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But this is no longer a tale; listen to my words, Which I will speak to you from the most divine oracles. Do you not hear how before it deceived your father, the fair-colored splendor of the man-slaying plant 894 beguiled him, and straightaway cast him out of flourishing paradise, both the trick of the enemy, and the persuasion of his wife. This is your ancestral law from that time, Never to have confidence in a fair complexion, daughter. All beauty for me, a slight grace, the spring brought, And the chilling winter suddenly destroyed it. Sickness bent it prematurely, or dreadful time Destroyed it, bringing the cycles of wasting years. And this is even more ridiculous: a woman knows she has an uncomely form, and she outdoes Danae, glorying in her shame. And what is more shameful (as the skilled say, for not I, of this evil-plotting), they have a common sickness, and they wish to conceal from each other. What is worse than this sickness? 895 A carpenter knows a carpenter's work, a skilled singer knows a skilled singer's art, and a thief knows a thief. But these women do not wish what they know to be known. Truly, wickedness brings blind eyes. And so men honor the very faces they laugh at, delighted by the colors of moving pictures. I do not think it is so much in the pictures, as in the mind of men, for which colors are a testimony. I learn that someone, desiring empty, and formless, and late-speaking Echo, wandered over the cliffs; And someone once fell in love with his own form, and down by a spring he was driven for the image of a fatal beauty. 896 And another, in turn, was maddened by the fair streams of a river, she was mad, and did not leave its dear banks; She lapped the water, drew it with her hands, she snatched the foam; But not even so did her fiery desire cease with water. So blind and unmanly is love. It is no great wonder, if you too cast some of the young men far from their senses, fair of complexion, with delicate tunic, rosy-fingered, with head held high, not one, but as many as you paint yourself for. I am persuaded, as once a clever man tricked a bull by art, having fashioned a wooden heifer with colors (Strange love! The animate mounts the inanimate forms) when you also devise such a pollution for the young. Orpheus persuaded beasts, but you persuade men, whose mind is like that of beasts, and their life is mad for women. 897 If you do not gratify the flesh, but instead of the flesh you gratify the eyes, this too is a sickness, an airy love. But she is wholly unwounded; yes, I believe it, but not even this is good for me, to have the reputation of empty wickedness. So that you would write an unseemly law for many women, even though you are wise. Wickedness runs a swift course. For others to hide a squalid life with contrivances, but for you to wear sobriety and something dark. For if the modest are brightly colored, you would never persuade other women to have a modest mind. The word of our law is not even to cast one's eyes upon another's spouse with adulterous desires. For the beginning of shameless love is a shameless look, which a man fleeing, would also flee wickedness. 