Speaker 1: Yeah, oh, hi, Hello, they're welcome. This is let's talk
Speaker 1: about Mitts baby, and I am your host, she who
Speaker 1: loves to read aloud and definitely could have been an
Speaker 1: audiobook narrator in Another life Live and Today, well, today
Speaker 1: I am beginning a new series of reading episodes and
Speaker 1: it is very exciting. That's right, I am finally reading
Speaker 1: all of It's met A morphoses to you. I eat
Speaker 1: one of the most beautiful, visceral, and violent sources we
Speaker 1: have when it comes to classical myths. Now, as you've
Speaker 1: heard me say in episodes covering some of these stories,
Speaker 1: often was of course Roman that manifests most obviously in
Speaker 1: the names he uses for the gods. So if you're
Speaker 1: confused by any of them, then please check the link
Speaker 1: in this episode's description. I have a page on my
Speaker 1: website dedicated to explaining who's who and what the Greek
Speaker 1: equivalent is when there is one at least, and that's
Speaker 1: extra relevant here because while oft it was Roman, in
Speaker 1: the case of most of these stories, he is writing
Speaker 1: about characters and stories that are traditionally Greek. We often
Speaker 1: don't know what sources he might have been working off
Speaker 1: of what came long before him. Or what decisions he
Speaker 1: made based on his own choices. But what is obvious
Speaker 1: is this book is great. It's beautiful. It weaves together
Speaker 1: countless stories of transformation in classical man, and oh does
Speaker 1: it do it well. This translation is somewhat new to me,
Speaker 1: so we'll have to see how it handles things. But
Speaker 1: I'm just glad to have finally found a version that
Speaker 1: I can read to you, So let's get right to it.
Speaker 1: The beginning of it all according to Ovid's very very
Speaker 1: Ovidian take. This is Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book one, translated by
Speaker 1: brooks More, Part one. My soul is wrought to sing
Speaker 1: of forms transform to bodies, new and strange. Immortal gods
Speaker 1: inspire my heart, for you have changed yourselves and all
Speaker 1: things you have changed. Oh lead my song in smooth
Speaker 1: and measured strains from olden days when earth began to
Speaker 1: this completed time before the ocean and the earth appeared,
Speaker 1: before the skies had overspread them. All the face of
Speaker 1: nature in a vast expanse, was not but chaos, uniformly waste.
Speaker 1: It was a rude and undeveloped mass that nothing made
Speaker 1: except a ponderous weight, and all discordant elements confused were
Speaker 1: there congested in a shapeless heap. As yet, the Sun
Speaker 1: afforded Earth no light, nor did the Moon renew her
Speaker 1: crescent horns. The Earth was not suspended in the air,
Speaker 1: exactly balanced by her heavy weight. Not far along the
Speaker 1: margin of the shores had emphatritey stretched her lengthened arms.
Speaker 1: For all the land was mixed with sea and air.
Speaker 1: The land was soft, the sea unfit to sail. The
Speaker 1: atmosphere opaque to not was given a proper form in
Speaker 1: everything was strife, and all was mingled in a seething
Speaker 1: mass with hot, the cold parts strove and wet with dry,
Speaker 1: and soft, with hard, and weight, with empty void. But God,
Speaker 1: or kindly nature ended strife. He cut the land from skies,
Speaker 1: the sea from land, the Heaven's ethereal from material air.
Speaker 1: And when we're all evolved from that dark mass, he
Speaker 1: bound the fractious parts in tranquil peace. The fiery element
Speaker 1: of convex heaven leaped from the mass, devoid of dragging weight,
Speaker 1: and chose the summit arch to which the air, as
Speaker 1: next in quality, was next in place. The earth was
Speaker 1: more dense, attracted grosser parts, and moved by gravity sank underneath.
