TRANSLATIONS. THE INFANT HERCULES AND THE SERPENTS. FROM THEOCRITUS. Juno, jealous of the child which Jupiter has had by Alcmena, sends two dreadful serpents to devour the boy. The serpents come upon him, while he and his half-brother Iphiclus, the son of Amphitryon, are sleeping together. Iphiclus, the child of the mortal father, is terrified: Hercules, the infant demi-god, seizes and destroys them, as if they were living play-things. His mother consults the prophet Tiresias on the occasion, and is told of her son's future renown. YOUNG Hercules had now beheld the light Ηρακλέα δεκάμηνον ἐόντα ποχ ̓ ἡ Μιδεᾶτις ̓Αλκμήνα, καὶ νυκτὶ νεώτερον Ιφικλήα, Αμφοτέρους λούσασα καὶ ἐμπλήσασα γάλακτος, Their cradle was a noble shield of brass, Won by her lord from slaughtered Pterelas. Gently she laid them down, and gently laid Her hand on both their heads, and yearned, and said, 66 Sleep, sleep, my boys, a light and pleasant sleep; My little souls, my twins, my guard and keep ! Sleep happy, and wake happy !” And she kept At midnight, when the Bear went down, and broad Orion's shoulder lit the starry road, Χαλκείαν κατέθηκεν ἐπ' ἀσπίδα, τὴν Πτερελάου ̓Αμφιτρύων καλὸν ὅπλον ἀπεσκύλευσε πεσόντος Απτομένα δὲ γυνὰ κεφαλᾶς μυθήσατο παίδων Εὕδετ ̓ ἐμὰ ψυχὰ, δύ' ἀδελφε, εὔσοα τέκνα· Ολβιοι εὐνάξοισθε, καὶ ὄλβιοι ἀῷ ἵκοισθε. Ὣς φαμένα δίνασε σάκος μέγα· τοὺς δ ̓ ἔλαβ ̓ ὕπνος. Αμος δὲ τρέφεται μεσονύκτιον ἐς δύσιν ἄρκτος, Ωρίωνα κατ ̓ ἀυτὸν, ὁ δ ̓ ἀμφαίνει μέγαν ώμον, There came, careering through the opening halls, Serpents; whom Juno, threatening as she drove, And now they have arriv'd, and think to fall To their dread meal, when lo! (for Jove sees all), Τάμος ἄρ αἰνὰ πέλωρα δύω πολυμήχανος Ηρη The house is lit, as with the morning's break, And the dear children of Alcmena wake. The younger one, as soon as he beheld The evil creatures coming on the shield, The other, grappling, seized them by the nape Buckled and bound he held them, struggling wild; Αλκμήνας φίλα τέκνα φάος δ' ἀνὰ οἶκον ἐτύχθη. Δραξάμενος φάρυγος, τόθι φάρμακα λυγρὰ τέτυκται Τὼ δ' αὖτε σπείρῃσιν ἑλισσέσθην περὶ παῖδα The long-begetting boy, the suckling dear, That never teazed his nurses with a tear. Tired out at length, they trail their spires and gasp, Locked in that young indissoluble grasp. 66 Alcmena heard the noise, and “ Wake,” she cried, Amphitryon, wake; for terror holds me tied ! Up; stay not for the sandals : hark ! the child, The youngest-how he shrieks! And see, the walls and windows! 'Tis as light Οψίγονον, γαλαθηνὸν, ὑπὸ τροφῷ αἰὲν ἄδακρυν. |