898 How can you, wearing such a love-charm for men, a marriage-dissolving one, woman, remain far from wickedness, But come, I will tell you a tale suited to your shameful acts. Old age is talkative. Formerly the race of mortals was unjudged, who was best, and who was worse, as the ancient story goes. Many seemed hostile, being the best, and many others good, but conversely were foolish. Glory followed the most dishonorable, and dishonor the best, not at all with justice for those exchanging places. But the ruling wickedness did not escape God the Lord, and late, having grown indignant, he spoke such a word: "It is not right for the good and the evil to have the same glory; so would wickedness be greater. 899 Therefore I will give them a good sign, so that you may know well, who is bad, and who is good." So saying, he reddened the cheeks of the good, pouring blood under the skin when shame arose; And especially to women, since they are delicate in form and tender in heart, he scattered more of it upon them; But in the evil he fixed it, and made it unchangeable within, therefore it has not even a little in common with their shameful acts. Being one of them, you are to me many-colored; for I do not blush at the blush, even if you wear so much of it upon yourself. For this is a blush born of unblushing shamelessness, which the former rain of Sodom washes away. Do not paint your face, reckless one, nor deceive your complexion. My only beauty is that which nature gave. 900 For my ancestral wealth is also better than that which my hand not piously

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Ἄλλος δ' οὐκέτι μῦθος, ἐμῶν δ' ἐπέων ἐπάκουσον, Οὕς σοι θειοτάτων φθέγξομαι ἐκ λογίων. Οὐκ ἀΐεις καὶ πρόσθε τεὸν πατέρ' ὡς ἀπάτησεν Ἀνδροφόνοιο φυτοῦ εὔχροος ἀγλαΐη 894 Ἤπαφεν, εὐθαλέος τε ἄφαρ βάλεν ἐκ παραδείσου, ∆υσμενέος τε δόλος, παρφασίη τ' ἀλόχου. Οὗτός σοι νόμος ἐστὶ πατρώϊος ἐξέτι κείνου, Μή ποτ' ἐπ' εὐχροίῃ θάρσος ἔχειν, θύγατερ. Πᾶν μὲν κάλλος ἐμοὶ, βαιὴ χάρις, εἶαρ ἔνεικε, Καὶ χειμὼν κρυερὸς ὤλεσεν ἐξαπίνης. Ἡ νοῦσός μιν ἔκαμψεν ἀώριον, ἢ χρόνος αἰνὸς Ὤλεσε, τηκεδανῶν κύκλα φέρων ἐτέων. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ πλέον ἐστὶ γελοίϊον· οἶδεν ἄκοσμον Εἶδος ἔχουσα γυνὴ, καὶ πατέει ∆ανάην, Αἴσχεϊ κυδιόωσα. Τὸ δ' αἴσχιον (ὡς ἐνέπουσιν Ἴδριες, οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ, τῆσδε κακοῤῥαφίης), Ξυνὴν νοῦσον ἔχουσι, καὶ ἀλλήλας ἐθέλουσι Κεύθειν. Τίπτε νόσου τῆσδε χερειότερον; 895 Τέκτων τέκτονος ἔργον ἐπίσταται, ἴδρις ἀοιδὸς Ἴδριν ἀοιδοσύνης, φῶρα δὲ φὼρ ἐδάη. Ἀλλ' αἵ γ' οὐκ ἐθέλουσι τά περ νοέουσι, νοεῖσθαι. Ἦ ῥ' ἐτεὸν, κακίη ὄμματα πηρὰ φέρει. Ὣς δ' ἄνδρες τίουσι τά περ γελόωσι πρόσωπα, Τερπόμενοι χροιαῖς κινυμένων πινάκων. Οὔτι τόσον πινάκεσσιν ὀΐομαι, ὅσσον ἐπ' ἀνδρῶν Θυμῷ, τοῦ τελέθει χρώματα μαρτυρίη. Πυνθάνομ' ὡς κενεὴν, καὶ ἀνείδεον, ὑστερόφωνον Ἠχώ τις ποθέων, πλάζεθ' ὑπὲρ σκοπέλων· Καὶ μορφῆς τις ἑῆς ποτ' ἐράσσατο, καὶ κατ' πηγῆς Ἤλατ' ἐπ' εἰδώλῳ κάλλεος οὐλομένου. 