For Curio rash from Lilybaean coastSailed with his fleet, and borne by gentle windsBetwixt half-ruined Carthage, mighty once,And Clupea's cliff, upon the well-known shoreHis anchors dropped. First from the hoary seaRemote, where Bagra slowly ploughs the sand,He placed his camp: then sought the further hillsAnd mazy passages of cavernous rocks,Antaeus' kingdom called. From ancient daysThis name was given; and thus a swain retoldThe story handed down from sire to son:'Not yet exhausted by the giant brood,'Earth still another monster brought to birth,'In Libya's caverns: huger far was he,'More justly far her pride, than BriareusWith all his hundred hands, or Typhon fierce,Or Tityos: 'twas in mercy to the gods'That not in Phlegra's fields Antaeus grew,'But here in Libya; to her offspring's strength,'Unmeasured, vast, she added yet this boon,'That when in weariness and labour spent'He touched his parent, fresh from her embrace'Renewed in vigour he should rise again.'In yonder cave he dwelt, 'neath yonder rock'He made his feast on lions slain in chase:'There slept he; not on skins of beasts, or leaves,'But fed his strength upon the naked earth.Perished the Libyan hinds and those who came,'Brought here in ships, until he scorned at length'The earth that gave him strength, and on his feet'Invincible and with unaided might'Made all his victims. Last to Afric shores,' Drawn by the rumour of such carnage, came' Magnanimous Alcides, he who freed'Both land and sea of monsters. Down on earth'He threw his mantle of the lion's skin' Slain in Cleone; nor Antaeus less'Cast down the hide he wore. With shining oil,'As one who wrestles at Olympia's feast,'The hero rubbed his limbs: the giant feared' Lest standing only on his parent earth'His strength might fail; and cast o'er all his bulk' Hot sand in handfuls. Thus with arms entwined'And grappling hands each seizes on his foe;'With hardened muscles straining at the neck'Long time in vain; for firm the sinewy throat' Stood column-like, nor yielded; so that each' Wondered to find his peer. Nor at the first'Divine Alcides put forth all his strength,' By lengthy struggle wearing out his foe,'Till chilly drops stood on Antaeus' limbs,'And toppled to its fall the stately throat,'And smitten by the hero's blows, the legs' Began to totter. Breast to breast they strive'To gain the vantage, till the victor's arms'Gird in the giant's yielding back and sides,'And squeeze his middle part: next 'twixt the thighs' He puts his feet, and forcing them apart,'Lays low the mighty monster limb by limb.'The dry earth drank his sweat, while in his veins'Warm ran the life-blood, and with strength refreshed,'The muscles swelled and all the joints grew firm,'And with his might restored, he breaks his bonds'And rives the arms of Hercules away.'Amazed the hero stood at such a strength.'Not thus he feared, though then unused to war,'That hydra fierce which, smitten in the marsh'Of Inachus, renewed its severed heads.'They fought as peers, the giant with the powers'Which earth bestowed, the hero with his own:' Nor did the hatred of his step-dame find'In all his conflicts greater room for hope.' She sees bedewed in sweat the neck and limbs'Which once had borne the burden of the heavens' Nor knew the toil: and when Antaeus felt' His foeman's arms close round him once again,' He flung his wearying limbs upon the sand' To rise with strength renewed; all that the earth,'Though labouring sore, could breathe into her son'She gave his frame. But Hercules at last' Saw how his parent gave the giant strength.'" Stand thou," he cried; "no more upon the ground' "Thou liest at thy will-here must thou stay'" Within mine arms constrained; against this breast,'" Antaeus, shalt thou fall." He lifted up' And held by middle girth the