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the Athenians were celebrating the festival of the Panathenæa, in honour of the goddess Minerva, protectress of their city. The virgins who were most distinguished for rank and beauty carried on their heads, in solemn procession, in baskets adorned with flowers (xavnpópoi), the sacred things of the gods. Among them Mercury beheld Hersê, the daughter of King Cecrops, and, admiring her beauty, endeavoured to enter her father's palace, when Hersê's sister, Aglauros, demanded of the god a large quantity of gold before she would permit him to enter. At this Minerva was enraged, and remembering also that Aglauros had, against her orders, opened the closed chest, in which she had concealed Ericthonius (s. Introd. IX.), she went to the dark dwelling of the goddess of Envy, and bade her infuse corrosive poison into the breast of Aglauros. The command of the goddess was fulfilled, and the spiteful sister, who now envied Hersê the love of the god, was changed into a Stone by Mercury, whom she, in a violent fit of jealousy, was attempting to turn back from the palace door.

Hinc se sustulerat paribus Caducifer alis,
Munychiosque volans agros gratamque Minervæ
Despectabat humum, cultique arbusta Lycei.
Illa forte die castæ de more puellæ

710

5 Vertice supposito festas in Palladis arces Pura coronatis portabant sacra canistris. Inde revertentes deus adspicit ales, iterque

Non agit in rectum, sed in orbem curvat eundem. Ut volucris visis rapidissima miluus extis, 10 Dum timet et densi circumstant sacra ministri, Flectitur in gyrum, nec longius audet abire, Spemque suam motis avidus circumvolat alis: Sic super Actæas agilis Cyllenius arces Inclinat cursus, et easdem circinat auras.

15

716

720

Quanto splendidior, quam cetera sidera, fulget Lucifer, et quanto te, Lucifer, aurea Phœbe; Tanto virginibus præstantior omnibus Herse Ibat, eratque decus pompæ comitumque suarum. 725 Obstupuit forma Jove natus, et æthere pendens 20 Non secus exarsit, quam cum Balearica plumbum Funda jacit: volat illud et incandescit eundo, Et quos non habuit, sub nubibus invenit ignes. Vertit iter, cœloque petit diversa relicto. Nec se dissimulat: tanta est fiducia formæ. 25 Quæ quamquam justa est, cura tamen adjuvat illam, Permulcetque comas, chlamydemque, ut pendeat apte,

730

30

Collocat, ut limbus totumque appareat aurum,
Ut teres in dextra, qua somnos ducit et arcet,
Virga sit, ut tersis niteant talaria plantis.

735

Pars secreta domus ebore et testudine cultos Tres habuit thalamos, quorum tu, Pandrose, dextrum, Aglauros lævum, medium possederat Herse. Quæ tenuit lævum, venientem prima notavit Mercurium, nomenque dei scitarier ausa est 35 Et causam adventus. Cui sic respondit :

740

"" Atlantis

Pleïonesque nepos ego sum, qui jussa per auras Verba patris porto: pater est mihi Jupiter ipse. Nec fingam causas: tu tantum fida sorori Esse velis, prolisque meæ matertera dici. 40 Herse causa viæ: faveas oramus amanti.” Adspicit hunc oculis îsdem, quibus abdita nuper Viderat Aglauros flavæ secreta Minervæ, Proque ministerio magni sibi ponderis aurum Postulat; interea tectis excedere cogit.

45

Vertit ad hanc torvi dea bellica luminis orbem,

Et tanto penitus traxit suspiria motu,

745

750

Ut pariter pectus positamque in pectore forti
Ægida concuteret: subit, hanc arcana profana 755
Detexisse manu tum, cum sine matre creatam
50 Lemnicolæ stirpem contra data fœdera vidit,
Ingratamque deo fore jam ingratamque sorori
Et ditem sumto, quod avara poposcerat, auro.
Protinus Invidiæ nigro squalentia tabo
Tecta petit. Domus est imis in vallibus antri
55 Abdita, sole carens, non ulli pervia vento,

Tristis et ignavi plenissima frigoris, et quæ
Igne vacet semper, caligine semper abundet.

760

765

Huc ubi pervenit belli metuenda Virago; Constitit ante domum: neque enim succedere tectis 60 Fas habet; et postes extrema cuspide pulsat. Concussæ patuere fores. Videt intus edentem Vipereas carnes, vitiorum alimenta suorum, Invidiam, visaque oculos avertit; at illa Surgit humo pigre, semesarumque reliquit 65 Corpora serpentum, passuque incedit inerti. Utque deam vidit formaque armisque decoram; Ingemuit, vultumque ima ad suspiria duxit.

770

775

Pallor in ore sedet, macies in corpore toto, Nusquam recta acies, livent rubigine dentes, 70 Pectora felle virent, lingua est suffusa veneno; Risus abest, nisi quem visi movere dolores; Nec fruitur somno, vigilacibus excita curis, Sed videt ingratos intabescitque videndo Successus hominum, carpitque et carpitur una, Suppliciumque suum est. Quamvis tamen oderit illam,

75

80

Talibus affata est breviter Tritonia dictis :

780

“Infice tabe tua natarum Cecropis unam : Sic opus est. Aglauros ea est." Haud plura locuta Fugit, et impressa tellurem repulit hasta.

