Publius Papinius Statius [Statius]
45-96 AD
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Imperial Era)
PVBLIVS PAPINIVS STATIVS
ACHILLEID I
Magnanimum Aeaciden formidatamque Tonanti
progeniem et patrio vetitam succedere caelo,
diva, refer.
[Hail goddess, recall to me the proud-minded son of Aeacis, the fearful son of the thundering god, and how he gained the girl forbidden by the paternal sky.]
quamquam acta viri multum inclita cantu
Maeonio (sed plura vacant), nos ire per omnem—
[even though the fellow's deeds have been made well known by Maeonian song--many things are still missing--it's my taks to describe everything]
sic amor est—heroa velis Scyroque latentem 5
Dulichia proferre tuba nec in Hectore tracto
sistere, sed tota iuvenem deducere Troia.
[such is my passion--to not only describe upon the Dulichian horn the hero lurking among sails and Scyran sword, and how he stood over Hector, dragged about, but how he also killed off the entire youth from all Troy.]
tu modo, si veterem digno deplevimus haustu,
da fontes mihi, Phoebe, novos ac fronde secunda
necte comas:
[only you, Apollo, if we have used up my old dignified fount, grant my new inspiration and bind my hair with a second crown.]
neque enim Aonium nemus advena pulso 10
nec mea nunc primis augescunt tempora vittis.
[you see, neither the Aonian grove, even after its stranger struck down, nor my generations now grow stronger since their first handbands.]
scit Dircaeus ager meque inter prisca parentum
nomina cumque suo numerant Amphione Thebae.
[The field of Dirce knows, and Thebes counts among the ancient titles of its relatives and alongside its native, Amphion.]
At tu, quem longe primum stupet Itala virtus
Graiaque,
[But you, whom pride of Italy and Greece admired for the first time from afar,]
cui geminae florent vatumque ducumque 15
certatim laurus—olim dolet altera vinci—,
[for whose sake the twins flourish, and crown of bards and leaders in contest---one grieves when the other is beaten]
da veniam ac trepidum patere hoc sudare parumper
pulvere:
[pardon me and allow a trembling man to sweat bit by bit in this dust:]
te longo necdum fidente paratu
molimur magnusque tibi praeludit Achilles.
[Not yet will I burden you with my long and faithful preparation, and famous Achilles will now play before you.]
Solverat Oebalio classem de litore pastor 20
Dardanus incautas blande populatus Amyclas
[The Trojan shepherd had previously set going his galley from the pleasant Ebalian shore, destroying cautious Amyclae,]
plenaque materni referens praesagia somni
culpatum relegebat iter,
[And fulfilling all the prophecies of her mother's visions, he rendered his journey one of crime,]
qua condita ponto
fluctibus invisis iam Nereis imperat Helle,
[upon which already Nereos' daughter Nelle, sitting upon the sea, makes her commands to unseen waves,]
cum Thetis Idaeos
—heu numquam vana parentum 25
auguria!—expavit vitreo sub gurgite remos.
[alas!, the forebodings of her parents are never useless--when Thetis paddled her Idaean oars under the glassy whirlpool.]
nec mora et undosis turba comitante sororum
prosiluit thalamis:
[With no delay, she left ahead, alongside the crowd of sisters gathering in their wave-filled marriage chambers:]
