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Qui medius nixique genu est anguemque tenentis.

Dædalus interea Creten longumque perosus 30 Exsilium, tactusque soli natalis amore,

Clausus erat pelago. "Terras licet," inquit, “et

undas

Obstruat; at cœlum certe patet: ibimus illac !
Omnia possideat: non possidet aera Minos!"
Dixit, et ignotas animum dimittit in artes,
35 Naturamque novat: nam ponit in ordine pennas
A minima cœptas, longam breviore sequente,
Ut clivo crevisse putes. Sic rustica quondam
Fistula disparibus paullatim surgit avenis.
Tum lino medias et ceris alligat imas,
40 Atque ita compositas parvo curvamine flectit,
Ut veras imitetur aves. Puer Icarus una
Stabat et, ignarus sua se tractare pericla,
Ore renidenti modo, quas vaga moverat aura,
Captabat plumas, flavam modo pollice ceram
45 Mollibat, lusuque suo mirabile patris

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Impediebat opus. Postquam manus ultima cœptis 200 Imposita est; geminas opifex libravit in alas Ipse suum corpus, motaque pependit in aura. Instruit et natum, " Medioque ut limite curras, 50 Icare," ait, "moneo, ne, si demissior ibis, Unda gravet pennas; si celsior, ignis adurat. Inter utrumque vola! Nec te spectare Booten Aut Helicen jubeo strictumque Orionis ensem; Me duce carpe viam!" Pariter præcepta volandi 55 Tradit, et ignotas humeris accomodat alas.

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Inter opus monitusque genæ maduere seniles 210 Et patriæ tremuere manus. Dedit oscula nato Non iterum repetenda suo, pennisque levatus Ante volat comitique timet velut ales, ab alto 60 Quæ teneram prolem produxit in aera nido; Hortaturque sequi, damnosasque erudit artes; Et movet ipse suas, et nati respicit alas. Hos aliquis, tremula dum captat arundine pisces, Aut pastor baculo stivave innixus arator

65 Vidit et obstupuit, quique æthera carpere possent,

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Credidit esse deos. Et jam Junonia læva
Parte Samos, fuerant Delosque Parosque relictæ,-
Dextra Lebynthos erat fecundaque melle Calymne;
Cum puer audaci cœpit gaudere volatu

70 Deseruitque ducem, cœlique cupidine tactus
Altius egit iter. Rapidi vicinia solis
Mollit odoratas, pennarum vincula, ceras.
Tabuerant ceræ : nudos quatit ille lacertos,
Remigioque carens non ullas percipit auras;
75 Oraque cærulea, patrium clamantia nomen,
Excipiuntur aqua, quæ nomen traxit ab illo.

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At pater infelix, nec jam pater, "Icare!" dixit-
'Icare," dixit, "ubi es? Qua te regione re-
quiram ?".

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Icare!" dicebat; pennas conspexit in undis,

80 Devovitque suas artes, corpusque sepulcro Condidit; et tellus a nomine dicta sepulti.

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Hunc miseri tumulo ponentem corpora nati
Garrula ramosa prospexit ab ilice perdix,
Et plausit pennis, testataque gaudia cantu est:
85 Unica tunc volucris nec visa prioribus annis,
Factaque nuper avis, longum tibi, Dædale, crimen.
Namque huic tradiderat, fatorum ignara, docendam
Progeniem germana suam, natalibus actis
Bis puerum senis, animi ad præcepta capacis.
90 Ille etiam medio spinas in pisce notatas

Traxit in exemplum, ferroque incidit acuto
Perpetuos dentes, et serræ reperit usum ;
Primus et ex uno duo ferrea brachia nodo
Vinxit, ut, æquali spatio distantibus illis,
95 Altera pars staret, pars altera duceret orbem.

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Dædalus invidit, sacraque ex arce Minervæ Præcipitem misit, lapsum mentitus. At illum, Quæ favet ingeniis, excepit Pallas, avemque Reddidit et medio velavit in aere pennis. 100 Sed vigor ingenii quondam velocis in alas Inque pedes abiit, nomen, quod et ante, remansit. Non tamen hæc alte volucris sua corpora tollit, Nec facit in ramis altoque cacumine nidos;

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Propter humum volitat, ponitque in sepibus ova, 105 Antiquique memor metuit sublimia casus.

Jamque fatigatum tellus Ætnæa tenebat
Dædalon, et sumtis defendit Cocalus armis.

XXXIV. MELEAGROS.

(VIII. 273-546.)

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Ætolia and the other north-western provinces of Greece, had, in the historic age of that country, sunk into insignificant obscurity. But in the legendary age these districts produced distinguished heroes, who won high renown among their contemporaries. Among these the most celebrated was born at CalydonMeleager, the son of King Eneus and Althæa.— Meleager's Chase is one of the most famous legends of the ancient mythic history. It was sung by many poets, who numbered among the hunters all the noted heroes of that age, who were reported to have met at Calydon in order to take the field against the dreaded monster, the Calydonian boar. This beast had been sent by Diana into the country of King Eneus, because, after an extraordinarily fruitful year (plenus successibus annus, v. 1) he had brought offerings to all the deities, with the single exception of Diana. Man and beast were threatened alike with destruction by the enormous boar, so that the heroes of the time united all their might in order to slay it. Besides the brave Meleager, there were at the chase near relations of the royal family, namely, Meleager's two uncles, the sons of Thestius (Thestiada,) and brothers of Queen Althæa. Among the many heroes who came from a distance, there was also a virgin heroine, Atalanta, from Arcadia, of the city Tegea (whence Tegeaa, v. 44.) She enraptured Meleager by her beauty, and had the fortune to be the first to wound the boar, after other heroes had fruitlessly hurled many spears at him. Her spear, however, did not wound him mortally: and Meleager was the first to bring down the wild beast by a deadly blow. To him, therefore, belonged, without dispute, the prize of the contest, the bristly hide of the boar.-He however resigned it to the brave damsel. On this the sons of Thestius became jealous, and would not allow that a booty so glorious should be given over to a woman. Hence was kindled a quarrel, in which Meleager slew them both. Meleager's mother, however, was deeply grieved at the slaughter of her brothers. She could not rejoice in her son's victory over the destructive boar, and long hesitated in indecision whether, for her brother's murder, she should or should not take vengeance on her son. The Parca (triplices Sorores, v. 176) had immediately

