VI. 213.] She boasts herself above Latona. in quamcumque domus adverti lumina partem, immensae spectantur opes. Accedit eodem digna dea facies. Huc natas adice septem 61 180 et totidem juvenes, et mox generosque nurusque. quaerite nunc, habeat quam nostra superbia causam ! nescio quoque audete satam Titanida Coeo Latonam praeferre mihi, cui maxima quondam exiguam sedem pariturae terra negavit. 185 190 195 nec caelo, nec humo, nec aquis dea vestra recepta est; exsul erat mundi, donec miserata vagantem, Hospita tu terris erras, ego (dixit) in undis; instabilemque locum Delos dedit. Illa duorum facta parens: uteri pars haec est septima nostri. Sum felix: quis enim neget hoc? felixque manebo: hoc quoque quis dubitet? tutam me copia fecit. major sum, quam cui possit Fortuna nocere: multaque ut eripiat, multo mihi plura relinquet. excessere metum mea jam bona. Fingite demi huic aliquid populo natorum posse meorum: non tamen ad numerum redigar spoliata duorum, Latonae turbam: quae quantum distat ab orba? ite, satisque superque sacri, laurumque capillis ponite.' Deponunt, infectaque sacra relinquunt, quodque licet, tacito venerantur murmure numen. Indignata dea est; summoque in vertice Cynthi talibus est dictis gemina cum prole locuta : En ego vestra parens, vobis animosa creatis, et, nisi Junoni, nulli cessura dearum, an dea sim, dubitor; perque omnia saecula cultis 200 205 210 Adjectura preces erat his Latona relatis: 220 Desine Phoebus ait; poenae mora longa querella est. dixit idem Phoebe; celerique per aëra lapsu contigerant tecti Cadmeïda nubibus arcem. planus erat lateque patens prope moenia campus, adsiduis pulsatus equis, ubi turba rotarum duraque mollierat subjectas ungula glebas. Pars ibi de septem genitis Amphione fortes conscendunt in equos, Tyrioque rubentia suco terga premunt, auroque graves moderantur habenas: e quibus Ismenos, qui matri sarcina quondam prima suae fuerat, dum certum flectit in orbem quadrupedis cursus, spumantiaque ora coërcet, Ei mihi! conclamat, medioque in pectore fixa tela gerit, frenisque manu moriente remissis, in latus a dextro paulatim defluit armo. Proximus, audito sonitu per inane pharetrae, frena dabat Sipylus: veluti cum praescius imbris nube fugit visa, pendentiaque undique rector carbasa deducit, ne qua levis effluat aura. frena dabat: dantem non evitabile telum consequitur; summaque tremens cervice sagitta haesit, et exstabat nudum de gutture ferrum. ille, ut erat pronus, per crura admissa jubasque volvitur, et calido tellurem sanguine foedat. Phaedimus infelix et aviti nominis heres Tantalus, ut solito finem imposuere labori, transierant ad opus nitidae juvenile palaestrae: et jam contulerant arto luctantia nexu pectora pectoribus; cum tento concita nervo, sicut erant juncti, trajecit utrumque sagitta. ingemuere simul; simul incurvata dolore membra solo posuere ; simul suprema jacentes lumina versarunt: animam simul exhalarunt. 225 230 235 240 245 VI. 231.] The Grief of Niobe. -63 Adspicit Alphenor, laniataque pectora plangens advolat, ut gelidos complexibus allevet artus; inque pio cadit officio, nam Delius illi intima fatifero rupit praecordia ferro. quod simul eductum, pars est pulmonis in hamis eruta, cumque anima cruor est effusus in auras. At non intonsum simplex Damasichthona vulnus adficit. Ictus erat, qua crus esse incipit, et qua mollia nervosus facit internodia poples. dumque manu temptat trahere exitiabile telum, altera per jugulum pennis tenus acta sagitta est. expulit hanc sanguis, seque ejaculatus in altum emicat, et longe terebrata prosilit aura. Ultimus Ilioneus non profectura precando bracchia sustulerat, Di que O communiter omnes, dixerat, ignarus non omnes esse rogandos, parcite! Motus erat, cum jam revocabile telum non fuit, Arcitenens; minimo tamen occidit ille vulnere, non alte percusso corde sagitta. Fama mali populique dolor lacrimaeque suorum tam subitae matrem certam fecere ruinae mirantem potuisse, irascentemque, quod ausi hoc essent superi, quod tantum juris haberent. nam pater Amphion, ferro per pectus adacto, finierat moriens pariter cum luce dolorem. Heu quantum