ad caelum frontem, mugitibus impulit auras. Cadmus agit grates, peregrinaeque oscula terrae et petere e vivis libandas fontibus undas. silva vetus stabat nulla violata securi, et specus in medio, virgis ac vimine densus, despicit omne nemus, tantoque est corpore, quanto, Fecerat exiguas jam sol altissimus umbras: quae mora sit sociis, miratur Agenore natus, 13-vestigatque viros: tegumen direpta leonis pellis erat, telum splendenti lancea ferro 7.327-2. 17 et jaculum, teloque animus praestantior omni. 25 30 35 40 45 50 III. 88.] Fight with the Dragon. ut nemus intravit, letataque corpora vidit, victoremque supra spatiosi corporis hostem tristia sanguinea lambentem vulnera lingua, 'Aut ultor vestrae, fidissima corpora, mortis, aut comes' inquit 'ero.' Dixit, dextraque molārem sustulit, et magnum magno conamine misit. illius impulsu cum turribus ardua celsis moenia mota forent: serpens sine vulnere mansit, loricaeque modo squamis defensus, et atrae duritia pellis, validos cute reppulit ictus. At non duritia jaculum quoque vicit eadem, quod medio lentae spinae curvamine fixum constitit, et totum descendit in ilia ferrum. ille, dolore ferox, caput in sua terga retorsit, vulneraque aspexit, fixumque hastile momordit, idque ubi vi multa partem labefecit in omnem, vix tergo eripuit; ferrum tamen ossibus haesit. tum vero postquam solitas accessit ad iras causa recens, plenis tumuerunt guttura venis, spumaque pestiferos circumfluit albida rictus, terraque rasa sonat squamis, quique halitus exit ore niger Stygio, vitiatas inficit auras. ipse modo immensum spiris facientibus orbem cingitur, interdum longa trabe rectior exstat ; impete nunc vasto ceu concitus imbribus amnis fertur, et obstantes proturbat pectore silvas. + Cedit Agenorides paulum, spolioque leonis sustinet incursus, instantiaque ora retardat cuspide praetenta: furit ille, et inania duro vulnera dat ferro, figitque in acumine dentes; jamque venenifero sanguis manare palato coeperat, et virides aspergine tinxerat herbas: sed leve vulnus erat, quia se retrahebat ab ictu, laesaque colla dabat retro, plagamque sedere 35 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 cedendo arcebat, nec longius ire sinebat: donec Agenorides conjectum in gutture ferrum usque sequens pressit, dum retro quercus eunti obstitit, et fixa est pariter cum robore cervix. pondere serpentis curvata est arbor, et imae parte flagellari gemuit sua robora caudae. Dum spatium victor victi considerat hostis, + 90 95 100 vox subito audita est; neque erat cognoscere promptum unde, sed audita est: Quid, Agenore nate, peremptum. serpentem spectas? et tu spectabere serpens.' ille diu pavidus pariter cum mente colorem perdiderat, gelidoque comae terrore rigebant. ecce viri fautrix, superas delapsa per auras Pallas adest, motaeque jubet subponere terrae vipereos dentes, populi incrementa futuri. paret, et ut presso sulcum patefecit aratro, spargit humi jussos, mortalia semina, dentes. inde- fide majus - glebae coepere moveri, primaque de sulcis acies apparuit hastae; tegmina mox capitum picto nutantia cono; mox humeri pectusque onerataque bracchia telis exsistunt, crescitque seges clipeata virorum. sic ubi tolluntur festis aulaea theatris, 105 surgere signa solent, primumque ostendere vultus, cetera paulatim; placidoque educta tenore tota patent, imoque pedes in margine ponunt. Territus hoste novo Cadmus capere arma parabat : 'Ne cape' de populo quem terra creaverat unus exclamat, nec te civilibus insere bellis.' + + atque ita terrigenis rigido de fratribus unum cominus ense ferit: jaculo cadit eminus ipse. hunc quoque qui leto dederat, non longius illo vivit, et exspirat modo quas acceperat, auras. exemploque pari furit omnis turba, suoque 120 III. 130.] Founding of the City Thebes. marte cadunt subiti per mutua vulnera fratres. 37 125 130 Jam stabant Thebae: poteras jam, Cadme, videri exsilio felix. Soceri tibi Marsque Venusque contigerant; huc adde genus de conjuge tanta, tot natos natasque, et pignora cara, nepotes: hos quoque jam juvenes. Sed scilicet ultima semper expectanda dies homini, dicique beatus ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet. X id quod Solonel reso potentissinco dicere aiunt. a nomina aliorum erant "Udeus, bhthonius, Hyperenor, et Pelor" apud Apollodorum; his alin addunt trees nem sextum. V. PYRAMUS AND THISBE. [Book IV.-55-166.] [OF the family of Cadmus, Actæon, having beheld Diana as she was bathing with her nymphs, was changed by her into a stag, and torn in pieces by his own hounds (III. 138-252). Semele became the mother of Bacchus, but was destroyed by the presence of Jupiter, whom she desired to see clothed with flames and thunder (253-315). Tiresias, the Theban seer, is made blind, but endowed with prophecy (316-338). The nymph Echo, pining with love of Narcissus, becomes a rock, her voice alone surviving (339-401); while Narcissus, gazing on his image in a fountain, perishes, and by the water-nymphs is converted to a flower (402-510). Pentheus, having denied the god Bacchus, and forbidden his solemnities, and caused him to be seized, is torn in pieces by Bacchanals, his mother and sisters aiding: Bacchus meanwhile (in the form of Acætes) relates the miracle wrought by himself upon a Tyrrhenian crew, whose ship's tackle he had converted to serpents, and themselves to dolphins (511-733). Three Theban sisters (Minyeïdes) likewise refrain from the rites of Bacchus: of whom one relates the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (IV. 1–54)]. These young lovers, dwelling in Babylon, had appointed a meeting at the tomb of king Ninus (55-92). Thisbe, coming first, is terrified by a lion and so escapes. Pyramus, soon arriving, finds tracks of the beast and the torn mantle of Thisbe; and conceiving that she is slain, stabs himself with his sword, his blood reddening the fruit of the mulberry, at whose foot he lies (93-127). Thisbe, soon returning, finds him dying, and slays herself with the sword yet warm (128–166). PYRAMUS et Thisbe, juvenum pulcherrimus alter, t. altera, quas Oriens habuit, praelata puellis, contiguas tenuere domos, ubi dicitur altam coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem. notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit: + tempore crevit amor; taedae quoque jure coïssent, 60 sed vetuere patres. Quod non potuere vetare, |