896 Ἄλλη δ' αὖ ποταμοῖο καλοῖς ἐπεμῄνατο ῥείθροις, Μαίνετο, οὐδ' ὄχθας ἥγ' ἀπέλειπε φίλας· Λάπτεν ὕδωρ, χείρεσσιν ἀφύσσετο, ἀφρὸν ἔμαρπτεν· Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ὣς πυρόεις ὕδασι λῆγε πόθος. Οὕτω τυφλὸν ἔρως καὶ ἀνάρσιον. Οὐ μέγα θαῦμα, Εἴ τινα καὶ σὺ νέων τῆλε νόοιο βάλοις, Εὔχροος, ἁβροχίτων, ῥοδοδάκτυλος, ὑψικάρηνος, Οὐχ ἕνα, ἀλλὰ τόσους, ὁσσατίοισι γράφῃ. Πείθομαι, ὥς ποτε ταῦρον ἀνὴρ σοφὸς ἤπαφε τέχνῃ, Χρώμασι μορφώσας δουρατέην δάμαλιν (Ξεινὸς ἔρως! ἀπνόοισιν ἐπ' εἴδεσιν ἔμπνοα βαίνει) Ὁππότε καὶ σὺ νέοις μήσαο τοῖον ἄγος. Ὀρφεὺς θῆρας ἔπειθε, σὺ δ' ἀνέρας, οἷσιν ὁμοῖος Θήρεσίν ἐστι νόος, θηλυμανής τε βίος. 897 Εἴ τοι μὴ σάρκεσσι χαρίζεαι, ἀντὶ δὲ σαρκῶν Ὄμμασι, καὶ τὸ, νόσος ἠερίη φιλότης. Ἀλλ' ἅτρωτος ὅλη· ναὶ πείθομαι, οὐδὲ τόδ' ἐσθλὸν Ἐστὶν ἐμοὶ κενεῆς δόξαν ἔχειν κακίης. Ὣς δ' ἂν καὶ πολλῇσι νόμον γράψειας ἄκοσμον, Καὶ πινυτή περ ἐοῦσ'. Εὔδρομον ἡ κακίη. Ἄλλων μὲν ῥυπόωντα βίον τεχνάσμασι κεύθειν, Σοὶ δὲ σαοφροσύνην καί τι μέλαν φορέειν. Εἰ γὰρ σώφρονές εἰσιν ἐπανθέες, οὔ ποτ' ἂν ἄλλας Πείσαις θηλυτέρας σώφρονα θυμὸν ἔχειν. Μῦθος δ' ἡμετέροιο νόμου, μηδ' ὄμματα βάλλειν Εὖνιν ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίην, μοιχιδίοισι πόθοις. Ἀρχὴ γὰρ φιλότητος ἀναιδέος ὄψις ἀναιδὴς, Τήν κεν ἀνὴρ φεύγων, καὶ κακότητα φύγοι. 898 Πῶς δὲ σὺ τόσσον ἔρωτος ἐπ' ἀνδράσι κεστὸν ἄγουσα, Λυσιγάμοιο, γύναι, τῆλε μένεις κακίης, Εἰ δ' ἄγε, σοὶ καὶ μῦθον ἐοικότα μυθολογήσω Αἴσχεσιν ὑμετέροις. Ἡ πολιὴ δὲ λάλον. Ἄκριτον ἦν τοπάροιθε βροτῶν γένος, ὅς τε φέριστος, Ὅς τε χερειότερος, ὡς φάτις ὠγυγίη. Πολλοὶ μὲν δοκέεσκον ἀνάρσιοι, ὄντες ἄριστοι, Πολλοὶ δ' αὖτ' ἀγαθοὶ, ἔμπαλιν ἀφραδέες. Κῦδος ἀτιμοτάτοισιν, ἀτιμίη δέ τ' ἀρίστοις Ἕσπετο, οὔτι δίκῃ τῶν δ' ἐπαμειβομένων. Ἀλλ' οὐ λῆθεν ἄνακτα Θεὸν κακίη μεδέουσα Ὀψὲ δ' ἀλαστήσας τοῖον ἔειπεν ἔπος· Οὐ θέμις ἔστ' ἀγαθοῖσιν ὁμὸν κλέος ἠδὲ κακοῖσιν Ἔμμεναι, ὧδ' ἂν ἔοι πλειοτέρη κακίη. 899 Τοὔνεκα τοῖσιν ἐγὼ σημήϊον ἐσθλὸν ὀπάσσω, Ὄφρ' εὖ γινώσκῃς, ὃς κακὸς, ὅς τ' ἀγαθός. Ὣς εἰπὼν ἐρύθηνε παρήϊα τοῖς ἀγαθοῖσιν, Αἷμ' ὑπὸ δέρμα χέας, αἴσχεος ὀρνυμένου· Θηλυτέραις δὲ μάλιστα, ἐπεὶ καὶ εἶδος ἀραιαὶ Καὶ κραδίην ἁπαλαὶ, πλεῖον ὑπεσκέδασε· Τοῖς δὲ κακοῖσιν ἔπηξε, καὶ ἄτροπον ἔνδον ἔθηκε Τοὔνεκεν οὐδ' ὀλίγον αἴσχεσι συμφέρεται. Τῶν σύ μοι ἴη ἐοῦσα, πολύχροε· οὐ γὰρ ἔρευθος Αἰδέομ', εἰ καί μοι τόσσον ὕπερθε φέρεις. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἔρευθος ἀναιδείης ἀνερεύθου Ἔκγονον, ὃ κλύζει ὄμβρος ὁ πρὶν Σοδόμων. Μὴ γράψῃς τὸ πρόσωπον, ἀτάσθαλε, μηδὲ δολώσῃς Σὸν χρόα. Κάλλος ἐμοὶ μοῦνον, ὃ δῶκε φύσις. 900 Καὶ γὰρ πλοῦτος ἐμοὶ πατρώϊός ἐστιν ἀρείων Τοῦ δ' ὃν ἐμὴ παλάμη οὐχ ὁσίως