Ovid
quos potuit solos, tollens ad sidera vultus et gemitu et lacrimis et luctisono mugitu cum Iove visa queri finemque orare malorum. 734coniugis ille suae conplexus colla lacertis, finiat ut poenas tandem, rogat “in” que “futurum pone metus” inquit: “numquam tibi causa doloris haec erit,” et Stygias iubet hoc audire paludes. Ut lenita dea est, vultus capit illa priores fitque, quod ante fuit: fugiunt e corpore saetae, 740cornua decrescunt, fit luminis artior orbis, contrahitur rictus, redeunt umerique manusque, ungulaque in quinos dilapsa absumitur ungues: de bove nil superest formae nisi candor in illa. officioque pedum nymphe contenta duorum 745erigitur metuitque loqui, ne more iuvencae mugiat, et timide verba intermissa retemptat. Nunc dea linigera colitur celeberrima turba. huic1 Epaphus magni genitus de semine tandem creditur esse Iovis perque urbes iuncta parenti 750templa tenet. fuit huic animis aequalis et annis Sole satus Phaethon, quem quondam magna loquentem nec sibi cedentem Phoeboque parente superbum non tulit Inachides “matri” que ait “omnia demens credis et es tumidus genitoris imagine falsi.” 755erubuit Phaethon iramque pudore repressit et tulit ad Clymenen Epaphi convicia matrem “quo” que “magis doleas, genetrix” ait, “ille ego liber,
Metamorphoses Book I
which alone she could raise, to the high stars, and with groans and tears and agonized mooings she seemed to voice her griefs to Jove and to beg him to end her woes. Thereupon Jove threw his arms about his spouse’s neck, and begged her at last to end her vengeance, saying: “Lay aside all fear for the future; she shall never be source of grief to you again”; and he called upon the Stygian pools to witness his oath.
The goddess’s wrath is soothed; Io gains back her former looks, and becomes what she was before. The rough hair falls away from her body, her horns disappear, her great round eyes grow smaller, her gaping mouth is narrowed, her shoulders and her hands come back, and the hoofs are gone, being changed each into five nails. No trace of the heifer is left in her save only the fair whiteness of her body. And now the nymph, able at last to stand upon two feet, stands erect; yet fears to speak, lest she moo in the heifer’s way, and with fear and trembling she resumes her long-abandoned speech.
Now, with fullest service, she is worshipped as a goddess by the linen-robed throng. A son, Epaphus, was born to her, thought to have sprung at length from the seed of mighty Jove, and throughout the cities dwelt in temples with his mother. He had a companion of like mind and age named Phaëthon, child of the Sun. When this Phaëthon was once speaking proudly, and refused to give way to him, boasting that Phoebus was his father, the grandson of Inachus rebelled and said: “You are a fool to believe all your mother tells you, and are swelled up with false notions about your father.” Phaëthon grew red with rage, but repressed his anger through very shame and carried Epaphus’ insulting taunt straight to his mother, Clymene. “And that you