Statius, P. Papinius, Silvae, book 1

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Diu multumque dubitavi, Stella, iuvenis optime et in studiis nostris eminentissime, qua parte voluisti, an hos libellos, qui mihi subito calore et quadam festinandi voluptate fluxerunt, cum singuli de sinu meo prodierint,¹ congregatos ipse dimitterem. Quid enim oportet me huius ² quoque auctoritate editionis onerari, qui adhuc pro Thebaide mea, quamvis me reliquerit, timeo? Sed et Culicem legimus et Batrachomachiam etiam agnoscimus, nec quisquam est inlustrium poetarum qui non aliquid operibus suis stilo remissiore praeluserit. Quid? Quod haec serum erat continere, cum illa vos certe, quorum honori data sunt, haberetis? Sed apud ceteros necesse est multum illis pereat ex venia, cum amiserint quam solam habuerunt gratiam ³ ⁴ [p. 4] celeritatis. Nullum enim ex illis biduo longius tractum, quaedam et in singulis diebus effusa; quam timeo, ne verum istuc versus quoque ipsi de se probent! Primus libellus sacrosanctum habet testem: sumendum enim erat ‘a Iove principium.’ Centum hos versus, quos in equum maximum feci, indulgentissimo imperatori postero die, quam dedicaverat opus, tradere iussus sum. ‘Potuisti illud’ dicet aliquis ‘et ante vidisse.’ Respondebis illi tu, Stella carissime, qui epithalamion tuum, quod mihi iniunxeras, scis biduo scriptum. Audacter mehercles, sed ter centum tamen ⁵ hexametros habet, et fortasse tu pro collega mentions. Manilius certe Vopiscus, vir eruditissimus et qui praecipue vindicat a situ litteras iam paene fugientes, solet ultro quoque nomine meo gloriari, villam Tiburtinam suam descriptam a nobis uno die. Sequitur libellus Rutilio Gallico convalescenti ⁶ dedicatus, de quo nihil dico, ne videar defuncti testis occasione mentiri. Nam Claudi Etrusci testimonium documentum ⁷ est, qui balneolum a me suum intra moram cenae recepit. In fine sunt Kalendae Decembres, quibus utique creditur: noctem enim illam felicissimam et voluptatibus publicis in-expertam ... ⁸ ⁹ ¹⁰ ¹¹ ¹²

[p. 6]

[p. 64]

Kalendae Decembres

Et Phoebus pater et severa Pallas
et M usae procul ite feriatae:
Iani vos revocabimus Kalendis.
Saturnus mihi compede exoluta
5et multo gravidus mero December
et ridens Iocus et Sales protervi
adsint, dum refero diem beatum
laeti Caesaris ebriamque aparchen.¹¹⁵