Speaker 1: And last of all, the wide surrounding waves in deeper
Speaker 1: channels rolled around the globe. And when this God, which
Speaker 1: one is yet unknown, had carved asunder that discordant mass
Speaker 1: had thus reduced it to its elements, that every part
Speaker 1: should equally combine. When time began, he rounded out the
Speaker 1: earth and molded it to form a mighty globe. Then
Speaker 1: he poured he forth the deeps and gave command they
Speaker 1: should billow in the rapid waves, that they should compass
Speaker 1: every shore of earth. He also added fountains, pools, and lakes,
Speaker 1: and bound with shelving banks. The slanting streams, which partly
Speaker 1: are absorbed and partly joined the boundless ocean thus received
Speaker 1: amid the wide expanse of uncontrolled waves. They beat the
Speaker 1: shore instead of crooked banks. At his command, the boundless
Speaker 1: plains extend, the valleys are depressed, the woods are clothed
Speaker 1: in green, the stony mountains rise, And as the heavens
Speaker 1: are intersected on the right by two broad zones, by
Speaker 1: two that cut the left, and by a fifth consumed
Speaker 1: with ardent heat. With such a number did the careful
Speaker 1: God mark off the compassed weight, and thus the earth
Speaker 1: received as many climbs. Such heat consumes the middle zone
Speaker 1: that none may dwell therein, and two extremes are covered
Speaker 1: with deep snow, and two are placed between the hot
Speaker 1: and cold, which mixed together give a temperate climb. And
Speaker 1: over all the atmosphere suspends with weight proportioned to the
Speaker 1: fiery sky, exactly as the weight of earth compares with
Speaker 1: weight of water. And he ordered mist to gather in
Speaker 1: the air and spread the clouds. He fixed the thunders
Speaker 1: that disturb our souls, and brought the lightning on destructive
Speaker 1: winds that also wafed the cold. Nor did the great
Speaker 1: Artificer permit these mighty winds to blow unbounded in the
Speaker 1: pathless sky. But each discordant brother fixed in space, although
Speaker 1: his power can scarce restrain their rage to rend the universe.
Speaker 1: At his command to far Aurora, Urus took his way
Speaker 1: to Nabbeth, Persia, and that mountain range first gilded by
Speaker 1: the dawn, and Zephyr's flight was towards the evening star
Speaker 1: and peaceful shores warm with the setting sun, and Boreous
Speaker 1: invaded Skivia and the northern snows, and Auster waft into
Speaker 1: the distant south where clouds and rain encompass his abode,
Speaker 1: and over these he fixed the liquid sky, devoid of
Speaker 1: weight and free from earthly dross, and scarcely had he
Speaker 1: separated these and fixed their certain bounds. When all the stars,
Speaker 1: which long were pressed and hidden in the mass, began
Speaker 1: to gleam out from the planes of heaven and traversed
Speaker 1: with the gods bright ether fields, and lest some part
Speaker 1: might be bereft of life, the gleaming waves were filled
Speaker 1: with twinkling fish. The earth was covered with wild animals,
Speaker 1: the agitated air was filled with birds. But one more
Speaker 1: perfect and more sanctified, a being capable of lofty thought,
Speaker 1: intelligent to rule, was wanting still man was created. Did
Speaker 1: the unknown god, designing then a better world, make man
Speaker 1: of seed divine? Or did Prometheus take the new soil
Speaker 1: of Earth that still contained some godly element of Heaven's life,
Speaker 1: and use it to create the race of man, first
Speaker 1: mingling it with water of new streams, so that his
Speaker 1: creation upright. Man was made an image of commanding gods
Speaker 1: on earth. The brute creation bends its gaze, But man
Speaker 1: was given a lofty countenance, and was commanded to behold
Speaker 1: the skies and with an upright face may view the stars.
Speaker 1: And so it was that shapeless clay put on the
Speaker 1: form of man till then unknown to earth. First was
Speaker 1: the Golden Age. Then rectitude spontaneous in the heart prevailed,
Speaker 1: and faith avengers were not seen, for laws unframed were
Speaker 1: all unknown, and needless punishment and fear of penalties existed.
Speaker 1: Not no harsh decrees were fixed on brazen plates, no
Speaker 1: suppliant multitude. The countenance of justice feared averting, for they
Speaker 1: dwelt without a judge. In peace descended. Not the steeps
Speaker 1: shorn from its height, the lofty pine cleaving the trackless
Speaker 1: waves of alien shores, nor distant realms were known to
Speaker 1: wandering men. The towns were not entrenched for time of war.
