. . . the dog that Procris had been given by Minos and brought over from Crete.
Library 2.4.7
Procris sleeps with Pteleon in return for a golden crown. When Cephalus discovers this, she flees to Minos in Crete, who has a fairly serious problem. His wife Pasiphae, envious of his numerous lovers, has cast a spell on him so that he ejaculates harmful beasts, killing any woman who sleeps with him. Procris gives him a magic drink that clears the problem, and sleeps with him. A grateful Minos gives her the magic dog and spear but, fearful of Pasiphae, Procris returns to Athens. She is reconciled to Cephalus and, a keen huntress, joins him in the chase. But she is killed by Cephalus, who throws his spear into the bush where, unknown to him, she is pursuing an animal.
Library 3.15.1
Antoninus Liberalis (second century AD?, probably drawing on Nicander, c. 130 BC)
Cephalus marries Procris, but Eos (Aurora), falling for his looks, abducts and seduces him . . . [gap in the text here]. Cephalus, testing to see if Procris intends to remain faithful to him, pretends to go hunting, and tells a messenger to give her gold from a stranger who wants to sleep with her. When the amount is doubled, Procris agrees. Cephalus reveals the truth, and the shamed Procris flees to stay with Minos on Crete. Minos has a problem: he is childless because he ejaculates snakes, scorpions and millipedes, killing any woman who sleeps with him. Procris tells him to ejaculate into a goatskin bag before having intercourse with his wife Pasiphae. This he does, and when Pasiphae produces children, he rewards Procris with the magic spear and dog. She returns to Cephalus, having disguised herself as a young man, hunts with him and says she will give him the dog and spear only if he sleeps with her/him. He agrees, she reveals her true identity, and upbraids him for behaving even worse than she had. [There is nothing about Procris’ death.]
Metamorphōsēs 41
Hyginus (second century AD)
Cephalus and Procris pledge loyalty to each other, so that when Aurora abducts Cephalus, he rejects her advances. Aurora, saying that she does not want him to break his pledge unless Procris does first, changes his shape and sends him as a guest with gifts to seduce Procris. Procris yields, Aurora undoes the disguise and Procris flees to Crete, where she hunts with Diana, who gives her the magic spear and dog. Diana then disguises her as a young man and she returns to Cephalus, matching him in hunting with the spear and dog. Cephalus, desperate to get the spear and dog, agrees to her/his demand to sleep with her/him – where he discovers that the ‘boy’ is his wife. They are reconciled. But, still fearful of Aurora, Procris hides in the bushes to watch him hunting and is killed by the javelin when the bushes move and he takes her for a wild animal.
Genealogiae 189
Vocabulary and grammar
694 *Procris (Greek acc. Procrin) Procris
sī forte magis: in case his listeners do not know who Procris was, Cephalus politely explains by reference to her famous sister, Oreithyia
695 Orīth-a ae 1f. Oreithyia (abducted by the god Boreas, the North Wind). Note the double spondee ending to the line
696 cōnferō cōnferre compare (cf. ‘cf’.)
697 ipsa: i.e. Procris
rapī: see discussion at Introduction, pp. 8 ff.
Erechtheus: Greek nom. s., Erechtheus, a very early king of Athens (the Erechtheum, a sanctuary on the Acropolis, was named after him)
699 *forsitan perhaps (often with subj.)
