Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/323

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SILVAE, V. i. 213–236

spoil of Palestinian shrines, Hebrew essences withal and Corycian petals[1] and Cinyrean buds; she herself reclines on a lofty couch of silk ’neath the shade of a Tyrian awning. But in all the concourse none looks but at the husband, on him is bent the gaze of mighty Rome, as though he were bearing youthful sons to burial: such grief in his looks, such darkness upon his hair[2] and eyes. Her call they happy in her quiet and peaceful end, ’tis for the husband their tears are shed.

There is a spot before the city where the mighty Appian way has its first beginning, and Cybele lays aside her grief in Italian Almo,[3] nor remembers the streams of Ida any more. Here thy peerless consort—for he could not bear the smoke of burning and the clamour of the pyre—laid thee, delicately arrayed in Sidonian purple, blissfully to rest. Length of years will have no power to harm thee, nor the labours of time to wither and mar thy limbs: such wealth of perfume does the venerable marble breathe. Soon art thou changed into manifold images[4] and born anew: here art thou Ceres in bronze, here the bright Cretan maid,[5] Maia beneath that dome, an innocent Venus in this marble. The deities scorn not to accept thy lovely features: attendants stand about thee, a multitude wont to obey; then couches and tables duly without ceasing.[6]

  1. ↑ i.e., saffron (repeated from “ver Cilicum”) and myrrh.
  2. ↑ i.e., his hair is dark with the dust and ashes poured upon it, his eyes with grief.
  3. ↑ The reference is to the ceremonial washing of the image of Cybele, the Magna Mater, on March 27th in the river Almo, a small tributary of the Tiber.
  4. ↑ See note on ii. 7. 121. Statues representing various goddesses with Priscilla’s features were placed round about the sarcophagus (“marmor”) containing her embalmed body.
  5. ↑ Dictynna, i.e. Diana (cf. Theb. ix. 632); clearly not Ariadne.
  6. ↑ Apparently to maintain the illusion of Priscilla being still alive, her embalmed body is surrounded by attendants, and couches and banquets are made ready for her.

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