giant form,'Still struggling for the soil: but she no more'Could give her offspring vigour. Slowly came'The chill of death upon him, and 'twas long'Before the hero, of his victory sure,'Trusted the earth and laid the giant down.'Hence, hoar antiquity that loves to prate'And wonders at herself, this region called'Antaeus' kingdom. But a greater name' Yon hills from Scipio gained, when he recalled'From Roman citadels the Punic chief.'Here was his camp; here canst thou see the trace' Of that most famous rampart whence at length'Issued the Eagles of triumphant Rome.'But Curio rejoiced, as though for himThe fortunes of the spot must hold in storeThe fates of former chiefs: and on the placeOf happy augury placed his tents ill-starred;Took from the hills their omens; and with forceUnequal, challenged his barbarian foe.All Africa that bore the Roman yokeThen lay 'neath Varus. He, though placing firstTrust in his Latian troops, from every sideAnd furthest regions, summons to his aidThe nations who confessed King Juba's rule.Not any monarch over wider tractsHeld the dominion. From the western beltNear Gades, Atlas parts their furthest bounds;But from the southern, Hammon girds them inHard by the whirlpools; and their burning plainsStretch forth unending 'neath the torrid zone,In breadth its equal, till they reach at lengthThe shore of ocean upon either hand.From all these regions tribes unnumbered flockTo Juba's standard: Moors of swarthy hueAs though from Ind; Numidian nomads thereAnd Nasamon's needy hordes; and those whose dartsRival the flying arrows of the Mede:Dark Garamantians leave their fervid home;And those whose coursers unrestrained by bitOr saddle, yet obey the rider's handWhich wields the guiding switch: the hunter, too,Who wanders forth, his home a fragile hut,And blinds with flowing robe (if spear should fail)The angry lion, monarch of the steppe.Not eagerness alone to save the stateStirred Juba's spirit: private hatred tooRoused him to war. For in the former year,When Curio all things human and the godsPolluted, he by tribune law essayedTo ravish Libya from the tyrant's sway,And drive the monarch from his father's throne,While giving Rome a king. To Juba thus,Still smarting at the insult, came the war,A welcome harvest for his crown retained.These rumours Curio feared: nor had his troops(Ta'en in Corfinium's hold) in waves of RhineBeen tested, nor to Caesar in the warsHad learned devotion: wavering in their faith,Their second chief they doubt, their first betrayed.Yet when the general saw the spirit of fearCreep through his camp, and discipline to fail,And sentinels desert their guard at night,Thus in his fear he spake: ' By daring much' Fear is disguised; let me be first in arms,'And bid my soldiers to the plain descend,While still my soldiers. Idle days breed doubt.' By fight forestall the plot. Soon as the thirst'Of bloodshed fills the mind, and eager hands' Grip firm the sword, and pressed upon the brow' The helm brings valour to the failing heart-' Who cares to measure leaders' merits then?' Who weighs the cause? With whom the soldier stands,'For him he fights; as at the fatal showNo ancient grudge the gladiator's arm' Nerves for the combat, yet as he shall strike' He hates his rival.' Thinking thus he ledHis troops in battle order to the plain.Then victory on his arms deceptive shoneHiding the ills to come: for from the fieldDriving the hostile host with sword and spear,He smote them till their camp opposed his way.
