DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9260#0205
t76 ROVIDII METAMOR-
of Ceres , and to hinder her Daughter from being
reftored to her. Prolerpinc, at laft got him deftroyed;
and' this was the Cireumftance that gave rile to the
Fable. The pernicious Counfels he gave his Mailer
were fignified by the Seeds of the Pomegranate.
His Transformation into an Owl is but a Metaphor,
"which reprelents to us an odious Man, unlcfs we had'
rather fav that the Fable was ..only publifhcd to let us
know that he kept himfelf continually hid in theMines,
©f which he was Pluto's Over-Seer , and where he
pcrilhed at laft. It is very likely that he was crulhed
to Death by the fall of a Rock, which gave Occafion
to the Poets to fay that Proferpine had covered him
with a great Stone, as wo may Ice in Apollodorus(z),
who fays that it was Ceres herfelf, that punilhed'tum
in that manner. The Name Afcalaphus lignifies
One that breaks Stones-, and, very probably , that
Name was only given him to denote his Em-
ployment. Some Authors pretend that he was
changed into a certain fort of Lizard , which the
Greeks call Afcalabos } and it was, without doubt,
the refemblance between the Names that gave them
Occalion to fay.lb;
Our Poet adds that the Nymph Cyane going to re-
proach Pluto with his Treatment of Proferpine , the
God changed her into a Fountain : A Cireumftance
(2) Lib. I.
P.OVID'S METAMOR-
which, I believe, has no other Foundation, but the
ncarnefs of the Place where Pluto's Emiflaries em-
barked , to a Fountain of that Name in the Neigh-
bourhood of Syractife. "What the fame Poet adds
concerning a Maid called Menthe, whom Proferpine
changed into a Plant, which flill bears her Name,
and which the Greeks call Hediosmos becaufe of its
fine fmell, lignifies, in all appearance, that Profer-
pine not being able to lufter a Rival, who fliared,
with her the ArTe&ion of her Husband , took away
her Life. Thus, upon account of the refemblance of
Names, feveral Metamorphofes were invented by
thofe who writ the Hiftory of that Court.
Mention is alfo made, in the fame place, of the Sy-
rens that accompanied Proferpine at the Time that
(he was taken away. But, that I may not be obliged
hereafter to repeat the fame Thing over again, I lhall
not explain this Fable untill I come to the Adventures
of Ulyfles. It lhall fuffice at prefent to fay , that if
Ovid has feigned that the Syrens who were with
Proferpine when me was carried away obtained from
the Gods to be changed into Birds , that they might
go to look for her it is becaufe , very likely, the
Syrens who inhabited the Coaft of Italy, near enough
to Sicily, having heard of the Misfortune that had
happened to that Princefs, ordered a Ship with Sails
to be equipped to go in Search of her.
F a b. X. Arethuja purfued by Alpheus*
THE.ARGUMENT.
The Mufe continues the Rehearfal of the Song, in which Ceres,
being fatisfied with Jupiter's Decree relating to her Daughter, goes back
to Arethufa to learn the Hiftory of her Adventures. The Nymph
entertains
N
of Ceres , and to hinder her Daughter from being
reftored to her. Prolerpinc, at laft got him deftroyed;
and' this was the Cireumftance that gave rile to the
Fable. The pernicious Counfels he gave his Mailer
were fignified by the Seeds of the Pomegranate.
His Transformation into an Owl is but a Metaphor,
"which reprelents to us an odious Man, unlcfs we had'
rather fav that the Fable was ..only publifhcd to let us
know that he kept himfelf continually hid in theMines,
©f which he was Pluto's Over-Seer , and where he
pcrilhed at laft. It is very likely that he was crulhed
to Death by the fall of a Rock, which gave Occafion
to the Poets to fay that Proferpine had covered him
with a great Stone, as wo may Ice in Apollodorus(z),
who fays that it was Ceres herfelf, that punilhed'tum
in that manner. The Name Afcalaphus lignifies
One that breaks Stones-, and, very probably , that
Name was only given him to denote his Em-
ployment. Some Authors pretend that he was
changed into a certain fort of Lizard , which the
Greeks call Afcalabos } and it was, without doubt,
the refemblance between the Names that gave them
Occalion to fay.lb;
Our Poet adds that the Nymph Cyane going to re-
proach Pluto with his Treatment of Proferpine , the
God changed her into a Fountain : A Cireumftance
(2) Lib. I.
P.OVID'S METAMOR-
which, I believe, has no other Foundation, but the
ncarnefs of the Place where Pluto's Emiflaries em-
barked , to a Fountain of that Name in the Neigh-
bourhood of Syractife. "What the fame Poet adds
concerning a Maid called Menthe, whom Proferpine
changed into a Plant, which flill bears her Name,
and which the Greeks call Hediosmos becaufe of its
fine fmell, lignifies, in all appearance, that Profer-
pine not being able to lufter a Rival, who fliared,
with her the ArTe&ion of her Husband , took away
her Life. Thus, upon account of the refemblance of
Names, feveral Metamorphofes were invented by
thofe who writ the Hiftory of that Court.
Mention is alfo made, in the fame place, of the Sy-
rens that accompanied Proferpine at the Time that
(he was taken away. But, that I may not be obliged
hereafter to repeat the fame Thing over again, I lhall
not explain this Fable untill I come to the Adventures
of Ulyfles. It lhall fuffice at prefent to fay , that if
Ovid has feigned that the Syrens who were with
Proferpine when me was carried away obtained from
the Gods to be changed into Birds , that they might
go to look for her it is becaufe , very likely, the
Syrens who inhabited the Coaft of Italy, near enough
to Sicily, having heard of the Misfortune that had
happened to that Princefs, ordered a Ship with Sails
to be equipped to go in Search of her.
F a b. X. Arethuja purfued by Alpheus*
THE.ARGUMENT.
The Mufe continues the Rehearfal of the Song, in which Ceres,
being fatisfied with Jupiter's Decree relating to her Daughter, goes back
to Arethufa to learn the Hiftory of her Adventures. The Nymph
entertains
N