Vertitur extemplo facies et mentis et oris : Nam, modo quæ poterat Diti quoque mæsta videri, 230 Læta deæ frons est: ut sol, qui tectus aquosis 570 Nubibus ante fuit, victis ubi nubibus exit. Exigit alma Ceres, nata secura recepta, Quæ tibi causa viæ, cur sis, Arethusa, sacer fons? Conticuere undæ : quarum dea sustulit alto 235 Fonte caput, viridesque manu siccata capillos Fluminis Eleï veteres narravit amores. 575 Pars ego Nympharum, quæ sunt in Achaïde," dixit, "Una fui, nec me studiosius altera saltus Legit, nec posuit studiosius altera casses. 240 Sed quamvis formæ nunquam mihi fama petita est, Accessi, primumque pedis vestigia tinxi, Poplite deinde tenus; neque eo contenta, recingor 255 Nudaque mergor aquis. Quas dum ferioque trahoque Mille modis labens, excussaque brachia jacto; 595 Quo properas, Arethusa?" suis Alpheus ab undis, 260 "Quo properas?" iterum rauco mihi dixerat ore. 600 Sicut eram, fugio. Tanto magis instat et ardet. Sic ego currebam, sic me ferus ille premebat: Ut fugere accipitrem penna trepidante columbæ, 605 Ut solet accipiter trepidas urgere columbas. 265 Usque sub Orchomenon Psophidaque Cyllenenque K Mænaliosque sinus gelidumque Erymanthon et Elin Sed tolerare diu cursus ego, viribus impar, 610 Ante pedes umbram; nisi si timor illa videbat. 615 Sed certe sonituque pedum terrebar, et ingens 275 Crinales vittas afflabat anhelitus oris. Fessa labore fuga, "Fer opem-deprendimur ! 620 Armigeræ, Dictynna, tuæ, cui sæpe dedisti Ferre tuos arcus inclusaque tela pharetra." "Mota dea est, spissisque ferens e nubibus unam 280 Me super injecit. Lustrat caligine tectam Amnis, et ignarus circum cava nubila quærit, agnæ, 285 Si qua lupos audit circum stabula alta frementes ; Aut lepori, qui vepre latens hostilia cernit 625 Ora canum, nullosque audet dare corpore motus ? Non tamen abscedit; neque enim vestigia cernit 630 Longius ulla pedum: servat nubemque locumque. 290 Occupat obsessos sudor mihi frigidus artus, Cæruleæque cadunt toto de corpore guttæ, Quaque pedem movi, manat lacus, eque capillis Ros cadit; et citius, quam nunc tibi facta renarro, 635 In latices mutor. Sed enim cognoscit amatas 295 Amnis aquas, positoque viri, quod sumserat, ore Vertitur in proprias, ut se mihi misceat, undas. Delia rupit humum: cæcis ego mersa cavernis Advehor Ortygiam, quæ me cognomine divæ Grata meæ superas eduxit prima sub auras.' 300 " 640 Hac Arethusa tenus. Geminos dea fertilis angues Et medium cœli terræque per aera vecta est; 650 Triptolemo, partimque rudi data semina jussit 305 Spargere humo, partim post tempora longa recultæ. Jam super Europen sublimis et Asida terram Vectus erat juvenis, Scythicasque advertitur oras: Rex ibi Lyncus erat: regis subit ille penates. Qua veniat, causamque viæ nomenque rogatus 310 Et patriam, "Patria est claræ mihi," dixit, "Athenæ, Triptolemus nomen; veni nec puppe per undas Nec pede per terras: patuit mihi pervius æther; Dona fero Cereris; latos quæ sparsa per agros 655 Frugiferas messes alimentaque mitia reddant.” 315 Barbarus invidit; tantique ut muneris auctor Ipse sit, hospitio recipit, somnoque gravatum Aggreditur ferro. Conantem figere pectus Lynca Ceres fecit, rursusque per aera jussit Mopsopium juvenem sacros agitare jugales. XXIV. ARACHNE. (VI. 5-145.) 660 Minerva had been made acquainted by the Muses with the transformation of the daughters of Pieros into magpies (s. XXII.); and, prompted by this example, she forms the design of chastising the insolent Arachnê.-Arachnê, of low origin, had attained to great fame in her own country (Lydia) by her skill in weaving and embroidery. Minerva, the inventress and patroness of these and all other female occupations, was, though her teacher, despised by the proud Arachnê, who, in her insolence, thought herself more skilful than the goddess. She challenged the goddess herself to a contest, and both wrought, each separately, an exquisitely curious web. Pallas Minerva represented in her web the judgement of the twelve upper gods, which, according to the old legend, settled on the rock of Mars, in the Acropolis of Athens, the strife between herself and Neptune, as to which of the two should have the right to assign a name to the newly founded city, a privilege that was to be conceded to whichever of the two deities should produce the thing of greatest use for the city and its territory. On this, Neptune with his trident opened the rock, and caused a copious fountain (fretum-according to others a horse, ferum) to spring forth; but Pallas created for the land the beneficial and far more useful olive-tree, by which the admiration of the gods was excited, and the victory was declared to be hers (operis victoria finis, v. 78). Accordingly Athens (AOñvai) was named after her, for Minerva is called in Greek Αθήνη οι Αθηνᾶ.— Arachne wove a not less curious web, but with mere offensive representations from the history of the gods (cœlestia crimina, v. 96), on which Minerva did not declare her conquered, but in displeasure tore to pieces the web, and struck her on the forehead with the shuttle. After receiving this wound to her vanity, Arachnê was about to take away her own life: Minerva, however, taking pity upon her, preserved indeed her life, but changed her into a spider, in which shape she continues to employ herself in her old art of weaving. urbes 5 10 Pallas tunc animum fatis intendit Arachnes, Quam sibi lanificæ non cedere laudibus artis Audierat. Non illa loco nec origine gentis Clara, sed arte, fuit. Pater huic Colophonius Idmon 5 Phocaïco bibulas tingebat murice lanas. Occiderat mater; sed et hæc de plebe suoque Æqua viro fuerat. Lydas tamen illa per Quæsierat studio nomen memorabile; quamvis, Orta domo parva, parvis habitabat Hypæpis. 10 Hujus ut adspicerent opus admirabile, sæpe Deseruere sui Nymphæ vineta Tymoli, Deseruere suas Nymphæ Pactolides undas. Nec factas solum vestes spectare juvabat; Tunc quoque, cum fierent: tantus decor affuit arti. 15 Sive rudem primos lanam glomerabat in orbes, Seu digitis subigebat opus, repetitaque longo Vellera mollibat nebulas æquantia tractu, Sive levi teretem versabat pollice fusum, Seu pingebat acu; scires a Pallade doctam. 15 20 20 Quod tamen ipsa negat, tantaque offensa magistra, Certet," ait, mecum: nihil est quod victa recusem." 66 Pallas anum simulat, falsosque in tempora canos Addit, et infirmos baculo quoque sustinet artus ; Tum sic orsa loqui: "Non omnia grandior ætas, 25 Quæ fugiamus, habet; seris venit usus ab annis : Consilium ne sperne meum. Tibi fama petatur 30 25 30 Inter mortales faciendæ maxima telæ ; "Mentis inops longaque venis confecta senecta, 40 50 35 Si qua tibi nurus est, si qua est tibi filia, voces ! 55 55 60 65 Transitus ipse tamen spectantia lumina fallit : Illic et lentum filis immittitur aurum, 65 Et vetus in tela deducitur argumentum. Cecropia Pallas scopulum Mayortis in arce 70 75 |