Delphi Complete Works of Petronius

by Petronius

  To Hercules’ altar; the winter with frozen snow seals it

  And rears to the heavens a summit eternally hoary,

  As though the sky there had slipped down: no warmth from the sunbeams,

  No breath from the Springtime can soften the pile’s wintry rigor

  Nor slacken the frost chains that bind; and its menacing shoulders

  The weight of the world could sustain. With victorious legions

  These crests Caesar trod and selected a camp. Gazing downwards

  On Italy’s plains rolling far, from the top of the mountain,

  He lifted both hands to the heavens, his voice rose in prayer:

  ‘Omnipotent Jove, and thou, refuge of Saturn whose glory

  Was brightened by feats of my armies and crowned with my triumphs,

  Bear witness! Unwillingly summon I Mars to these armies,

  Unwillingly draw I the sword! But injustice compels me.

  While enemy blood dyes the Rhine and the Alps are held firmly

  Repulsing a second assault of the Gauls on our city,

  She dubs me an outcast! And Victory makes me an exile!

  To triumphs three score, and defeats of the Germans, my treason

  I trace! How can they fear my glory or see in my battles

  A menace? But hirelings, and vile, to whom my Rome is but a

  Stepmother! Methinks that no craven this sword arm shall hamper

  And take not a stroke in repost. On to victory, comrades,

  While anger seethes hot. With the sword we will seek a decision

  The doom lowering down is a peril to all, and the treason.

  My gratitude owe I to you, not alone have I conquered!

  Since punishment waits by our trophies and victory merits

  Disgrace, then let Chance cast the lots. Raise the standard of battle;

  Again take your swords. Well I know that my cause is accomplished

  Amidst such armed warriors I know that I cannot be beaten.’

  While yet the words echoed, from heaven the bird of Apollo

  Vouchsafed a good omen and beat with his pinions the ether.

  From out of the left of a gloomy grove strange voices sounded

  And flame flashed thereafter! The sun gleamed with brighter refulgence

  Unwonted, his face in a halo of golden flame shining.”

  CHAPTER THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THIRD.

  “By omens emboldened, to follow, the battle-flags, Caesar

  Commanded; and boldly led on down the perilous pathway.

  The footing, firm-fettered by frost chains and ice, did not hinder

  At first, but lay silent, the kindly cold masking its grimness;

  But, after the squadrons of cavalry shattered the clouds, bound

  By ice, and the trembling steeds crushed in the mail of the rivers,

  Then, melted the snows! And soon torrents newborn, from the heights of

  The mountains rush down: but these also, as if by commandment

  Grow rigid, and, turn into ice, in their headlong rush downwards!

  Now, that which rushed madly a moment before, must be hacked through!

  But now, it was treacherous, baffling their steps and their footing

  Deceiving; and men, horses, arms, fall in heaps, in confusion.

  And see! Now the clouds, by an icy gale smitten, their burden

  Discharge! Lo! the gusts of the whirlwind swirl fiercely about them;

  The sky in convulsions, with swollen hail buffets them sorely.

  Already the clouds themselves rupture and smother their weapons,

  An avalanche icy roars down like a billow of ocean;

  Earth lay overwhelmed by the drifts of the snow and the planets

  Of heaven are blotted from sight; overwhelmed are the rivers

  That cling to their banks, but unconquered is Caesar! His javelin

  He leans on and scrunches with firm step a passage the bristling

  Grim ice fields across! As, spurred on by the lust, of adventure

  Amphitryon’s offspring came striding the Caucasus slopes down;

  Or Jupiter’s menacing mien as, from lofty Olympus

  He leaped, the doomed giants to crush and to scatter their weapons.

  While Caesar in anger the swelling peaks treads down, winged rumor

  In terror flies forth and on beating wings seeks the high summit

  Of Palatine tall: every image she rocks with her message

  Announcing this thunderbolt Roman! Already, the ocean

  Is tossing his fleets! Now his cavalry, reeking with German

  Gore, pours from the Alps! Slaughter, bloodshed, and weapons

  The red panorama of war is unrolled to their vision!

