Exsiluisse fretum, quo pignore vindicet urbem; At sibi dat clypeum, dat acutæ cuspidis hastam, 75 Dat galeam capiti, defenditur Ægide pectus, 80 Percussamque sua simulat de cuspide terram Mæonis elusam designat imagine tauri 85 Fecit et Asterien aquila luctante teneri ; 80 105 110 120 130 Non illud Pallas, non illud carpere livor 95 Possit opus. Doluit successu flava Virago, Et rupit pictas, cœlestia crimina, vestes; Utque Cytoriaco radium de monte tenebat, Ter quater Idmoniæ frontem percussit Arachnes. Non tulit infelix, laqueoque animosa ligavit 100 Guttura. Pendentem Pallas miserata levavit, Atque ita, "Vive quidem, pende tamen, improba," dixit, 135 Lexque eadem pœnæ, ne sis secura futuri, Dicta tuo generi serisque nepotibus esto!" Post ea discedens sucis Hecateïdos herbæ 105 Sparsit et extemplo tristi medicamine tactæ Defluxere comæ, cumque his et naris et auris, Fitque caput minimum. Toto quoque corpore parva est: In latere exiles digiti pro cruribus hærent, 110 Stamen, et antiquas exercet aranea telas. 140 145 XXV. NIOBE. (VI. 146-312.) The report of Arachnê's wondrous punishment not only filled her native country, Lydia, and the neighbouring land of Phrygia, but was the talk of the whole world. Among others Niobê, herself a Lydian by birth (popularis, v. 5) heard of it; but unhappily did not take warning from the example.-Niŏbê, the daughter of Tantălus, had, with her brother Pelops, crossed from Lydia into Greece. She was married to Amphion, king of Thebes, who was a son of Jupiter and Antiope, and had received from the Muses the gift of the lyre. This prince ruled over Thebes, and his playing was so admirable, that the stones for the wall of Thebes collected and compacted themselves together to the notes of his lyre (conjugis artes, v. 7). As the wife of Amphion, Niobê was the mother of many blooming children, in whom she felt herself highly happy, but was bereaved of them all in rapid succession, by sudden, unlooked-for death. There was in the ancient popular belief of the Greeks, which Homer also expresses, a firmly fixed idea, that every one who died without any external visible injury, but in consequence of some inward disorder, which in those times was not understood nor recognized, was slain by the invisible, gentle, archery of Apollo, or, if the person was a female, by the archery of Diana. This ancient popular belief served for the invention and adornment of the fable of Niobê. She was the mother of a numerous progeny, but lost all her children rapidly one after another; and since, according to the popular belief of the Greeks, the godhead was envious, Niobê was thus supposed to have excited the envy and kindled the indignation of Latōna, over whom she vaunted herself by a presumptuous comparison, as richer in children. Upon this the vengeful Latōna caused all the sons of Niŏbê to perish by the arrows of Apollo, and her daughters by the arrows of Diana.-Ovid moreover assigns, as a further motive, that Niŏbê cherished an overweening pride in her genealogy and descent, and wanted to be allowed precedence of Latōna-inasmuch as she (Niobe) was a visible goddess (visa cœlestis, v. 25), while people knew of Latona by hearsay only (auditos cœlestes, ibid): on these grounds she interdicted sacrifice to Latōna. Deep woe fell on Niŏbê, bereaved of all her children and of her husband; through sorrow she hardened into stone, and tears still trickle forth from the stone, and proclaim her grief. Not, however, in Boeotia, but in native country, Lydia, was shown the trickling rock, into which Niobê had been changed (whence; turbine venti in patriam rapta est, v. 164, f.). The fable of Niobê, moreover, was a favourite subject of the ancient sculptors, and we have even now valuable relics of ancient statues, which are known by the name of groups of Niobê.” 