Namque rates audax Lilybaeo litore solvitCurio: nec forti velis Aquilone receptoInter semirutas magnae Carthaginis arcesEt Clupeam tenuit stationis litora notae:Primaque castra locat cano procul aequore, qua seBagrada lentus agit, siccae sulcator arenae.Inde petit tumulos exesasque undique rupes,Antaei quae regna vocat non vana vetustas.Nominis antiqui cupientem noscere caussasCognita per multos docuit rudis incola patres,Nondum post genitos Tellus effeta gigantes,Terribilem Libyeis partum concepit in antris.Nec tam iusta fuit terrarum gloria Typhon,Aut Tityos Briareusque ferox: coeloque pepercit,Quod non Phlegraeis Antaeum sustulit arvis.Hoc quoque tam vastas cumulavit munere viresTerra sui foetus, quod, cum tetigere parentem,Iam defecta vigent renovato robore membra.Haec illi spelunca domus: latuisse sub altaRupe ferunt, epulas raptos habuisse leones.Ad somnos non terga ferae praebere cubileAdsuerunt, non silva torum: viresque resumitIn nuda tellure iacens. Periere coloniArvorum Libyes: pereunt, quos adpulit aequor,Auxilioque diu virtus non usa cadendi,Terrae spernit opes: invictus robore cunctis,Quamvis staret, erat. Tandem vulgata cruentiFama mali, terras monstris aequorque levantemMagnanimum Alciden Libycas excivit in oras.Ille Cleonaei proiecit terga leonis,Antaeus Libyci. Perfudit membra liquoreHospes, Olympiacae servato more palaestrae:Ille, parum fidens pedibus contingere matrem,Auxilium membris calidas infundit arenas.Conseruere manus et multo brachia nexu.Colla diu gravibus frustra tentata lacertis:Immotumque caput fixa cum fronte tenetur:Miranturque habuisse parem. Nec viribus utiAlcides primo voluit certamine totis,Exhausitque virum: quod creber anhelitus illiProdidit, et gelidus fesso de corpore sudor.Tunc cervix lassata quati: tunc pectore pectusUrgeri: tunc obliqua percussa labareCrura manu. Iam terga viri cedentia victorAdligat, et medium, compressis ilibus, arctat:Inguinaque insertis pedibus distendit, et omnemExplicuit per membra virum. Rapit arida tellusSudorem: calido complentur sanguine venae.Intumuere tori, totosque induruit artus,Herculeosque novo laxavit corpore nodos.Constitit Alcides stupefactus robore tanto:Nec sic Inachiis, quamvis rudis esset, in undisDesectam timuit, reparatis anguibus, hydram.Conflixere pares, telluris viribus ille,Ille suis. Numquam saevae sperare novercaePlus licuit. Videt exhaustos sudoribus artusCervicemque viri siccam, qua ferret Olympum.Utque iterum fessis iniecit brachia membris,Non exspectatis Antaeus viribus hostisSponte cadit, maiorque, accepto robore, surgit.Quisquis inest terris, in fessos spiritus artusEgeritur; tellusque viro luctante laborat.Ut tandem auxilium tactae prodesse parentisAlcides sensit: standum est tibi, dixit, et ultraNon credere solo, sternique vetabere terra.Haerebis pressis intra mea pectora membris:Huc, Antaee, cades. Sic fatus, sustulit alteNitentem in terras iuvenem. Morientis in artusNon potuit nati tellus submittere vires.Alcides medium tenuit: iam pectora pigroStricta gelu: terrisque diu non credidit hostem.Hinc, aevi veteris custos, famosa vetustasMiratrixque sui signavit nomine terras.Sed maiora dedit cognomina collibus istis,Poenum qui Latiis revocavit ab arcibus hostem,Scipio. Iam sedes Libyca tellure potitoHaec fuit. En, veteris cernis vestigia valli.Romana hos primum tenuit victoria campos.Curio laetatus, tamquam fortuna locorumBella gerat, servetque ducum sibi fata priorum,Felici non fausta loco tentoria ponens,Indulsit castris, et collibus abstulit omen,Sollicitatque feros non aequis viribus hostes.Omnis Romanis quae cesserat Africa signis,Tunc Vari sub iure fuit: qui, robore quamquamConfisus Latio, regis tamen undique viresExcivit Libycae gentis, extremaque mundiSigna, suum comitata Iubam. Non fusior ulliTerra fuit domino: qua sunt longissima regna,Cardine ab occiduo vicinus Gadibus AtlasTerminat: a medio confinis Syrtibus Hammon:At qua lata iacet vasti plaga fervida regni,Distinet Oceanum, zonaeque exusta calentisSufficiunt spatio. Populi tot castra sequuntur:Autololes, Numidaeque vagi, semperque paratusInculto