Ovidius Naso, Publius; Picart, Bernard [Ill.]; Banier, Antoine [Comm.]: Ovid's Metamorphoses In Latin And English: [Two Volumes] (Band 1) (Amsterdam, 1732)

236 P. OVIDII METAMOR-

P. OVID'S METAMOR-

F a b. XX VI. Ants transformed into Men.

THE ARGUMENT.

Jupiter at the Prayer of his Son /Eacus transformed the Ants that
were in the hollow of an old Oak into Men, who from the Greek
name of thofe Infects were called Myrmidons.

ATtonitus tanto miferarum turbine re-
rum,

Juppiter 0, dixi ,fi te nonfalfa loqumtur 615
Di&a, fub amplexus Aeginae Afopidos ijfe:
Nec te, magne pater, nojlri pudet ejfe pa-
rent em i

Aut mihi redde meos: aut me quoque conde.
fepulcro,

Jlle not am falgore dedit, tonitruque fecundok
Accipio ,fmtque ijla precor felicia mentis 6lO
Sign a tuae, dixi: quod das mihi ,pigneror a
omen.

Forte fait juxta patulis rariffima ramis %
Sacra Jovi, quercus de femine Dodonaeo..
Hie nos fmgilegas adfpeximus agmine longo
Grande onus exiguo formicas ore geren-
tes, 625
Rugofoque fuum fervantes cortice callem.

Dum

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DEfpairing under Grief's oppreffive Weight,
And. funk by thefe tempeftuous Blafts
of Fate,

O Jove, faid I, if common Fame fays true,
If e'er /Eginas Charms were dear to you,

0 Father, if you don't.ev'n yet difclaim
Paternal Care, nor yet dilbwn the Namej
Grant my Petitions, and with Speed reftore^
My Subjects num'rous as they were before, >
Or make me Partner of the Fate they bore. 3

1 ipoke, and glorious Lightning flione around,
And ratling Thunder gave a profp'rous Soundj
So let it be, and may thefe Omens prove

A Pledge, faid I, of your returning Love.
„ A venerable Oak was near the Place,
Sacred to Jove, and of Dodona's Race,
Where frugal Ants laid up their Winter Meati
Whole little Bodies bear a mighty Weight:
We faw them march along, and hide their}

Store,

And muchadmir'd their Number, and their^
Pow'r; j

Full

Admir'd at firft, but after envy'd more.