Tres aberant noctes, ut cornua tota coirent

efficerentque orbem. Postquam plenissima fulsit, 180 ac solida terras spectavit imagine luna, egreditur tectis vestes induta recinctas,

nuda pedem, nudos humeris infusa capillos, fertque vagos mediae per muta silentia noctis incomitata gradus. Homines volucresque ferasque solverat alta quies; nullo cum murmure sepes; immotaeque silent frondes; silet humidus aër; sidera sola micant. Ad quae sua bracchia tendens ter se convertit, ter sumptis flumine crinem inroravit aquis, ternisque ululatibus ora solvit ; et in dura summisso poplite terra: —

Nox' ait arcanis fidissima, quaeque diurnis aurea cum luna succeditis ignibus, astra, tuque triceps Hecate, quae coeptis conscia nostris adjutrixque venis, cantusque artesque magorum quaeque magos, Tellus, pollentibus instruis herbis, auraeque et venti montesque amnesque lacusque, dique omnes nemorum, dique omnes noctis adeste, quorum ope, cum volui, ripis mirantibus amnes in fontes rediere suos, concussaque sisto, stantia concutio cantu freta, nubila pello, nubilaque induco, ventos abigoque vocoque, vipereas rumpo verbis et carmine fauces, vivaque saxa, sua convulsaque robora terra et silvas moveo, jubeoque tremescere montes et mugire solum, manesque exire sepulchris;

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Te quoque, Luna, traho, quamvis Temesaea labores aera tuos minuant, currus quoque carmine nostro pallet avi, pallet nostris Aurora venenis:

vos mihi taurorum flammas hebetastis, et unco
impatiens oneris collum pressistis aratro.
vos serpentigenis in se fera bella dedistis;

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custodemque rudem somni sopistis, et aurum vindice decepto Graias misistis in urbes.

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'Nunc opus est sucis, per quos renovata senectus 215 in florem redeat, primosque recolligat annos. 'et dabitis; neque enim micuerunt sidera frustra, nec frustra volucrum tractus cervice draconum currus adest.' Aderat demissus ab aethere currus. Quo simul ascendit, frenataque colla draconum permulsit, manibusque leves agitavit habenas : sublimis rapitur, subjectaque Thessala Tempe despicit, et Threces regionibus applicat angues ; et quas Ossa tulit, quas altum Pelion herbas, Othrys quas Pindusque et Pindo major Olympus, 225 perspicit, et placitas partim radice revellit, partim succidit curvamine falcis aënae.

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multa quoque Apidani placuerunt gramina ripis, multa quoque Amphrysi; neque eras immunis, Enipeu ; nec non Penëus, nec non Spercheïdes undae contribuere aliquid, juncosaque litora Boebes. carpsit et Euboïca vivax Anthedone gramen, nondum mutato vulgatum corpore Glauci.

Et jam nona dies curru pennisque draconum, nonaque nox omnes lustrantem viderat agros, cum rediit: neque erant tacti, nisi odore, dracones, et tamen annosae pellem posuere senectae. constitit adveniens citra limenque foresque, et tantum caelo tegitur, refugitque viriles contactus; statuitque aras e cespite binas, dexteriore Hecates, ast laeva parte Juventae. Has ubi verbenis silvaque incinxit agresti, haud procul egesta scrobibus tellure duabus sacra facit, cultrosque in guttura velleris atri conicit, et patulas perfundit sanguine fossas. tum super invergens liquidi carchesia bacchi,

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aeneaque invergens tepidi carchesia lactis, verba simul fudit, terrenaque numina civit, umbrarumque rogat rapta cum conjuge regem, ne properent artus anima fraudare senili.

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Quos ubi placavit, precibusque et murmure longo, Aesonis effoetum proferri corpus ad auras jussit, et in plenos resolutum carmine somnos, exanimi similem stratis porrexit in herbis.