Speaker 1: They had no brazen trumpets straight, nor horns of curving brass,
Speaker 1: nor helmets, shields, nor swords. There were no thought of
Speaker 1: martial pomp. Secure a happy multitude enjoyed repose. Then of
Speaker 1: her own accord. The earth produced a store of every fruit.
Speaker 1: The harrow touched her not, nor did the plowshare wound
Speaker 1: her fields, and man content with given food, and none
Speaker 1: compelling gathered our butte fruits and wild strawberries on the
Speaker 1: mountain sides, and ripe blackberries clinging to the bush, and
Speaker 1: corners and sweet acorns on the ground down fallen from
Speaker 1: the spreading tree of Jove. Eternal spring, soft breathing zephyrs
Speaker 1: soothed and warmly cherished buds and blooms produced without a seed.
Speaker 1: The valleys, though unplowed, gave many fruits. The field, though
Speaker 1: not renewed, white, glistened with the heavy bearded wheat rivers
Speaker 1: flowed milk and nectar, and the trees, the very oak trees,
Speaker 1: then gave honey of themselves. When Saturn had been banished
Speaker 1: in tonight and all the world was ruled by Jove Supreme,
Speaker 1: the silver age, though not so good as gold, but
Speaker 1: still surpassing yellow brass, prevailed. Jove first reduced to years.
Speaker 1: The primal spring by him divided into periods four unequal summer, autumn, winter.
Speaker 1: Spring then glowed with tawny heat. The parched air or
Speaker 1: pendent icicles in winter froze, and man stopped crouching in
Speaker 1: crude caverns while he built his homes of tree rods
Speaker 1: bark entwined. Then were the cereals planted in long rows
Speaker 1: and bullocks growned beneath the heavy yoke. The third age followed,
Speaker 1: called the Age of Bronze, when cruel people were in
Speaker 1: lined to arms, but not impious crimes. And last of all,
Speaker 1: the ruthless and hard age of iron prevailed, from which malignant, vain,
Speaker 1: great evil sprung, and modesty and faith and truth took flight,
Speaker 1: and in their stead deceits and snares and frauds, and
Speaker 1: violence and wicked love of gain succeeded. Then the sailor
Speaker 1: spread his sails to winds unknown and keels that long
Speaker 1: had stood on lofty mountains, pierced uncharted waves, Surveyors anxious,
Speaker 1: marked with meats and bounds the lands created free as
Speaker 1: light and air, nor need the rich ground furnish only crops,
Speaker 1: and given due nourishment by right required, they penetrated to
Speaker 1: the bowels of earth and dug up wealth bad cause
Speaker 1: of all our ills. Rich ores which long ago the
Speaker 1: earth had hid and deep, removed to gloomy, stidgy in caves,
Speaker 1: And soon structive iron and harmful gold were brought to light,
Speaker 1: and war which uses both came forth and shook with
Speaker 1: sanguinary grip. His clashing arms. Rapacity broke forth, the guest
Speaker 1: was not protected from his host, the father in law
Speaker 1: from his own son in law. Even brothers seldom could
Speaker 1: abide in peace. The husband threatened to destroy his wife,
Speaker 1: and she her husband. Horrid step Dame's mixed at the
Speaker 1: deadly henbane. Eager sons enquired their father's ages, piety was slain,
Speaker 1: and last of all, the virgin deity Astraa vanished from
Speaker 1: the blood stained Earth, and less ethereal heights should long
Speaker 1: remain less troubled than the Earth. The throne of Heaven
Speaker 1: was threatened by the giants, and they piled mountains on
Speaker 1: mountains to the lofty stars. But Jove Omnipotence, shot thunderbolt
Speaker 1: through Mount Olympus, and he overturned from assa huge enormous pelion.
Speaker 1: And while these dreadful bodies lay overwhelmed in their tremendous bulk,
Speaker 1: so Fame reports the Earth was reeking with a copious
Speaker 1: blood of her gigantic sons, and thus replete with moister.
