Statius; with an English Translation by J.H. Mozley
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THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY EDITED BY T. E. PAGE, LiTT.D. E. CAPPS, PH.D., LL.D. W. H. D. ROUSE, litt.d. STATIUS II ^cfi STATIUS f WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY J. H. MOZLEY, M.A. SOMETIME SCHOLAR OF KING S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE USCTDEER IN CLASSICS AT EAST LONDON COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON IN TWO VOLUMES J.^ II THEBAID V-XII • ACHILLEID LONDON : WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS MCMXXVIII ; Printed in Great Britain CONTENTS OF VOLUME II THEBAID BOOKS V-XII VOL. 11 THEBAIDOS LIBER V Pulsa sitis fluvio, populataque gurgitis altum^ agmina linquebant ripas amnemque minorem ; acrior et campum sonipes rapit et pedes arva implet ovans, rediere viris animique minaeque votaque, sanguineis mixtum ceu fontibus ignem 5 hausissent belli magnasque in proelia mentes. dispositi in turmas rursus legemque severi ordinis, ut cuique ante locus ductorque, monentur instaurare vias. tellus iam pulvere primo crescit, et armorum transmittunt fulgura silvae. 10 qualia trans pontum Phariis depvensa serenis rauca Paraetonio deeedunt agmina Nilo, quo^ fera cogit hiemps : illae clangore fugaei, umbra fretis arvisque, volant, sonat avius aether, iam Borean imbresque pati, iam nare solutis 15 amnibus et nudo iuvat aestivare sub Haemo. Hie rursus simili procerum vallante corona dux Talaionides, antiqua ut forte sub orno ^ altum P : alvum w (Z) mith alveum written over). ^ quo Vollmer : cum Pa,-. " i.e., cranes, cf. Virg. Aen. x. 264.. * The epithet is taken from a town named Paraetonium, on the Libyan coast west of the Delta. 2 THEBAID BOOK V Their thirst was quenched by the river, and the army haWng ravaged the water's depths was lea\"ing the banks and the diminished stream ; more briskly now the galloping steed scours the plain, and the infantrj' swarm exultant over the fields, inspired once more by courage and hope and warlike temper, as though from the blood-stained springs they had drunk the fire of battle and high resolution for the fray. Marshalled again in squadrons and the stern disciphne of rank, they are bidden renew the march, each in his former place and under the same leader as before. Already the first dust is rising from the earth, and arms are flashing through the trees. Just so do flocks of screaming birds," caught by the Pharian summer, wing their way across the sea from Paraetonian '' Nile, whither the fierce ^vinter drove them ; they fly, a shadow upon the sea and land, and their cry follows them, filling the pathless heaven. Soon will it be their delight to breast the north \^ind and the rain, soon to swim on the melted rivers, and to spend the summer days on naked Haemus. Then the son of Talaus, ringed round once more by a band of chieftain peers, as he stood by chance 3 — STATIUS stabat et admoti nixus Polynicis in hastam : " at tamen,oquaecumque es "ait," cui—gloria tanta venimus innumerae fato^ debere cohortes, 21 quern non ipse deum sator asp'ernetur honorem, die age, quando tuis alacres absistimus undis, quae domus aut tellus, animam quibus hauseris astris? die, quis et ille pater ? neque enim tibi numina longe, transierit fortuna licet, maiorque per ora 26 sanguis, et adflicto spirat reverentia vultu." Ingemit, et paulum fletu cunctata modesto " Lemnias orsa refert : immania vulnera, rector, integrare iubes, Furias et Lemnon et artis 30 arma inserta toris debellatosque pudendo ense mares ; redit ecce nefas et frigida cordi Eumenis. o miserae, quibus hie furor additus ! o nox 1 o pater ! ilia ego nam, pudeat ne forte benignae hospitis, ilia, duces, raptum quae sola parentem 35 occului. quid longa malis exordia necto ? et vos arma vocant magnique in corde paratus. hoc memorasse sat est : claro generata Thoante servitum Hypsipyle vestri fero capta Lycurgi." Advertere animos, maiorque et honora videri 40 parque operi tanto ; cunctis tunc noscere casus ortus amor, pater ante alios hortatur Adrastus : ^ fato MS. at Peterhouse, Camb. : fatum Poj. " If "fatum" of most mss. is kept =" our lives," then " honorem," etc., must be in a kind of apposition to the preceding sentence, e.g., " to owe our lives, an honour ." " which . In any case venimus debere " is doubtful Latin, and the line has been variously emended. * i.e., where were you born ? 