Latest / Metamorphoses / 034 - Book 12 Part 1

Transcript

034 - Book 12 Part 1 · Metamorphoses

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Book twelve, Part one of Ovid's Metamorphoses. This is a
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings were in the public domain.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Recording by Michael Wolfe. Metamorphoses by Publius Ovidius Nassau, translated
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: by brooks More, Book twelve, Part one. Sadly, his father
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Priam mourned for him, not knowing that young Isacus had
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: assumed wings on his shoulders and was yet alive. Then
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: also Hector, with his brothers, made complete but unavailing sacrifice
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: upon a tomb which bore his carved name. Pearis was absent,
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: but soon afterwards he brought into that land a ravished wife, Helen,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: the cause of a disastrous war. Together were the thousand
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: ships and all the great Pelasgian nation. Vengeance would not
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: long have been delayed, but the fierce winds raged overseas
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: impassable and held the ship's fishy Olus. There could not
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: be moved from the Boetian land. Here when a sacrifice
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: had been prepared to jove according to the custom of
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: their land, and when the ancient altar glowed with fire,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: the Greeks observed an azure colored snake crawling up in
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: a plane tree near the place where they had just
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: begun their sacrifice. Among the highest branches was a nest
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: with twice four birds, and those the serpent seized, together
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: with a mother bird as she was fluttering round her loss,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: and every bird the serpent buried in his greedy more.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: All stood amazed. But Calcus, who perceived the truth, exclaimed, Rejoice,
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Pulaskian men, for we shall conquer Troy will fall, although
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: the toil of war must long continue. So the nine
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: birds equal nine long years of war. And while he prophesied,
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: the serpent coiled about the tree was transformed to a stone,
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: curled crooked as a snake. But Nereus stormed in those
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Aonian waves, and not a ship moved forward. Some declare
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: that Tune thus was aiding Troy, because he built the
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: walls of that great city. Not so, Calcus, son of Thestor.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: He knew all the truth, and told them plainly that
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: a virgin's blood alone might end a virgin goddess's wrath.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: The public good at last prevailed above affection, and the
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: duty of a king at last proved stronger than a
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: father's love. When Iphiginia, as a sacrifice, stood by the
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: altar with her weeping maids and was about to offer
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: her chaste blood, the goddess, moved by pity, spread amidst
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: before their eyes, amid the sacred rites and mournful supplications.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: It is said she left a hind there in the
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: maiden's place and carried Iphigenia away. The hind, as it
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: was fitting, calmed Diana's rage and also calmed the anger
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: of the sea. The thousand ships received the winds astern
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: and gained the Phrygian shore. There is a spot convenient
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: in the center of the world, between the land and
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: sea and the wide heavens, the meeting of the threefold universe.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: From there is seen all things that anywhere exist, although
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: in distant regions far and there all sounds of earth
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: and space are heard. Fame as possessor of this chosen place,
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: and has her habitation in a tower which aids her
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: view from that exalted highs, and she has fixed there
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: numerous avenues and openings, a thousand to a tower, and
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: no gates with closed entrance, for the house is open
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: night and day of sounding brass re echoing the tones
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: of every voice. It must repeat whatever it may hear,
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: and there is no rest and silence in no part.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: There is no clamor, but the murmuring sound of subdued voices,
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: such as may arise from waves of a far sea,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: which one may hear who listens at a distance, or
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: the sound which ends a thunderclap when Jupiter's clashed black
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: clouds together. Fickle crowds are always in that hall that
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: come and go, and myriad rumors, false tales mixed with
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: true are circulated in confusing words. Some fill their empty
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: ears with all this talk, and some spread elsewhere all
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: that's told to them. The volume of wild fiction grows apace,
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: and each narrator adds to what he hears. Credulity is there,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: and rash mistake and empty joy in cowered fear, alarmed
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: by quick sedition and soft whisper all of doubtful life.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: Fame sees what things are done in heaven and on
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: the sea, and on the earth. She spies all things
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: in the wide universe. Fame now had spread the tidings.
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: A great fleet of Greek ships was at that time
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: on its way, an army of brave men. The Trojans
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: stood all ready to prevent the hostile Greeks from landing
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: on their shores by the decree of Fate. The first
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: man killed of the invader's force was strong Protocellaus, by
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: the spear of valiant Hector, whose unthought of power at
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: that time was discovered by the Greeks. To their great cost.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: The Phrygians also learned, at no small cost of blood,
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: what warlike strength came from the Grecian land. The Sigean
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: shores grew red with death blood Signus Neptune's sun there
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: slew a thousand men, for which in wrath Achilles pressed
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: his rapid chariot straight through the Trojan army, making a
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: lane with his great spear shaked from a Pelian tree.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: And as he sought through the fierce battle's press, either
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: for Signus or for Hector, he met Signus and engaged
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: at once with him. Fate had preserved Great Hector from
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: such foe till ten years from that day. Cheering his steeds,
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: their white necks pressed upon the straining yoke, he steered
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: the chariot towards his foe, and, brandishing the spear with
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: his strong arm, he cried whoever you may be, you
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: have the consolation of a glorious death. You die by me,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: hemonian Achilles. His heavy spear flew after the fierce words.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: Although the spear was world direct and true, yet nothing
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: it availed with sharpened point. It only bruised, as with
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: a blunted stroke, the breast of sickness. By report, when
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: you of you before this battle, God is born? The
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: other answered him, but why are you surprised that I
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: escape the threatened wound? Achilles was surprised. This helmet crowned
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: great with its tawny horse hair, and this shield broad hollowed,
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: and my left arm are not held for help in war.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: They are but ornament as mars war's armor. All of
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: them shall be put off, and I will fight with
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: you unhurt. It is a privilege that I was born,
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: not as you of Nereid, but of him whose powerful