  By terror their hearts are divided: two counsels perplex them!

  One chooses by land to seek flight: to another, the water

  Appeals, and the sea than his own land is safer! Another

  Will stand to his arms and advantage extort from Fate’s mandate.

  The depth of their fear marks the length of their flight! In confusion

  The people itself — shameful spectacle — driven by terror

  Is led to abandon the city. Rome glories in fleeing!

  The Quirites from battle blench! Cowed by the breath of a rumor

  Relinquished their firesides to mourning! One citizen, palsied

  With terror, his children embraces: another, his penates

  Conceals in his bosom; then, weeping, takes leave of his threshold

  And slaughters the distant invader — with curses! Their spouses

  Some clasp to their sorrow-wracked bosoms! Youths carry their fathers

  Bowed down with old age, uninured to the bearing of burdens.

  They seize what they dread to lose most. Inexperience drags all

  Its chattels to camp and to battle: as, when powerful Auster

  Piles up the churned waters and tumbles them: never a yard-arm

  Nor rudder to answer the hand, here, one fashions a life-raft

  Of pine planks, another steers into some bay on a lee shore,

  Another will crack on and run from the gale and to Fortune

  Trust all! But why sorrow for trifles? The consuls, with Pompey

  The Great — he, the terror of Pontus, of savage Hydaspes

  Explorer, the reef that wrecked pirates, caused Jove to turn livid,

  When thrice was a triumph decreed him, whom Pontus’ vexed water

  And pacified billows of Bosphorus worshipped! Disgraceful their

  Flight! Title and glory forsaking! Now Fortune capricious

  Looks down on the back of great Pompey retreating in terror!”

  CHAPTER THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH.

  “So great a misfortune disrupted the concord of heaven

  And gods swelled the rout in their panic! Behold through creation

  The gentle divinities flee from the ravening earth; in

  Their loathing they turn from humanity, doomed to destruction!

  And first of all, Peace, with her snowy white arms, hides her visage

  Defeated, her helmet beneath and, abandoning earth, flees

  To seek out the realm of implacable Dis, as a refuge

  Meek Faith her companion, and Justice with locks loosely flowing,

  And Concord, in tears, and her raiment in tatters, attend her.

  The minions of Pluto pour forth from the portals of darkness

  That yawn: the serpent-haired Fury, Bellona the Savage,

  Megoera with firebrands, destruction, and treachery, livid

  Death’s likeness! Among them is Frenzy, as, free, with her lashings

  Snapped short, she now raises her gory head, shielding her features

  Deep scarred by innumerous wounds ‘neath her helmet blood-clotted.

  Her left arm she guards with a battle-scarred shield scored by weapons,

  And numberless spear-heads protrude from its surface: her right hand
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  A flaming torch brandishes, kindling a flame that will burn up

  The world! Now the gods are on earth and the skies note their absence;

  The planets disordered their orbits attempt! Into factions

  The heavens divide; first Dione espouses the cause of

  Her Caesar. Minerva next steps to her side and the great son

  Of Ares, his mighty spear brandishing! Phoebus espouses

  The cause of Great Pompey: his sister and Mercury also

  And Hercules like unto him in his travels and labors.

  The trumpets call! Discord her Stygian head lifts to heaven

  Her tresses disheveled, her features with clotted blood covered,

  Tears pour from her bruised eyes, her iron fangs thick coated with rust,

  Her tongue distils poison, her features are haloed with serpents,

  Her hideous bosom is visible under her tatters,

  A torch with a blood red flame waves from her tremulous right hand.

