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mitted great devastation. Peleus rightly regarded this misfortune as the vengeance of Psamăthê, the mother of Phocus, whom he had slain, for it had taken place in the neighbourhood of the temple of the Nereids, which consequently was sacred to Psamǎthê also. He therefore believed that he should look on his loss as a death-offering for Phocus, and thus, though the goodnatured Ceyx, terrified at this fresh prodigy, called out his people to arms, to render help against the monster, Peleus declined his assistance, and sought by prayer to propitiate Psamǎthê. She, however, allowed herself to be softened only at the intercession of Thetis. The blood-thirsty wolf, which would not cease from slaughter, was changed by Thetis into a rock. Peleus, however, could not here accomplish the desired expiation, but went onwards out of the country of Ceyx.

Felix et nato, felix et conjuge Peleus,
Et cui, si demas jugulati crimina Phoci,
Omnia contigerant. Fraterno sanguine sontem,
Expulsumque domo patria Trachinia tellus

5 Accipit. Hic regnum sine vi, sine cæde tenebat 270 Lucifero genitore satus, patriumque nitorem Ore ferens Ceyx: illo qui tempore mæstus Dissimilisque sui fratrem lugebat ademtum. Quo postquam acides fessus curaque viaque 10 Venit et intravit paucis comitantibus urbem, Quosque greges pecorum, quæ secum armenta trahebat,

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Haud procul a muris sub opaca valle reliquit ; Copia cum facta est adeundi tecta tyranni, Velamenta manu prætendens supplice, quis sit 15 Quoque satus, memorat: tantum sua crimina celat, Mentitusque fugæ causam petit, urbe vel agro Se juvet. Hunc contra placido Trachinius ore Talibus alloquitur : Mediæ quoque commoda plebi Nostra patent, Peleu, nec inhospita regna tenemus; 20 Adjicis huic animo momenta potentia, clarum Nomen avumque Jovem : nec tempora perde precando:

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Quod petis omne feres; tuaque hæc pro parte vocato,
Qualiacumque vides. Utinam meliora videres!"
Et flebat. Moveat quæ tantos causa dolores,

25 Peleusque comitesque rogant. Quibus ille profatur :

"Forsitan hanc volucrem, rapto quæ vivit et

omnes

Terret aves, semper pennas habuisse putetis:
Vir fuit, et quanta est animi constantia, tantum
Acer erat belloque ferox ad vimque paratus,
30 Nomine Dædalion, illo genitore creatus,

Qui vocat Auroram cœloque novissimus exit.
Culta mihi pax est, pacis mihi cura tenendæ
Conjugiique fuit; fratri fera bella placebant.
Illius virtus reges gentesque subegit,

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35 Quæ nunc Thisbæas agitat mutata columbas.
Nata erat huic Chione, quæ dotatissima forma
Mille procos habuit: sed obest quoque gloria multis ;
Obfuit huic certe, quæ se præferre Dianæ
Sustinuit, faciemque deæ culpavit. At illi
Ira ferox mota est, "Factisque placebimus!" inquit.

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40 Nec mora, curvavit cornu, nervoque sagittam Impulit, et meritam trajecit arundine linguam, Lingua jacet, nec vox tentataque verba sequuntur, Conantemque loqui cum sanguine vita reliquit. Quam misero-o pietas !-ego tunc patruique dolorem

45 Corde tuli, fratrique pio solatia dixi!

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Quæ pater haud aliter, quam cautes murmura ponti, Accipit, et natam delamentatur ademtam. Ut vero ardentem vidit: quater impetus illi In medios fuit ire rogos; quater inde repulsus 50 Concita membra fugæ mandat, similisque juvenco Spicula crabronum pressa cervice gerenti, Qua via nulla, ruit. Jam tunc mihi currere visus Plus homine est, alasque pedes sumsisse putares. Effugit ergo omnes, veloxque cupidine leti 55 Vertice Parnasi potitur. Miseratus Apollo Cum se Dædalion saxo misisset ab alto,

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Fecit avem et subitis pendentem sustulit alis; Oraque adunca dedit, curvos dedit unguibus hamos, Virtutem antiquam, majores corpore vires : 60 Et nunc accipiter, nulli satis æquus, in omnes Sævit aves, aliisque dolens fit causa dolendi."

Quæ dum Lucifero genitus miracula narrat

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De consorte suo; cursu festinus anhelo Advolat armenti custos Phoceüs Anetor, 65 Et, "Peleu, Peleu, magnæ tibi nuntius adsum Cladis!" ait. Quodcumque ferat, jubet edere

Peleus;

Pendet, et ipse metu trepidat Trachinius heros.
Ille refert: Fessos ad litora curva juvencos

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Appuleram, medio cum sol altissimus orbe 70 Tantum respiceret, quantum superesse videret; Parsque boum fulvis genua inclinarat arenis, Latarumque jacens campos spectabat aquarum, Pars gradibus tardis illuc errabat et illuc, Nant alii celsoque exstant super æquora collo. 75 Templa mari subsunt nec marmore clara nec auro, Sed trabibus densis lucoque umbrosa vetusto; 360 Nereïdes Nereusque tenent: hos navita templi Edidit esse deos, dum retia litore siccat.