700 agēbātur: used here of the passing of time
*iugāl-is e to do with marriage; iugāl-ia ium 3n. pl. marriage
mēns-is is 3m. month
701 cum when
mē: agrees with tendentem and object of Aurōra uidet (703)
corniger -a -um horned
*rēt-e is 3n. net
ceru-us ī 2m. stag
702 uertex uertic-is 3m. peak
flōreō 2 flower
Hymett-us ī 2m. Hymettus (a hill near Athens famous for its honey: hence the reference to flowers)
703 lūte-us a um saffron
māne early in the morning
pellō 3 pepulī pulsum banish
tenebr-a ae 1f. shadow
704 inuītum: supply mē (Cephalus)
705 quod + subj.: tends to express other people’s view of the matter ‘on the grounds that (as people say) . . .’, RLR4, WSuppl.syntax
sit: Aurora is the subject
rose-us a um rosy
spectābil-is e easy on the eye
706 lūcis: like noctis, take with cōnfīnia
cōnfīni-um ī 2n. boundary
707 nectare-us a um tinged with nectar (which only divinities drank)
709 sacra: n. pl. adj. used as a noun, RL14.7, W4. Note the emotional rising tricolon, to be concluded with a fourth ‘leg’ at 710
coit-us ūs 4m. sexual intercourse
710 dēsertī: because Cephalus had now left it. A golden line
referēbam: i.e. I kept on talking about all this to Aurora
*foedus foeder-is 3n. bond, obligation
711 sistō 3 stop
ingrāt-us a um ungrateful
querēl-a ae 1f. complaint
712 prōuid-us a um prophetic
713 illī i.e. to Procris
714 memorō 1 mention (cf. sacra above). deae is dat. of agent
retractō 1 reconsider
717 adulteri-um ī 2n. adultery
718 sed tamen . . . sed . . . sed: three reasons why Cephalus persuaded himself that his wife had committed adultery
haec: i.e. Aurora
719 exempl-um ī 2n. example (referring to Aurora, a goddess not known for her modesty)
720 quod doleam: note subj., ‘the sort of thing that I was grieving over’; what difference would quid make?
statuō 3 decide (+ inf.)
*pudīc-us a um honourable, chaste
721 *faueō 2 (+ dat.) encourage
timōrī: i.e. my fears about Procris’ fidelity
722 immutō 1 alter
723 Palladi-us a um belonging to Pallas (Athena)
Athēn-ae ārum 2f. pl. Athens
724 ingredior 3 dep. enter
*careō 2 lack, be free of (+ abl.)
725 cast-us a um chaste
dominō [i.e. Cephalus] . . . raptō: abl. of cause, RL108.2, RLL(f)4(iii), WSuppl.syntax
anxi-us a um worried
726 uix . . . factus: i.e. it was virtually impossible even to see Procris
adit-us ūs 4m. entrance
dol-us ī 2m. trick
Erechthida: Greek acc. of Erechthis, daughter of Erechtheus (Procris)
727 obstupēscō 2 obstipuī be amazed, dumbstruck
paene almost
728 temptāment-um ī 2n. test
fidē: archaic form of the gen. fideī; so too at 737 (after satis)
*male hardly, scarcely
quīn but that [I] + subj. (after mē . . . continuī; ‘from’, ‘without’ is often the best translation); RL174.2
*fateor 2 dep. confess, admit (to)
729 contineō 2 restrain
730 erat: ‘she was’
731 dēsīderi-um ī 2n. loss
732 abripiō 3/4 abripuī abreptum kidnap, steal
tū: Cephalus here turns to Phocus, the person to whom he is telling the story
colligō 3 imagine, infer
733 deceō 2 be fitting for, suit X (acc., here quam)
734 temptāmen temptāmin-is 3n. test
735 repellō 3 reppulī rebuff, reject
736 ubicumque wherever
737 experienti-a ae 1f. proof
738 foret: imperf. subj. of sum, RLE1
content-us a um satisfied
in mea . . . uulnera: i.e. ‘to hurt myself’, cf. Oscar Wilde ‘Yet each man kills the thing he loves’ (Ballad of Reading Gaol, I.vii)
739 cēns-us ūs 4m. personal fortune
prō nocte: i.e. for a night of love
pacīscor 3 dep. agree
740 augeō 2 increase
741 exclāmō 1 cry, shout out
en look! there!
*fict-us a um false, disguised
adulter -ī 2m. adulterer
742 perfid-us a um disloyal
test-is is 3m. witness. Here it is abl. abs. with mē, ‘with me as witness’
743 illa nihil: supply dīxit
tacit-us a um silent
tantummodo simply
744 īnsidiōs-us a um treacherous
cum: = ‘and also’, rather than ‘in company with’
līmen līmin-is 3n. hearth
perōs-us a um hating
746 operor 1 dep. busy oneself (with)
747 ignis: i.e. of love
748 ueni-a ae 1f. pardon
peccō 1 make a mistake. Both peccāsse and potuisse have mē (750) as subject after fatēbor
749 succumbō 3 yield to
751 haec: object of cōnfessō
cōnfiteor 2 dep. cōnfessus admit, confess
ulcīscor 3 dep. ultus be avenged for (+ acc.)
