DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9260#0127
92 P. OVIDII METAMOR-
Si modo verus is eft: quantusque, & qua-
ils ab alta
Junone excipitur: tantus, talis que rogato 285
Det tibi complexus: fuaque ante infignia fumat.
'Talibus ignaram Juno Cadmeida dittis
Formarat, rogat ilia Jovem fine nomine mu-
nus.
Cui Deus, Elige, ait: nullam patiere repulfam.
Quoque magis credas Stjgu quoque confcia
funto 290
Numina torrentis. timor & Deus ille Deo-
33
33
33
33
rum.
Laeta malo, mmiumque potens, perituraque
amantis
Obfequio Semele, Qualem Saturnia, dixit,
Te folet ampletti, Veneris cum foedus initis,
Da mihi te talem. voluit Deus ora loquen-
tis 295
Opprimere. exierat jam vox properata fub
auras.
P.OVID'S METAMOR-
But if he be indeed die thund'ring Jove,
Bid him, when next he courts the Rites of Love>
Defcend Triumphant from di Etherial Sky,
In all the Pomp of his Divinity,
Encompas'd round by thofe Celeftial Charms >
With which he fills th' immortal Juno's Arms.
Th' unwary Nymph, enfnar'd with what flie
{aid,
Defir'd of Jove, when next he fought her Bed,
To grant a certain Gift which flie would chufe;
„ Fear not, reply'd the God, that I'll refufe
Whate'er you ask: May Styx confirm my Voice,
Chufe what you will, and you fhall have your
Choice.
Then, fays the Nymph, when next you feek
my Arms,
May you defcend in thole Celeftial Charms,
With which your Juno's Bofom you enflame,
And fill with Tranlport Heav'n's immortal
Dame.
TheGod,furpriz'd,wouldfiinhave ftopp'd her Voice,
But he had (worn, and flie had made her Choice,
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33
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33
EXPLICATION OF THE FOURTH FABLE.
EUripid (1), Orpheus (2) , and Ovid after them ,
relate that Jupiter being in Love with Semele the
Daughter of Cadmus, Juno, who was jealous of it,
disguifed her felf in the Likenefs of Beroe her Rival's
Nurfe, to poflefs her with that Diffidence which foon
proved her Deftruftion; for Jupiter, in Complyance
with her fatal Requeft, vifiting her with his Thunder
and Lightening about him confumed her to Alhes. Some
Gallantry between that Lady and a Prince named Ju-
piter , having had a Tragical End gave occafion to the
Fable; which is all we can fay of it in particular. Pau-
fanias, in his Laconicks , only tells us that Cadmus,
exasperated againft his Daughter, caufed her and her
Son to be expofed to the Fury of the Sea, and that they
were thrown afhore at Ore ate an ancient Town of
Laconia, where Semele being found dead in a fort of
Coffin, was magnificently buried. But whether it was
fo or not, the Infant, of which flie was deliver'd, and
which Jupiter took out of her Womb to preferve in
his Thigh, was named Bacchus; but here we muft dis-
tinguifh the Grandfon of Cadmus from the ancient
Bacchus of Egypt j of whom I lhall have occafion to
fpeak hereafter.
Semele, after her Death , was ranked amongft the
Goddefles by the Name of Thione, according to
(i) In Bucchis. (2) Hymn, in Dionyf.
Apollodorus (3), whofays that her Son Bacchus going
down to Hell brought her from thence , and carried
her up to Heavenwhere, according to Nonnus, flie
converfed with Pallas and Diana, and eat with Jupi-
ter , Mercury, Mars and Venus. The Author, whom
we know by the Name of Orpheus , gives Semele the
Title of Goddefs , and Queen of all the World,
IicwfZajTi\i\M. Neverthelefs , her Wbrfliip does not
feem to have been much in Vogue, and we find no
Traces of it in Antiquity, if not, perhaps, in a Stone,
engraven and publiflied by Begerus (4,) , where we
read an Infcription , of which the Senfe is, The De-
vils tremble at the Name of Semele. As to the reft
I do not underftand what Philoftratus means , when
he fays that Semele being burned at the Arrival of Ju-
piter, her Shade mounted up to Heaven , but that it
was very obfeure. I have faid that Semele was called
Thyone , when flie was placed amongft the Deities;
upon which it is neceflary to remark, that when any
Perfon was Deified it was cuftomary to give them a
new Name: Thus Ino, become a Goddefs of the Sea,
was named Leucothoe, Meliccrta was called Palemon,
Circe had the Name of Marica given her, and Romu-
lus that of Quirinus, Sec.
(3) Lib. III. (4) Sphil. 48.
