Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/141

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

SILVAE, II. ii 91–113

Amyclae, where the stone counterfeits the grass; here gleam the tawny rocks from Numidia, Thasian marble too and Chian, and Carystian stone that joys to behold the waves:[1] all turn to salute the Chalcidian towers.[2] A blessing on thy heart, that thou approvest what is Greek and hauntest Grecian land; nor let the city of Dicarchus that gave thee birth feel envy! We shall prove better owners of our poet-ward.[3]

Why should I rehearse the wealth of the countryside, the fallows flung out into the sea and the cliffs steeped in Bacchus’ nectar? Often in autumn-time when the grapes are ripening a Nereid climbs the rocks, and under cover of the shades of night brushes the sea-water from her eyes with a leafy vine-spray, and snatches sweet clusters from the hills. Often is the vintage sprinkled by the neighbouring foam; Satyrs plunge into the water, and Pan-gods from the mountain are fain to grasp the sea-nymph as she flies naked through the waves.

Bless with prosperity, O land, thy lord and lady both, unto the years of a Nestor or a Tithonus, nor ever change thy noble servitude! Let not the Tirynthian hall and Dicarchus’ bay outdo thee as a home,[4] nor thy lords too often gladden the wistful vineyards of Laconian Galaesus. Here where Pollius plies his Pierian craft, whether he ponders the

  1. ↑ Either because of the similarity of colour, or, according to Phillimore (quoted by Slater), because the view recalls that from the Carystian quarries.
  2. ↑ Cumae, a colony of Chalcis in Euboea, was very near to Naples; “Chalcidian” can therefore = “Neapolitan.” “Dicarchi moenia” = Puteoli.
  3. ↑ Statius congratulates Pollius on his love of Greek marbles, Greek learning (cf. l. 113), and Greek dwelling-places (Naples and its surroundings). “We,” i.e. we of Naples, as opposed to Puteoli.
  4. ↑ Pollius seems to have possessed a house at Bauli near Puteoli (cf. note on l. 94), and also near Tarentum. The latter is represented as “coaxing” (“blanda”) him to come and spend his time there, and jealous (hence “placent”) if he does not. Therapnaean, because Therapnae is in Laconia, and Tarentum was a Spartan colony.

103

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.