Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/215

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SILVAE, III. iii. 102–128

ducts, and the fortresses by the sea, or the far-flung lines of road; what wealth of gold gleams on the high ceilings of our prince, what weight of ore must be melted in the fire and shaped into the countenance of gods, how much shall ring when stamped in the fiery heat of Ausonia’s mint. Therefore hadst thou but scant repose, thy mind took no thought for pleasure, thy feasting was meagre and thy cares never assuaged by plenteous draughts of wine; yet thou hadst joy in the ties of marriage, in binding thy heart with chains of love, in the union of festal wedlock, and in begetting faithful clients for thy lord.

Who can but know the high birth and loveliness of fair Etrusca? Never with my own eyes have I beheld her, yet the trusty image of fame reflects her peerless beauty, and a like charm of countenance in her sons reveals it. No common birth was hers; her brother wielded the rods and the highest curule power,[1] and faithfully led Ausonian swordsmen and the standards entrusted to him, when frenzy first inspired the ruthless Dacians, and their race was doomed to afford us a mighty triumph.[2] Thus whatsoe’er was lacking in the father’s blood was made good by the mother, and the household rejoicing in the union saw its obscurity turned to brightness. Children too were nigh at hand; twice was Lucina[3] present at the birth and deftly with fruitful hand eased the pain of travail. Ah! happy, had length of days and a due measure of years suffered thee to behold the faces of thy children and the bloom of youth upon their cheeks! but in the midst of thy prime those joys fell shattered, and Atropos roughly tore the thread of flourishing life; even so do lilies

  1. ↑ i.e., the consulship.
  2. ↑ Domitian triumphed in 85, though without having obtained any real success.
  3. ↑ The goddess of child-birth, lit. that first brings light to the infant’s eyes; identified with Juno later.

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