conveyed to Ida and there abandoned. The infant, left to perish, was nurtured for five days by a she-bear, when Agelaus, finding it thus miraculously preserved, took it up and bore it to his dwelling, where he reared it as his own son, under the name of Paris1. The child having grown up to manhood, excelled both in comeliness and valour, and soon received the additional appellation of Alexander2, because he withstood and drove away the robbers who attacked the flocks. Not long after he discovered his parents.

1 A fanciful derivation of Πάρις is here indicated, ἀπὸ τοῦ παρελθεῖν τὸν Hópov. Vid. Schol. on Hom. Il. 3. 325.

2 A similar derivation of ̓Αλέξανδρος, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀλεξεῖν. Το this we find an allusion in the Epistle of Paris to Helen, Her. 16. 357:

Pene puer caesis abducta armenta recepi
Hostibus et causam nominis inde tuli.'
B

While yet a shepherd in the hills 1, he wedded Oenone, daughter of the river Cebren. This nymph, having learned the art of prophecy from Rhea 2, warned Alexander not to sail in quest of Helen; but finding that her remonstrances were unheeded, she then enjoined him, should he be wounded, to come to her for aid, since she alone had power to heal him. After this Paris bore away Helen from Sparta, and being pierced, during the war against Troy, by an arrow shot by Philoctetes from the bow of Hercules, he returned again to Ida to seek Oenone's aid. But she, cherishing resentment, refused to exert her skill. Alexander was borne back to Troy and there expired. Oenone having repented, brought drugs to heal his wound, and finding him a corpse, hanged herself for grief.

It will be seen that Ovid adheres, for the most part, closely to the above tale, departing from it in one or two points only.

PER

ERLEGIS? an coniux prohibet nova? perlege; non est
Ista Mycenaea litera facta manu.

Pegasis Oenone, Phrygiis celeberrima silvis,

Laesa queror de te, si sinis ipse, meo.

Quis Deus opposuit nostris sua numina votis ?
Ne tua permaneam, quod mihi crimen obest?
Leniter, ex merito quidquid patiare, ferendum est:
Quae venit indigne poena, dolenda venit.
Nondum tantus eras, cum te contenta marito,
Edita de magno flumine Nympha fui.
Qui nunc Priamides, adsit reverentia vero,

Servus eras; servo nubere Nympha tuli.
Saepe greges inter requievimus arbore tecti;
Mistaque cum foliis praebuit herba torum.
Saepe super stramen fenoque iacentibus alto
Defensa est humili cana pruina casa.

5

ΙΟ

15

1 So Ovid. The period of his marriage with Oenone is not specified by Apollodorus.

2 Ovid says nothing of her prophetic powers; but in this Epistle he tells that Apollo instructed her in the healing art.

Quis tibi monstrabat saltus venatibus aptos,
Et tegeret catulos qua fera rupe suos?
Retia saepe comes maculis distincta tetendi;

Saepe citos egi per iuga summa canes.
Incisae servant a te mea nomina fagi:

Et legor Oenone, falce notata, tua.

Et quantum trunci, tantum mea nomina crescunt:
Crescite, et in titulos surgite rite meos.
Populus est, memini, fluviali consita ripa,
Est in qua nostri litera scripta memor.
Popule, vive precor quae consita margine ripae
Hoc in rugoso cortice carmen habes :

Cum Paris Oenone poterit spirare relicta,

Ad fontem Xanthi versa recurret aqua.

Xanthe, retro propera, versaeque recurrite lymphae :
Sustinet Oenonen deseruisse Paris.

Illa dies fatum miserae mihi dixit: ab illa
Pessima mutati coepit amoris hiems;

Qua Venus et Iuno, sumptisque decentior armis
Venit in arbitrium nuda Minerva tuum.
Attoniti micuere sinus, gelidusque cucurrit,
Vt mihi narrasti, dura per ossa tremor.
Consului, neque enim modice terrebar, anusque,
Longaevosque senes: constitit esse nefas.
Caesa abies, sectaeque trabes, et, classe parata,
Caerula ceratas accipit unda rates.

Flesti discedens: hoc saltem parce negare.

.

Praeterito magis est iste pudendus amor.

Et flesti, et nostros vidisti flentis ocellos:
Miscuimus lacrimas maestus uterque suas.
Non sic appositis vincitur vitibus ulmus,

Vt tua sunt collo brachia nexa meo.

20

25

30

35

40

45

Ah! quoties, vento cum te quererere teneri,
Riserunt comites! ille secundus erat.
Oscula dimissae quoties repetita dedisti!
Quam vix sustinuit dicere lingua, Vale!
Aura levis rigido pendentia lintea malo

Suscitat; et remis eruta canet aqua.
Prosequor infelix oculis abeuntia vela,

Qua licet; et lacrimis humet arena meis. Vtque celer venias, virides Nereidas oro: Scilicet ut venias in mea damna celer. Votis ergo meis alii rediture redisti?

Hei mihi! pro dira pellice blanda fui! Adspicit immensum moles nativa profundum; Mons fuit: aequoreis illa resistit aquis. Hinc ego vela tuae cognovi prima carinae:

50

55

бо

Et mihi per fluctus impetus ire fuit.

Dum moror, in summa fulsit mihi purpura prora;

65

Pertimui: cultus non erat ille tuus.

Fit propior, terrasque cita ratis attigit aura:

70

Femineas vidi corde tremente genas.

Non satis id fuerat: quid enim furiosa morabar?

Haerebat gremio turpis amica tuo.

Tunc vero rupique sinus, et pectora planxi,
Et secui madidas ungue rigente genas:
Implevique sacram querulis ululatibus Iden.
Illuc has lacrimas in mea saxa tuli.

Sic Helene doleat, desertaque coniuge ploret ;
Quaeque prior nobis intulit, ipsa ferat.

Nunc tibi conveniunt, quae te per aperta sequantur
Aequora, legitimos destituantque toros.

At cum pauper eras, armentaque pastor agebas,
Nulla, nisi Oenone, pauperis uxor erat.