Speaker 1: She infused the streaming gore with life renewed, so that
Speaker 1: a moment of such ferocity stock should be retained. She
Speaker 1: made that offspring in the shape of man, But this
Speaker 1: new race alike despised the gods, and by the greed
Speaker 1: of savage slaughter, proved a sanguinary birth. When from his
Speaker 1: throne Supreme, the son of Saturn, viewed their deeds, he
Speaker 1: deeply groaned, and, calling to his mind the loathsome feast
Speaker 1: like aon, had prepared a recent deed not common to report.
Speaker 1: His soul conceived great anger worthy Jove, and he convened
Speaker 1: a council. No delay detained the chosen gods. When skies
Speaker 1: are clear, a path is well defined on high, which men,
Speaker 1: because so white, have named the Milky Way. It makes
Speaker 1: a passage for the deities and leads to mansions of
Speaker 1: the thunder God to Jove's imperial home. On either side
Speaker 1: of its wide way, the noble gods are seen inferior
Speaker 1: gods and other parts abide, but they're the potent and
Speaker 1: renowned of Heaven have fixed their homes. It is a
Speaker 1: glorious place. Our most audacious Verse might designate the Palace
Speaker 1: of High Heaven. When the gods were seated Therefore, in
Speaker 1: its marble halls, the king of all above the Throng,
Speaker 1: sat high and leaning on his ivory scepter thrice and
Speaker 1: once again he shook his awful locks, wherewith he moved
Speaker 1: the earth and seas and stars, and thus indignantly began
Speaker 1: to speak the time when serpent footed giant strove to
Speaker 1: fix their hundred arms on captive heaven. Not more than
Speaker 1: this event could cause alarm for my dominion of the universe,
Speaker 1: although it was a savage enemy. Yet ward we, with
Speaker 1: a single source derived of one now must I utterly
Speaker 1: destroy this mortal race. Wherever Narius roars around the world, Yes,
Speaker 1: by the infernal streams that glide through Stygian groves beneath
Speaker 1: the world, I swear it. Every method have been tried.
Speaker 1: The knife must cut immedicable wounds, less maladies infect untainted parts.
Speaker 1: Beneath my sway are demigods and fawns, nymphs, rustic deities,
Speaker 1: sylvans of the hills, satyrs, all these unworthy Heaven's abodes
Speaker 1: we should at least permit to dwell on Earth, which
Speaker 1: we to them bequeathed. What think you gods is safety?
Speaker 1: There's when I, your sovereign lord, the thunderbolt controller and
Speaker 1: ensnared by fierce pichon ardent in their wrath, the astonished
Speaker 1: god's demand revenge overtake this miscreant, he who dared commit
Speaker 1: such crimes. Twas even thus, when raged that impious band
Speaker 1: to blot the Roman name in sacred blood of Caesar,
Speaker 1: sudden apprehensive fears of ruined absolute astonished man and all
Speaker 1: the world convulsed. Nor is the love thy people bear
Speaker 1: to thee Augustus less than these displayed to Jupiter, whose
Speaker 1: voice and gesture all the murmuring host restrained, and as
Speaker 1: indignant clamor ceased suppressed by Regent Majesty, Jove once again
Speaker 1: broke the deep silence with imperial words, dismiss your cares.
Speaker 1: He paid the penalty. However, all the crimes and punishment
Speaker 1: now learn from this. An infamous report of this on
Speaker 1: holy age has reached my ears, and, wishing it were false,
Speaker 1: I sloped my course from high Olympus, and although a
Speaker 1: god disguise and human form I viewed the world, it
Speaker 1: would delay us to recount the crimes unnumbered, for reports
Speaker 1: were less than truth. I traversed maneless, where fearful dens
Speaker 1: abound over like chaus wintry slopes of pine tree groves
Speaker 1: across kilin E steep, And as the twilight warned of
Speaker 1: night's approach, I stopped in that arcadian tyrant's realms and
Speaker 1: entered his inhospitable home. And when I showed his people
Speaker 1: that a God had come, the lowly prayed and worshiped me.
Speaker 1: But this like aon, mocked their pious vows, and scoffing, said,
Speaker 1: a fair experiment will prove the truth, if this be
Speaker 1: God or man. And he prepared to slay me in
Speaker 1: the night, to end my slumbers in the sleep of death.