66 Lydia tota fremit, Phrygiæque per oppida facti 146 Rumor it, et magnum sermonibus occupat orbem. Ante suos Niobe thalamos cognoverat illam, Tunc cum Mæoniam virgo Sipylumque colebat; 5 Nec tamen admonita est pœna popularis Arachnes, 150 Cedere cœlitibus verbisque minoribus uti. Multa dabant animos: sed enim nec conjugis artes Nec genus amborum magnique potentia regni Sic placuere illi, quamvis ea cuncta placerent,— 10 Ut sua progenies. Et felicissima matrum Dicta foret Niobe, si non sibi visa fuisset. Nam sata Tiresia, venturi præscia, Manto Per medias fuerat, divino concita motu, Vaticinata vias: "Ismenides, ite frequentes, 15 Et date Latona Latonigenisque duobus 155 160 Cum prece tura pia, lauroque innectite crinem! 66 Quis furor auditos," inquit, " præponere visis 170 175 Cui licuit soli Superorum tangere mensas; Pleïadum soror est genitrix mea; maximus Atlas 30 Est avus, ætherium qui fert cervicibus axem ; Jupiter alter avus; socero quoque glorior illo. Me gentes metuunt Phrygiæ; me regia Cadmi Sub domina est, fidibusque mei commissa mariti Moenia cum populis a meque viroque reguntur. 35 In quamcumque domus adverto lumina partem, Immensæ spectantur opes. Accedit eodem Digna dea facies. Huc natas adjice septem Et totidem juvenes, et mox generosque nurusque. Quærite nunc, habeat quam nostra superbia caussam ! 40 Quoque modo audetis genitam Titanida Coo 180 185 Latonam præferre mihi, cui maxima quondam Nec cœlo nec humo nec aquis dea vestra recepta est ; 195 45 "Hospita tu terris erras; ego," dixit, "in undis !" 190 205 210 An dea sim, dubitor, perque omnia sæcula cultis Arceor, o nati, nisi vos succurritis, aris. Nec dolor hic solus: diro convicia facto 65 Tantalis adjecit, vosque est postponere natis Ausa suis, et me, quod in ipsam recidat, orbam Dixit, et exhibuit linguam scelerata paternam." Adjectura preces erat his Latona relatis; "Desine :" Phœbus ait, " pœnæ mora longa querela est." 215 220 70 Dixit idem Phoebe ; celerique per aera lapsu Contigerant tecti Cadmeïda nubibus arcem. Planus erat lateque patens prope mœnia campus, Assiduis pulsatus equis, ubi turba rotarum Duraque mollierant subjectas ungula glebas. 75 Pars ibi de septem genitis Amphione fortes Conscendunt in equos, Tyrioque rubentia suco Terga premunt auroque graves moderantur habenas. E quibus Ismenos, qui matri sarcina quondam Prima suæ fuerat, dum certum flectit in orbem 80 Quadrupedis cursus spumantiaque ora coercet, 225 230 "Hei mihi!" conclamat medioque in pectore fixus Phædimus infelix et aviti nominis heres 105 Intima fatifero rupit præcordia ferro; 240 245 250 Quod simul eductum, pars et pulmonis in hamis Eruta, cumque anima cruor est effusus in auras. At non intonsum simplex Damasichthona vulnus Afficit: ictus erat, qua crus esse incipit et qua 255 110 Mollia nodosus facit internodia poples, 260 Dumque manu tentat trahere exitiabile telum, Altera per jugulum pennis tenus acta sagitta est. Expulit hanc sanguis, seque ejaculatus in altum Emicat et longe terebrata prosilit aura. 115 Ultimus Ilioneus non profectura precando Brachia sustulerat, "Dique o communiter omnes," Dixerat, ignarus non omnes esse rogandos, "Parcite!" Motus erat, cum jam revocabile telum Non fuit, Arcitenens; minimo tamen occidit ille 265 120 Vulnere, non alte percusso corde sagitta. Fama mali populique dolor lacrimæque suorum |