Ovid's Metamorphoses

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IAMQUE ERAT IN TOTAS SPARSURUS FULMINA TERRAS,

SED TIMUIT NE FORTE SACER TOT AB IGNIBUS AETHER

CONCIPERET FLAMMAS LONGUSQUE ARDESCERET AXIS.

ESSE QUOQUE IN FATIS REMINISCITUR ADFORE TEMPUS

QUO MARE, QUO TELLUS CORREPTAQUE REGIA CAELI

ARDEAT ET MUNDI MOLES OPEROSA LABORET.

TELA REPONUNTUR MANIBUS FABRICATA CYCOPLUM;

PENA PLACET DIVERSA, GENUS MORTALE SUB UNDIS

PERDERE ET EX OMNI NIMBOS DEMITTERE CAELO.

 

AND NOW HE WAS ABOUT TO PEPPER THE LANDS WITH LIGHTNING BOLTS,

BUT HE WAS AFRAID THAT THE WHOLE SACRED AETHER MIGHT GO UP IN FLAMES

AND THE LONG AXIS MIGHT BURN.

HE ALSO REMEMBERED THAT IN THE FATES THERE WOULD COME A TIME

IN WHICH THE SEA AND EARTH AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WOULD BE CAUGHT ALIGHT

AND BURN AND THE LABORIOUS MASS OF THE WORLD WOULD GO WITH IT.

HE PUT BACK THE WEAPONS MADE BY THE HANDS OF CYLOPES;

A DIFFERENT PUNISHMENT PLEASES HIM, TO DESTROY THE MORTAL RACE WITH WATER

AND TO SEND DOWN CLOUDS FROM ALL [OVER] HEAVEN.

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Late again, I know… the middle of the term is fast approaching, and that means work is inevitably piling up.  The dissertation must come first!  Followed by teaching… College stuff… friendships… taking care of basic hygene and nutrition… arrgg!!  There are not enough hours in the day!

At least I am proud of this week’s page.  There is not much to comment on here in terms of the content, as it is mostly plot happening.  I will just say, for those who don’t know, the cyclopes were the ones who worked in the forges of Vulcan, and made the lightning bolts of Jupiter.  I needed a place for Jupiter to have this revelation (Ovid doesn’t say where he is when he remembers the fated inferno), so I put him in their forge.  There isn’t much detail as to the cyclopes’ appearances, except that they were (ugly) hominoids with single eyes in the middle of their faces.  Thus, I got to have a little artistic liscense on how to depict them.  In general, this page was fun to draw, if challenging.  I worked on glowing effects and unified colourising, to complement the fire.  I like drawing fire, even if mine does look a little too cartoonish.  I’m working on it.  Nevertheless, I can say I am proud of this page.  I won’t tell you what all this fire stuff is about, except to say, “OMG FORESHADOWING”!

Tune in next week, kids!  Who knows?  Maybe it will even be on time!