Page:Statius (Mozley 1928) v2.djvu/95

by the stream she found, and Alcmena proud of the infant Hercules, a threefold moon^[1] about her hair. The sons of Belus^[2] join their discordant right hands in a pledge of enmity, but Aegyptus with milder look stands near; easy is it to mark on the feigned countenance of Danaus the signs of a treacherous peace and of the coming night. Then follow shapes innumerable. At length pleasure is sated, and prowess summons the foremost heroes to its own rewards.

First came the sweat of steeds. Tell, O Phoebus, the drivers’ famous names, tell of the steeds themselves; for never did nobler array of wing-footed coursers meet in conflict: even as serried ranks of birds compete in swift course or on a single shore Aeolus appoints a contest for the wild winds.

Before the rest Arion, marked by his mane of fiery red, is led forth. Neptune, if the fame of olden time be true, was his sire; he first is said to have hurt his young mouth with the bit and tamed him on the sand of the sea-shore, sparing the lash; for insatiable was his eagerness to run, and he was capricious as a winter sea. Oft was he wont to go in harness with the steeds of ocean through the Libyan or Ionian deep, and bring his dark-blue sire safe home to every shore; the storm-clouds marvelled to be outstripped, and East and South winds strive and are left behind. Nor less swiftly on land had he borne Amphitryon’s son, when he waged Eurystheus’ wars, in deep-pressed furrows o’er the mead, fierce to him also and impatient of control. Soon by the gods’ bounty he was deemed worthy to have Adrastus for his lord, and meanwhile had grown far gentler. On that day the chieftain allows him to be driven