  Emerging from Cocytus dark and from Tartarus murky

  She strode to the crests of the Apennines noble, the prospect

  Of earth to survey, spread before her the world panorama

  Its shores and the armies that march on its surface: these words then

  Burst out of her bosom malignant: ‘To arms, now, ye nations,

  While anger seethes hot, seize your arms, set the torch to the cities,

  Who skulks now is lost; neither woman nor child nor the aged

  Bowed down with their years shall find quarter: the whole world will tremble

  And rooftrees themselves shall crash down and take part in the struggle.

  Marcellus, hold firm for the law! And thou, Curio, madden

  The rabble! Thou, Lentulus, strive not to check valiant Ares!

  Thou, Cesar divine, why delayest thou now thine invasion?

  Why smash not the gates, why not level the walls of the cities,

  Their treasures to pillage? Thou, Magnus, dost not know the secret

  Of holding the hills of Rome? Take thou the walls of Dyrrachium,

  Let Thessaly’s harbors be dyed with the blood of the Romans!’

  On earth was obeyed every detail of Discord’s commandment.”

  When Eumolpus had, with great volubility, poured out this flood of words, we came at last to Crotona. Here we refreshed ourselves at a mean inn, but on the following day we went in search of more imposing lodgings and fell in with a crowd of legacy hunters who were very curious as to the class of society to which we belonged and as to whence we had come. Thereupon, in accord with our mutual understanding, such ready answers did we make as to who we might be or whence we had come that we gave them no cause for doubt. They immediately fell to wrangling in their desire to heap their own riches upon Eumolpus and every fortune-hunter solicited his favor with presents.

  VOLUME V. AFFAIRS AT CROTONA

  CHAPTER THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH.

  For a long time affairs at Crotona ran along in this manner and Eumolpus, flushed with success so far forgot the former state of his fortunes that he even bragged to his followers that no one could hold out against any wish of his, and that any member of his suite who committed a crime in that city would, through the influence of his friends, get off unpunished. But, although I daily crammed my bloated carcass to overflowing with good things, and began more and more to believe that Fortune had turned away her face from keeping watch upon me, I frequently meditated, nevertheless, upon my present state and upon its cause. “Suppose,” thought I, “some wily legacy hunter should dispatch an agent to Africa and catch us in our lie? Or even suppose the hireling servant, glutted with prosperity, should tip off his cronies or give the whole scheme away out of spite? There would be nothing for it but flight and, in a fresh state of destitution, a recalling of poverty which had been driven off. Gods and goddesses, how ill it fares with those living outside the law; they are always on the lookout for what is coming to them!” (Turning these possibilities over in my mind I left the house, in a state of black melancholy, hoping to revive my spirits in the fresh air, but scarcely had I set foot upon the public promenade when a girl, by no means homely, met me, and, calling me Polyaenos, the name I had assumed since my metamorphosis, informed me that her mistress desired leave to speak with me. “You must be mistaken,” I answered, in confusion, “I am only a servant and a stranger, and am by no means worthy of such an honor.”)

  CHAPTER THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIXTH.

  (“You yourself,” she replied, “are the one to whom I was sent but,) because you are well aware of your good looks, you are proud and sell your favors instead of giving them. What else can those wavy well-combed locks mean or that face, rouged and covered with cosmetics, or that languishing, wanton expression in your eyes? Why that gait, so precise that not a footstep deviates from its place, unless you wish to show off your figure in order to sell your favors? Look at me, I know nothing about omens and I don’t study the heavens like the astrologers, but I can read men’s intentions in their faces and I know what a flirt is after when I see him out for a stroll; so if you’ll sell us what I want there’s a buyer ready, but if you will do the graceful thing and lend, let us be under obligations to you for the favor. And as for your confession that you are only a common servant, by that you only fan the passion of the lady who burns for you, for some women will only kindle for canaille and cannot work up an appetite unless they see some slave or runner with his clothing girded up: a gladiator arouses one, or a mule-driver all covered with dust, or some actor posturing in some exhibition on the stage. My mistress belongs to this class, she jumps the fourteen rows from the stage to the gallery and looks for a lover among the gallery gods at the back.” Puffed up with this delightful chatter. “Come now, confess, won’t you,” I queried, “is this lady who loves me yourself?” The waiting maid smiled broadly at this blunt speech. “Don’t have such a high opinion of yourself,” said she, “I’ve never given in to any servant yet; the gods forbid that I should ever throw my arms around a gallows-bird. Let the married women see to that and kiss the marks of the scourge if they like: I’ll sit upon nothing below a knight, even if I am only a servant.” I could not help marveling, for my part, at such discordant passions, and I thought it nothing short of a miracle that this servant should possess the hauteur of the mistress and the mistress the low tastes of the wench!

