in miseras leges hominumque negotia ludit. 230 iudicat eunuchus; quid iam de consule miror? prodigium, quodcumque gerit. quae pagina lites sic actas meminit? quibus umquam saecula terris eunuchi videre forum? sed ne qua vacaret pars ignominia neu quid restaret inausum, 235 arma etiam violare parat portentaque monstris aggerat et secum petulans amentia certat. erubuit Mavors aversaque risit Enyo dedecus Eoum, quotiens intenta sagittis et pharetra fulgens anus exercetur Amazon 240 arbiter aut quotiens belli pacisque recurrit adloquiturque Getas. gaudet cum viderit hostis et sentit iam deesse viros. incendia fumant, muris nulla fides, squalent populatibus agri et medio spes sola mari. trans Phasin aguntur 245 Cappadocum matres, stabulisque abducta paternis Caucasias captiva bibunt armenta pruinas et Scythicis mutant Argaei pabula silvis. extra Cimmerias, Taurorum claustra, paludes flos Syriae servit. spoliis nec sufficit atrox 250 barbarus: in caedem vertunt fastidia praedae. Ille tamen (quid enim servum mollemque pudebit? aut quid in hoc poterit vultu flagrare ruboris?) pro victore redit: peditum vexilla sequuntur et turmae similes eunuchorumque manipli, 255 Hellespontiacis legio dignissima signis. obvius ire cliens defensoremque reversum complecti. placet ipse sibi laxasque laborat * * * * * Page 157 drunken with riches, makes sport of wretched law and the affairs of men. A eunuch is judge. Why now wonder that he is consul? Whatever he does is a prodigy. Can the annals of the law show cases so mishandled? What age or what country has ever witnessed a eunuch’s jurisdiction? That nought might remain undisgraced, nought unattempted, he even makes him ready to outrage arms, heaps portent on portent and wanton folly seeks to outdo itself. Mars blushed, Bellona scoffed and turned her from the disgrace of the East whene’er with arrows strung and flashing quiver the aged Amazon practises battle or hurries back as arbiter of peace and war to hold parley with the Getae. Our enemies rejoiced at the sight and felt that at last we were lacking in _men_. Towns were set ablaze; walls offered no security. The countryside was ravaged and brought to ruin. Mid-ocean alone gave hope. Women of Cappadocia were driven into captivity across the river Phasis; stolen from the stalls of their homesteads, the captive herds drink the snowy streams of Caucasus, and the flocks exchange the pastures of Mount Argaeus[91] for the woods of Scythia. Beyond the Cimmerian marshes, defence of the Tauric tribes, the youth of Syria are slaves. Too vast for the fierce barbarians are the spoils; glutted with booty they turn to slaughter.