Vix Aurora novos movebat ortus,
10iam bellaria ¹¹⁶ linea pluebant
—hunc rorem veniens profudit eurus:
quicquid nobile Ponticis nucetis,
fecundis cadit aut iugis Idymes;
quod ramis pia germinat Damascos,
15et quod percoquit ebriosa Caunos,¹¹⁷
largis gratuitum cadit rapinis:
molles gaioli lucuntulique,
et massis Amerina non perustis
et mustaceus et latente palma
20praegnates caryotides cadebant. ¹¹⁸ ¹¹⁹ ¹²⁰ [p. 66]
non tantis Hyas inserena nimbis
terras obruit aut soluta Plias,
qualis per cuneos hiems Latinos
plebem grandine contudit serena.
25ducat nubila Iuppiter per orbem
et latis pluvias minetur agris,
dum nostri Iovis hi ferantur imbres.
Ecce autem caveas subit per omnis
insignis specie, decora cultu
30plebes altera non minor sedente.
hi panaria candidasque mappas
subvectant epulasque lautiores;
illi marcida vina largiuntur:
Idaeos totidem putes ministros,
35orbem, qua melior severiorque est,
et gentes alis insimul ¹²¹ togatas,
et cum tot populos, beate,¹²² pascas,
hunc Annona diem superba nescit.¹²³
i nunc saecula compara, Vetustas,
40antiqui Iovis aureumque tempus:
non sic libera vina tunc fluebant
nec tardum seges occupabat annum,
una vescitur omnis ordo mensa,
parvi, femina, plebs, eques, senatus:
45libertas reverentiam remisit.
et tu quin etiam—quis hoc vacare,¹²⁴
uis promittere possit hoc deorum?—
nobiscum socias dapes inisti.
iam se, quisquis is est, inops, beatus,
50convivam ducis esse gloriatur.
Hos inter fremitus novosque luxus
spectandi levis effugit voluptas: ¹²⁵ ¹²⁶ ¹²⁷ ¹²⁸ [p. 68]
stat sexus rudis insciusque ferri;
ut pugnae capit improbus viriles!
55credas ad Tanain ferumque Phasim
Thermodontiaeas calere turmas,
hic audax subit ordo pumilorum,
quos natura brevis statim peracta
nodosum semel in globum ligavit,
60edunt vulnera conseruntque dextras
et mortem sibi—qua manu!—minantur.
ridet Mars pater et cruenta Virtus
casuraeque vagis grues rapinis
mirantur pugiles ¹²⁹ ferociores.
65Iam noctis propioribus sub umbris
dives sparsio quos agit tumultus!
hic intrant faciles emi puellae,
hic agnoscitur omne. quod theatris
aut forma placet aut probatur arte.
70hoc plaudunt grege Lydiae tumentes,
illic cymbala tinnulaeque Gades,
illic agmina confremunt Syrorum,
hic plebs scenica quique comminutis
permutant vitreis gregale sulpur.
75Inter quae subito cadunt volatu
immensae volucrum per astra nubes,
quas Nilus sacer horridusque Phasis,
quas udo Numidae legunt sub austro,
desunt qui rapiant sinusque pleni
80gaudent, dum nova lucra comparantur.
tollunt innumeras ad astra voces
Saturnalia principis sonantes ¹³⁰ [p. 70]
et dulci dominum favore clamant:
hoc solum vetuit licere Caesar.
85Vixdum caerula nox subibat orbem,
descendit media nitens harena
densas flammeus orbis inter umbras
vincens Gnosiacae facem coronae,
conlucet polus ignibus nihilque
90obscurae patitur licere nocti,
fugit pigra Quies inersque Somnus
haec cernens alias abit in urbes,
quis spectacula, quis iocos licentes,
quis convivia, quis dapes inemptas,
95largi flumina quis canat Lyaei?
iam iam deficio tuoque Baccho ¹³¹
in serum trahor ebrius soporem.
Quos ibit procul hic dies per annos
quam nullo sacer exolescet aevo!
100dum montes Latii paterque Thybris.
dum stabit tua Roma dumque terris
quod reddis Capitolium manebit. ¹³²

3 Lacuna in MSS. after pro: prodierint Pol., prodiissent ς.

4 Lacuna in MSS. after enim: oportet me huius Doni.

9 ter centum tamen Elter: tantum tamen M.

10 convalescent! Seriverius and Heinsius: est valent M (above valent, fee, erased by M2), est valenti Pol.

11 documentum Klotz: domomum M, commodum or idoneum Phillimore.

12 Seven or eight lines of the page left empty in MSS.

14 tardo Mi tanto or -us Pol., tantum Phill.

18 adscitae M: adsertae ς.

19 gener et Cato Caesaris iret Scriverius and Housman (see Manilius, p. Levii): iret gener et Cato castris M.

20 pugnas Pol.: pugnes M.

25 et quis ς: et qui M. et cui ς: it, cui Phill.

26 tanto ς: toto M

27 Martis Gronovius: montis M (from 59).

28 vincit Heinsius: fingit M, frangit conj. Phill.

31 fultura ς: futura M. factura m, furata Sandstroem.

32 cinctuque Barthius: coetuque M. cestuque Phill.

34 prensum Parrhasius, aveheret Baehrens: prensa veheret, M. Oenomaus, were challenged by him to a chariot-race, on condition of forfeiting their lives if they were beaten.

35 finierat ς: emis erat M. finis erat Pol. defeated in a race. death of a dove (a bird sacred to Venus): the parallel of

38 Daphne, si in Baehrens: dafnes in M, Daphne, sin Phill.

39 vero M: verso Herzoy, alio, fulvo, pluvio Markland, iterum Burmann.

41 haec Otto et M.

42 iugavi Dom.: iugali M. Some edd, support MSS. here, and explain by ellipse.

47 tacitaeque Vollmer: tacitoque M.

48 honorem M: amorem ς.

49 labores Maenaghten: laboris M.

50 nitidae ς: nitiade M: viduae Pii HI i more: tumidae Dom.

51 Parnase sonas Doni.: Parnasis honos M: Parnasis hiems Schwartz. which Bacchus is always connected; there was a tradition that he wore it for sorrow after the death of Ariadne (Theon on Aratus, Phaen. 71).

55 iuvenum coetu Bernartius: iuvenum questus hasta (hasta crased by Ml): in iuvenumque aestu Postgate, hic iuvenum vestis Pilis, cf. Phillimore, Pref, to Silvae, p. xx.

56 insignit gemina Phillimore: insigni geminat M.