  Each one will find what suits his taste, one thing is not for all,

  One gathers roses as his share, another thorns enthrall.

  After a little more teasing, I requested the maid to conduct her mistress to a clump of plane trees. Pleased with this plan, the girl picked up the skirt of her garment and turned into a laurel grove that bordered the path. After a short delay she brought her mistress from her hiding-place and conducted her to my side; a woman more perfect than any statue. There are no words with which to describe her form and anything I could say would fall far short. Her hair, naturally wavy, flowed completely over her shoulders; her forehead was low and the roots of her hair were brushed back from it; her eyebrows, running from the very springs of her cheeks, almost met at the boundary line between a pair of eyes brighter than stars shining in a moonless night; her nose was slightly aquiline and her mouth was such an one as Praxiteles dreamed Diana had. Her chin, her neck, her hands, the gleaming whiteness of her feet under a slender band of gold; she turned Parian marble dull! Then, for the first time, Doris’ tried lover thought lightly of Doris!

  Oh Jove, what’s come to pass that thou, thine armor cast away

  Art mute in heaven; and but an idle tale?

  At such a time the horns should sprout, the raging bull hold sway,

  Or they white hair beneath swan’s down conceal

  Here’s Dana’s self! But touch that lovely form

  Thy limbs will melt beneath thy passions’ storm!

  CHAPTER THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH.

  She was delighted and so be witchingly did she s
mile that I seemed to see the full moon showing her face from behind a cloud. Then, punctuating her words with her fingers, “Dear boy, if you are not too critical to enjoy a woman of wealth who has but this year known her first man, I offer you a sister,” said she. “You have a brother already, I know, for I didn’t disdain to ask, but what is to prevent your adopting a sister, too? I will come in on the same footing only deem my kisses worthy of recognition and caress me at your own pleasure!” “Rather let me implore you by your beauty,” I replied. “Do not scorn to admit an alien among your worshipers: If you permit me to kneel before your shrine you will find me a true votary and, that you may not think I approach this temple of love without a gift, I make you a present of my brother!” “What,” she exclaimed, “would you really sacrifice the only one without whom you. could not live’? The one upon whose kisses your happiness depends. Him whom you love as I would have you love me?” Such sweetness permeated her voice as she said this, so entrancing was the sound upon the listening air that you would have believed the Sirens’ harmonies were floating in the breeze. I was struck with wonder and dazzled by I know not what light that shone upon me, brighter than, the whole heaven, but I made bold to inquire the name of my divinity. “Why, didn’t my maid tell you that I am called Circe?” she replied. “But I am not the sun-child nor has my mother ever stayed the revolving world in its course at her pleasure; but if the Fates bring us two together I will owe heaven a favor. I don’t know what it is, but some god’s silent purpose is beneath this. Circe loves not Polyaenos without some reason; a great torch is always flaming when these names meet! Take me in your arms then, if you will; there’s no prying stranger to fear, and your ‘brother’ is far away from this spot!” So saying, Circe clasped me in arms that were softer than down and drew me to the ground which was covered with colored flowers.

  With flowers like these did Mother Earth great Ida’s summit strew

  When Jupiter, his heart aflame, enjoyed his lawful love;

  There glowed the rose, the flowering rush, the violet’s deep blue,

  From out green meadows snow-white lilies laughed. Then from above,