8 8 Juno & Semele (Book III) Selections fom Juno learns her husband has taken a lover, the girl Semele Jupiter, also Metamorphoses It pains Juno to learn that Semele is pregnant known as Jove, is with the seed of great Jupiter;° and so the Roman name for the kings of PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO (OVID) she readies her tongue to insult and abuse her spouse: the gods, Zeus, the god of “What does this abuse gain me, however?” thunder. she said. “I have to do all the begging and pleading; 8 if I really am ‘the great Juno,’ I should destroy this girl— if it befts me to hold the jeweled scepter in my right hand,“Sister” was a common term of if I am Queen, wife and sister of Jove—sister indeed!° affection for a wife or lover— But I imagine she’s pleased at her deception, and their but Juno is also brief marriage bed is an insult to us. Now she’s pregnant literally Jupiter’s sister! (that’s all I needed!), an evident crime carried in a full womb, and she hopes to be made by Jove into the mother of a god— The river Styx which happens to me all too seldom—that’s how much shesurrounded the underworld, and trusts in her beauty. I’ll have her trick him somehow; so represented death. It was also I’m no daughter of mighty Saturn if her precious Jove himselfabsolutely sacred doesn’t bring her beneath the waves of the river Styx.° to the gods. Translation by R. A. Rushing She leaps up from her throne afer this, and, hidden into the high air, and with one glance, drew the clouds up in a yellow cloud, goes right to Semele’s doorstep. afer him. He added winds and lightning to those rainclouds, She does not remove the cloud until she’s taken on and thunder, and his infallible thunder-bolt. the appearance of an old woman; she put grey hair As much as he could, however, he tried to sofen its power,Typhon was the deadliest creature at her temples, furrowed her skin with wrinkles, and nor did he arm himself with the fre with which he had in Greek myth: a carried her bent limbs with trembling gait. And she did brought down the hundred-armed Typhon.° hundred heads that reached up an old woman’s voice, too, just like Beroe had, Semele’s nurse Too much ferocity is in it. Another, lighter bolt, to whichinto the stars. A small city in from Epidaurus.° So, having captured her with her voice, the Cyclops’ arm had added less savagery, fame, and rage: ancient Greece. Agenor is afer chatting all day, they came to the subject of Jove; ‘Te favorable one,’ the gods called it. He takes it, and Semele’s she sighed and said, “I hope that it really is Jupiter— enters the house of Agenor°. Her mortal body could not beargrandfather I’m frankly worried. Many men have entered chaste marriage the ethereal assault, and she burned from his marriage gifSexs.° in Ovid is frequently beds using the name of the gods. It’s not even enough Her unfnished baby was torn from the womb of its mother,referred to via marriage, whether That is, appearing that he be Jove. Have him give you a sign of love: ask and was sewn into his father’s thigh (if you can believe it),it is literally not as a mortal marriage or not. man, but as the that he embrace you the same way that he is received by and so completed his maternal term. In his frst infancy, god of thunder. lofy Juno, wearing his full regalia° in front of you.” his aunt Ino cared for him in secret, where the nymphs The child is the of Nysa° concealed him in their caves, and fed him milk. god Dionysus, presumably from Semele is the And so Cadmus’ daughter,° unaware, was shaped by Juno dios (divine) + daughter of Nysa. Cadmus. through such words: Semele asked Jove for a gif, without Tiresias (Book III) naming what it was, to which the god replied: “Choose! You will sufer no refusal. So you might truly believe it, And so all things are carried out according to fate, I swear by the gods of the river Styx—a fearful oath across the lands. Te infancy of Dionysus, twice-born, even for the gods.” Happy at her own misfortune, at her passed safely. Tey say that Jove, warmed by nectar, set aside excessive power, at her lover’s fatal compliance, Semele said: his weighty duties and took up casual play with idle Juno. “Just as Saturn’s daughter usually embraces you when you “Te pleasure in making love,” he said, “is surely greater make love, give yourself to me in the same way!” Te god for you than that which falls to the men.” She disagreed. tried to stop that mouth from speaking, but her voice Tey decided to ask learned Tiresias’ opinion as to which had already slipped out into the breeze. it might be. Venus was known to him—from both sides. For once, in the green woods, he had beaten with a stick He groaned. She couldn’t have not chosen this, however, and two huge, conjoined serpents; he spent seven years changed he couldn’t have not sworn. And so he, most mighty, arose from a man—amazing—into a woman. In the eighth year, !2 !3 he saw the same snakes again, and said to himself, But the outcome proves the prophecy—the manner “If there is so much power in one blow that it could of his death, and the novelty of Narcissus’ passion. convert its author’s fate into the opposite, now I should strike you again.” And having struck the same When Cephisus’ son had added one year to three by fve,°i.e., when he was snakes again, his former shape returned, the image of the boy now appeared as a young man. sixteen. what he was born with. Many young men, many girls, desired him; but there was in that tender form such a hard pride that Tis arbiter took on the playful dispute, and endorsed no young men, no young ladies, could touch him. In many versions of the story, Jove’s opinion on the matter.° Tey say Saturn’s daughter Echo spied him driving a frightened stag into a net, Tiresias—who speaks from took the dispute harder than she should have, all out Echo, who had never learned to speak frst, nor how experience—says of proportion: she damned her judge’s eyes to eternal night. to stop talking once she had started, resonant Echo. women have 9/10 of the Te all-powerful father (although even he cannot undo At that time, Echo was a body, not just a voice; but the chatty pleasure in sex. Saturn’s daughter the acts of the gods) gave Tiresias knowledge of the future ways she has now are no diferent than they were when is Juno. in exchange for his lost sight, and lightened the burden she had a mouth, repeating many words back, of this penalty with honor and fame. and always getting the last word in. Juno had done this to her: when Juno would try to catch Echo & Narcissus (Book III) Jove lying with nymphs on top of his mountain, Echo would detain the goddess by keeping her talking Tiresias, now a celebrity throughout the Aonian cities, while the nymphs would fee. Afer Saturn’s daughter gave faultless answers to all those who asked. fgured it out, she said, “May this tongue that tricked me Te frst to put that trusted, faithful voice to the test was give you little power, and briefest use of your voice.” sea-green Liriope, who was once enveloped in the waters Fact confrmed the threat, so Echo only mirrors of the river-god Cephisus, who took her by force. the end of others’ speech, carries back words she’s heard. Tis most beautiful nymph gave birth from her full womb to an infant, already then a lovable sort, named Narcissus. Tus, when Echo saw Narcissus roaming the countryside Tiresias was consulted about him: whether he would have she grew warm with desire, furtively followed his footsteps. a long life to a mature old age, and the fateful prophet said: Te more she followed, the more desire’s fame grew, “Only if he doesn’t get to know himself.” For a long time no diferent than how lively sulphur atop a torch can steal the words of the prophet appeared meaningless. a nearby fame. Oh, how ofen she yearned to approach him !4 !5 with fattering words, sweetly entreat him! But her nature As he’d played with Echo, and with young men before, fghts back. She can’t begin, but it does allow her to prepare, so now he toyed with nymphs sprung from rivers and hills. awaiting sounds she could return as words of her own. One young man, rejected, lifing hand to the heavens, said “let him love, as I could not be loved!” Te boy, gone astray from his hunting companions, called out Te Rhamnusian goddess° heard this just prayer. i.e., the goddess of vengeance, loudly, “Is anyone here?” and Echo responded “Here!” Nemesis (she had a temple in the He was surprised, for he’d lef his companions all about. Te pool was clean, with clear silvery waters, city of He calls “Come!” in a great voice.