Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/291

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SILVAE, IV. vii. 5–32

and thou, Pindar, ruler of the lyric choir, grant me awhile the privilege of unwonted song, if I have hallowed thy own Thebes in Latin strains: ’tis for Maximus that I attempt to refine my verse; now must I take my garlands from unplucked myrtle, now a nobler thirst is mine, a purer stream must be quaffed. When wilt thou return again to pleasant Latium from the Dalmatian mountains, where the miner returns all pale at the sight of Dis and yellow as the gold he has unearthed?[1] Lo! I, though born in nearer lands, am not held fast by lazy Baiae’s lovely haven, or by the trumpeter known to Hector’s battles.[2] Without thee my Muse is sluggish, even Thymbra’s lord[3] is slower than of wont in his coming, and lo! my Achilles halts at the first turning-point of his course: while it is with thee for trusty counsellor that my Thebaid, tortured by endless polishing, attempts with audacious string the joys of Mantuan renown. But we pardon thy delaying, because thou hast established thy empty home with flourishing offspring. O happy day! lo! a second

  1. ↑ Statius here is clearly imitating Silius Italicus, Pun. i. i. 231.
               Astur avarus
    visceribus lacerae telluris mergitur imis
    et redit infelix effosso concolor auro.

    For other mentions of Dalmatian mines cf. i. 2. 153 and iii. 3. 90. “Dis”: i.e. he has descended so far into the earth (Dis = Pluto).

  2. ↑ Misenus.
  3. ↑ Apollo, god of inspiration.

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