Gaetulus equo: tunc concolor IndoMaurus, inops Nasamon, mixti Garamante perustoMarmaridae volucres, aequaturusque sagittasMedorum, tremulum cum torsit missile, Mazax:Et gens quae nudo residens Massylia dorsoOra levi flectit frenorum nescia virga:Et solitus vacuis errare mapalibus AferVenator, ferrique simul fiducia non est,Vestibus iratos laxis operire leones.Nec solum studiis civilibus arma parabat,Privatae sed bella dabat Iuba concitus irae.Hunc quoque, quo superos humanaque polluit anno,Lege tribunicia solio depellere avorumCurio tentarat, Libyamque auferre tyranno,Dum regnum te, Roma, facit. Memor ille dolorisHoc bellum sceptri fructum putat esse retenti.Hac igitur regis trepidat iam Curio fama,Et quod Caesareis numquam devota iuventusIlla nimis castris, nec Rheni miles in undisExploratus erat, Corfini captus in arce,Infidusque novis ducibus, dubiusque priori,Fas utrumque putat. Sed postquam languida segniCernit cuncta metu, nocturnaque munia valliDesolata fuga, trepida sic mente profatur:Audendo magnus tegitur timor: arma capessamIpse prior: campum miles descendat in aequum,Dum meus est: variam semper dant otia mentem.Eripe consilium pugna. Cum dira voluntasEnse subit presso, et galeae texere pudorem,Quis conferre duces meminit? quis pendere caussas?Qua stetit, inde favet: veluti fatalis arenaeMuneribus non ira vetus concurrere cogitProductos: odere pares. Sic fatus, apertisInstruxit campis acies: quem blanda futurisDeceptura malis belli fortuna recepit.Nam pepulit Varum campo, nudataque foedaTerga fuga, donec vetuerunt castra, cecidit.
But after Varus' rout, unseen till then,All eager for the glory to be his,By stealth came Juba: silent was his march;His only fear lest rumour should forestallHis coming victory. In pretended warHe sends Sabura forth with scanty forceTo tempt the enemy, while in hollow valeHe holds the armies of his realm unseen.'Tis thus the sly ichneumon with his tailWaving, allures the serpent of the NileDrawn to the moving shadow: he, with headTurned sideways, watches till the victim glidesWithin his reach, then seizes by the throatBehind the deadly fangs: forth from its seatBalked of its purpose, through the brimming jawsGushes a tide of poison. Fortune smiledOn Juba's stratagem; for Curio(The hidden forces of the foe unknown)Sent forth his horse by night without the campTo scour more distant regions. He himselfAt earliest peep of dawn bids carry forthHis standards; heeding not his captains' prayerUrged on his ears: ' Beware of Punic fraud,' The craft that taints a Carthaginian war.'Hung over him the doom of coming deathAnd gave the youth to fate; and civil strifeDragged down its author.On the lofty topsWhere broke the hills abruptly to their fallHe ranks his troops and sees the foe afar:Who still deceiving, simulated flight,Till from the height in loose unordered linesThe Roman forces streamed upon the plain,In thought that Juba fled. Then first was knownThe treacherous fraud: for swift Numidian horseOn every side surround them: leader, men-All see their fate in one dread moment come.No coward flees, no warrior bravely stridesTo meet the battle: nay, the trumpet callStirs not the charger with resounding hoofTo spurn the rock, nor galling bit compelsTo champ in eagerness; nor toss his maneAnd prick the ear, nor prancing with his feetTo claim his share of combat. Tired, the neckDroops downwards: smoking sweat bedews the limbs:Dry from the squalid mouth protrudes the tongue,Hoarse, raucous panting issues from their chests;Their flanks distended: and on every curbDry foam of blood; the ruthless sword aloneCould move them onward, powerless even thenTo charge; but giving to the hostile dartA nearer victim. But when the Afric horseFirst made their onset, loud beneath their hoofsRang the wide plain, and