EX

O VIDIO.

DEIANIRA HERCULI.

[HEROID. EPIST. IX.]

ARGUMENT.

Deianira, daughter of Eneus, king of Calydon, in Etolia, was the wife of Hercules. The story about Hercules runs thus:-He was supposed to be the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. This made Juno, the wife of Jupiter, jealous of him and hate him; so that she sent two dreadful serpents to kill him (v. 53): afterwards she persuaded Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, (v. 21) to persecute him, and try to kill him, by making him undergo twelve famous labours.(v. 55-68) But he was a man of such gigantic stature and strength, that he overcame all his enemies, and triumphantly performed all the labours imposed on him. But as Samson, in Holy Writ, after having vanquished all the enemies of Israel, was beguiled by the beauty of Dalilah, and thus was brought to bondage and destruction; so Hercules, after having conquered every thing else, was ruined by his own evil and violent passions. And so it came to pass, that, when he had taken (Echalia, a city of the island Euboea, he fell in love with Iole, daughter of Eurytus, king of that place.

The report of this sad and disgraceful affair soon spread through Greece, and came to the ears of Deianira (v. 1-6.): upon hearing it, she wrote this letter to her husband, reproaching him with his cruelty to her, and pointing out to him the dishonour he was bringing on himself.

B

But whilst she is writing, a messenger comes (v.109), to tell her that Hercules is dead, having been killed by a charmed shirt, which Deianira herself had given him. It happened once upon a time that Nessus, a centaur, ran away with Deianira; but Hercules pursued him, and shot him with an arrow; for he was a very famous archer. Nessus died of the wound; but, as he was dying, he took a tunic, or shirt, and dipped it in the blood of his wound. He made a present of it to Deianira, telling her (v. 127) that if ever her husband fell in love with another woman, this tunic, being put on him, would bring his affections back to his lawful wife. So, when Deianira heard that Hercules was in love with Iole, she sent him this tunic, requesting him to wear it. But instead of recovering his affections to his wife, it tore his body in a dreadful manner, and he died in great agonies, on Mount Eta. (v. 113.) Deianira, on the receipt of this news, was overwhelmed by self-reproach, and resolved to kill herself; and so ends this sad story. (v. 117.)

GRATULOR Echaliam titulis accedere nostris ;
Victorem victæ succubuisse queror.
Fama Pelasgiadas subito pervenit in urbes
Decolor, et factis inficianda tuis;

5 Quem nunquam Juno, seriesque immensa laborum Fregerit, huic Iolen imposuisse jugum.

10

Plus tibi, quam Juno, nocuit Venus. Illa premendo
Sustulit; hæc humili sub pede colla tenet.
Respice vindicibus pacatum viribus orbem,

Qua latam Nereus cærulus ambit humum :
Se tibi pax terræ, tibi se tuta æquora debent :
Implesti meritis Solis utramque domum.
Quod te laturum est, cœlum prior ipse tulisti:
Hercule supposito, sidera fulsit Atlas.

15 Quid nisi notitia est misero quæsita pudori,
Si maculas turpi facta priora nota ?

20

Tene ferunt geminos pressisse tenaciter angues,
Cum tener in cunis jam Jove dignus eras?
Cœpisti melius quam desinis: ultima primis
Cedunt: dissimiles hic vir et ille puer.

Quem non mille feræ, quem non Stheneleïus hostis,
Non potuit Juno vincere, vincit Amor.
Mæandros, toties qui terris errat in isdem,
Qui lapsas in se sæpe retorquet aquas,

25 Vidit in Herculeo suspensa monilia collo;
Illo, cui cœlum sarcina parva fuit.

30

Non puduit fortes auro cohibere lacertos,
Et solidis gemmas apposuisse toris.

Nempe sub his animam pestis Nemeæa lacertis
Edidit; unde humerus tegmina levus habet.
Ausus es hirsutos mitra redimire capillos;

Aptior Herculeæ populus alba comæ.
Nec te Mæonia, lascivæ more puellæ,
Incingi zona dedecuisse putas?

35 Non tibi succurrit crudi Diomedis imago,
Efferus humana qui dape pavit equas?
Si te vidisset cultu Busiris in isto,
Huic victor victo nempe pudendus eras.
Detrahat Antæus duro redimicula collo,
Ne pigeat molli succubuisse viro.
Inter Ioniacas calathum tenuisse puellas
Diceris; et dominæ pertimuisse minas.
Non fugis, Alcide, victricem mille laborum
Rasilibus calathis imposuisse manum?

40

45 Crassaque robusto deducis pollice fila,

50

60

Equaque formosæ pensa rependis here ?
Ah quoties, digitis dum torques stamina duris,
Prævalidæ fusos comminuere manus!
[Crederis, infelix, scuticæ tremefactus habenis,
Ante pedes dominæ pertimuisse minas.]
Eximias pompas, præconia summa triumphi,
Factaque narrabas dissimulanda tibi.
Scilicet immanes, elisis faucibus, hydros
Infantem cunis involuisse manum!

55 Ut Tegeæus aper cupressifero Erymantho
Incubet, et vasto pondere lædat humum !
Non tibi Threiciis affixa Penatibus ora,
Non hominum pingues cæde tacentur equæ !
Prodigiumque triplex, armenti dives Iberi
Geryones; quamvis in tribus unus erat!
Inque canes totidem trunco digestus ab uno
Cerberus, implicitis angue minante comis !
Queque redundabat fœcundo vulnere serpens
Fertilis, et damnis dives ab ipsa suis!
65 Quique inter lævumque latus, lævumque lacertum,
Prægrave compressa fauce pependit onus!
Et male confisum pedibus formaque bimembri
Pulsum Thessalicis agmen equestre jugis!
Hæc tu Sidonio potes insignitus amictu
Dicere? non cultu lingua retenta silet?
Se quoque Nympha tuis ornavit Iardanis armis,
Et tulit e capto bina tropea viro.

70