Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/529

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

THEBAID, III. 531–554

advances through the empty air; a tawny line of seven birds that bear the weapons of Jupiter supreme[1] I see, an exultant band; suppose that in these thou hast the Inachian princes. They have flung themselves on the circle of the snow-white flock, and open wide their hooked beaks for fresh slaughter, and with talons unsheathed press on to the attack. Seest thou the breezes dripping unwonted blood, and the air raining feathers? What sudden fierce anger of unpropitious Jove is driving the victors to destruction? This one[2] soaring to the height is consumed by the sun’s quick fire, and lays down his proud spirit, that other, bold in pursuit of mightier birds, you let sink, ye still frail pinions.[3] This one falls grappling with his foe, that one is swept backward by the rout and leaves his company to their fate. This one a rain-cloud overwhelms, another in death devours his winged foe yet living; blood bespatters the hollow clouds.” “What mean those secret tears[4]?” “Him yonder falling, reverend Melampus, him I know full well!” Affrighted thus by the future’s dire import, and having suffered all under a sure image of things to come, the seers are held by terror; it repents them that they have broken in upon the councils of the flying birds, and forced their will upon a forbidding heaven; though heard, they hate the gods that heard them. Whence first arose among unhappy mortals throughout the world that sickly craving for the future? Sent by heaven, wouldst thou call it? Or is it we ourselves, a race insatiable, never content to abide on knowledge gained, that

  1. ↑ i.e. eagles, “ministers of the thunderbolt.”
  2. ↑ In the following lines the fate of the Seven is foreshown, first Capaneus, then Parthenopaeus, Polynices, Adrastus, Hippomedon, Tydeus: finally Amphiaraus sees his own fate.
  3. ↑ “tenerae” shows that Parthenopaeus is meant here.
  4. ↑ This is the only instance in the Thebaid of a change of speaker without introductory words (e.g., he said); I have kept the traditional punctuation, though it would be quite possible to give “quid,” etc., to Amphiaraus, and not make Melampus speak at all. Melampus weeps because he understands Amphiaraus’s fate; then Amphiaraus says “Why do you weep for me: I know my fate.”

491

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.