Thou and thou alone, Stilicho, hast dispersed the darkness that enshrouded our empire and hast restored its glory; thanks to thee civilization, all but vanished, has been freed from the gloomy prison and can again advance. The old order of justice now makes distinction between magistracies which fear had made equal in a common gloom. Thy right hand has snatched us from impending death and restored to their homes and lands peoples whom fate sentenced and thy valour saved. No longer, herded together like sheep by reason of our fears, do we watch from the ramparts our fields ablaze with the enemy’s fire, no longer measure the depth of rivers which we feebly hope will retard our destruction nor ask the streams and flying clouds to * * * * * Page 130 undosam servare fidem nubesque fugaces aut coniuratum querimur splendere serenum. Ipsa quoque internis furiis exercita plebis 50 securas iam Roma leva tranquillior arces; surge, precor, veneranda parens, et certa secundis fide deis, humilemque metum depone senectae. urbs aequaeva polo, tum demum ferrea sumet ius in te Lachesis, cum sic mutaverit axem 55 foederibus natura novis, ut flumine verso inriget Aegyptum Tanais, Maeotida Nilus, Eurus ab occasu, Zephyrus se promat ab Indis Caucasiisque iugis calido nigrantibus Austro Gaetulas Aquilo glacie constringat harenas. 60 Fatales hucusque manus, crebrisque notatae prodigiis abiere minae. nec sidera pacem semper habent, ipsumque Iovem turbante Typhoeo, si fas est, tremuisse ferunt, cum brachia centum montibus armaret totidem spiramque retorquens 65 lamberet attonitas erectis anguibus Arctos. quid mirum, si regna labor mortalia vexat, cum gemini fratres, genuit quos asper Aloeus, Martem subdiderint vinclis et in astra negatas temptarint munire vias steteritque revulsis 70 paene tribus scopulis caelesti machina bello? sed caret eventu nimius furor; improba numquam spes laetata diu, nec pervenere iuventae robur Aloidae, dum vellere Pelion Otus nititur, occubuit Phoebo, moriensque Ephialtes 75 in latus obliquam proiecit languidus Ossam. * * * * * Page 131 keep the promise of their waters or complain that the sunshine conspires against us with its splendour.