March 8th | Fastorum Liber Tertius: Martius
C F | VIII Eid. | III.459-516, Ovid describes how Ariadne's crown was transformed by Dionysus into a constellation.
Protinus aspicies venienti nocte Coronam
Cnosida: Theseo crimine facta dea est. 460
iam bene periuro mutarat coniuge Bacchum,
quae dedit ingrato fila legenda viro;
sorte tori gaudens “quid flebam rustica?” dixit
“utiliter nobis perfidus ille fuit.”
interea Liber depexos crinibus Indos 465
vicit et Eoo dives ab orbe redit;
inter captivas facie praestante puellas
grata nimis Baccho filia regis erat.
flebat amans coniunx spatiataque litore curvo
edidit incultis talia verba comis: 470
“en iterum, fluctus, similis audite querellas!
en iterum lacrimas accipe, harena, meas!
dicebam, memini, ‘periure et perfide Theseu!’
ille abiit; eadem crimina Bacchus habet.
nunc quoque ‘nulla viro’ clamabo ‘femina credat!’ 475
nomine mutato causa relata mea est.
o utinam mea sors, qua primum coeperat, isset,
iamque ego praesenti tempore nulla forem!
quid me desertis morituram, Liber, harenis
servabas? potui dedoluisse semel. 480
Bacche levis leviorque tuis, quae tempora cingunt,
frondibus, in lacrimas cognite Bacche meas,
ausus es ante oculos adducta paelice nostros
tam bene compositum sollicitare torum?
heu ubi pacta fides? ubi, quae iurare solebas? 485
me miseram, quotiens haec ego verba loquar?
Thesea culpabas fallacemque ipse vocabas:
iudicio peccas turpius ipse tuo.
ne sciat hoc quisquam, tacitisque doloribus urar,
ne totiens falli digna fuisse puter! 490
praecipue cupiam celari Thesea, ne te
consortem culpae gaudeat esse suae.
at, puto, praeposita est fuscae mihi candida paelex:
eveniat nostris hostibus ille color!
quid tamen hoc refert? vitio tibi gratior ipso est. 495
quid facis? amplexus inquinat illa tuos.
Bacche, fidem praesta nec praefer amoribus ullam
coniugis. adsuevi semper amare virum.
ceperunt matrem formosi cornua tauri,
me tua: at hic laudi est, ille pudendus amor. 500
ne noceat, quod amo; neque enim tibi, Bacche, nocebat,
quod flammas nobis fassus es ipse tuas.
nec, quod nos uris, mirum facis: ortus in igne
diceris et patria raptus ab igne manu.
illa ego sum, cui tu solitus promittere caelum. 505
ei mihi, pro caelo qualia dona fero!”
dixerat: audibat iamdudum verba querentis
Liber, ut a tergo forte secutus erat.
occupat amplexu lacrimasque per oscula siccat
et “pariter caeli summa petamus!” ait: 510
“tu mihi iuncta toro mihi iuncta vocabula sumes,
nam tibi mutatae Libera nomen erit;
sintque tuae tecum faciam monumenta coronae,
Volcanus Veneri quam dedit, illa tibi.”
dicta facit gemmasque novem transformat in ignes: 515
aurea per stellas nunc micat illa novem.
459 Straightway at the fall of night shalt thou see the Cnossian Crown.1 It was through the fault of Theseus that Ariadne was made a goddess. Already had she happily exchanged a perjured spouse for Bacchus, she who gave to a thankless man a clue to gather up.2
463 Joying in her lot of love, “Why like a rustic maiden did I weep?” quoth she; “his faithlessness has been my gain.” Meantime Liber had conquered the straight-haired Indians and returned, loaded with treasure, from the eastern world. Amongst the fair captive girls there was one, the daughter of a king, who pleased Bacchus all too well. His loving spouse wept, and pacing the winding shore with dishevelled locks she uttered these words: “Lo, yet again, ye billows, list to my like complaint! Lo, yet again, ye sands, receive my tears! I used to say, I remember, ‘Forsworn and faithless Theseus! He deserted me: now Bacchus does me the same wrong. Now again I will cry! Let no woman trust a man!’ My case has been repeated, only the name is changed. Would that my lot had ended where it first began! So at this moment had I been no more. Why, Liber, didst thou save me to die on desert sands? I might have ended my griefs once and for all. Bacchus, thou light o’ love! lighter than the leaves that wreathe thy brows! Bacchus, whom I have known only that I should weep! Hast thou dared to trouble our so harmonious loves by bringing a leman before mine eyes? Ah, where is plighted troth? Where are the oaths that thou wast wont to swear? Woe’s me, how often must I speak these self-same words! Thou wast wont to blame Theseus; thou wast wont thyself to dub him deceiver; judged by thyself, thine is the fouler sin. Let no man know of this, and let me burn with pangs unuttered, lest they should think that I deserve to be deceived so oft. Above all I would desire the thing were kept from Theseus, that he may not joy to know thee a partner in his guilt. But I suppose a leman fair has been preferred to dusky me:—may that hue fall to my foes! But what does that matter? She is dearer to thee for the very blemish. What art thou about? She defiles thee by her embrace. Bacchus, keep faith, nor prefer any woman to a wife’s love. I have learned to love my love for ever. The horns of a handsome bull won my mother’s heart,3 thine won mine. But my love was cause for praise: hers was shameful. Let me not suffer for my love; thou thyself, Bacchus, didst not suffer for avowing thy flame to me. No wonder that thou dost make me burn; they say thou wert born in the fire and wert snatched from the fire by thy father’s hand.4 I am she to whom thou wert wont to promise heaven. Ah me! what guerdon do I reap instead of heaven!” She finished speaking. Long time had Liber heard her plaint, for as it chanced he followed close behind. He put his arms about her, with kisses dried her tears, and “Let us fare together,” quoth he, “to heaven’s height. As thou hast shared my bed, so shalt thou share my name, for in thy changed state thy name shall be Libera; and I will see to it that with thee there shall be a memorial of thy crown, that crown which Vulcan gave to Venus, and she to thee.” He did as he had said and changed the nine jewels of her crown into fires. Now the golden crown doth sparkle with nine stars.
Ariadne, daughter of Minos, king of Cnossos in Crete, had a golden crown set with gems; which at her death was set in the sky, and the gems became stars.
She gave Theseus a clue of thread to guide him out of the Labyrinth; Theseus deserted her, and Bacchus found and wedded her. Bacchus is said to have conquered India.
Pasiphaë, who was enamoured of a bull, and brought forth the Minotaur.
See l. 715 note.