Apuleius, Metamorphoses 4.30
Camden Adams /
- Created on 2018-10-10 04:49:15
- Modified on 2018-12-17 15:34:00
- Translated by W. Adlington, revised by S. Gaselee
- Aligned by Camden Adams
Latin
English
' En rerum naturae prisca parens , en elementorum origo initialis , en orbis totius alma Venus , quae cum mortali puella partiario maiestatis honore tractor et nomen meum caelo conditum terrenis sordibus profanatur ! Nimirum communi numinis piamento vicariae venerationis incertum sustinebo , et imaginem meam circumferet puella moritura . Frustra me pastor ille , cuius iustitiam fidemque magnus comprobavit Iupiter , ob eximiam speciem tantis praetulit deabus . Sed non adeo gaudens ista , quaecumque est , meos honores usurpaverit : iam faxo eam huius etiam ipsius illicitae formositatis paeniteat ' . Et vocat confestim puerum suum pinnatum illum et satis temerarium , qui malis suis moribus contempta disciplina publica , flammis et sagittis armatus per alienas domos nocte discurrens et omnium matrimonia corrumpens impune committit tanta flagitia , et nihil prorsus boni facit .
'
Behold
I
,
the
original
of
nature
,
the
first
beginning
of
all
the
elements
,
behold
I
,
the
Lady
Venus
of
all
the
world
,
am
now
joined
with
a
mortal
maiden
as
a
partaker
of
my
honour
;
my
name
,
registered
in
the
city
of
heaven
,
is
profaned
and
made
vile
by
terrene
absurdities
.
If
I
shall
suffer
any
mortal
creature
to
present
my
majesty
in
earth
,
and
must
be
content
with
sharing
the
godhead
and
receiving
worship
through
other
,
or
that
any
girl
that
one
day
is
to
die
shall
bear
about
a
false
surmised
shape
of
my
person
,
then
in
vain
did
Paris
that
shepherd
(
in
whose
just
judgement
and
confidence
the
great
Jupiter
had
affiance
)
prefer
me
above
the
other
great
goddesses
for
the
excellency
of
my
beauty
:
but
she
,
whatsoever
she
be
,
shall
not
for
nought
have
usurped
mine
honour
,
but
she
shall
shortly
repent
her
of
her
unlawful
loveliness
'
.
Then
by
and
by
she
called
her
winged
son
Cupid
,
rash
enough
and
hardy
,
who
by
his
evil
manners
,
contemning
all
public
justice
and
law
,
armed
with
fire
and
arrows
,
running
up
and
down
in
the
nights
from
house
to
house
,
and
corrupting
the
lawful
marriages
of
every
person
,
doth
nothing
(
and
yet
he
is
not
punished
)
but
that
which
is
evil
.