Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1.djvu/587

Colchian maiden, or the enchantress^[1] Circe on the Aeaean strand. Then with these words she addressed her priestly sire: “First from the blood-red lake doth Cadmus raise his strengthless head, and the daughter of Cytherea^[2] follows hard upon her spouse, and from their head twin serpents drink. The earth-born company, seed of Mars, throng round them, whose span of life one day did measure, and every hand is on its weapon, yea, on the sword-hilt; they repel and bar approach, and rush to combat with the fury of living men, nor care they to stoop to the gloomy trench, but thirst to drain each other’s blood. Near by is a band of Cadmus’ daughters and the sons they mourned. Here we behold bereaved Autonoë^[3] and panting Ino, looking back at the bow and pressing her sweet pledge to her bosom, and Semele with arms held out to protect her womb. With shivered wands and bosom bare and bleeding, the frenzy of the god now spent, doth his mother, Cadmus’ daughter, follow Pentheus with wailing cries; but he fleeth by Lethe’s pathless region even beyond the Stygian lakes, where his kindlier sire Echion weeps over him and tends his mangled body. Sad Lycus^[4] too, I recognize, and the son of Aeolus,^[5] his right arm bent behind him, and a corpse thrown upon his laden shoulder. Nor yet doth that one change his appearance or the reproach of his transformation, even Aristaeus’ son^[6]: the horns roughen his brow, while spear in hand he repels the hounds agape to