Met. 4.416Tum vērō tōtīs Bacchī memorābile Thēbīs
nūmen erat, magnāsque novī mātertera vīrēs
narrat ubīque deī, dē totque sorōribus expers
ūna dolōris erat, nisi quem fēcēre sorōrēs.Then indeed the divinity of Bacchus was renowned throughout all Thebes, and his aunt tells everywhere of the great powers of the new god, and of so many sisters she alone was free from grief, except the grief her sisters had caused. Met. 4.420Adspicit hanc nātīs thalamōque Athamantis habentem
sublīmēs animōs et alumnō nūmine Iūnō,
nec tulit, et sēcum "potuit dē paelice nātus
vertere Maeoniōs pelagōque inmergere nautās
et laceranda suae nātī dare viscera mātrī
425et triplicēs operīre novīs Minyēidas alīs:
nīl poterit Iūnō nisi inultōs flēre dolōrēs?Juno beholds her, proud in her sons and her marriage to Athamas and her divine foster-child, and she did not bear it, and said to herself: 'The son of a concubine could transform the Maeonian sailors and plunge them in the sea, and give a son's flesh to his own mother to be torn apart, and cover the three daughters of Minyas with strange wings: will Juno be able to do nothing but weep over unavenged wrongs?
Met. 4.427idque mihi satis est?And is that enough for me? Met. 4.427haec ūna potentia nostra est?Is this my only power? Met. 4.428ipse docet, quid agam (fās est et ab hoste docērī),
quidque furor valeat, Pentheā caede satisque
430ac super ostendit: cūr nōn stimulētur eatque
per cognāta suīs exempla furōribus Īnō?"He himself teaches me what to do (it is right to be taught even by an enemy), and what madness can do he shows enough and more than enough by the slaughter of Pentheus: why should Ino not be goaded and follow, in a madness of her own, the examples of her kin?' Met. 4.432Est via dēclīvis fūnestā nūbila taxō,
dūcit ad īnfernās per mūta silentia sēdēs.There is a sloping path, dark with gloomy yew, which leads through mute silence to the infernal abodes. Met. 4.434Styx nebulās exhālat iners, umbraeque recentēs
435dēscendunt illāc simulācraque fūncta sepulcrīs.Sluggish Styx breathes out mists, and the newly dead shades go down that way, and the ghosts of those who have received burial. Met. 4.439Mīlle capāx aditūs et apertās undique portās
440urbs habet, utque fretum dē tōtā flūmina terrā,
sīc omnēs animās locus accipit ille, nec ūllī
exiguus populō est, turbamve accēdere sentit.The spacious city has a thousand approaches and gates open on every side, and as the sea takes in the rivers from the whole earth, so that place receives all souls, and it is too small for no people, nor does it feel the throng increase.
Met. 4.443Errant exsanguēs sine corpore et ossibus umbrae,
parsque forum celebrant, pars īmī tēcta tyrannī,
445pars aliquās artēs, antīquae imitāmina vītae.The bloodless shades wander without body or bones, and some throng the forum, some the dwelling of the lowest tyrant, some practise various arts, imitations of their old life. Met. 4.447Sustinet īre illūc caelestī sēde relictā
(tantum odiīs īraeque dabat) Sāturnia Iūnō.Saturnian Juno brings herself to go there, leaving her heavenly seat (so much did she yield to hatred and anger). Met. 4.449Quō simul intrāvit sacrōque ā corpore pressum
450ingemuit līmen, tria Cerberus extulit ōra
et trēs lātrātūs semel ēdidit.As soon as she entered and the threshold groaned, pressed by her sacred body, Cerberus raised his three mouths and gave three barks at once. Met. 4.451Illa sorōrēs
Nocte vocat genitās, grave et inplācābile nūmen.She summons the sisters born of Night, a grim and implacable deity. Met. 4.453Carceris ante forēs clausās adamante sedēbant
dēque suīs ātrōs pectēbant crīnibus anguēs.They were sitting before the doors of the prison, shut with adamant, and combing black snakes from their hair. Met. 4.455Quam simul agnōrunt inter cālīginis umbrās,
surrēxēre deae.As soon as they recognised her among the shadows of the gloom, the goddesses rose.
Met. 4.456Sēdēs scelerāta vocātur:
viscera praebēbat Tityos lanianda novemque
iūgeribus distentus erat;The Accursed Seat it is called: Tityos was offering his innards to be torn, and lay stretched over nine acres; Met. 4.458tibi, Tantale, nūllae
dēprenduntur aquae, quaeque inminet, effūgit arbor;by you, Tantalus, no waters are caught, and the tree that overhangs you flees away; Met. 4.460aut petis aut urgēs reditūrum, Sīsyphe, saxum;you either chase or push, Sisyphus, the rock that will roll back; Met. 4.461volvitur Ixīōn et sē sequiturque fugitque;Ixion is whirled round, and both follows and flees himself; Met. 4.462mōlīrīque suīs lētum patruēlibus ausae
adsiduae repetunt, quās perdant, Bēlidēs undās.and the granddaughters of Belus, who dared to contrive death for their cousins, ceaselessly seek again the waters they are to lose. Met. 4.464Quōs omnēs aciē postquam Sāturnia torvā
465vīdit et ante omnēs Īxīona, rūrsus ab illō
Sisyphon adspiciēns "cūr hīc ē frātribus" inquit
"perpetuās patitur poenās, Athamanta superbum
rēgia dīves habet, quī mē cum coniuge semper
sprēvit?"When the Saturnian goddess had looked on them all with grim gaze, and on Ixion before all, looking again from him to Sisyphus, she says: 'Why does this one of the brothers suffer everlasting punishment, while a rich palace holds proud Athamas, who with his wife has always scorned me?' Met. 4.469et expōnit causās odiīque viaeque,
470quidque velit.and she explains the reasons for her hatred and her journey, and what she wants.
Met. 4.470Quod vellet, erat, nē rēgia Cadmī
stāret, et in facinus traherent Athamanta sorōrēs.What she wanted was that the palace of Cadmus should not stand, and that the sisters should drive Athamas to crime. Met. 4.472Imperium, prōmissa, precēs cōnfundit in ūnum
sollicitatque deās.Commands, promises, prayers she mingles into one and urges the goddesses on. Met. 4.473Sīc haec Iūnōne locūtā,
Tīsiphonē, cānōs ut erat turbāta capillōs,
475mōvit et obstantēs rēiēcit ab ōre colubrās
atque ita "nōn longīs opus est ambāgibus" inquit:
"facta putā, quaecumque iubēs.When Juno had spoken thus, Tisiphone, her white hair dishevelled as it was, shook it and tossed back the snakes that blocked her face, and spoke thus: 'There is no need of long roundabout words: consider done whatever you command. Met. 4.477Inamābile regnum
dēsere tēque refer caelī meliōris ad aurās."Leave this unlovely kingdom and take yourself back to the airs of a better sky.' Met. 4.479Laeta redit Iūnō, quam caelum intrāre parantem
480rōrātis lūstrāvit aquīs Thaumantias Īris.Juno returns happy, and as she prepared to enter heaven, Iris, daughter of Thaumas, purified her with sprinkled water.