Source edition
Ausonius, Decimus Magnus. Ausonius, Volume 1. Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (Hugh Gerard), editor. London, Cambridge, MA: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Harvard University Press, 1919.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This narrative poem by Ausonius depicts the trials of Cupid (Amor), the god of love, in the Underworld. Following a prose preface, the poem opens with a vivid description of the Fields of Mourning, where mythical heroines who died of love wander. When Cupid inadvertently wanders into this dark realm, he is captured by these vengeful heroines, who bind him to a myrtle tree as punishment for their past sufferings. Even his own mother, Venus, joins in, scourging him with thorny roses. However, moved by his severe suffering, the women eventually feel pity and reconcile with him. Ultimately, Cupid awakens and returns to the heavens through the ivory gate of dreams.