Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v2.djvu/57

medon seizes a stone, the boundary mark of a field, and hurls it through the empty air; with such a whirlwind do the poised boulders fly forth against the barred gates in time of war. Vain was the chieftain’s might, in a moment had the snake bent back his supple neck and foiled the coming blow. The earth re-echoes and in the pathless woods the close-knit boughs are rent and torn. “But never shalt thou escape my stroke,” cries Capaneus, and makes for him with an ashen spear, “whether thou be the savage inmate of the trembling grove, or a delight granted to the gods—ay, would it were to the gods!^[1]—never even if thou broughtest a Giant to battle with me upon those limbs.^[2]” The quivering spear flies, and enters the monster’s gaping mouth and cleaves the rough fastenings of the triple tongue, then through the upright crest and the adornment of his darting head it issues forth, and fouled with the brain’s black gore sinks deep into the soil. Scarce has the pain run the length of his whole frame, with lightning speed he twines his coils around the weapon, and tears it out and carries it to his lair in the dark temple of the god; there measuring his mighty bulk along the ground he gasps and hisses out his life at his patron’s shrine. Him did the sorrowing marsh of kindred Lerna mourn, and the Nymphs who were wont to strew him with vernal flowers, and Nemea’s fields whereon he crawled; ye too, ye woodland Fauns, bewailed him in ever grove with broken reeds. Jupiter himself had already called for his weapons from the height of air, and long had clouds and storms been gathering, had not