Apuleius, Metamorphoses 6.09
Amy Murphy /
- Created on 2018-10-22 20:45:03
- Aligned by Amy Murphy
Latin
English
et audaciter in capillos eius inmissa manu trahebat eam nequaquam renitentem . Quam ubi primum inductam oblatamque sibi conspexit Venus , latissimum cachinnum extollit et qualem solent furenter irati , caputque quatiens et ascalpens aurem dexteram : " Tandem " inquit " dignata es socrum tuam salutare ? An potius maritum , qui tuo vulnere periclitatur , intervisere venisti ? Sed esto secura , iam enim excipiam te ut bonam nurum condecet " ; et : " Vbi sunt " inquit " Sollicitudo atque Tristities ancillae meae ? " Quibus intro vocatis torquendam tradidit eam . At illae sequentes erile praeceptum Psychen misellam flagellis afflictam et ceteris tormentis excruciatam iterum dominae conspectui reddunt . Tunc rursus sublato risu Venus : " Et ecce " inquit " nobis turgidi ventris sui lenocinio commovet miserationem , unde me praeclara subole aviam beatam scilicet faciat . Felix velo ego quae ipso aetatis meae flore vocabor avia et vilis ancillae filius nepos Veneris audiet . Quanquam inepta ego quae frustra filium dicam ; impares enim nuptiae et praeterea in villa sine testibus et patre non consentiente factae legitimae non possunt videri ac per hoc spurius iste nascetur , si tamen partum omnino perferre te patiemur . "
With
that
she
seized
her
tight
by
the
hair
and
dragged
her
inside
.
The
unresisting
Psyche
was
thrust
into
Venus’
presence
.
The
goddess
burst
into
savage
laughter
as
women
do
when
deeply
enraged
,
beating
her
round
the
head
and
dragging
her
about
by
the
ear
,
crying
:
"
So
you
deign
to
call
on
your
mother-in-law
at
last
,
do
you
?
Or
are
you
here
to
visit
that
husband
of
yours
,
laid
low
by
your
own
hand
?
Don’t
you
worry
,
I’ll
entertain
you
as
a
fine
daughter-in-law
deserves
.
Where
are
those
attendants
of
mine
,
Anxiety
and
Sorrow
?
"
When
they
entered
she
handed
the
girl
over
to
them
for
punishment
.
At
the
goddess’s
command
they
flogged
poor
Psyche
and
tortured
her
in
other
ways
,
then
returned
her
to
their
mistress’s
sight
.
Then
Venus
screeched
with
laughter
again
:
"
Look
at
her
,
"
she
cried
,
"
trying
to
stir
my
pity
with
that
offering
,
that
swollen
belly
of
hers
!
No
doubt
she
thinks
its
illustrious
origin
might
gladden
its
grandmother’s
heart
.
Indeed
what
joy
,
in
the
very
flower
of
my
youth
,
to
be
known
as
a
grandmother
,
with
the
offspring
of
a
lowly
servant
as
Venus’
own
grandson
!
But
how
foolish
of
me
to
call
it
such
:
since
this
‘marriage’
of
mortal
and
god
took
place
in
some
country
villa
,
with
nary
a
witness
,
without
the
father’s
consent
.
It
was
not
done
within
the
law
,
and
your
child
too
will
be
illegitimate
,
if
indeed
I
allow
the
birth
at
all
.
"