prunaque, et in patulis redolentia mala canistris, Super omnia vultus accessere boni, nec iners pauperque voluntas. 'Di' que 'sumus, meritasque luet vicinia poenas 675 680 685 690 700 Tantum aberant summo, quantum semel ire sagitta 695 missa potest: flexere oculos, et mersa palude cetera prospiciunt, tantum sua tecta manere. dumque ea mirantur, dum deflent fata suorum, illa vetus, dominis etiam casa parva duobus vertitur in templum; furcas subiere columnae; stramina flavescunt, aurataque tecta videntur, caelataeque fores, adopertaque marmore tellus. Talia tum placido Saturnius edidit ore: 'Dicite, juste senex, et femina conjuge justo digna, quid optetis.' Cum Baucide pauca locutus, judicium superis aperit commune Philemon : 'Esse sacerdotes, delubraque vestra tueri 705 poscimus; et quoniam concordes egimus annos, incola de gemino vicinos corpore truncos. haec mihi non vani - neque erat cur fallere vellent narravere senes: equidem pendentia vidi serta super ramos; ponensque recentia, dixi: Cura pii dis sunt, et qui coluere coluntur. 710 715 720 [ACHELOUS, continuing the discourse, tells of the transformations of Proteus; and of Mestra, daughter of Erysichthon, who (receiving this power from Neptune) long, by cheats and wiles, sustained her father cursed with extreme rage of hunger for the violation of a grove of Ceres (VIII. 725–884). And as Theseus inquires the cause of his broken horn, Achelous replies that contending once with Hercules for the possession of Dejanira, sister of Meleager, that horn had been wrested off, and, being filled by the Naiads with autumn fruits, became the horn of Plenty (IX. 1-100). In defence of the same Dejanira, Hercules had once slain the centaur Nessus; who, dying, gave her a tunic stained with his blood, mixed with venom of the Lernæan hydra, which (he said) would recall her husband's love if ever it should wander or cool (101-133).] Afterward, Hercules being about to wed Iole, daughter of Eurytus, Dejanira sent to him this tunic as a marriage gift. But when it took heat from the altar flames as he was about to sacrifice, Hercules, being in extreme torment, and unable to tear it off, cast into the sea the bearer of the gift, Lichas, who was converted into a rock, retaining his human form (134-227). Then Hercules, building a great funeral pile upon Mount Eta of Thessaly, burned himself thereon; and his mortal parts being purged away, was received into the company of the gods (228-272). LONGA fuit medii mora temporis, actaque magni Herculis implerant terras odiumque novercae. victor ab Oechalia Cenaeo sacra parabat vota Jovi, cum fama loquax praecessit ad aures, Deïanira, tuas, quae veris addere falsa gaudet, et e minimo sua per mendacia crescit, Amphitryoniaden Iöles ardore teneri. Credit amans, venerisque novae perterrita fama 135 140 diffudit miseranda suum. Mox deinde, 'Quid autem indulsit primo lacrimis, flendoque dolorem flemus?' ait: 'pellex lacrimis laetabitur istis. quae quoniam adveniet, properandum, aliquidque novan dum est, dum licet, et nondum thalamos tenet altera nostros. Incursus animus varios habet: omnibus illis Tura dabat primis et verba precantia flammis, vinaque marmoreas patera fundebat in aras : incaluit vis illa mali, resolutaque flammis Herculeos abiit late diffusa per artus. dum potuit, solita gemitum virtute repressit ; 145 150 155 160 165 170 tincta lacu, stridit, coquiturque ardente veneno. Nec modus est: sorbent avidae praecordia flammae, caeruleusque fluit toto de corpore sudor, ambustique sonant nervi, caecaque medullis hoc aestu tibi sum, diris cruciatibus aegram invisamque animam natamque laboribus aufer. 175 180 mors mihi munus erit: decet haec dare dona novercam. ergo ego foedantem peregrino templa cruore Busirin domui? saevoque alimenta parentis Antaeo eripui? nec me pastoris Hiberi forma triplex, nec forma triplex tua, Cerbere, movit? 185 vosne, manus, validi pressistis cornua tauri? 190 vestrum opus Elis habet, vestrum Stymphalides undae, Partheniumque nemus? vestra virtute relatus Thermodontiaco caelatus balteus auro, pomaque ab insomni concustodita dracone? nec mihi Centauri potuere resistere, nec mi Arcadiae vastator aper? nec profuit hydrae crescere per damnum, geminasque resumere vires? quid, cum Thracis equos humano sanguine pingues plenaque corporibus laceris praesaepia vidi, visaque dejeci, dominumque ipsosque peremi? his elisa jacet moles Nemeaea lacertis ; hac caelum cervice tuli. Defessa jubendo est saeva Jovis conjunx: ego sum indefessus agendo. sed nova pestis adest, cui nec virtute resisti, nec telis armisque potest. Pulmonibus errat ignis edax imis, perque omnes pascitur artus. at valet Eurystheus! Et sunt, qui credere possint esse deos?' Dixit, perque altum saucius Oeten haud aliter graditur, quam si venabula taurus corpore fixa gerat, factique refugerit auctor. 195 200 205 |