206 History of Monsters — Ulisse Aldrovandi

Incensed by the slaughter of their King, the Thracian people began to attack the Trojan woman with a hail of weapons and stones. But the stone she sent back with a hoarse growl was followed by a strange affliction; prepared to speak, she barked as she attempted to utter words.

All the gods were moved by this remarkable disaster, except for Aurora, who was tormented by an even deeper cause for grief. Her son Memnon, born of Tithonus and herself, had been killed by Achilles in the Trojan War. She obtained from Jove the favor that the embers of his funeral pyre and all his companions should be transformed into the "Memnonid" birds, which fly to Memnon's tomb every year to engage in battle with one another.

And from the fire, its own lightness provided wings; first appearing like a bird, it soon became a true bird with sounding wings, and with it countless sisters sounded likewise.

Furthermore, the tears of his mother, Aurora, dripped down as cold morning dew. After Troy was destroyed, Aeneas fled with his father Anchises and son Ascanius, eventually reaching Delos. There, they were received with generous and honorable hospitality by Anius, a priest of Apollo. Anius recounted how he had lost all his daughters. Through the favor of Bacchus, everything they touched turned into wine, oil, or grain. When Agamemnon learned of this, he tried to carry them off so that he might feed his army more easily through their efforts. However, as they fled, Bacchus transformed them into snowy-white doves.

They departed as snowy-white doves.

Upon Aeneas's departure, Anius gave him a mixing bowl engraved by Alcon of Lydia. It depicted the daughters of Orion, who had voluntarily offered themselves as sacrifices for the people of Thebes. From their funeral pyre, two youths emerged, known as the *Coronae* (the Crowns).

Then from the maidenly ashes, so that the race might not perish, two youths arose whom fame calls the Crowns.

From there, the Trojans reached Crete, then Ambracia, and finally Aonia, where the sons of the Molossian king were transformed into birds.

...where the sons of the Molossian king fled the wicked flames on newly-formed wings.

Finally, the Trojans arrived in Sicily, where Galatea, the daughter of Nereus and Doris, shared her own misfortune with Scylla and the other nymphs. She had been deeply loved by Acis, the son of the nymph Symaethis and Faunus. When the Cyclops—who was also burning with love for the same nymph—spotted the two of them together, he hurled a massive rock at them. Galatea immediately hid beneath the waves, but Acis, crushed by the stone, was transformed into the river that now bears his name.

We brought it to pass that Acis should take on the strength of his ancestors. Blood, crimson as usual, flowed forth, but in a short time the redness began to fade; its color first became that of a river turbid from rain, and the hollow opening of the rock resounded with surging waters.

While Galatea was recounting these events amidst the waves, the god Glaucus saw her from afar and fell in love. As he addressed her with charming words, she hid her head beneath the water. From a high rock, Glaucus proclaimed his divinity. He had once been a fisherman who, after tasting some herbs where his fish had been lying, leapt into the sea and was transformed by the gods into a sea deity.

"Farewell, land!" I cried, and plunged my body beneath the surface; the gods of the sea welcomed me with equal honor.

Because Glaucus realized he was being scorned by Scylla, he went to Circe, hoping that through her power or magical songs, he might win over his beloved.

In the fourteenth book, Glaucus reaches Circe, the daughter of the Sun, who was powerful in both words and herbs, so that she might bring about a mutual love between him and the nymph. However, Circe herself was then inflamed with love for Glaucus and tried to keep him for herself; but when she con-