Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v2.djvu/51

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THEBAID, V. 478–502

was lamentation, once more the last night of all. Scarce is the day begun, and already Jason high upon the poop gives the word for sailing, and strikes as chieftain the first oar-stroke on the sea. From rocks and mountain height we follow them with our gaze as they cleave the foamy space of outspread ocean, until the light wearied our roaming[1] vision and seemed to interweave the distant waters with the sky, and made the sea one with heaven’s extremest marge.

“A rumour goes about the harbour that Thoas has been carried o’er the deep and is reigning in his brother’s isle of Chios, that I am innocent and the funeral pyre a mockery; the impious mob clamours loud, maddened by the stings of guilt, and demands the crime I owe them. Moreover, secret murmurings arise and increase among the folk: ‘Is she alone faithful to her kindred, while we rejoiced to slay? Did not heaven and fate ordain the deed? why then bears she rule in the city, the accursed one?’[2] Aghast at such words—for a cruel retribution draws nigh, nor does queenly pomp delight me—I wander alone in secret on the winding shore and leave the deadly walls by the road of my father’s flight, well known to me; but not a second time did Euhan meet me, for a band of pirates putting in to shore carried me speechless away and brought me to your land a slave.”

While thus the Lemnian exile recounts her tale to the Lernaean princes and by a long plaint consoles her loss, forgetful—so ye gods constrained her!—of her absent charge,[3] he, with heavy eyes and

  1. ↑ “euntes” expresses the “travelling” of the sight as it follows the ships out to sea.
  2. ↑ i.e., our deed was ordained by heaven and fate; in disobeying them she is “nefanda.”
  3. ↑ i.e., Opheltes, the infant, cf. iv. 742, 787.

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