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 ! 185 190 195 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. 205 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, 215 220 Credidit esse deos. Et jam Junonia læva 70 Deseruitque ducem, cœlique cupidine tactus 225 230 At pater infelix, nec jam pater, "Icare!" dixit- Icare!" dicebat; pennas conspexit in undis, 80 Devovitque suas artes, corpusque sepulcro Condidit; et tellus a nomine dicta sepulti. 235 239 Hunc miseri tumulo ponentem corpora nati Traxit in exemplum, ferroque incidit acuto 245 250 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; 254 Propter humum volitat, ponitque in sepibus ova, 105 Antiquique memor metuit sublimia casus. Jamque fatigatum tellus Ætnæa tenebat XXXIV. MELEAGROS. (VIII. 273-546.) 260 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 275 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 285 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. 25 Diffugiunt populi, nec se nisi mœnibus urbis 290 295 300 305 310 315 30 Et cum Pirithoo, felix concordia, Theseus, 320 325 330 Silva frequens trabibus, quam nulla ceciderat ætas, 60 Signa pedum, cupiuntque suum reperire periclum. Sternitur incursu nemus, et propulsa fragorem 335 340 |