golden-sworded[1] Ceres, renowned for fruits, as she was sporting with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus, and culling flowers through the soft meadow, roses, and crocus, and beauteous violets, and iris, and hyacinths, and narcissus, which earth, at the behest of Jove, brought forth as a snare to the virgin, favouring the Many-receiver,[2] wondrously flourishing, a marvel then for all to behold, both immortal gods and mortal men. And from its root a hundred heads sprang forth, and the whole wide heaven above was scented with its fragrance, and the whole earth laughed, and the briny wave of the sea. But she, astonished, stretched out both her hands to seize the pretty plaything; but the wide-wayed earth gaped in the Mysian plain, where the many-receiving king, the many-named son of Saturn, leaped forth with his immortal steeds, and having snatched away her unwilling in his golden chariot, he led her away weeping, and she shrieked aloud with her voice, calling upon her supreme and best sire, the son of Saturn. But no one of the immortals nor of mortal men heard her voice, no, nor the olives with their rich fruit,[3] save only the daughter of Perseus, mild in spirit, light-veiled Hecate, who heard her from her cave, and the king Sun, the glorious son of Hyperion, [heard] the girl calling on her Saturn-descended sire. But he said apart, away from the gods, in his well-fastened temple, receiving beauteous offerings from mortal men. But her father's brother, the Many-receiver, who rules over many, the many-named son of Saturn, bore her away against her will with his immortal steeds. Now as long as the goddess beheld the earth and the starry heaven, and the much-flowing fishy sea, and the rays of the sun, and still hoped to behold her careful mother, and the tribes of the gods who are for ever, so long did hope soften her mighty mind, although grieving. But the heights of the
- ↑ This epithet has given rise to much doubt, and Ruhnken seems to be right in reading Χροσοθρόνου. Lucas translates:
"———who widely wields
Her golden sceptre o'er the fruitful fields." - ↑ Pluto or Hades.
- ↑ Ruhnken is very dissatisfied with the mention of olives here, and, considering that an animate object ought to be mentioned, he would read οὐδ' ἀγλαόμορφοι ἑταῖραι. Lucas defends it, observing, "nothing is more common with poets than to feign an attention in mountains, woods, rivers, &c, to persons singing or bewailing." He compares Virg. Ecl. x. 8.
