285 290 295 intremuit motuque vias patefecit aquarum. expatiata ruunt per apertos flumina campos, cumque satis arbusta simul pecudesque virosque tectaque, cumque suis rapiunt penetralia sacris. siqua domus mansit, potuitque resistere tanto indejecta malo, culmen tamen altior hujus unda tegit, pressaeque latent sub gurgite turres. Jamque mare et tellus nullum discrimen habebant: omnia pontus erat; deerant quoque litora ponto. occupat hic collem; cymba sedet alter adunca, et ducit remos illic, ubi nuper ararat; ille super segetes aut mersae culmina villae navigat; hic summa piscem deprendit in ulmo. figitur in viridi, si fors tulit, anchora prato, aut subjecta terunt curvae vineta carinae. et, modo qua graciles gramen carpsere capellae, nunc ibi deformes ponunt sua corpora phocae. mirantur sub aqua lucos urbesque domosque Nereïdes; silvasque tenent delphines, et altis incursant ramis, agitataque robora pulsant. nat lupus inter oves, fulvos vehit unda leones, unda vehit tigres; nec vires fulminis apro, crura nec ablato prosunt velocia cervo. quaesitisque diu terris, ubi sistere detur, in mare lassatis volucris vaga decidit alis. obruerat tumulos immensa licentia ponti, pulsabantque novi montana cacumina fluctus. maxima pars unda rapitur; quibus unda pepercit, illos longa domant inopi jejunia victu. Separat Aonios Oetaeis Phocis ab arvis, terra ferax, dum terra fuit: sed tempore in illo pars maris et latus subitarum campus aquarum. mons ibi verticibus petit arduus astra duobus, nomine Parnasus, superantque cacumina nubes. 300 305 310 315 - hic ubi Deucalion nam cetera texerat aequor 320 325 330 335 Juppiter ut liquidis stagnare paludibus orbem, et superesse virum de tot modo milibus unum, et superesse videt de tot modo milibus unam, innocuos ambos, cultores numinis ambos, nubila disjecit, nimbisque aquilone remotis et caelo terras ostendit, et aethera terris. nec maris ira manet, positoque tricuspide telo mulcet aquas rector pelagi, supraque profundum exstantem atque humeros innato murice tectum caeruleum Tritona vocat, conchaeque sonanti inspirare jubet, fluctusque et flumina signo jam revocare dato. Cava bucina sumitur illi tortilis, in latum quae turbine crescit ab imo,— bucina, quae medio concepit ubi aëra ponto, litora voce replet sub utroque jacentia Phoebo. tunc quoque, ut ora dei madida rorantia barba contigit, et cecinit jussos inflata receptus, omnibus audita est telluris et aequoris undis et quibus est undis audita, coërcuit omnes. flumina subsidunt, collesque exire videntur : jam mare litus habet; plenos capit alveus amnes; surgit humus; crescunt loca decrescentibus undis; 345 postque diem longam nudata cacumina silvae ostendunt, limumque tenent in fronde relictum. Redditus orbis erat: quem postquam vidit inanem et desolatas agere alta silentia terras, 340 350 quam commune mihi genus et patruelis origo, 355 360 namque ego, crede mihi, si te quoque pontus haberet, te sequerer, conjunx, et me quoque pontus haberet. O utinam possim populos reparare paternis artibus, atque animas formatae infundere terrae! nunc genus sic visum superis; hominumque exempla manemus.' Dixerat, et flebant; placuit caeleste precari numen, et auxilium per sacras quaerere sortes. nulla mora est; adeunt pariter Cephisidas undas, ut nondum liquidas, sic jam vada nota secantes. inde ubi libatos inroravere liquores in nobis restat mortale duobus : vestibus et capiti, flectunt vestigia sanctae 6 365 370 375 380 Mota dea est, sortemque dedit: Discedite templo, et velate caput, cinctasque resolvite vestes, ossaque post tergum magnae jactate parentis.' obstupuere diu, rumpitque silentia voce Pyrrha prior, jussisque deae parere recusat, 385 detque sibi veniam, pavido rogat ore, pavetque Conjugis augurio quamquam Titania mota est, spes tamen in dubio est; adeo caelestibus ambo diffidunt monitis: - sed quid temptare nocebit? descendunt, velantque caput, tunicasque recingunt, et jussos lapides sua post vestigia mittunt. 390 395 saxa- quis hoc credat, nisi sit pro teste vetustas? ponere duritiem coepere suumque rigorem, mollirique mora, mollitaque ducere formam. mox, ubi creverunt, naturaque mitior illis contigit, ut quaedam, sic non manifesta, videri forma potest hominis, sed uti de marmore coepto, 405 non exacta satis, rudibusque simillima signis. quae tamen ex illis aliquo pars humida suco et terrena fuit, versa est in corporis usum : quod solidum est flectique nequit, mutatur in ossa; quae modo vena fuit, sub eodem nomine mansit; inque brevi spatio superorum numine saxa missa viri manibus faciem traxere virorum, et de femineo reparata est femina jactu. 410 inde genus durum sumus experiensque laborum, et documenta damus, qua simus origine nati. 415 II. THE ADVENTURE OF PHAETHON. [AMONG the creatures generated from the soil of the earth after the Deluge,. had been the serpent Python, slain by Apollo, who thereon instituted the Pythian games: the prize of victory, first the oak-leaf, was afterwards the laurel, sacred to Apollo, being the nymph Daphne, loved by him, and changed to that form to escape his pursuit. Io, daughter of the river-god Inachus, beloved by Jupiter, is changed into a heifer by him, to escape the jealousy of Juno; but is put by her in charge of Argus of the hundred eyes, who being soothed to sleep by Mercury-who sings the story of Syrinx converted to a water-reed to avoid the pursuit of Pan - is slain by him, and his hundred eyes are set in the peacock's tail. Io, fleeing to Egypt, becomes the goddess Isis, and the mother of Epaphus; who denies against Phaëthon his boast to be son of the Sun-god, as avouched by his mother Clymene (I. 416–779).] The palace of the Sun described (II. 1-18). Phoebus, the god of Day, receives Phaëthon with affection, and owns him as his son, promising by oath to give him whatever boon he should desire (19-46). Phaëthon demands the charge of the chariot and horses of the Sun for a single day, persisting in spite of his father's warning and appeal (47-102). He mounts, and attempts the celestial way: dread forms of the Zodiac: the steeds dash wildly from the path (103-205). Terror and devastation caused by the fiery chariot: blasting of mountains and rivers, and alarm of Neptune himself; Earth appeals to Jupiter, who blasts Phaethon with a thunderbolt (206-324). His sisters are converted to poplars, and their tears to amber (325-366); while his kinsman Cygnus, bewailing the calamity, becomes a Swan (367-380). The Sun, in grief and wrath, hides his head from the earth; but, entreated by the gods and commanded by Jupiter, collects again his scattered steeds, to resume their wonted course (381-400). EGIA Solis erat sublimibus alta columnis, RE clara micante auro flammasque imitante pyropo, cujus ebur nitidum fastigia summa tegebat; argenti bifores radiabant lumine valvae. materiam superabat opus; nam Mulciber illic aequora caelarat medias cingentia terras, 5 |