Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/53

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SILVAE, I. i. 89—ii. 1

when he has seen both, that ruler differs from ruler as steed from steed[1]?

This statue fears no rainy squalls of winter or triple fire of Jove, nor the cohorts of Aeolus’ prison-house nor the long lingering years: it will stand while earth and sky abide, while Rome’s sun endures. Hither also in the silent night, when things of earth find favour with the gods above, will thy kinsfolk, leaving heaven, glide down and join with thee in close embrace. Son and brother, sire and sister will seek thy welcoming arms: about thy sole neck will cluster all heaven’s stars.[2]

Enjoy for ever the people’s and the mighty Senate’s gift. Fain would the wax of Apelles have portrayed thee, and the old Athenian[3] would have longed to set thy likeness in a new temple of Elean Jove; yea, soft Tarentum would rather have thy visage, and fierce Rhodes, scorning her Phoebus,[4] thy flame-like glance. Keep thy affections fixed on earth, and inhabit thyself the shrines we dedicate to thee; let not heaven’s high court delight thee, but mayst thou joyously see thy grandsons offer incense to this our gift.


II. AN EPITHALAMIUM IN HONOUR OF STELLA AND VIOLENTILLA


A marriage-song in honour of Lucius Arruntius Stella and his bride Violentilla. Stella was a young noble, a poet and a friend of Statius; he was one of the XVviri (see n. on l. 176), and had held some curule office. The poem contains a long episode relating how Venus and one of her Cupids brought about the match; the usual features of an Epithalamium (praise of the pair, description of the bride, and of the marriage-festival) are freely treated.


Whence comes this sound of divine melody upon

  1. ↑ Caesar’s statue was probably on a lower pedestal; Caesar is as far inferior to Domitian as a ruler as the one statue is beneath the other !
  2. ↑ Often for deified members of the Imperial house, cf. Theb. i. 31.
  3. ↑ i.e., Phidias.
  4. ↑ The famous Colossus was a statue of the sun-god. There was a colossal statue of Zeus at Tarentum.

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