Speaker 1: So made he marry with his impious proof. But not
Speaker 1: content with this, he cut the throat of molossy and
Speaker 1: hostage sent to him, and partly softened is still quivering
Speaker 1: limbs and boiling water, partly roasted them on fires that
Speaker 1: burned beneath. And when this flesh was served to me
Speaker 1: on tables, I destroyed his dwelling and his worthless household
Speaker 1: gods with thunderbolts, avenging terror struck, he took to flight,
Speaker 1: and all in the silent planes is howling in his
Speaker 1: vein attempts to speak. He raves and rages, and his
Speaker 1: greedy jaws, desiring their accustomed slaughter, turn against the sheep,
Speaker 1: still eager for their blood. His vesture separates in shaggy hair,
Speaker 1: his arms are changed to legs, and as a wolf
Speaker 1: he has the same gray locks, the same hard face,
Speaker 1: the same bright eyes, the same ferocious look. Thus fell
Speaker 1: one house, but not one house alone, deserved to perish
Speaker 1: over all the earth. Ferocious deeds prevail all men conspire
Speaker 1: in evil. Let them therefore feel the weight of dreadful
Speaker 1: penalties so justly earned. For such hath My unchanging will
Speaker 1: ordained with exclamations. Some approved the words of Jove and
Speaker 1: added fuel to his wrath, while others gave assent. But
Speaker 1: all deplored and questioned the estate of Earth, deprived of
Speaker 1: mortals who could offer frankincense upon the altars, would he
Speaker 1: suffer Earth to be despoiled by hungry beasts of prey?
Speaker 1: Such idle questions of the state of man. The King
Speaker 1: of Gods forbade, but granted soon to people Earth with
Speaker 1: race miraculous Unlike the first and thou his thunderbolts would
Speaker 1: jove wide scatter, But he feared the flames unnumbered sacred
Speaker 1: ether might ignite and burn the axle of the universe.
Speaker 1: And he remembered in the scroll of Fate, there is
Speaker 1: a time appointed when the sea and earth and Heaven's
Speaker 1: shall melt and fire destroy the universe of mighty labor
Speaker 1: wrought such weapons by the scale of cyclops, forged for
Speaker 1: different punishment, he laid aside for straightway. He preferred to
Speaker 1: overwhelm the mortal race beneath deep waves and storms from
Speaker 1: every raging sky. And instantly he shut the north wind
Speaker 1: in Naolian caves, and every other wind that might dispel
Speaker 1: the gathering clouds. He bade the south wind blow. The
Speaker 1: south wind flies abroad with dripping wings, conceal'd in the
Speaker 1: gloom his awful face. The drenching rain descends from his
Speaker 1: wet beard and hoary locks. Dark clouds are on his brows,
Speaker 1: and from his wings and garments strip the dews. His
Speaker 1: great hands press the overhanging clouds loudly. The thunders roll,
Speaker 1: the torrents pour iris. The messenger of Juno, clad in
Speaker 1: many colored raiment upward, draws the steaming moisture to renew
Speaker 1: the clouds. The standing grain is beaten to the ground.
Speaker 1: The rustic's crops are scatter'd in the mire, and he
Speaker 1: bewails the long year's fruitless toil. The wrath of Jove
Speaker 1: was not content with powers that emanate from heaven, he
Speaker 1: brought to aid his azure brother, lord of flowing waves,
Speaker 1: who called upon the rivers and the streams, and when
Speaker 1: they enter'd his imparled abode. Neptune, their ancient ruler, thus
Speaker 1: began a long appeal, is needless, pour you forth in
Speaker 1: rage of power, Open up your fountains, rush over obstacles,
Speaker 1: Let every stream pour forth in boundless flood. Thus he commanded,
Speaker 1: and none dissenting, all the river gods return, and, opening
Speaker 1: up their fountains, rolled tumultuous to the deep unfruitful sea.