4. THEBAID, V. 19-42 beneath an aged ash-tree, and leaned on Polynices' " spear hard by him, thus spoke : Nay, tell us, thou, " whoe'er thou art. to whom—such is thy glory—fate has brought our countless cohorts owing thee such high honour as the Sire of the gods himself would not despise—tell us, now that we are departing in all speed from thy waters, what is thy home or native land, from what stars didst thou draw thy life ? ^ And who was that sire thou spakest of ? For heaven is not far to seek in thy descent, though fortune may have been traitorous ; a nobler birth is in thy looks, and even in affliction thy countenance breathes majesty." The Lemnian sighed, and, stayed by shamefast " tears awhile, then makes reply : Deep are the wounds, O prince, thou biddest me revive, the tale of Lemnos and its Furies and of murder done even in the bed's embrace, and of the shameful sword whereby our manhood perished ; ah I the ^Wcked- ness comes back upon me, the freezing Horror grips my heart ! Ah ! miserable they, upon whom this frenzy came ! alas, that night ! alas, my father I for I am she—lest haply ye feel shame for your kindly host— I am she, O chieftains, who alone did steal away and hide her father. But why do I weave the long prelude to my woes ? Moreover battle summons you and your hearts' high enterprise. Thus much doth it suffice to tell : I am Hypsipyle, born of renowned Thoas, and captive thrall to your Lycurgus." Close heed they gave her then, and nobler she seemed and worthy of honour, and equal to such a deed ; then all craved to learn her story, and father Adrastus foremost urged her : "Ay, verily, while — STATIUS " immo age, dum primi longe damus agmina vulgi nee facilis Nemee latas evolvere vires, quippe obtenta comis et ineluctabilis umbra— 45 pande nefas laudesque tuas gemitusque tuorum, unde lios advenias regno deiecta labores." Dulce loqui niiseris veteresque reducere questus. " incipit : Aegaeo premitur circumflua Nereo I^emnos, ubi ignifera fessus respirat ab Aetna 50 Mulciber ; ingenti tellurem proximus umbra vestit Athos nemorumque obscurat imagine pontum ; Thraces arant contra, Thracum fatalia nobis litora, et inde nefas. florebat dives alunmis terra, nee ilia Samo fama Delove sonanti 55 peior et innumeris quas spumifer adsilit Aegon. dis visum turbare domos, nee pectora culpa nostra vacant : nullos Veneri sacravimus ignis, nulla deae sedes ; movet et caelestia quondam corda dolor lentoque inrepunt agmine Poenae, 60 ilia Paphon veterem centumque altaria linquens nee vultu nee crine prior solvisse iugalem ceston et Idalias procul ablegasse volucres fertur. erant certe, media quae noctis in umbra divam alios ignes maioraque tela gerentem 05 Tartareas inter thalamis volitasse sorores vulgarent, utque implicitis arcana domorum anguibus et saeva formidine nupta replesset^ limina nee fidi populum miserata mariti. ^ nupta replesset P : cuncta replevit w. " Some explain " with oracles," but the more likely mean- ing is "with dashing waves," as in the next line. * i.e., the Aegean Sea. " ' lit., " not as she previously was in respect of ... Cf. xi. 459, " non habitu, quo nota prius, non ore sereno." 6 THEBAID, V. 43-69 we set in long array the columns of our van—nor does Nemea readily allow a broad host to draw clear, so closely hemmed is she by woodland and entanghng shade—tell us of the crime, and of thy praiseworthy deed and the sufferings of thy people, and how cast out from thy realm thou art come to this toil of thine." Pleasant is it to the unhappy to speak, and to recall the sorrows of old time. Thus she begins : " Set amid the encircUng tides of Aegean Nereus lies Lemnos, where Mulciber draws breath again from his labours in fiery Aetna ; Athos hard by clothes the land with his mighty shadow, and darkens the sea with the image of his forests ; opposite the Thracians plough, the Thracians, from whose shores came our sin and doom. Rich and populous was our land, no less renowned than Samos or echoing " Delos or the other countless isles against which Aegon * dashes in foam. It was the will of the gods to confound our homes, but our own hearts are not free from guilt ; no sacred fires did we kindle to Venus, the goddess had no slirine. Even celestial minds are moved at last to resentment, and slow but sure the Avenging Powers creep on. She, leaving ancient Paphos and her hundred shrines, with altered looks and tresses,*^ loosed, so they say, her love-alluring girdle and banished her Idalian doves afar. Some, 'tis certain, of the women told it abroad that the goddess, armed with other torches and deadlier weapons, had flitted through the marriage chambers in the darkness of midnight with the sisterhood of Tartarus about her, and how she had filled every secret place with twining serpents and our bridal thresh- olds with dire terror, pitying not the people of her 7 STATIUS protinus a Lemno teneri fugistis Amores, 70 mutus Hymen versaeque faces et frigida iusti cura tori ! nullae redeunt in gaudia noetes, nullus in amplexu sopor est, Odia aspera ubique et Furor et medio recubat Discordia lecto. cura viris tumidos adversa Thracas in ora 75 eruere et saevam bellando frangere gentem. cumque domus contra stantesque in litore nati, dulcius Edonas^ hiemes Arctonque prementem excipere, aut tandem tacita post proelia nocte fractorum subitas torrentum audire ruinas.