132 D. E. HILL
greater sky and the door-posts, blooming in a mysterious light”). The
individual words continue to excite awe and wonder. The maiestas is
mixta because it belongs to many gods (deorum): sereno is a noun
meaning “a clear sky” hence Shackleton Bailey’s: “the towers shine in
a larger blue” though I am not convinced by “towers” for culmina.
This preparatory section ends with arcano ... lumine probably best
understood as a “mystic” or “mysterious light” (OLD s.v. 3) to give a
final element of sanctity to this magnificent introduction to Jupiter.
postquam iussa quies siluitque exterritus orbis, incipit ex alto
(graue et inmutabile sanctis pondus adest uerbis, et uocem fata
sequuntur) (1.211–3 “After quiet had been commanded and the fearful
world was silent, he began from on high (there was a serious and im-
mutable weight to his sacred words, and the fates followed his
voice”). If the reader is not on the edge of his seat with anticipation he
must have been asleep. And the speech opens:
terrarum delicta nec exaturabile Diris
in genium mortale queror. quonam usque nocentum
exigar in poenas? taedet saeuire corusco
fulmine, iam pridem Cyclopum operosa fatiscunt
bracchia et Aeoliis desunt incudibus ignes.
(1.214–8)
The sins of earth, and the mortals’ character that cannot be sated by the
Furies is what I am complaining of. How far must I go in inflicting pun-
ishment on the guilty? I am weary of raging with the flashing thunder-
bolt; for some time now the busy arms of the Cyclopes have grown
weary and their fires have left the Aeolian anvils.”a ranting approach reminiscent of Jupiter’s complaints in Ovid’s
council (Met. 1.182–98) although there is little or no verbal similarity.
Statius’ Jupiter might now be expected to give examples of human sin
to justify his anger, but he does not. Instead, he alludes to two events,
only marginally connected with himself, which he has perversely im-
plied were attempts to restore order by means of violent punishment.
Or, at least, that may be the sense Jupiter intends to convey. The con-
nection between his weariness at vainly plying his thunderbolts and
the stories of Phaëthon and the flood is left implicit. He may mean
that previous sins and their punishments had failed to deter Phaëthon
and the people who lived at the time of the flood. Or he may mean
that the punishments inflicted on Phaëthon and the victims of the
flood were no deterrent. Either is possible, but I am persuaded by nil