Speaker 1: And Neptune with his tried and smote the earth, which,
Speaker 1: trembling with unwonted throws, heaved up the sources of her
Speaker 1: water bear and through her open plains. The rapid rivers
Speaker 1: rushed resistless onward, bearing the waving grain, the budding groves,
Speaker 1: the houses, sheep and men, and holy temples and their
Speaker 1: sacred urns. The mansions that remained resisting vast and total
Speaker 1: ruin and deepening waves concealed and whelmed their tottering turrets
Speaker 1: in the flood and whirling gulf. And now one vast
Speaker 1: expanse the land and sea were mingled in the waste
Speaker 1: of endless waves, a sea without a shore. One desperate
Speaker 1: man seized on the nearest hill. Another sitting in his
Speaker 1: curved boat, plied the long oar where he was wont
Speaker 1: to plow. Another sailed above his grain, above his hidden dwelling.
Speaker 1: And another hook to fish that sported in a leafy elm.
Speaker 1: Perchance an anchor dropped in verdant fields or curving keels
Speaker 1: were pushed through tangled vines, and where the grace outgoat
Speaker 1: enjoyed the screen. Unsightly seals reposed beneath the waves were
Speaker 1: wandering in areas, viewing cities, groves and houses. Dolphins darting
Speaker 1: mid the tree is meshed in the twisted branches, beat
Speaker 1: against the shaken oak trees. They're the sheep afraid, swimming
Speaker 1: with the frightened wolf. The surging waves float tigers and
Speaker 1: lions avails, not his lightning shock, the wild boar nor
Speaker 1: avails the stag's fleet footed speed, the wandering bird seeking
Speaker 1: umbrageous groves and hidden veils, with wearied, pinioned droops into
Speaker 1: the sea. The waves increasing surge above the hills, and
Speaker 1: rising waters dash on mountaintops. Myriads by the waves are
Speaker 1: swept away, and those the waters spare for lack of food.
Speaker 1: Starvation slowly overcomes at last a fruitful land and fair,
Speaker 1: but now submerged. Beneath the wilderness of rising waves. Between
Speaker 1: Ita and Aionia, focus lies where through the clouds pardon
Speaker 1: assess summits point upwards to the stars unmeasured height, save
Speaker 1: which the rolling billows covered all there. In a small
Speaker 1: and fragile boat arrived Ducalian and the consort of his couch,
Speaker 1: prepared to worship the Corkyrian nymphs, the mountain deities and
Speaker 1: famous kind who in that age revealed an oracles, the
Speaker 1: voice of Fate. And he no other lived so good
Speaker 1: and just as she, no other feared the gods. When
Speaker 1: Jupiter beheld the globe in ruin, covered swept with wasting waves,
Speaker 1: and when he saw one man of Myriads left, one
Speaker 1: helpless woman left of Myriads, a lone, both innocent and
Speaker 1: worshiping the gods, he scattered all the clouds. He blew
Speaker 1: away the great storms by the cold north wind. Once
Speaker 1: more the earth appeared to have in and the skies
Speaker 1: appeared to earth. The fury of the Maine abated for
Speaker 1: the ocean ruler laid his trident down and pacified the waves,
Speaker 1: and called on Azure Triton. Triton arose above the waving seas,
Speaker 1: his shoulders mailed in purple shells. He bade the triton blow,
Speaker 1: blow in his sounding shell the wandering streams and rivers
Speaker 1: to recall with signal known a hollow wreathed trumpet, tapering
Speaker 1: wide and slender stemmed, the triton took a mane and
Speaker 1: wound the pearly shell at midmost sea, between the rising
Speaker 1: and the setting suns. The wildered notes were sounded shore
Speaker 1: to shore, and as it touched his lips, wet with
Speaker 1: the brine beneath his dripping beard, sounded retreat, and all
Speaker 1: the waters of the land and sea obeyed. Their fountains
Speaker 1: heard and ceased to flow. Their waves subsided, hidden hills
Speaker 1: uprose and mur the shores of ocean channels filled with
Speaker 1: flowing streams. The soil appeared, the land increased its surface
Speaker 1: as the waves decreased, and after length of days, the
Speaker 1: trees put forth with ooze on bending boughs their naked tops,
Speaker 1: and all the wasted globe was now restored. But as
Speaker 1: he viewed the vast and silent world, Dcalian wept, and
Speaker 1: thus to Pierre A spoke, Oh, sister wife alone of
Speaker 1: woman left my kindred in descent and origin, dearest companion
Speaker 1: of my marriage, bed doubly endeared by deepening dangers, born
Speaker 1: of all the dawn and Eve behold the earth, But
Speaker 1: you and I are left, for the deep sea has
Speaker 1: kept the rest, and what prevents the tide from overwhelming us?