rose the dust in airAs by some Thracian whirlwind stirred; and veiledThe heavens in darkness. When on Curio's hostThe tempest burst, each footman in the rankStood there to meet his fate-no doubtful endHung in the balance: destiny proclaimedDeath to them all. No conflict hand to handWas granted them, by lances thrown from farAnd sidelong sword-thrusts slain: nor wounds alone,But clouds of weapons falling from the airBy weight of iron o'erwhelmed them. Still drew inThe straightening circle, for the first pressed backOn those behind; did any shun the foe,Seeking the inner safety of the ring,He needs must perish by his comrades' swords.And as the front rank fell, still narrower grewThe close crushed phalanx, till to raise their swordsSpace was denied. Still close and closer forcedThe armed breasts against each other drivenPressed out the life. Thus not upon a sceneSuch as their fortune promised, gazed the foe.No tide of blood was there to glut their eyes,No members lopped asunder, though the earthWas piled with corpses; for each Roman stoodIn death upright against his comrade dead.Let cruel Carthage rouse her hated ghostsBy this fell offering; let the Punic shades,And bloody Hannibal, from this defeatReceive atonement: yet 'twas shame, ye gods,That Libya gained not for herself the day;And that our Romans on that field should dieTo save Pompeius and the Senate's cause.Now was the dust laid low by streams of blood,And Curio, knowing that his host was slain,Chose not to live; and, as a brave man should,He rushed upon the heap, and fighting fell.In vain with turbid speech hast thou profanedThe pulpit of the forum; waved in vainFrom that proud citadel the tribune flag:And armed the people, and the Senate's rightsBetraying, hast compelled this impious warBetwixt the rival kinsmen. Low thou liestBefore Pharsalus' fight, and from thine eyesIs hid the war. 'Tis thus to suffering Rome,For arms seditious and for civil strifeYe mighty make atonement with your blood.Happy were Rome and all her sons indeed,Did but the gods as rigidly protectAs they avenge, her violated laws!There Curio lies; untombed his noble corpse,Torn by the vultures of the Libyan wastes.Yet shall we, since such merit, though unsung,Lives by its own imperishable fame,Give thee thy meed of praise. Rome never boreAnother son, who, had he right pursued,Had so adorned her laws; but soon the times,Their luxury, corruption, and the curseOf copious wealth swept o'er his wavering mindIn stream transverse; and, bribed by spoils of GaulAnd golden gifts of Caesar, Curio changedTurned with his change the scale of human things.True, mighty Sulla, cruel Marius,And bloody Cinna, and the long descentOf Caesar and of Caesar's house becameLords of our lives. But who had power like him?All others bought the state: he sold alone.
Tristia sed postquam superati proelia VariSunt audita Iubae: laetus, quod gloria belliSit rebus servata suis, rapit agmina furtim,Obscuratque suam per iussa silentia famam,Hoc solum metuens, incautus ab hoste timeri.Mittitur, exigua qui proelia prima lacessatEliciatque manu, Numidis a rege secundus,Ut sibi commissi simulator Sabura belli.Ipse cava regni vires in valle retentat:Aspidas ut Pharias cauda sollertior hostisLudit, et iratas incerta provocat umbra:Obliquusque caput vanas serpentis in aurasEffusae tuto comprendit guttura morsuLetiferam citra saniem: tunc irrita pestisExprimitur, faucesque fluunt pereunte veneno.Fraudibus eventum dederat fortuna: feroxque,Non exploratis occulti viribus hostis,Curio nocturnum castris erumpere cogitIgnotisque equitem late discurrere campis.Ipse sub aurorae primos excedere motusSigna iubet castris, multum frustraque rogatusUt Libycas metuat fraudes, infectaque semperPunica bella dolis. Leti fortuna propinquiTradiderat