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hinc procul Aesoniden, procul hinc jubet ire ministros,
et monet arcanis oculos removere profanos.
diffugiunt jussi; passis Medea capillis,
bacchantum ritu, flagrantes circuit aras:
multifidasque faces in fossa sanguinis atra
tinguit, et intinctas geminis accendit in aris;
terque senem flamma, ter aqua, ter sulfure lustrat.
Interea validum posito medicamen aëno
fervet, et exsultat spumisque tumentibus albet.
illic Haemonia radices valle resectas
seminaque floresque et sucos incoquit acres.
adicit extremo lapides Oriente petitos,

et quas
Oceani refluum mare lavit arenas.
addit et exceptas luna pernocte pruinas,
et strigis infames ipsis cum carnibus alas,
inque virum soliti vultus mutare ferinos
ambigui prosecta lupi; nec defuit illic
squamea Cinyphii tenuis membrana chelydri,
vivacisque jecur cervi, quibus insuper addit
ora caputque novem cornicis saecula passae.
His et mille aliis postquam sine nomine rebus
propositum instruxit remorari Tartara munus,
arenti ramo jampridem mitis olivae
omnia confudit, summisque immiscuit ima.
ecce vetus calido versatus stipes aëno

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fit viridis primo, nec longo tempore frondes

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induit, et subito gravidis oneratur olivis.

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at quacumque cavo spumas ejecit aëno ignis, et in terram guttae cecidere calentes, vernat humus, floresque et mollia pabula surgunt. Quae simul ac vidit, stricto Medea recludit ense senis jugulum, veteremque exire cruorem passa, replet sucis. Quos postquam conbibit Aeson, aut ore acceptos aut vulnere, barba comaeque canitie posita nigrum rapuere colorem ; pulsa fugit macies, abeunt pallorque situsque, adjectoque cavae supplentur corpore rugae, membraque luxuriant. Aeson miratur, et olim ante quater denos hunc se reminiscitur annos.

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X. THE FLIGHT OF DÆDALUS.

[BOOK VIII.-152-259.]

[DECEIVING the daughters of Pelias, Jason's enemy, by a similar miracle wrought upon an aged ram, Medea brings about their father's death (VII. 297–349). Escaping by means of winged dragons, and passing over the scene of many transformations, Medea comes to Athens; whence (her attempted poisoning of Theseus being foiled by the recognition of his father Ægeus) she suddenly vanishes (350-424). A feast is celebrated in honor of Theseus' exploits; and hostility ensuing with Minos (Europa's son) of Crete, Cephalus is sent as envoy to Ægina; to whom the aged Eacus relates the marvellous transformation of ants to men (called Myrmidons), after his realm had been ravaged by pestilence (425660). Now Cephalus had received from his wife Procris a hound and a dart that never missed its aim; and, as he delighted greatly in hunting, Procris being jealous watched him from a thicket; and he, taking it for the movement of some wild creature, shot her with that dart which was her own gift (661-865). Minos, making war on Athens to avenge the slaying of his son Androgeos, comes first to Megara; where Scylla, daughter of the king Nisus, out of love for Minos cuts the purple lock on which her father's kingdom and life depend. Disdained by Minos, she is changed to a sea-mew, and Nisus to an osprey (VIII. 1–151).]

Theseus, in his escape from the Cretan labyrinth, had borne away Ariadne, daughter of Minos; who, forsaken by him, is comforted by Bacchus, who sets her coronet among the stars (152–182). Dædalus, builder of the labyrinth, being imprisoned, escapes with his son Icarus by means of wings fastened with wax; but Icarus, soaring too near the sun, and the wax melting, falls into the sca named for him (183-234). His fall is gladly seen by Perdix, once sister's son to Dædalus, and slain by him out of envy, but changed by Minerva to a partridge (235-259).

VOTA Jovi Minos taurorum corpora centum

solvit, ut, egressus ratibus, Curetida terram

contigit, et spoliis decorata est regia fixis. creverat opprobrium generis, foedumque patebat matris adulterium monstri novitate biformis.

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