57 tinxit Guyet: strinxit M.

60 regant Pol.: legant M.

61 longae ς: longe M. See Slater's note, ad loc. Sebethos was the name of a small stream flowing past Naples.

64 So lacuna in MSS. after this line. It was first recognized by Schwartz, though the text was doubted by Dom.: Phillimore can j. telam for tecum (iii. 1. 117).

65 ante Bursian: arte M.

69 saxeus ... spumosa M: Slater conj. spumeus ... saxosa.

70 fluviumve obstare Pol.: fluviorum optare M.

71 teneros invitant Lemaire: nigros imitantia (or potis. mutantia) M: pigros Peyraredus: mutantia Postgate.

75 iungentia Dum.: ingencia M.

76 debet Heinsius: demet M.

77 illic Krohn, Anien et Pol.: illis ipse antris anienem M.

80 nocte sub arcana ς: nocte sub arcano m, artano M, noctis ubi arcano Phillimore.

81 Antia Markland: avia .V: obvia Postgate.

83 turbes M: vibres Seriverius. storms; Aege, daughter of Olenus, was changed into a goat. was one of the founders of Tibur.

86 es ς: et M: dive es Pol.: dives M: dis es Dom.: Diti es Postgate.

87 qui Pol. (from P): quis M.

92 pridem Dom.: precidem M.

93 praecidens Housman: progressus M: praegressus ς.

94 ait, i Bursian: alti M.

95 tendentes Markland: tendatis M.

98 After this line M has attollam cantu gaudet Thrasymennus et Alpes, obviously an interpolation, though carious edd, try to fit it into the text. See In trod.

99 lacera Pot.: laeta M. Pol.'s reading was taken by him from P. (Staatsrecht, i. 384 n.l, who quotes Cic. De leg. agr. ii. 34. 93, and Plautus. Epid. i. 1. 25. to prove that the praetor in Rome only had two lictors (cf, bissenos fasces, of the consulship, Silv. i. 2. 174).

100

101

102 benignum Lindenbroy: benigne M.

103 carpsi Dom.: carpsit M.

104 aucupor Heinsius: auguror M.

105

106

107 set ne numerare Seriverius: et enumerare M, nec et Postgate.

108 verecunda Bachrens: verecundo M.

109

110

111 lucentibus M: liventibus Pol., Markland: cf. Apoll. Sid. xxii. 137.

112 quasque Tyrus Dom.: quoque tiri M: cumque Tyri Vollmer: quasque Tyrus niveas secuit Lafaye: quamque Paros niveam Postgate: quaeque Tyri vincas fucatam (or, fucum et quae) sindona rupes Stater. See also C.R. xx. pp. 38, 39. united herself indissolubly to him. Cebrenis is Oenone. Hylas, ward of Hercules, was drawn by a nymph into the spring where he was getting water. drinking respectively, from the purity of the one and the

113

114 in summum fundo ς: in fundum summo M.

115

116

117

118 ebriamque aparchen (I.e. ἀπαρχήν, originally ‘first-fruits.’ ‘first offering,’ then ‘feast,’ as In Pint. 40 B) Phillimore: parcen M, pacem Pol., noctem R. Thomson, etc.

119 bellaria ς: vellaria M.

120 ebriosa Caunos Waller: aebosia caunos M, aestuosa Imhof, Ebosea Vollmer, arbor Iuda caunas Eilis, et quod praecoquit Ebosia cannis Lafaye and Slater. according to popular belief, on his festival.

125 insimul ς: insemel M.

126 beate Hessius and Lafaye: beata M.

127 nescit M: nescis ς.

128 vacare Phillimore: vocare M: vocari Ettigius.

129

130 pugiles Friederich: pumilos M.

131

132 tuoque Baccho ς: tuaque Baccho M.

Statius, P. Papinius. Statius, Vol I. John Henry Mozley. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1928. Keyboarding.

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Statius, P. Papinius, Silvae
John Henry Mozley, Ed.

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Table of Contents:

equus maximus Domitiani Imp.

epithalamion in Stellam et Violentillam

Villa Tiburtina Manilii Vopisci

soteria Rutili Gallici

balneum Claudii Etrusci

Kalendae Decembres

Statius, P. Papinius, Silvae John Henry Mozley, Ed.

This text is part of:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View text chunked by:

Table of Contents:

equus maximus Domitiani Imp.

epithalamion in Stellam et Violentillam

Villa Tiburtina Manilii Vopisci

soteria Rutili Gallici

balneum Claudii Etrusci

Kalendae Decembres

Statius, P. Papinius, Silvae
John Henry Mozley, Ed.