Speaker 1: Remaining clouds affright us? How could you endure your fears
Speaker 1: if you alone were rescued by this fate? And who
Speaker 1: would then console your bitter grief? Oh? Be assured, if
Speaker 1: you were buried in the waves, that I would follow
Speaker 1: you and be with you. Oh, would that by my
Speaker 1: father's art, I might restore the people and inspire this
Speaker 1: clay to take the form of man alas the God's decreed.
Speaker 1: And only we are living. Thus to Callian's plaint to Pira,
Speaker 1: and they wept, And after he had spoken, they resolved
Speaker 1: to ask the aid of sacred oracles. And so they
Speaker 1: hastened to Caffissian waves, which rolled a turbid flood of
Speaker 1: in channels known thence. When their robes and brows were
Speaker 1: sprinkled well. They turned their footsteps to the goddess is fain.
Speaker 1: Its gables were befouled with reeking moss, and on its
Speaker 1: altars every fire was cold. But when the two had
Speaker 1: reached the temple steps, they fell upon the earth, inspired
Speaker 1: with awe and k is to the cold stone with
Speaker 1: their trembling lips, and said, if righteous prayers appease the gods,
Speaker 1: and if the wrath of high celestial powers may thus
Speaker 1: be turned, declare oh famous, whence and what the art
Speaker 1: may raise humanity? Oh gentle Goddess, help the dying world.
Speaker 1: Moved by their supplications, she replied, depart from me, and
Speaker 1: veil your brows, ungird your robes, and cast behind you
Speaker 1: as you go the bones of your great mother. Long
Speaker 1: they stood in dumb amazement. Pierra, first of voice, refused
Speaker 1: the mandate, and with trembling lips, implored the goddess to forgive.
Speaker 1: She feared to violate her mother's bones and vex her
Speaker 1: sacred spirit. Often pondered they the words involved in such absurdity,
Speaker 1: Repeating oft and thus decali into Epimetheus's daughter uttered speech
Speaker 1: of soothing, import oracles are and urged not evil deeds
Speaker 1: or not avails the skills of thought. Our mother is
Speaker 1: the Earth, and I may judge the stones of earth
Speaker 1: our bones, that we should cast behind us as we go.
Speaker 1: And although Pierra, by his words, was moved, she hesitated
Speaker 1: to comply, and both amazed doubted the purpose of the oracle,
Speaker 1: but deemed no harm to come of trial. They descending
Speaker 1: from the temple, veiled their heads and loosed their robes,
Speaker 1: and threw some stones behind them. It is much beyond
Speaker 1: belief we're not receding ages. Witness, hard and rigid stones
Speaker 1: assumed a softer form, enlarging as their brittle nature changed
Speaker 1: to milder substance, till the shape of man appeared, imperfect
Speaker 1: faintly outlined first as marble statue, chiseled in the rough.
Speaker 1: The soft, moist parts were changed to softer flesh, the
Speaker 1: hard and brittle substance into bones. Veins retained their ancient name.
Speaker 1: And now the God's Supreme ordained that every stone to
Speaker 1: Callion through should take the form of man, and those
Speaker 1: by Pierre Caste should woman's form assume. So are we
Speaker 1: hardy to endure and prove by toil and deeds from
Speaker 1: what we sprung and after this the earth spontaneous produced
Speaker 1: the world of animals. When all remaining moistures of the
Speaker 1: miriy fens fermented in the sun and fruitful seeds in soils,
Speaker 1: nutritious grew to shapes ordained. So when the seven streamed
Speaker 1: Nile from oozy fields returned duly to her ancient bed,
Speaker 1: the sun's ethereal rays impregnate the slime that haply. As
Speaker 1: the peasants turn the soil, they find strange animals unknown before,
Speaker 1: some in the moment of their birth, and some deprived
Speaker 1: of limbs. Imperfect often part alive and part of slime
Speaker 1: in animate, are fashioned into one body. Heat combined with
Speaker 1: moisture soap conceives, and life results from these two things.
