13. Through her bosom, we
are told,4356
Nana
conceived a son by an apple. The opinion is self-consistent; for
where
rocks and hard
stones bring forth, there apples must have their
time of generating.
4357
| 4357
Lit., “must rut”—suriant, as deer.
The ms., first four edd., and Elm. read
surgant—“rise,” corrected as above in the
margin of Ursinus. |
The Berecyntian
goddess fed the
imprisoned maiden with nuts
4358
| 4358
Lit., “acorns”—glandibus. |
and
figs, fitly and rightly; for it
was right that she should
live on apples who had been made a mother by
an apple. After her
offspring was
born, it was ordered by
Sangarius to be cast
far away: that which he believed to be
divinely conceived long before, he would not have
4359
| 4359
The ms. reads des-, emended
as above ded-ignatus by Stewechius, followed by Heraldus and
Orelli. |
called the
offspring of his
child. The
infant was brought up on he-
goats’
milk. O
story ever opposed and most inimical to the male sex, in which not only
do men lay aside their virile powers, but
beasts even which were males
become mothers!
4360
He
was famous for his
beauty, and distinguished by his remarkable
4361
| 4361
Lit., “praiseworthy.” |
comeliness. It is wonderful enough that the noisome stench of
goats did not cause him to be
avoided and fled from. The Great
Mother
loved him—if as a
grandmother her grandson, there is
nothing wrong; but if as the theatres tell, her
love is infamous and
disgraceful. Acdestis, too,
loved him above all, enriching him
with a hunter’s
gifts. There could be no
danger to his
purity from one emasculated,
you say; but it is not easy to
guess what Midas dreaded? The Mother entered bearing
4362
the very
walls. Here we wondered, indeed, at the might and
strength of the
deity; but again
4363
| 4363
So the ms., both Roman edd., LB., Hild.
and Oehler, reading rursus, for which the others receive
the emendation of Gelenius, regis—“the king’s
carelessness.” |
we
blame
her carelessness, because when she remembered the
decree of
fate,
4364
| 4364
Lit., “the law and fate.” |
she
heedlessly laid open the city to its
enemies. Acdestis cites to
fury and madness those celebrating the nuptial
vows. If King
Midas had displeased
him who was binding the
youth to a
wife, of
what had Gallus been
guilty, and his
concubine’s
daughter, that
he should
rob himself of his manhood, she herself of her breasts?
“Take and keep these,” says he,
4365
“because of which you have
excited such commotions to the overwhelming of
our minds with
fear.” We should none of us yet know what the frenzied
Acdestis had desired in his paramour’s body, had not the boy
thrown to him, to appease his wrath,
4366
| 4366
The ms. reads satietati-s
objecisset offensi, corrected as above by Hild., (omitting
s), followed by Oehler. The conjectures of previous edd.
are very harsh and forced. |
the parts cut off.
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