haec Niobe Niobe distabat ab illa, quae modo Latoïs populum summoverat aris, et mediam tulerat gressus resupina per urbem, invidiosa suis! at nunc miseranda vel hosti. corporibus gelidis incumbit, et ordine nullo oscula dispensat natos suprema per omnes. a quibus ad caelum liventia bracchia tollens, 'Pascere, crudelis, nostro, Latona, dolore: pascere' ait,' satiaque meo tua pectora luctu: 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 corque ferum satia' dixit; 'per funera septem efferor: exsulta, victrixque inimica triumpha. cur autem victrix? miserae mihi plura supersunt, quam tibi felici. Post tot quoque funera vinco.' 285 290 295 Dixerat, et sonuit contento nervus ab arcu : qui praeter Nioben unam conterruit omnes. illa malo est audax. Stabant cum vestibus atris ante toros fratrum demisso crine sorores; e quibus una, trahens haerentia viscere tela. imposito fratri, moribunda relanguit ore; altera, solari miseram conata parentem, conticuit subito, duplicataque vulnere caeco est, oraque compressit, nisi postquam spiritus ibat; haec frustra fugiens collabitur; illa sorori inmoritur; latet haec; illam trepidare videres. Sexque datis leto diversaque vulnera passis, ultima restabat; quam toto corpore mater, tota veste tegens, Unam minimamque relinque ! de multis minimam posco' clamavit 'et unam.' dumque rogat, pro qua rogat, occidit. Orba resedit exanimes inter natos natasque virumque, diriguitque malis. Nullos movet aura capillos, in vultu color est sine sanguine, lumina maestis stant immota genis, nihil est in imagine vivum. ipsa quoque interius cum duro lingua palato congelat, et venae desistunt posse moveri. nec flecti cervix, nec bracchia reddere motus, nec pes ire potest, intra quoque viscera saxum est: flet tamen, et validi circumdata turbine venti in patriam rapta est. Ibi fixa cacumine montis liquitur, et lacrimas etiam nunc marmora manant. 300 305 310 VII. 4.] The Enchantments of Medea. 65 IX. THE ENCHANTMENTS OF MEDEA. [BOOK VII.1-293.] [THE doom of Niobe reminds one hearer of the vengeance inflicted on certain people of Lycia, who, having refused to Latona a draught of water from the lake in her extreme thirst, were by Jupiter turned into frogs (VI. 313-381); and another of the satyr Marsyas, who was conquered in music and flayed by Apollo; and another of the crime of Tantalus, Niobe's father, who caused his son Pelops to be served up at meat to the gods (382-411). Pandion of Athens, attacked for refusing the friendship of Pelops, is helped by Tereus, king of Thrace, to whom he gives his daughter Progne to wife. But Tereus, having committed incest with Progne's sister Philomel, is dreadfully revenged by the two, who serve to him in a banquet the body of his son Itys; and, pursuing them for vengeance, all are transformed to birds - Tereus becoming a hoopoë, Progne a swallow, Philomel a nightingale, and Itys a pheasant; while Pandion, dying of grief, is succeeded by Erectheus (412-676), whose daughter Orithyia is borne away by Boreas (the North Wind) to Thrace. Here she becomes mother of the winged heroes Zethes and Calais, who accompany Jason and the Argonauts in their voyage for the Golden Fleece (677-721).] Arrived at Colchis, Jason is met by the enchantress Medea, daughter of king Aëtes; who, moved by love, secures him by her enchantments from the Dragon guarding the fleece, and from the fire-breathing bulls, with which he ploughs the appointed field, sowing it with serpents' teeth (VII. 1-122). From these spring up armed men, who prepare to attack Jason; but he, instructed by Medea, casts a stone among them, whereat they perish in mutual slaughter (123-143). Returning to Iolchos with Medea, he entreats her to restore to youth his aged father. The magic is described at length, by which she prepares the juices of miraculous herbs; and, these proving efficacious, son is converted to the fresh vigor of forty years before (144-293). JAMQUE fretum Minyae Pagasaca puppe secabant: perpetuaque trahens inopem sub nocte senectam Phineus visus erat, juvenesque Aquilone creati virgineas volucres miseri senis ore fugarant; ང |