786

Illa, deam obliquo fugientem lumine cernens, Murmura parva dedit, successorumque Minervæ Indoluit, baculumque capit, quem spinea totum Vincula cingebant, adopertaque nubibus atris, 790 Quacumque ingreditur, florentia proterit arva, 85 Exuritque herbas et summa cacumina carpit, Afflatuque suo populos urbesque domosque Polluit, et tandem Tritonida conspicit arcem, Ingeniis opibusque et festa pace nitentem, Vixque tenet lacrimas, quia nil lacrimabile cernit. Sed postquam thalamos intravit Cecrope natæ ; Jussa facit, pectusque manu ferrugine tincta Tangit, et hamatis præcordia sentibus implet, Inspiratque nocens virus, piceumque per ossa Dissipat et medio spargit pulmone venenum. 95 Neve mali causæ spatium per latius errent,

90

795

800

Germanam ante oculos fortunatumque sororis
Conjugium, pulchraque deum sub imagine ponit,
Cunctaque magna facit: quibus irritata, dolore 805
Cecropis occulto mordetur, et anxia nocte,

100 Anxia luce gemit, lentaque miserrima tabe
Liquitur, ut glacies incerto saucia sole;
Felicisque bonis non lenius uritur Herses,
Quam cum spinosis ignis supponitur herbis,
Quæ neque dant flammas lenique tepore cremantur.

105 Sæpe mori voluit, ne quidquam tale videret;
Sæpe, velut crimen, rigido narrare parenti;
Denique in adverso venientem limine sedit

810

815

Exclusura deum. Cui blandimenta precesque Verbaque jactanti mitissima, "Desine?" dixit: 110 'Hinc ego me non sum nisi te motura repulso." "Stemus," ait, "pacto," velox Cyllenius, "isto!" Calatasque fores virga patefecit; at illi

Surgere conanti partes, quascumque sedendo Flectimur, ignava nequeunt gravitate moveri. 115 Illa quidem recto pugnat se attollere trunco; Sed genuum junctura riget, frigusque per artus Labitur, et pallent amisso sanguine venæ ; Utque malum late solet immedicabile cancer Serpere, et illæsas vitiatis addere partes 120 Sic letalis hiems paullatim in pectora venit, Vitalesque vias et respiramina clausit. Nec conata loqui est, nec, si conata fuisset, Vocis habebat iter: saxum jam colla tenebat, Oraque duruerant, signumque exsangue sedebat. 125 Nec lapis albus erat: sua mens infecerat illam.

XIII. EUROPA.

(II. 835—875.)

1

820

825

830

One of the most noted legends of antiquity, is that which relates how Jupiter, in the form of a bull, carried off Europa, the daughter of the Phoenician King Agenor. Ovid makes a sort of connexion between this fable and the preceding one, by mentioning that Jupiter's son Mercury was hovering in the air after the punishment of Aglauros (s. XII.), when he received a commission from his father to drive the herds of King Agenor to the sea-shore, where the king's daughter was wont to walk out with her playfellows. When Mercury had accomplished this, Jupiter in the form of a bull mingled with the herds, and by his dazzling whiteness and beautiful shape, as well as by his apparent gentleness, drew to himself the attention of the damsel, so that she began to play with him: till, having at last seated herself on his back, she was carried by him across the sea to Crete.

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Mercurius petiit jactatis aera pennis.

Sevocat hunc genitor, nec causam fassus amoris,
Fide minister," ait, "jussorum, nate, meorum,
Pelle moram, solitoque celer delabere cursu,
5 Quæque tuam matrem tellus a parte sinistra

840

Suspicit-indigenæ Sidonida nomine dicunt— Hanc pete, quodque procul montano gramine pasci Armentum regale vides, ad litora verte." Dixit: et expulsi jamdudum monte juvenci 10 Litora jussa petunt; ubi magni filia regis Ludere, virginibus Tyriis comitata, solebat. Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur

845

850

Majestas et amor: sceptri gravitate relicta Ille pater rectorque deûm, cui dextra trisulcis 15 Ignibus armata est, qui nutu concutit orbem, Induitur faciem tauri, mixtusque juvencis Mugit, et in teneris formosus obambulat herbis. Quippe color nivis est, quam nec vestigia duri Calcavere pedis, nec solvit aquaticus auster; 20 Colla toris exstant; armis palearia pendent; Cornua parva quidem, sed quæ contendere posses 855 Facta manu, puraque magis pellucida gemma; Nullæ in fronte minæ, nec formidabile lumen: Pacem vultus habet. Miratur Agenore nata, 25 Quod tam formosus, quod prælia nulla minetur. Sed, quamvis mitem, metuit contingere primo; 860 Mox adit, et flores ad candida porrigit ora. Nunc ille alludit viridique exsultat in herba, Nunc latus in fulvis niveum deponit arenis, 30 Paullatimque metu demto modo pectora præbet Virginea palpanda manu, modo cornua sertis Impedienda novis. Ausa est quoque regia virgo, Nescia quem premeret, tergo considere tauri. Tum deus a terra siccoque a litore sensim 35 Falsa pedum primis vestigia ponit in undis. Inde abit ulterius, mediique per æquora ponti Fert prædam. Pavet hæc litusque ablata relictum Respicit, et dextra cornum tenet; altera dorso Imposita est; tremulæ sinuantur flamine vestes. 875

XIV. CADMUS IN THEBES.

(III. 1-130.)

865

870

Jupiter had carried off Europa to the island of Crete (' Dictæa rura,' v. 2), and her father Agēnor, king of Phoenicia, sent her

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