P. STATII

THEBAIDOS

LIBER PRIMUS.

F

Raternas acies, alternaque regna profanis Decertata odiis, fontefque evolvere Thebas, Pierius menti calor incidit. Unde jubetis Ire, Deae? gentisne canam primordia dirae ? Sidonios raptus, et inexorabile pactum Legis Agenoreae? fcrutantemque aequora Cadmum ?

Longa retro feries, trepidum fi Martis operti Agricolam infandis condentem praelia fulcis 10 Expediam, penitufque fequar quo carmine muris Jufferit Amphion Tyrios accedere montes;

THE

FIRST BOOK

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F Th

HIS

THEBA I S.

Raternal rage the guilty Thebes alarms, Th'alternate reign destroy'd by impious arms, Demand our fong; a facred Fury fires My ravish'd breaft, and all the Mufe inspires. O Goddess, say, shall I deduce my rhimes From the dire nation in its early times, Europa's rape, Agenor's ftern decree, And Cadmus fearching round the fpacious fea? How with the serpent's teeth he fow'd the foil, And reap'd an Iron harvest of his toil? Or how from joining ftones the city fprung, While to his harp divine Amphion fung?

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Unde

graves irae cognata in moenia Baccho, Quod faevae Junonis opus; cui fumpferit arcum Infelix Athamas, cur non expaverit ingens Ionium, focio cafura Palaemone mater.

Atque adeo jam nunc gemitus, et profpera Cadmi
Praeteriiffe finam: limes mihi carminis efto
Oedipodae confufa domus : quando Itala nondum
Signa, nec Arctoos aufim fperare triumphos,
Bifque jugo Rhenum, bis adactum legibus Iftrum,
Et conjurato dejectos vertice Dacos:
Aut defenfa prius vix pubefcentibus annis
Bella Jovis. Tuque o Latiae decus addite famae,
Quem nova maturi fubeuntem exorfa parentis
Aeternum fibi Roma cupit: licet arctior omnes
Limes agat ftellas, et te plaga lucida coeli
Pleïadum, Boreaeque, et hiulci fulminis expers 35

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Or fhall I Juno's hate to Thebes refound, Whose fatal rage th' unhappy Monarch found? The fire against the son his arrows drew, 15 O'er the wide fields the furious mother flew, And while her arms a fecond hope contain, Sprung from the rocks and plung'd into the main. But wave whate'er to Cadmus may belong, And fix, O Muse! the barrier of thy song 20 At Oedipus---from his disasters trace The long confufions of his guilty race : Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing, And mighty Cæfar's conqu'ring eagles fing; How twice he tam'd proud Ifter's rapid flood, 25 While Dacian mountains ftream'd with barb'rous blood;

Twice taught the Rhine beneath his laws to roll
And stretch'd his empire to the frozen Pole,
Or long before, with early valour strove,
In youthful arms t' affert the cause of Jove. 30
And Thou, great Heir of all thy father's fame,
Encrease of glory to the Latian name,
Oh! bless thy Rome with an eternal reign,
Nor let defiring worlds entreat in vain. 34
What tho' the stars contract their heav'nly space,
And croud their fhining ranks to yield thee places

Sollicitet; licet ignipedum frenatur equorum
Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum
Imprimat, aut magni cedat tibi Jupiter aequa.
Parte poli; maneas hominum contentus habenis,
Undarum terraeque potens, et fidera dones.

Tempus erit, cum Pierio tua fortior oeftro
Facta canam: nunc tendo chelyn. fatis arma referre
Aonia, et geminis fceptrum exitiale tyrannis,
Nec furiis poft fata modum, flammafque rebelles
Seditione rogi, tumulifque carentia regum
Funera, et egestas alternis mortibus urbes ;
Caerula cum rubuit Lernaeo fanguine Dirce,
Et Thetis arentes affuetum ftringere ripas,
Horruit ingenti venientem Ifmenon acervo.

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