ANNOTATIONS On the first Book of STATIUS his ACHILLEIS.

2. AN issue fear'd by heaven's thundring King.] When Jove sought the marriage of Thetis, he was told by Proteus, that the issue that came from Thetis should exceed the father who begot it: At which, mistrusting his own Omnipotency, he left his Love to keep Heaven. The Fable is thus rendred by the incomparable Sandys, Meta­morph. 11.

6. Scyros.] An Island of the Aegean Sea, one of the Cyclades, over against Peloponnesus, (as Strabo, l. 10. relateth) having a Town of the same name; famous most, in being the place where Achilles lived disguised. See Servius and Sabinus on Virgil's Aen. 2.

7. Not of dragg'd Hector, &c.] Statius here proposeth his designe, to sing the acts of Achilles onely from his infancy, which Homer had omitted, justly presenting the death of Hector for all his Victories; whose fate was Troy's ruine. Senec. Troad. v. 185.

For Achilles having killed him, tied him to his Chariot, and dragged him thrice round the walls of Troy, as Homer, Iliad 22. Which unwelcome sight Aeneas saw painted at Carthage, Virg. Aen. 2. 487.

12. With sacred fillets bound.] These were Ornaments for the Priests heads; in Latine, Vittae. Hence Juvenal Sat. 4. of the Vestall Virgin, Vittat [...] Sacerdos. And Virgil thus presenteth Anius, Aen. 3. 80.

The Title of Priest was antiently conferr'd on Kings, as Casau­bon, on Su [...]tonius in Augusto, delivereth from Aristotle, Polit. 3. and Synesius, Epist. 121. by reason that the Government of all Com­monwealths consisted in Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies, and Politicall Laws; the care of both which belonged to Kings. Hence Augustus was created chief Priest, that all kinds of power might be in him. And as Servius observeth (on Aen. 3. 80.) the style of Pontifex Max. [Page 182] was still assumed by the succeeding Emperors; as may also be seen in the Inscriptions of the Caesars at the end of Suetonius, set forth by Schildius 1651. Poets called themselves Phoebus Priests; so Tibullus and Protertius frequently. Hereupon Statius here dresseth himself with Priestly Ornaments.

13. Witnesse those Theban fields, &c.] Our Poet here intimateth his Poem of the Theban-War: So that hence, and by the ensuing Com­plement to Domitius it is clear, that this was Statius his second Work, and his Silvae the last. To his Thebans, with confidence enough, he here prom [...]seth as lasting a fame, as Thebes could give Amphion the son of Jupiter and Antiope, who having (as Plinie saith, l 7. c. 56.) found out the use of the Harp, handled it so harmoniously, that he made stones come of their own accord to raise the Walls of Thebes. Senec. Theb. act. 4.

Some joyne his brother Zethus with him in the businesse. So Palaephatus, who reducing the Fable to a seeming truth, saith, The two Brothers admitted their Auditors to their Musick, on conditi­on, that every one should afford his assistance to the Building. A far truer Mythologie is glanced at by Horace, De arte Poet. v. 391.

So perhaps the Fable arose, from his reducing a savage people to [Page 183] live under a form of Government; and for their safety (than which, no argument can be more prevalent) perswading them to compasse in their City with a Wall. And herein, in my opinion, he was much more judicious than Lycurgus and Agesilaus, who believed the breasts of valiant Citizens defence enough. And so also thinketh Plato, l. 6. De leg. For these reasons, Orpheus was said to have made wild beasts gentle, and Amphionto have moved stones, that is, men of savage lives and obdurat natures. Macrobius in Somn. Scip. l. 2. c. 3. keepeth closer to the Fable; for setting f [...]rth the excellen­cies of Musick, he saith, That from it, the Univer [...]all Soul of the world took its originall; and that by it therefore all men, not onely the civill, but the barbarous also, are either animated to ver [...]ue, or dissolved into pleasure; quia anima in corpus defert memoriam Musicae, cujus in caelo fuit conscia; Because the soul, though in the body, still retaineth a memory of that harmony which it enjoyed in heaven. And hence he conceiveth the Fables of Orpheus and Amphion had their Originall. See Clemens Alexandr. Admonit. ad Gentes, p. 2. Amphion's excellency proved his ruine: For contemning Latena, by her revenge he saw all his children slain, and at the last added him­self to the number. Sandys Ovid's Metam. l. 6.

