intremuit movitque suas formidine silvas Caucasus et positis numen confessa pharetris 20 ignavas Meroë traxit de crine sagittas. reptasti per scuta puer, regumque recentes exuviae tibi ludus erant, primusque solebas aspera complecti torvum post proelia patrem, signa triumphato quotiens flexisset ab Histro 25 Arctoa de strage calens, et poscere partem de spoliis, Scythicos arcus aut rapta Gelonis cingula vel iaculum Daci vel frena Suebi. ille coruscanti clipeo te saepe volentem sustulit adridens et pectore pressit anhelo 30 intrepidum ferri galeae nec triste timentem fulgur et ad summas tendentem brachia cristas. tum sic laetus ait: “rex o stellantis Olympi, talis perdomito redeat mihi filius hoste, Hyrcanas populatus opes aut caede superbus 35 Assyria, sic ense rubens, sic flamine crebro turbidus et grato respersus pulvere belli, armaque gaviso referat captiva parenti.” Mox ubi firmasti recto vestigia gressu, non tibi desidias molles nec marcida luxu 40 otia nec somnos genitor permisit inertes, sed nova per duros instruxit membra labores et cruda teneras exercuit indole vires: frigora saeva pati, gravibus non cedere nimbis, aestivum tolerare iubar, transnare sonoras 45 torrentum furias, ascensu vincere montes, * * * * * Page 273 the Rhine’s full course, Caucasus shook his forests in fear, and the people of Meroë, confessing thy divinity, laid aside their quivers and drew the useless arrows from their hair. As a child thou didst crawl among shields, fresh-won spoils of monarchs were thy playthings, and thou wert ever the first to embrace thy stern father on his return from rude battles, when that, reeking with the blood of northern savages, he came home victorious from his conquest over the tribes of the Danube. Then wouldst thou demand thy share of the spoils, a Scythian bow or a belt won from the Geloni, a Dacian spear or Suabian bridle. Often would he smile on thee and uplift thee, eager for the honour, on his shining shield, and clasp thee to his still panting bosom. Thou fearedst not his coat of mail nor the dread gleam of his helmet but stretchedst out thy hands to grasp its lofty plumes. Then in his joy thy father cried: “King of starry Olympus, may this my son return in like manner from the lands of conquered foes, rich with the spoils of Hyrcania or proud with the slaughter of the Assyrians; his sword thus red with blood, his countenance thus roughened by the constant blasts and stained with the welcome dust of heroic combat, may he bring back to his happy father the arms of his conquered foes.”