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: rule is over Nereus, his daughters, and their ocean. So
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: he spoke Immediately. He threw his spear against Achilles, destined
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: to pierce the curving shield through brass and through nine
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: folds of tough bulls hide, It stopped there, for it
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: could not pierce the tenth the hero wrenched it out
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: and hurl again a quivering spear at Sickness with great strength.
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: The Trojans stood unwounded and unharmed. Nor did a third
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: spear injure Signus, though he stood there with his body
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: all exposed. Achilles raged at this as a wild bull
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: and open circus. When with dreadful horns he butts against
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: the hanging purple robes, which stir is wroth, and there
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: observes how they evade him, quite unharmed by his attack.
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: Achilles then examined his good spear to see if, by
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: some chance the iron point was broken from it, but
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: the point was firm fixed on the wooden shaft. My
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: hand is weak, he said, but is it possible its
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: strength forsook me, though it never has before? For surely
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: I had my accustomed strength when first I overthrew Lness's walls,
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: or when I won the Isle of Tonidos, or Thebes
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: then under King Etian, and I drenched both with their
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: own people's blood, or when the river Cacus ran red
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: with slaughter of its people, or when twice Telephus fell
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: the virtue of my spear. On this field also were
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: such heaps life slain. My right hand surely has proved
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: its true might, and it is mighty. So he spoke
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: of strength remembered. But as if in proof against his
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: own distrust, he hurled a spear against minutes a soldier
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: in the Lycian ranks. The sharp spear tore the victim's
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: coat of mail and pierced his breast beneath. Achilles, when
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: he saw his dying head strike on the earth, wrenched
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: the same spear from out the reeking wound, and said,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: this is the hand, and this the spear I conquered with,
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: and I will use the same against him who, in
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: luck escaped their power, and the result should favor as
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: I pray the helpful gods. And as he said such
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: words in haste, he hurled as ashen spear again at Signess.
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: It went straight and struck unshunned, resounding on the shoulder
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: of that foe. It bounced back as if it hit
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: a wall or solid cliff. Yet when Achilles saw just
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: where the spear struck Signas there stained with blood, he
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: instantly rejoiced, but vainly, for it was Benuiti's blood. Then,
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: in his sudden rage, Achilles leaped down headlong from his
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: lofty chariot, and seeking his god favored foe, he struck
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: in conflict fiercely with his gleaming sword. Although he saw
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: that he had pierced both shield and helmet through he
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: did not harm the foe. His sword was even blunted
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: on the flesh. Achilles could not hold himself for rage,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: but furious, with his sword hilt in the shield, he
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: battered wildly the uncovered face and hollow temples of his
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: Trojan foe, Signas gave way. Achilles rushed on him, buffeting fiercely,
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: so that he could not recover from the shock. Fears
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: seized upon Signas, and darkness swam before his eyes. Then,
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: as he moved back with retreating steps, a large stone
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: hindered him and blocked his way. His back pushed against this,
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: Achilles seized and dashed him violently to the ground. Then,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: pressing with butler and hard knees the breast of Signus,
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: he the unlaced the helmet thongs, wound them about the
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: foeman's neck, and drew them tightly under his chin, till
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: Signus's throat could take no breath of life. Achilles rose,
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: eager to strip his conquered foe, but found as empty armor,
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: for the god of Ocean had changed the victim into
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: that white bird whose name he lately bore. There was
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: a truce for many days after this opening fight. While
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: both sides resting laid aside their arms. A watchful guard
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: patrolled the Phrygian walls. The Grecian trenches had their watchful guard. Then,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: on a festal day, Achilles gave the blood of a
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: slain heifer to obtain the favor of Athena for their cause.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: The entrails burned upon the altar, while the Odor, grateful
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: to the deities, was mounting to the skies. When sacred
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: rites were done, a banquet for the heroes were served
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: on their tables. There the Grecian chiefs reclined on couchers
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: while they satisfied themselves with roasted flesh and banished cares
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: and thirst. With wine, nor harp or singing voice, nor
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: long pipe made of boxward pierced with holes delighted them.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: They talked of their own deeds and valor, all that
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: thrilling night, and even the strength of enemies whom they
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: had met and overcome. What else could they admit or
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: think of? While the great Achilles spoke or listened to them,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: But especially the recent victory over Signus held them ardent wonderful.
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: It seemed to them that such a youth could be
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: composed of flesh not penetrable by the sharpest spear, of
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: flesh which blunted even hardened steel, and never could be wounded.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: All the Greeks, and even Achilles wondered at the thought. Then,
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: Nestors said to them, during your time, Signus has been
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: the only man you knew who could despise all weapons,
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: and whose flesh could not be pierced by thrust of
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: sword or spear. But long ago I saw another man
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: able to bear unharmed a thousand strokes, Cheneus of Thessaly, Qenius,
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: who lived upon Mount Oath. Thus he was famed in war,
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: yet strange to say by birth he was a woman.
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: Then all expressed the greatest wonderment and begged to hear
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: the story of his life. Achilles cried, O eloquent old man,
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: the wisdom of our age. All of us wished to hear.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: Who was this keeniest? Why was he changed to the
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: other sex? In what campaigns and in what wars? Was
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: he so known to you who conquered him, if any
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: ever did, the aged man replied to them with care.
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: Although my great age is a harm to me, and
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: many actions of my early days escaped my memory, yet
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: most of them are well remembered. Nothing of old days
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: amid so many deeds of war and peace can be
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: more firmly fixed upon my mind than the strange story
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: I shall tell of him. If long extentive years made
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: any one a witness of most wonderful events and many, truly,
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: I may say to you that I have lived two
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: hundred years, and now have entered my third century. End
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: of Book twelve, Part one,