752 concorditer in harmony
exigō 3 pass
753 praetereā in particular
parua . . . dōna: in apposition to sē
754 mūnus: in apposition to canem
sua . . . Cynthi-a ae 1f. her . . . Diana (goddess of Mount Cynthus and of hunting, see 746)
illī: i.e. to Procris
756 *iacul-um ī 2n. hunting spear
796 prīncipi-um ī 2n. beginning
797 beāt-us a um blessed, joyful
798 Aeacidā: Greek voc. of Aeacides, son of Aeacus, i.e. Phocus
rīte rightly
800 mūtu-us a um shared, mutual
sociāl-is e in partnership
801 praeferō praeferre 3 prefer X (acc.) to Y (dat.). Note the conditional subj., and cf. 802 caperet . . . uenīret
802 nec mē . . . erat: take in the order nec ūlla erat quae mē
803 aequāl-is e equal
804 radi-us ī 2m. ray
feriō 4 strike
cacūmen cacūmin-is 3n. peak
805 uēnātum: supine of uēnor 1 dep. ‘hunt’, expressing purpose, RL118(2)
iuuenāliter as a young man will
806 famul-us ī 2m. attendant
nār-is is 3f. nose
807 nōdōs-us a um knotty
808 iaculō: Cephalus hunted alone and was ‘safe with his spear’ because it never missed and automatically came back to the sender (7.683–4)
satior 1 dep. have enough of (+ gen.)
ferīn-us a um of wild animals
809 frīgus frīgor-is 3n. cool
810 et quae: take in order et auram quae
uall-is is 3f. valley
811 lēn-is e gentle
812 requiēs requiēt-is 3f. relaxation from (+ dat.)
813 recordor 1 dep. recall
ueniās: jussive subj., like luēs, intrēs (814), and uelīs (815); RL152, W28
cantō 1 sing
814 luō 3 wash
sin-us ūs 4m. breast, chest
815 releuō 1 relieve
817 blanditi-a ae 1f. endearment
uoluptās uoluptāt-is 3f. pleasure
818 *reficiō 3 refēcī refectum refresh, revive
foueō 2 caress
819 facis ut: + subj., indicating result (‘bring it about that . . .’), RL135
820 spīrit-us ūs 4m. breath
captō 1 draw in
821 ambigu-us a um double-edged
822 *nescio-quis/quae quid some(one) or other
823 esse . . . nymphae: ‘to be of a . . .’, i.e. to belong to
824 extemplō at once
temerāri-us a um thoughtless, hasty
index indic-is 3m. informer
825 susurr-us a um whispering
826 crēdul-us a um gullible
conlābor 3 dep. conlāpsus collapse
827 ut mihi nārrātur: i.e. after the events described in this story
828 inīqu-us a um cruel, unjust. fātī . . . inīquī is gen. of description, RL101, W40
829 concit-us a um stirred, provoked
uān-us a um empty, groundless
833 indici-um ī 2n. information, story
fidem: i.e. credence, belief in
834 damnō 1 condemn
dēlict-um ī 2n. crime
835 poster-us a um [of the] next [day]
dēpellō 3 dēpulī drive off, dispel
837 medeor 2 dep. (+ dat.) ease, alleviate (the effects of)
838 gemitūs: this word is used of animal as well as human noises. Cephalus ignores it at first, but when he also hears leaves rustling (840), he draws the ‘obvious’ conclusion
840 strepit-us ūs 4m. sound, rustle
cadūc-us a um falling
841 reor 2 dep. ratus think
uolātil-is e flying
843 alas
conclāmō 1 cry out
fīd-us a um faithful
844 āmēns āment-is distraught
845 sēmianim-is e dying
foedō 1 stain
846 dōna: i.e. the iaculum (756)
847 meō: i.e. meō corpore, abl. of comparison after cārius
cār-us a um dear
uln-a ae 1f. (outstretched) arms
848 attollō 1 raise up, lift
scindō 3 scissī scissum cut
849 ligō 1 bind
inhibeō 2 stop
850 neu: + subj., after ōrō
scelerāt-us a um wicked
851 moribund-us a um on the point of death
853 supplex supplic-is pleading, as a suppliant
854 mereō 2 bene dē deserve well of/have a claim on X (abl.)
856 nē . . . patiāre: ‘do not allow’, RLL-V(a)3, W28
innūbō 3 marry into (+ dat.)
