Apuleius Metamorphoses 3:9-10
Amanda Cameron /
- Created on 2018-11-20 08:29:51
- Aligned by Amanda Cameron
Latin
English
Nec mora , cum ritu Graeciensi ignis et rota , tum omne flagrorum genus inferuntur Augetur oppido , immo duplicatur mihi maestitia quod integro saltem mori non licuerit . Sed anus illa , quae fletibus cuncta turbaverat , Prius inquit Optimi cives , quam latronem , istum miserorum pignorum meorum peremptorem cruci affigatis , permittite corpora necatorum revelari , ut et formae ! simul et aetatis contemplatione magis magisque ad iustam indignationem arrecti pro modo facinoris saeviatis . His dictis applauditur , et illico me magistratus ipsum iubet corpora , quae lectulo fuerant posita , mea manu detegere . Luctantem me ac diu renuentem praecedens facinus instaurare nova ostensione lictores iussu magistratuum quam instantissime compellunt manum denique ipsam e regione lateris fundentes in exitium suum super ipsa cadavera porrigunt . Evictus tandem necessitate succumbo , et ingratis licet arrepta pallio retexi corpora . Di boni , quae facies rei ! Quod monstrum ! Quae fortunarum mearum repentina ! mutatio ! Quamquam enim iam in peculio Proserpinae et Orci familia numeratus , subito in contrariam faciem obstupefactus haesi nec possum novae illius imaginis rationem idoneis verbis expedire : nam cadavera illa iugulatorum hominum erant tres utres inflati variisque secti foraminibus et , ut vespertinum proelium meum recordabar , his locis hiantes , quibus latrones illos vulneraveram . Tunc ille quorundam astu paulisper cohibitus risus libere iam exarsit in plebem : hi gaudii nimietate gratulari , illi dolorem ventris manuum compressione sedare , et certe laetitia delibuti meque respectantes cuncti theatro facessunt . At ego , ut primum illam laciniam prenderam , fixus in lapidem steti gelidus , nihil secus quam una de ceteris theatri statuis vel columnis : nec prius ab inferis emersi quam Milo hospes accessit et iniecta manu me renitentem lacrimisque rursum promicantibus crebra singultientem clementi violentia secum attraxit et observatis viae solitudinibus per quosdam anfractus domum suam perduxit , maestumque me atque etiam tunc trepidum variis solatur affatibus ; nec tamen indignationem iniuriae , ) quae inhaeserat altius meo pectori , ullo modo permulcere quivit .
In
an
instant
fire
and
wheel
appeared
,
and
assorted
whips
,
in
the
Greek
manner
.
My
gloom
increased
,
doubled
rather
,
since
I’d
not
even
meet
death
in
one
piece
,
but
the
old
crone
who’d
caused
such
turmoil
with
her
tears
,
suddenly
spoke
:
‘Before
you
tie
that
brigand
to
the
cross
,
the
one
who
murdered
my
poor
little
darlings
,
let
the
victims’
bodies
be
uncovered
so
that
seeing
their
youth
and
beauty
you
may
be
roused
to
the
highest
pitch
of
righteous
indignation
and
match
your
severity
to
the
crime
.
’
Her
speech
met
with
applause
,
and
the
magistrate
ordered
me
to
uncover
the
bodies
on
the
bier
with
my
own
hands
.
Resisting
for
some
time
I
refused
to
add
to
my
earlier
deed
with
this
new
exposure
.
But
the
lictors
,
at
the
magistrates’
orders
,
forced
me
to
comply
.
Finally
they
dragged
my
hand
from
my
side
and
stretched
it
over
the
corpses
to
my
own
destruction
.
Succumbing
at
last
to
necessity
,
I
yielded
though
unwillingly
,
and
snatching
away
the
pall
revealed
the
bodies
.
Oh
gods
,
what
sight
was
this
!
How
extraordinary
!
What
a
sudden
transformation
of
my
fate
!
Though
I’d
been
counting
myself
already
among
Proserpina’s
crew
,
enrolled
as
a
member
of
the
house
of
Orcus
,
appearances
were
instantly
altered
,
and
there
I
stood
,
dumbfounded
.
How
can
I
find
the
words
to
give
a
rational
account
of
that
sight
?
You
see
,
the
corpses
of
the
murdered
men
were
three
swollen
wine-skins
pierced
with
sundry
holes
,
and
recalling
my
struggles
of
the
night
before
I
saw
they
were
in
the
very
places
where
I’d
stabbed
the
thieves
.
Then
the
laughter
which
the
crowd
had
been
cunningly
repressing
broke
out
without
restraint
everywhere
.
Some
were
cackling
in
a
sheer
excess
of
mirth
,
others
pressed
their
fists
to
their
stomachs
to
relieve
the
ache
.
At
any
event
they
were
all
drowned
in
delight
,
and
kept
turning
to
look
at
me
again
as
they
exited
the
theatre
.
As
for
me
,
from
the
moment
I’d
pulled
the
cloth
back
,
I’d
been
standing
there
frozen
,
transformed
to
stone
,
just
like
one
of
the
theatre’s
columns
or
statues
.
Nor
did
I
rise
from
the
dead
till
Milo
my
host
came
and
grasped
me
,
I
resisting
,
while
tears
flew
once
more
and
I
kept
sobbing
.
He
urged
me
gently
along
and
led
me
to
his
house
by
a
winding
route
,
careful
to
avoid
the
busy
streets
.
I
was
still
in
a
state
of
shock
,
and
trembling
with
fear
,
and
he
could
find
no
way
to
ease
the
indignation
,
at
the
treatment
I’d
endured
,
constricting
my
heart
.