Ense jacet Clymeni; Prothoenora percutit Hypseus, Hypsea Lyncides. Fuit et grandævus in illis 275 Emathion, æqui cultor timidusque deorum : 100 Quem quoniam prohibent anni bellare, loquendo Pugnat, et incessit scelerataque devovet arma. Huic Chromis amplexo tremulis altaria palmis Decutit ense caput, quod protinus incidit aræ, 280 Atque ibi semanimi verba exsecrantia lingua Edidit et medios animam exspiravit in ignes. Hinc gemini fratres, Broteasque et cæstibus Ammon Invicti, vinci si possent cæstibus enses, Phinea cecidere manu, Cererisque sacerdos 285 Amphicus, albenti velatus tempora vitta. 105 110 Tu quoque Iapetide, non hos adhibendus in usus, 66 nentem 290 Pettalus irridens, "Stygiis cane cetera," dixit, 115 Manibus!" et lævo mucronem tempore fixit. Concidit et digitis morientibus ille retentat Fila lyræ, casuque canit miserabile carmen. Nec sinit hunc impune ferox cecidisse Lycormas, 295 Raptaque de dextro robusta repagula posti Ossibus illisit media cervicis; at ille Procubuit terræ mactati more juvenci. 120 Demere tentabat lævi quoque robora postis Cinyphius Pelates; tentanti dextera fixa est 300 Cuspide Marmaridæ Corythi, lignoque cohæsit. 125 Hærenti latus hausit Abas; nec corruit ille, Sed retinente manum moriens e poste pependit. Sternitur et Melaneus, Perseïa castra secutus, Et Nasamoniaci Dorilas ditissimus agri, 305 Dives agri Dorilas, quo non possederat alter Latius, aut totidem tollebat farris acervos. Hujus in obliquo missum stetit inguine ferrum : Letifer ille locus. Quem postquam vulneris auctor Singultantem animam et versantem lumina vidit, 310 Bactrius Halcyoneus; " Hoc quod premis," inquit, "habeto 130 135 De tot agris terræ !" corpusque exsangue reliquit. Cervice exacta est, in partesque eminet ambas. 315 Dumque manum fortuna juvat, Clytiumque Claninque Matre satos una diverso vulnere fudit: 141 Nam Clytii per utrumque gravi librata lacerto Fraxinus acta femur ! jaculum Clanis ore momordit. Occidit et Celadon Mendesius; occidit Astreus, 320 Matre Palæstina, dubio genitore creatus ; Æthionque sagax quondam ventura videre, 145 Plus tamen exhausto superest: namque omnibus unum 325 Opprimere est animus; conjurata undique pug nant 150 Agmina pro causa meritum impugnante fidemque. Hac pro parte socer frustra pius et nova conjux Cum genitrice favent, ululatuque atria complent ; Sed sonus armorum superat gemitusque cadentum, 330 Pollutosque semel multo Bellona Penates Sanguine perfundit, renovataque prælia miscet. Phinea tela volant hiberna grandine plura : 155 Præter utrumque latus præterque et lumen et aures. 335 Applicat hic humeros ad magnæ saxa columnæ, 160 Tutaque terga gerens adversaque in agmina versus, Sustinet instantes. Instabat parte sinistra Chaonius Molpeus, dextra Nabatæus Ethemon. 165 340 Exstimulata fame mugitibus armentorum 345 Sed furit et, cupiens alto dare vulnera collo, 170 Non tamen ad letum causas satis illa valentes 350 Plaga dedit: trepidum Perseus et inertia frustra 175 Brachia tendentem Cyllenide confodit harpe. 66 Verum ubi virtutem turbæ succumbere vidit ; "Auxilium," Perseus, "quoniam sic cogitis ipsi," ; Dixit, "ab hoste petam. Vultus avertite vestros, 355 Si quis amicus adest!" et Gorgonis extulit ora. 180 Quære alium, tua quem moveant miracula!" dixit Thescelus, utque manu jaculum fatale parabat Mittere, in hoc hæsit signum de marmore gestu. Proximus huic Ampyx animi plenissima magni 360 Pectora Lyncidæ gladio petit, inque petendo Dextera diriguit nec citra mota nec ultra. 185 At Nileus, qui se genitum septemplice Nilo Ementitus erat, clypeo quoque flumina septem Argento partim, partim cælaverat auro, 365" Adspice," ait, "Perseu, nostræ primordia gentis: Magna feres tacitas solatia mortis ad umbras, A tanto cecidisse viro." Pars ultima vocis In medio suppressa sono est, adapertaque velle Ora loqui credas, nec sunt ea pervia verbis. 370 375 191 Increpat hos, "Vitioque animi, non viribus," inquit, "Gorgoneis torpetis:" Eryx, "incurrite mecum, 196 Et prosternite humi juvenem magica arma moventem!" Incursurus erat; tenuit vestigia tellus, Immotusque silex armataque mansit imago. Hi tamen ex merito pœnam subiere; sed unus Miles erat Persei, pro quo dum pugnat, Aconteus, 201 Gorgone conspecta saxo concrevit oborto. Quem ratus Astyages etiamnum vivere, longo Ense ferit: sonuit tinnitibus ensis acutis. 