Speaker 1: For though the flames maybe the foes of water, everything
Speaker 1: that lives begins in humid vapor, and it seems discordant.
Speaker 1: Concord is the means of life. When Earth spread over
Speaker 1: with deluvian ooze, felt heat ethereal from the glowing sun,
Speaker 1: unnumbered species to the light, she gave and gave to
Speaker 1: being many an ancient form or monster new created. Unwilling
Speaker 1: she created thus enormous python, thou unheard of serpents spread
Speaker 1: so far athwart the side of a vast mountain, did
Speaker 1: fill with fear the race of new created man, the
Speaker 1: god that bears the bow, a weapon used till then
Speaker 1: only to hunt the deer, and agile Goat destroyed the
Speaker 1: monster with the myriad darts, and almost emptied all his quiver.
Speaker 1: Till and venomed Gore oozed forth from livid wounds, lest
Speaker 1: in a dark oblivion time should hide the fame of
Speaker 1: this achievement. Sacred sports he instituted from the Python, called
Speaker 1: the Pythian Games. In these, the happy youth who proved
Speaker 1: victorious in the chariot race, running and boxing with an
Speaker 1: honored crown of oak leaves, was in wreathed. The laurel
Speaker 1: then was not created. Wherefore Phoebus, bright and godlike beauteous,
Speaker 1: with his flowing hair, was wont to reathe his brows
Speaker 1: with various leaves. Oh, nerds, nerds, nerds, do you know
Speaker 1: how excited I am to be finally reading of its
Speaker 1: metamorphoses to you? Do you know how long I've been
Speaker 1: trying to find a copyright free version, how much digging
Speaker 1: into publication days and author's debts and copyright low I've
Speaker 1: had to do fucking of it's metamorphysease. Honestly, if anything
Speaker 1: was worth the trouble, it is this Book one, or
Speaker 1: at least this first half of Book one, is admittedly
Speaker 1: not the most thrilling throughout, mostly because it's just like
Speaker 1: the origins of things, and also of it introduces this
Speaker 1: idea of the ages of humanity. It's a bit hard
Speaker 1: to track. This is very a combination of Roman mythology
Speaker 1: and Greek this early on, and then also you know,
Speaker 1: even mentioning Augustus and Caesar, you can tell kind of
Speaker 1: where and when and kind of why it is writing.
Speaker 1: It's a little bit unique. But just you wait because
Speaker 1: it's about to get dramatic and full of trauma and
Speaker 1: tragedy and devotion and so so so many transformations. Metamorphoses
Speaker 1: even fucking love it. Also, there's a new translation of
Speaker 1: this coming out in October that I literally cannot wait
Speaker 1: it for, Like I'm sad that I have to cover
Speaker 1: any stories from Metamorphoses before this book comes out, because
Speaker 1: I want it now. It's translated by Stephanie McCarter, and
Speaker 1: she tweeted some things about what it's been like to
Speaker 1: translate choices she had to make I cannot wait. As
Speaker 1: with all reading episodes, these will be coming out on
Speaker 1: Fridays when I don't have a conversation scheduled. They're a
Speaker 1: great way for you all to hear these actual works,
Speaker 1: if in very old and stuffy translations, and great ways
Speaker 1: for me to prepare episodes in advance, because I seriously
Speaker 1: truly love reading things aloud. As if that hasn't become
Speaker 1: very very obvious by now, let's not go if maybe
Speaker 1: it's written and produced by me live Albert Michaelis Smith
Speaker 1: is the Hermies to my Olympians. She handled so many
Speaker 1: podcasts related things, from running the YouTube, to creating promotional
Speaker 1: images and videos, to editing and research. Stephanie Folly works
Speaker 1: to transcribe the podcast for YouTube captions and accessibility. The
Speaker 1: podcast is hosted and monetized by a cast. You are
Speaker 1: all wonderful. Thank you for listening. Back with more soon.
Speaker 1: Next up in the second half of book one, Daphne
Speaker 1: and Apollo. I am living. I love this ship.