Fab. V.
Si modo verus is eft: quantusque, & qua-
ils ab alta
Junone excipitur: tantus, talis que rogato 285
Det tibi complexus: fuaque ante infignia fumat.
'Talibus ignaram Juno Cadmeida dittis
Formarat, rogat ilia Jovem fine nomine mu-
nus.
Cui Deus, Elige, ait: nullam patiere repulfam.
Quoque magis credas Stjgu quoque confcia
funto 290
Numina torrentis. timor & Deus ille Deo-
33
33
33
33
rum.
Laeta malo, mmiumque potens, perituraque
amantis
Obfequio Semele, Qualem Saturnia, dixit,
Te folet ampletti, Veneris cum foedus initis,
Da mihi te talem. voluit Deus ora loquen-
tis 295
Opprimere. exierat jam vox properata fub
auras.
P.OVID'S METAMOR-
But if he be indeed die thund'ring Jove,
Bid him, when next he courts the Rites of Love>
Defcend Triumphant from di Etherial Sky,
In all the Pomp of his Divinity,
Encompas'd round by thofe Celeftial Charms >
With which he fills th' immortal Juno's Arms.
Th' unwary Nymph, enfnar'd with what flie
{aid,
Defir'd of Jove, when next he fought her Bed,
To grant a certain Gift which flie would chufe;
„ Fear not, reply'd the God, that I'll refufe
Whate'er you ask: May Styx confirm my Voice,
Chufe what you will, and you fhall have your
Choice.
Then, fays the Nymph, when next you feek
my Arms,
May you defcend in thole Celeftial Charms,
With which your Juno's Bofom you enflame,
And fill with Tranlport Heav'n's immortal
Dame.
TheGod,furpriz'd,wouldfiinhave ftopp'd her Voice,
But he had (worn, and flie had made her Choice,
33
33
33
33
33
33
EXPLICATION OF THE FOURTH FABLE.
EUripid (1), Orpheus (2) , and Ovid after them ,
relate that Jupiter being in Love with Semele the
Daughter of Cadmus, Juno, who was jealous of it,
disguifed her felf in the Likenefs of Beroe her Rival's
Nurfe, to poflefs her with that Diffidence which foon
proved her Deftruftion; for Jupiter, in Complyance
with her fatal Requeft, vifiting her with his Thunder
and Lightening about him confumed her to Alhes. Some
Gallantry between that Lady and a Prince named Ju-
piter , having had a Tragical End gave occafion to the
Fable; which is all we can fay of it in particular. Pau-
fanias, in his Laconicks , only tells us that Cadmus,
exasperated againft his Daughter, caufed her and her
Son to be expofed to the Fury of the Sea, and that they
were thrown afhore at Ore ate an ancient Town of
Laconia, where Semele being found dead in a fort of
Coffin, was magnificently buried. But whether it was
fo or not, the Infant, of which flie was deliver'd, and
which Jupiter took out of her Womb to preferve in
his Thigh, was named Bacchus; but here we muft dis-
tinguifh the Grandfon of Cadmus from the ancient
Bacchus of Egypt j of whom I lhall have occafion to
fpeak hereafter.
Semele, after her Death , was ranked amongft the
Goddefles by the Name of Thione, according to
(i) In Bucchis. (2) Hymn, in Dionyf.
Apollodorus (3), whofays that her Son Bacchus going
down to Hell brought her from thence , and carried
her up to Heavenwhere, according to Nonnus, flie
converfed with Pallas and Diana, and eat with Jupi-
ter , Mercury, Mars and Venus. The Author, whom
we know by the Name of Orpheus , gives Semele the
Title of Goddefs , and Queen of all the World,
IicwfZajTi\i\M. Neverthelefs , her Wbrfliip does not
feem to have been much in Vogue, and we find no
Traces of it in Antiquity, if not, perhaps, in a Stone,
engraven and publiflied by Begerus (4,) , where we
read an Infcription , of which the Senfe is, The De-
vils tremble at the Name of Semele. As to the reft
I do not underftand what Philoftratus means , when
he fays that Semele being burned at the Arrival of Ju-
piter, her Shade mounted up to Heaven , but that it
was very obfeure. I have faid that Semele was called
Thyone , when flie was placed amongft the Deities;
upon which it is neceflary to remark, that when any
Perfon was Deified it was cuftomary to give them a
new Name: Thus Ino, become a Goddefs of the Sea,
was named Leucothoe, Meliccrta was called Palemon,
Circe had the Name of Marica given her, and Romu-
lus that of Quirinus, Sec.
(3) Lib. III. (4) Sphil. 48.
Fab. V.