Apuleius, Metamorphoses 6.16
Queen Trapp /
- Created on 2018-11-24 01:54:42
- Modified on 2018-11-26 03:48:24
- Translated by E. J. Kenny
- Aligned by Queen Trapp
Latin
English
Sic acceptam cum gaudio plenam urnulam Psyche Veneri citata rettulit . Nec tamen nutum deae saevientis vel tunc expiare potuit : nam sic eam maiora atque peiora flagitia comminans appellat , renidens exitiabile : ‘Iam tu quidem maga videris quaedam mihi et alta prorsus malefica , quae talibus praeceptis meis obtemperasti naviter ; sed adhuc istud , mea pupula , ministrare debebis . Sume istam pyxidem’ ( et dedit ) ‘Protinusque ad inferos et ipsius Orci ferales penates te derige . Tunc conferens pyxidem Proserpinae , ‘Petit de te Venus , ’ dicito , ‘Modicum de tua mittas ei formositate , vel ad unam saltem dieculam sufficiens : nam quod habuit dum filium curat aegrotum consumpsit atque contrivit omne . ’ Sed haud immaturius redito , quia me necesse est indidem delitam theatrum deorum frequentare . ’
Psyche
joyfully
received
the
full
urn
and
took
it
back
at
once
to
Venus
.
Even
then
,
however
,
she
could
not
satisfy
the
wishes
of
the
cruel
goddess
.
Threatening
her
with
yet
worse
outrages
,
she
addressed
Psyche
with
a
deadly
smile
:
‘I
really
think
you
must
be
some
sort
of
great
and
profoundly
accomplished
witch
to
have
carried
out
so
promptly
orders
like
these
of
mine
.
But
you
still
have
to
do
me
this
service
,
my
dear
.
Take
this
casket’
(
giving
it
to
her
)
‘and
be
off
with
you
to
the
Underworld
and
the
ghostly
abode
of
Orcus
himself
.
Present
it
to
Proserpine
and
say
:
"
Venus
begs
that
you
send
her
a
little
of
your
beauty
,
enough
at
least
for
one
short
day
.
For
the
supply
that
she
had
,
she
has
quite
used
up
and
exhausted
in
looking
after
her
ailing
son
.
"
Come
back
in
good
time
,
for
I
must
make
myself
up
from
it
before
going
to
the
theatre
of
the
gods
.
’