fatis iuvenem: bellumque trahebatAuctorem civile suum. Super ardua ducitSaxa, super cautes, abrupto limite, signa:Cum procul e summis conspecti collibus hostesFraude sua cessere parum, dum colle relictoEffusam patulis aciem committeret arvis.Ille, fugam credens, simulatae nescius artis,Ut victor, medios aciem proiecit in agros.tunc primum patuere doli, Numidaeque fugacesUndique completis clauserunt montibus agmen.Obstupuit dux ipse simul, perituraque turba.Non timidi petiere fugam, non proelia fortes:Quippe ubi non sonipes motus clangore tubarumSaxa quatit pulsu, rigidos vexantia frenosOra terens, spargitque iubas, et subrigit aures,Incertoque pedum pugnat non stare tumultu.Fessa iacet cervix. Fumant sudoribus artus,Oraque proiecta squalent arentia lingua:Pectora rauca gemunt, quae creber anhelitus urguet:Et defecta gravis longe trahit ilia pulsus:Siccaque sanguineis durescit spuma lupatis.Iamque gradum neque verberibus stimulisque coacti,Nec quamvis crebris iussi calcaribus addunt.Vulneribus coguntur equi. Nec profuit ulliCornipedis rupisse moras: neque enim impetus illisIncursusque fuit: tantum profertur ad hostes,Et spatium iaculis oblato vulnere donat.At vagus Afer equos ut primum emisit in agmen,Tunc campi tremuere sono: terraque soluta,Quantus Bistonio torquetur turbine, pulvisAera nube sua texit, traxitque tenebras.Ut vero in pedites fatum miserabile belliIncubuit, nullo dubii discrimine MartisAncipites steterunt casus, sed tempora pugnaeMors tenuit. Neque enim licuit procurrere contra,Et miscere manus. Sic undique septa iuventusCominus obliquis et rectis eminus hastisObruitur: non vulneribus nec sanguine, solumTelorum nimbo peritura, ac pondere ferri.Ergo acies tantae parum spissantur in orbem:Ac, si quis metuens medium correpsit in agmen,Vix impune suos inter convertitur enses:Densaturque globus, quantum pede prima relatoConstrinxit gyros acies. Non arma movendiIam locus est pressis: stipataque membra teruntur:Frangitur armatum colliso pectore pectus.Non tam laeta tulit victor spectacula Maurus,Quam fortuna dabat: fluvios non ille cruoris,Membrorumque videt lapsum, et ferientia terramCorpora: compressum turba stetit omne cadaver.Excitet invisas dirae Carthaginis umbrasInferiis fortuna novis: ferat ista cruentusHannibal et Poeni tam dira piacula manes.Romanam, superi, Libyca tellure ruinamPompeio prodesse nefas, votisque senatus.Africa nos potius vincat sibi. Curio fusasUt vidit campis acies, et cernere tantasPermisit clades compressus sanguine pulvis,Non tulit adflictis animam producere rebus,Aut sperare fugam: ceciditque in strage suorum,Impiger ad letum, et fortis virtute coacta.Quid nunc rostra tibi prosunt turbata, forumque,Unde tribunicia plebeius signifer arteArma dabas populis? quid prodita iura senatus.Et gener atque socer bello concurrere iussi?Ante iaces, quam dira duces Pharsalia confert,Spectandumque tibi bellum civile negatum est.Has urbi miserae vestro de sanguine poenasNempe datis? luitis iugulo sic arma, potentes?Felix Roma quidem, civesque habitura beatos,Si libertatis superis tam cura placeret,Quam vindicta placet. Libycas, en, nobile corpus,Pascit aves nullo contectus Curio busto.At tibi nos (quando non proderit ista silere,A quibus omne aevi senium sua fama repellit,)Digna damus, iuvenis, meritae praeconia vitae.Haud alium tanta civem tulit indole Roma,Aut cui plus leges deberent recta sequenti.Perdita tunc urbi nocuerunt saecula, postquamAmbitus, et luxus, et opum metuenda facultasTransverso mentem dubiam torrente tulerunt:Momentumque fuit mutatus Curio rerum,Gallorum captus spoliis, et Caesaris auro.Ius licet in iugulos nostros sibi fecerit enseSulla potens, Mariusque ferox, et Cinna cruentus,Caesareaeque domus series: cui tanta potestasConcessa est? Emere omnes, hic vendidit urbem.