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Juncta palus huic est, densis obsessa salictis, 80 Quam restagnantis fecit maris unda paludem. Inde fragore gravi strepitus loca proxima terret, 365 Bellua vasta, lupus, silvisque palustribus exit, Oblitus et spumis et crasso sanguine rictus, Fulmineus, rubra suffusus lumina flamma. 85 Qui, quamquam sævit pariter rabieque fameque, Acrior est rabie: neque enim jejunia curat Cæde boum diramque famem finire; sed omne Vulnerat armentum, sternitque hostiliter omnes. Pars quoque de nobis funesto saucia morsu, 90 Dum defensamus, leto est data. Sanguine litus Undaque prima rubet, demugitæque paludes. Sed mora damnosa est, nec res dubitare remittit : Dum superest aliquid, cuncti coeamus, et arma, Arma capessamus, conjunctaque tela feramus!"

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Dixerat agrestis; nec Pelea damna movebant,
Sed, memor admissi, Nereïda colligit orbam
Damna sui inferias exstincto mittere Phoco.
Induere arma viros violentaque sumere tela
Rex jubet Etæus, cum quîs simul ipse parabat
100 Ire; sed Alcyone conjux excita tumultu

Prosilit, et, nondum totos ornata capillos,
Disjicit hos ipsos, colloque infusa mariti,

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Mittat ut auxilium sine se, verbisque precatur Et lacrimis, animasque duas ut servet in una. 105 Eacides illi: "Pulchros, regina, piosque Pone metus plena est promissi gratia vestri. Non placet arma mihi contra nova monstra moveri ; Numen adorandum pelagi est."-Erat ardua turris, Arce locus summa, fessis loca grata carinis : 110 Adscendunt illuc, stratosque in litore tauros Cum gemitu adspiciunt vastatoremque cruento 395 Ore ferum, longos infectum sanguine villos. Inde manus tendens in aperti litora ponti, Cæruleam Peleus Psamathen, ut finiat iram, 115 Orat, opemque ferat. Nec vocibus illa rogantis Flectitur acidæ; Thetis hanc pro conjuge sup

plex

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Accepit veniam. Sed enim, revocatus ab acri Cæde, lupus perstat, dulcedine sanguinis asper, Donec inhærentem laceræ cervice juvencæ 120 Marmore mutavit: corpus præterque colorem Omnia servavit. Lapidis color indicat, illum 405 Jam non esse lupum, jam non debere timeri. Nec tamen hac profugum consistere Pelea terra Fata sinunt: Magnetas adit vagus exsul, et illic 125 Sumit ab Hæmonio purgamina cædis Acasto.

XLIII. CEYX AND ALCYONE.

(XI. 411-748.)

Ceyx is an affectionate, humane, and pious character of the old legendary world. That he was a son of the morning-star (thence sidereus conjux, v.35) and king of Trachin, a town in Southern Thessaly, has been already mentioned. He was united in close friendship with Hercules, and both his sons had accompanied that hero on his expeditions, and met an honorable death in battle. Hercules himself had passed the last days of his life with Ceyx at Trachin, before he betook himself to Eta to mount his funeral pile. Now, however, a hard fate befell the pious Ceyx. After the prodigies (prodigia, v. 1) which distressed him on the death of his brother, and the arrival of Peleus in his territories (s. Introd. XLII.), he wished to obtain consolatory advice (oblectamina hominum, v. 2) from the oracle of Apollo. Hordes of robbers

prevented him from inquiring at the not very distant oracle of Delphi; for which reason he resolved on applying at another temple of Apollo, that at Claros in Asia Minor. But the dangerous sea-voyage filled his affectionate consort, Alcyonê, with sad apprehension. She, indeed, was herself the daughter of Eŏlus, the god of the winds, but for this she was so much the more filled with anxious fear of these mighty powers that maddened the sea and which ŏlus was no longer able to restrain (nil illis vetitum, v. 24). She was to be appeased only by the promise of the speedy return of her consort. Ceyx embarks on his voyage, and the fearful forebodings of Alcyone were unhappily realized. They were scarcely on the middle of their way (medium æquor, v. 66), when a storm shattered the ship, and Ceyx became a prey to the waves, without his father being able to leave the vault of heaven and come to his rescue (v. 158 sqq.). Meanwhile his pious consort, in her loneliness, brings rich offerings to the gods, and supplicates them for the happy return of her husband. Juno, touched by the pious disposition of the unfortunate Alcyone, who, without ceasing, makes offerings and vows for the return of Ceyx, after he had perished in the waves, caused the fate of her husband to be announced to her in a dream.-Description of the dwelling of sleep and dreams.-With lamentations at this cruel fate, Alcyone now goes to the sea-shore, and visits the spot where, for the last time, she had seen her consort, and had bidden him farewell, as he embarked on his disastrous voyage. There she observes in the distance something that was floating towards her on the waves; she waits till it comes nearer, and at last recognizes the corpse of her husband. In despair she strives to get as near as possible to the beloved body, and while she is springing on the artificial breakwater, built for a fence against the sea (moles manu facta, v. 317), she receives wings, and is changed by the gods into a kingfisher (Alcyon).-Upon this, she flies off to the corpse, which, animated at her touch, takes the form of the same bird. Thus both of them, as transformed beings, remain united in true love, and, when the kingfisher is brooding, Eŏlus, in favour of his daughter and grandchildren, keeps the winds confined, and there prevails a still calm, favorable to seafaring people.

Anxia prodigiis turbatus pectora Ceyx,

411

Consulat ut sacras, hominum oblectamina, sortes,
Ad Clarium parat ire deum: nam templa profanus
Invia cum Phlegyis faciebat Delphica Phorbas.
5 Consilii tamen ante sui, fidissima, certam

Te facit, Alcyone. Cui protinus intima frigus
Ossa receperunt, buxoque simillimus ora
Pallor obit, lacrimisque genæ maduere profusis.
Ter conata loqui, ter fletibus ora rigavit,

415

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