“The wood that crowns the peak of Nesis set fast in ocean.”
Silvaque quae fixam pelago Nesida coronat.
i, line 148 (tr. J. H. Mozley)
Silvae, Book III
Quotes from workSilvae
StatiusOriginal title Silvae (Latin)
The Silvae is a collection of Latin occasional poetry in hexameters, hendecasyllables, and lyric meters by Publius Papinius Statius . There are 32 poems in the collection, divided into five books. Each book contains a prose preface which introduces and dedicates the book. The subjects of the poetry are varied and provide scholars with a wealth of information on Domitian's Rome and Statius' life.
“Spying a young plane tree with long stem and countless branches and summit aspiring to heaven.”
Primaevam visu platanum, cui longa propago
innumeraeque manus et iturus in aethera vertex.
iii, line 39 (tr. J. H. Mozley)
Silvae, Book II
“Whoever worships the gods in good faith, loves their priests too.”
Qui bona fide deos colit amat et sacerdotes.
Preface, line 10
Silvae, Book V
“And now it was your purpose to weep Vesuvius' flames in pious melody and spend your tears on the losses of your native place, what time the Father took the mountain from earth and lifted it to the stars only to plunge it down upon the hapless cities far and wide.”
Jamque et flere pio Vesuvina incendia cantu
mens erat et gemitum patriis impendere damnis,
cum pater exemptum terris ad sidera montem
sustulit et late miseras deiecit in urbes.
iii, line 205
Silvae, Book V
“And bold Stesichorus and rash Sappho, who feared not Leucas but took the manly leap.”
Stesichorusque ferox saltusque ingressa viriles
non formidata temeraria Leucade Sappho.
iii, line 154
Silvae, Book V
“Among them pert-faced Elegy draws near.”
Quas inter vultu petulans Elegea propinquat.
ii, line 7
Silvae, Book I
“Wonderful but true! Shall future progeny of men believe, when crops grow again and this desert shall once more be green, that cities and peoples are buried below and that an ancestral countryside vanished in a common doom? Nor does the summit yet cease its deadly thrust.”
Mira fides! credetne virum ventura propago,
cum segetes iterum, cum iam haec deserta virebunt,
infra urbes populosque premi proavitaque tanto
rura abiisse mari? necdum letale minari
cessat apex.
iv, line 81
Silvae, Book IV
“Raise your half-buried countenance from the sudden shower of dust, Parthenope, and place your locks, singed by the mountains breath, on the tomb and body of your great foster son.”
Exsere semirutos subito de pulvere vultus,
Parthenope, crinemque adflato monte sepultum
pone super tumulos et magni funus alumni.
iii, line 104
Silvae, Book V
“The loss of one lion alone drew a tear from mighty Caesar's eye.”
Magni quod Caesaris ora...
unius amissi tetigit jactura leonis.
v, line 27 (tr. J. H. Mozley)
Silvae, Book II
“And snatched sweet grapes from the hills.”
Et dulces rapuit de collibus uvas.
ii, line 103
Silvae, Book II
“Him did Galatia dare to provoke to war in lusty pride.”
Hunc Galatea vigens ausa est incessere bello.
iv, line 76 (tr. J. H. Mozley)
Silvae, Book I
“Barren are the years behind me. This is the first day of my span, here is the threshold of my life.”
Steriles transmisimus annos:
haec aevi mihi prima dies, hic limina vitae.
ii, line 12
Silvae, Book IV
“As a little skiff attached to a great ship, when the storm blows high, takes in her small share of the raging waters and tosses in the same south wind.”
Immensae veluti conexa carinae
cumba minor, cum saevit hiems, pro parte furentis
parva receptat aquas et eodem volvitur austro.
iv, line 120
Silvae, Book I
“For what cause, youthful Sleep, kindest of gods, or what error have I deserved, alas to lack your boon? All cattle are mute and birds and beasts, and the nodding tree-tops feign weary slumbers, and the raging rivers abate their roar; the ruffling of the waves subsides, the sea is still, leaning against the shore.”
Crimine quo merui, juvenis placidissime divum,
quove errore miser, donis ut solus egerem,
Somne, tuis? tacet omne pecus volucresque feraeque
et simulant fessos curvata cacumina somnos,
nec trucibus fluviis idem sonus; occidit horror
aequoris, et terris maria adclinata quiescunt.
iv, line 1
Silvae, Book V
“May that day perish from Time's record, nor future generations believe it! Let us at least keep silence, and suffer the crimes of our own house to be buried deep in whelming darkness.”
Excidat illa dies aevo nec postera credant
saecula. nos certe taceamus et obruta multa
nocte tegi propriae patiamur crimina gentis.
ii, line 88 (tr. J. H. Mozley)
Silvae, Book V
“But now the route that used to wear out a solid day barely takes two hours.”
At nunc, quae solidum diem terebat,
horarum via facta vix duarum.
iii, line 36
Silvae, Book IV
“Yet no stiff and frowning face was hers, no undue austerity in her manners, but gay and simple loyalty, charm blended with modesty.”
Nec frons triste rigens nimiusque in moribus horror
sed simplex hilarisque fides et mixta pudori
gratia.
i, line 64
Silvae, Book V
“In your calm bosom have made their dwelling a dignity that charms and virtue gay yet weighty. Not for you lazy repose or unjust power or vaulting ambition, but a middle way leading through the Good and the Pleasant. Of stainless faith and a stranger to passion, private while ordering your life for all to see, a despiser too of gold yet none better at displaying your wealth to advantage and letting the light in upon your riches.”
Tu cujus placido posuere in pectore sedem
blandus honos hilarisque tamen cum pondere virtus,
cui nec pigra quies nec iniqua potentia nec spes
improba, sed medius per honesta et dulcia limes,
incorrupte fidem nullosque experte tumultus
et secrete, palam quod digeris ordine vitam,
idem auri facilis contemptor et optimus idem
comere divitias opibusque immittere lucem.
iii, line 64
Silvae, Book II
“So does he strive to rescue your shade from the pyre and wages a mighty contest with Death, wearying the efforts of artists and seeking to love you in every material. But beauty created by toil of cunning hand is mortal.”
Sic auferre rogis umbram conatur et ingens
certamen cum Morte gerit, curasque fatigat
artificum inque omni te quaerit amare metallo.
Sed mortalis honos, agilis quem dextra laborat.
i, line 7
Silvae, Book V