380 Dum stupet Astyages, naturam traxit eandem, Marmoreoque manet vultus mirantis in ore, Nomina longa mora est media de plebe virorum Dicere: bis centum restabant corpora pugnæ; Gorgone bis centum riguerunt corpora visa. 385 206 Pœnitet injusti nunc denique Phinea belli. Corpora: marmor erant. Avertitur, atque ita supplex 390 Confessasque manus obliquaque brachia tendens, "Vincis," ait," Perseu: remove tua monstra, tuæ que 216 Saxificos vultus, quæcumque ea, tolle Medusæ. Tolle, precor: non nos odium regnive cupido Compulit ad bellum; pro conjuge movimus arma. 395 Causa fuit meritis melior tua, tempore nostra. 220 Non cessisse piget. Nihil, o fortissime, præter Hanc animam concede mihi; tua cetera sunto!" Talia dicenti neque eum, quem voce rogabat, Respicere audenti,"Quod," ait," timidissime Phineu, 400 Et possum tribuisse et magnum est munus inerti, Pone metum, tribuam: nullo violabere ferro. Quin etiam mansura dabo monimenta per ævum, Inque domo soceri semper spectabere nostri, Ut mea se sponsi soletur imagine conjux.” 405 226 231 Dixit, et in partem Phorcynida transtulit illam, 410 Submissæque manus faciesque obnoxia mansit. 235 Victor Abantiades patrios cum conjuge muros Intrat, et immeriti vindex ultorque parentis Aggreditur Prœtum: nam fratre per arma fugato Acrisioneas Prœtus possederat arces. 415 Sed nec ope armorum nec, quam male ceperat, arce Torva colubriferi superavit lumina monstri. Te tamen, o parvæ rector, Polydecta, Seriphi, 241 245 420 Exerces odium, nec iniqua finis in ira est. I XXII. THE MUSES. (V. 252-340, and 662—678.) Pallas had not only aided her brother Perseus in slaying the Gorgon, but had also accompanied him in his subsequent expedi-* tions (comp. XXIII.). Now, however, she left him (Inde abiit, v. 1), and betook herself to Mount Helicon, in Boeotia, the dwelling-place of the Muses, in order there to inspect a prodigy,-& new fountain, the Hippocrênê (or horse-well,' from ios and Konvn, which the horse Pegasus, which was said to have sprung from the blood of the Gorgon, had produced by a stroke of his hoof). With this visit of Minerva the poet connects two little myths, which relate to the history of the Muses. Pyrēneus, who came out of Thrace into Boeotia, despised the Muses, and for this met with his death. In the same way, the nine daughters of Piĕros, who came from the northern regions, were, on account of their insolence to the Muses, changed into magpies. That the worship of the Muses came from the north into Greece, is not to be doubted, and that their worship, which at first resembled that of Bacchus, probably met with misconception and opposition, may be indicated by these myths of Pyreneus and the daughters of Pieros. In the most ancient times, three Muses, who had their names from the three strings of the most ancient lyre, were worshipt in parts of Greece, and in other parts seven, a number in which we may recognize the symbol of the seven key-notes of music. The great bard Orpheus afterwards attached nine strings to the lyre, and so the number of the Muses was finally fixed at nine. A chief seat of the Orphic school was on Mount Piĕros, not far from Olympus, in the north of Greece, and here at first dwelt the nine Muses, whence they themselves are called Pierides. The Cadmeans introduced their worship into Boeotia, and thus they obtained for their dwelling Mount Helicôn, and afterwards Parnassus, in the neighbourhood of Apollo's temple. These nine Muses are styled daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosynê. Like the Nymphs, among whom they were originally reckoned, they delighted in the neighbourhood of mountain-springs, and on Olympus they graced with their song the banquets of the gods. But they also wakened, excited, and enlightened the understandings of men, and opened to them new sources of knowledge; it was through them that poets produced the many forms of song, which delight and instruct mankind. Their names are Clio, Euterpê, Thalia, Melpoměnê, Terpsichorê, Erăto, Polymnia, Urania, and Calliopê, the last having the pre-eminence among them. Later ages have assigned to each of the nine Muses some special branch of art or science. |