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    		•

    P. Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses (ed. Brookes More)

    Book 3

    Editions and translations: English (ed. Brookes More) | Latin (ed. Hugo Magnus) | English (ed. Arthur Golding)
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    Tiresias.

    TIRESIASBLINDPROPHECIES

    While these events according to the laws
    of destiny occurred, and while the child,
    the twice-born Bacchus, in his cradle lay,
    'Tis told that Jupiter, a careless hour,
    indulged too freely in the nectar cup;
    and having laid aside all weighty cares,
    jested with Juno as she idled by.

    Freely the god began; “Who doubts the truth?
    The female's pleasure is a great delight,
    much greater than the pleasure of a male.”
    Juno denied it; wherefore 'twas agreed
    to ask Tiresias to declare the truth,
    than whom none knew both male and female joys:
    for wandering in a green wood he had seen
    two serpents coupling; and he took his staff
    and sharply struck them, till they broke and fled.
    'Tis marvelous, that instant he became
    a woman from a man, and so remained
    while seven autumns passed. When eight were told,
    again he saw them in their former plight,
    and thus he spoke; “Since such a power was wrought,
    by one stroke of a staff my sex was changed--
    again I strike!” And even as he struck
    the same two snakes, his former sex returned;
    his manhood was restored.--

    as both agreed
    to choose him umpire of the sportive strife,
    he gave decision in support of Jove;
    from this the disappointment Juno felt
    surpassed all reason, and enraged, decreed
    eternal night should seal Tiresias' eyes.--
    immortal Deities may never turn
    decrees and deeds of other Gods to naught,
    but Jove, to recompense his loss of sight,
    endowed him with the gift of prophecy.

    Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Ov.+Met.+3.314

    The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

    This text is based on the following book(s):
    Ovid. Metamorphoses. Brookes More. Boston. Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922.
    OCLC: 24965574


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