859 lābor 3 dep. slip away (in death) (Procris is subject)
861 exhālō 1 breathe out
sēcūr-us a um relieved of care, at peace
Notes
694–9: Cephalus praises his wife by contrasting her with Oreithyia and arguing that, had looks and loyalty been Boreas’ priority (696), Boreas would have shown far better judgement had he abducted Procris (697). Cephalus goes on to say that his was a love-marriage and a happy one (697–8), but then drops a stark warning of what is to come by revealing that the gods saw things differently (699). Certainly Aurora seemed to threaten that Cephalus would have problems (712–13), and even disguised Cephalus to help him catch out his wife (721), while the goddess Diana was the source of the spear that never missed, given by Procris to Cephalus with disastrous consequences (756, 841). But whether these divine interventions turn out to justify Cephalus’ claim is a question for debate.
700–13: Cephalus’ story begins with his abduction inuītum by Aurora, goddess of the dawn (703–4). Cautiously, perhaps for fear of inviting retribution from the goddess (704–5), he concedes Aurora’s beauty, authority and divinity, all reasons for yielding to her (705–7). But Procris, he says, dominates his thoughts (707–8: note the repetition of her name), and the only topic he can talk about to Aurora is how much his marriage bed means to him (709–10: note the fine rising tricolon of 709, becoming a tetracolon in 710). Aurora angrily dismisses him, warning him that he will wish he had never married Procris in the first place (711–13). One remembers Cephalus’ gloomy introduction to the story (699).
714–22: As Cephalus returns home to Procris, he mulls over what Aurora has told him (714), presumably asking himself why on earth he should wish never to have married Procris. Ovid shows his thoughts wavering – has she been unfaithful? She has the looks, but what about her loyalty? But he had been away; look at Aurora’s behaviour (since Aurora’s behaviour proved men’s suspicions that women were sexually voracious, Procris ‘must’ have had the desire); lovers always fear the worst (Cephalus appeals to human nature to justify his fears) (715–19). So he decides to put Procris to the test and see if he can lure her into adultery with gifts (720–1). But adultery with
whom, where and how? The answer Ovid adopts is – with himself, in his own house. If this is to happen, however, Cephalus must be made unrecognisable. Eschewing the ‘false beard’ option, Ovid solves the problem by saying that Aurora encouraged his fears and herself disguised his features – a transformation that Cephalus claims himself to have felt taking place (721–2). By Ovid’s high standards this is a pretty feeble device; and since the whole plan will ultimately turn out to be a flop, it does not say much for Aurora’s prōuida mēns (712) either. But Aurora wanted revenge on Cephalus and therefore did what she could to try to get it.
723–42: Unrecognised, then, Cephalus returns home to Athens and finds no sign of any infidelity whatsoever. Indeed, the whole household is deeply worried about its master’s absence, and it takes an enormous effort for him even to see Procris (723–6). He contemplates abandoning his test, and is hardly able to restrain himself from revealing who he is there and then (727–9); and Procris’ sadness at the loss of her husband makes her all the more beautiful, proving how beautiful she was in real life (730–3: Cephalus makes this point personally to Phocus, adding greatly to our sense of his sincerity). Time and again she repeats her loyalty to her husband (734–6); but Cephalus, admitting his insanity, carries on until he does just enough to make her hesitate. This is sufficient for him to reveal his disguise and claim ‘victory’ over her (737–42).
743–56: Procris is dumbstruck and overcome with inexpressible shame (743) – outrage that her husband should impugn her honour so wrongly and (perhaps) guilt that she did hesitate over his gifts (740: we must remember that this is a woman of the very highest standards of moral probity). But her primary feeling is one of deep resentment at Cephalus’ behaviour (745) – as Cephalus’ own commentary on himself admits: īnsidiōsa, malō 744 – and she runs from the house, not to find another man (she hates them all 745) but to take up hunting (744–6: there is a narrative point here, as will shortly become clear, but see Introduction, p. 7 for this sign of the man-hating woman). This instant reaction of a transparently honest woman at last brings Cephalus to his senses, and he begs forgiveness, admitting his folly and agreeing that he too could have been similarly tempted (747–50; the culpa of 749 primarily refers to his own self-confessed weakness – he exonerates her completely). Her pudor finally satisfied by this confession (751, cf. 743), she comes back to him, and life resumes its perfect harmony for the couple (752). She even gives Cephalus some gifts from her hunting days (746), which can now be assumed to be over – a speedy dog given her by Diana and a hunting-spear that never misses (753–6: we have been told this by Ovid in a passage not in the selection).