The inhabitants of the island Pithecusa are changed into monkeys as a punishment of their dishonesty.
The galleys now by Pithecusa pass; The name is from the natives of the place. The father of the gods detesting lies, Oft with abhorrence heard their perjuries. The abandon’d race, transform’d to beasts, began To mimic the impertinence of man: Flatnosed and furrow’d, with grimace they grin, And look to what they were too near akin; Merry in make, and busy to no end, This moment they divert, the next offend: So much this species of their past retains, Though lost the language, yet the noise remains.