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Battus.

Flebat opemque tuam frustra Philyreius heros,
Delphice, poscebat. Nam nec rescindere magni
iussa Iovis poteras, nec, si rescindere posses,
tunc aderas: Elin Messeniaque arva colebas.

BATTUS AND MERCURY

680Illud erat tempus, quo te pastoria pellis
texit onusque fuit baculum silvestre sinistrae,
alterius dispar septenis fistula cannis.
Dumque amor est curae, dum te tua fistula mulcet,
incustoditae Pylios memorantur in agros
685processisse boves. Videt has Atlantide Maia
natus et arte sua silvis occultat abactas.
Senserat hoc furtum nemo nisi notus in illo
rure senex; Battum vicinia tota vocabant.
Divitis hic saltus herbosaque pascua Nelei
690nobiliumque greges custos servabat equarum.
Hunc timuit blandaque manu seduxit et illi
“quisquis es, hospes” ait, “si forte armenta requiret
haec aliquis, vidisse nega; neu gratia facto
nulla rependatur, nitidam cape praemia vaccam” —
695et dedit. Accepta voces has reddidit hospes:
“Tutus eas: lapis iste prius tua furta loquetur”,
et lapidem ostendit. Simulat Iove natus abire,
mox redit, et versa pariter cum voce figura
“rustice, vidisti siquas hoc limite” dixit
700“ire boves, fer opem furtoque silentia deme:
iuncta suo pariter dabitur ubi femina tauro.”
At senior, postquam est merces geminata, “sub illis
montibus” inquit “erunt”: et erant sub montibus illis.
Risit Atlantiades et “me mihi, perfide, prodis?
705me mihi prodis?” ait, periuraque pectora vertit
in durum silicem, qui nunc quoque dicitur index,
inque nihil merito vetus est infamia saxo.
Ovid. Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892.

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  • Commentary references to this page (1):
    • Thomas W. Allen, E. E. Sikes, Commentary on the Homeric Hymns, HYMN TO HERMES
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (1):
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