on Meleager's birth visited the house of King Eneus, and uttered the word of destiny, that the newborn child should live till a log, then burning on the hearth, should be consumed by the flames. On this the mother snatched the log from the fire, and carefully preserved it. Now, however, when vengeance for the murder of her brothers overpowered her maternal affection, she brought it out, and purposely threw it into the flames, so that Meleager quickly sank and died. Great was the mourning for the early death of the hero : his sisters, in particular, could not recover from their grief for the loss of their brother. At length, however, a benevolent deity took compassion on them, and released them from their sorrows by changing them into birds, which took their name from Meleager (Meleagrides, a species of pintado, or guineafowl).

Enea, fama ita fert, pleni successibus anni
Primitias frugum Cereri, sua vina Lyæo,
Palladios flavæ latices libasse Minervæ :
Cœptus ab agricolis Superos pervenit ad omnes
5 Ambitiosus honos; solas sine ture relictas
Præteritæ cessasse ferunt Letoïdos aras.

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Tangit et ira deos. "At non impune feremus ; Quæque inhonoratæ, non et dicemur inultæ !" 280 Inquit, et Eneos ultorem spreta per agros

10 Misit aprum, quanto majores herbida tauros

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Non habet Epiros, sed habent Sicula arva minores. Sanguine et igne micant oculi, riget horrida cervix, Et setæ densis similes hastilibus horrent, Fervida cum rauco latos stridore per armos 15 Spuma fluit, dentes æquantur dentibus Indis, Fulmen ab ore venit, frondes afflatibus ardent. Is modo crescentes segetes proculcat in herba, Nunc matura metit fleturi vota coloni,

Et Cererem in spicis intercipit. Area frustra 20 Et frustra exspectant promissas horrea messes. Sternuntur gravidi longo cum palmite fetus, Baccaque cum ramis semper frondentis olivæ, Sævit et in pecudes: non has pastorve canis ve, Non armenta truces possunt defendere tauri.

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Diffugiunt populi, nec se nisi mœnibus urbis
Esse putant tutos; donec Meleagros et una
Lecta manus juvenum coïere cupidine laudis :
Tyndaridæ gemini, spectatus cæstibus alter,
Alter equo, primæque ratis molitor Iason,

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30 Et cum Pirithoo, felix concordia, Theseus,
Et duo Thestiadæ, prolesque Aphareïa Lynceus,
Et velox Idas, et jam non femina Cæneus,
Leucippusque ferox, jaculoque insignis Acastus,
Hippothoosque Dryasque et cretus Amyntore Phoenix,
35 Actoridæque pares, et missus ab Elide Phyleus.
Nec Telamon aberat magnique creator Achillis,
Cumque Pheretiade et Hyanteo Iolao
Impiger Eurytion, et cursu invictus Echion,
Naryciusque Lelex Panopeusque Hyleusque feroxque
40 Hippasus, et primis etiamnum Nestor in annis,
Et quos Hippocoon antiquis misit Amyclis,
Penelopesque socer cum Parrhasio Ancæo,
Ampycidesque sagax et adhuc a conjuge tutus.
Eclides, nemorisque decus Tegeæa Lycæi.
45 Rasilis huic summam mordebat fibula vestem ;
Crinis erat simplex, nodum collectus in unum ;
Ex humero pendens resonabat eburnea lævo
Telorum custos; arcum quoque læva tenebat.
Talis erat cultu facies, quam dicere vere
50 Virgineam in puero, puerilem in virgine posses.
Hanc pariter vidit, pariter Calydonius heros
Optavit renuente deo, flammasque latentes
Hausit, et, "O felix, si quem dignabitur," inquit,
Ista virum!" nec plura sinunt tempusque pudorque
55 Dicere: majus opus magni certaminis urget.

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Silva frequens trabibus, quam nulla ceciderat ætas,
Incipit a plano, devexaque prospicit arva.
Quo postquam venere viri; pars retia tendunt,
Vincula pars adimunt canibus, pars pressa sequuntur

60 Signa pedum, cupiuntque suum reperire periclum.
Concava vallis erat, qua se demittere rivi
Assuerant pluvialis aquæ: tenet ima lacunæ
Lenta salix ulvæque leves juncique palustres,
Viminaque et longa parvæ sub arundine cannæ.
65 Hinc aper excitus medios violentus in hostes
Fertur, ut excussis elisi nubibus ignes.

Sternitur incursu nemus, et propulsa fragorem
Silva dat exclamant juvenes, prætentaque forti
Tela tenent dextra, lato vibrantia ferro.
70 Ille ruit spargitque canes, ut quisque furenti

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