13. Trojan Swain] This title is usually given to Paris, by reason he was brought up among the shepheards. The story is thus, Hecuba being great with Paris, dreamed, she should bring forth a flame that should consume Troy, Cic. l, 1. de divinat. Whereupon Priam consulted the Oracle; and being told, his Queen should bear a son, who should be the Incendiary of his Country, he gave order the child should be destroyed. But Hecuba desirous to preserve her In­fant, conveyed him to mount Ida to be bred up among the shep­heards. Where at length, being grown up, he pretended love to Oenone, and made every Tree witnesse of his Amours; as the Nymph is made to complain by Ovid in her Epistle to Paris.

His casting off this Nymph was occasioned by the three goddes­ses repairing to him, about determining their controversie, as Oenone in the following Verses complaineth. Each goddesse endeavoured to bribe the Judge, Juno, by promising him Empire, Pallas, Wis­com; Ʋenus, Pleasure. This last was pronounced the fairest, and went away with the golden Apple: And in requitall, she directeth her Umpire to receive his promised reward in the fair Helen: Whom having seen he loved, and ravished from Sparta, where he had been kindly entertained. Coluthus and others say, He had her consent; b [...]t Seneca, Troad. v. 917. bringeth her on the Stage excusing her self, by pleading Enforcement: And Gorgias, in his defence of Helen, saith, Venus commanded her to suster the Trojan to enjoy her. Others say, that Paris being sent to demand Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, whom Hercules had carried from Troy, had order given him. That, in case the Greeks refused to deliver her, he should ra­vish from them whatsoever considerable Lady he could light on. So Dares Phrygius, who reporteth also, That Antenor was first sent to fetch home Hesione, but returned without her; and that all the Grecian Princes deny'd to make any satisfaction. Yet that Hector's advice was not to revenge the Rape, by warring against their po­tent Confederates. And that afterwards Paris having received that encouragement from Venus, undertook the Voyage; and, by chance, arrived at the Island Cythera, at a time when Helen was there, in a Town bearing her name: Who had no sooner heard of the Trojan [Page 185] Prince's arrivall, but she had a desire to see him: And so they be­ing both enamoured of one another, Paris took her that night after his arrivall, out of Venus Temple, and brought her with him to Troy. And thus he proved that Fire-brand his mother dreamed of, kindling a flame that burnt Troy to ashes.

24. Laeonian.] The Poets word is Oebalio, from Oebalus a King of [...]aconia, a region of Peloponnesus, bordering on Messenia, Argia, and Arcadia, Strabo lib. 8. Pausanias, in Arcadicis, saith, it is divi­ded from part of Arcadia, by the River Alpbeus▪ In this Country, stood Lacedaemon, on the West side of Eurotas, beneath the Moun­tain Taygetus: Strabo, l. 8. Polybius, lib. 5. But the proper name of the City was Sparta; Lacedaemon being more commonly used for the Province, so called from a King of that name, who sometimes reigned there, and married Sparta the daughter of Eurotas, whose name the City received. To the Lacedaemonians, Jonathan High Priest of the Jews wrote a Letter; saying, It was found in writing, that the Lacedaemonians and the Jewes were brethren, and that they were of the stock of Abraham, 1 Macc. 12. 21. Joseph, Antiq. l. 13. c. 8.

27. Ʋpon those streams, &c.] i. e. the Hellespont, which is not past eight furlongs over, as Pliny testifieth; About thirty miles be­low Gallipoli, it is not above half a mile over, as Sir Henry Blunt in his Travels relateth. This Strait parteth Europe from Asia: On Europe's side, standeth Sestus; on Asia's, Abydus, Towns famous by the Loves of Hero and Leander, sung by that sweet Poet, whom Virgil giveth the preminence to, in the Elysian fields, Aen. 6. Leander perished in these streams, yet having his wishes Crowned; as Martiall representeth him in this Epigram.

But his Hero survived but a while; For the next morning, see­ing his dead body floting on the Waves, from the top of her Tower, she threw her self into them. Nor lesse memorable is this narrow Sea, for the bridges of Boats, that Xerxes made over it: The former of [Page 186] which being broken by a sudden tempest, the vain King scourged the disobedient waves, and cut off the heads of the Workmen; and then caused another to be made with stronger ties, Heredot. P [...]lymniâ. The same Author reporteth of Xerxes, that taking a view of his Land forces, that filled the shores and the plains, and of his Navy, that covered the Hellespont; He sadly wept to think, that within an hundred years, not a man of all that multitude should be living. So many they were, that Juvenal scoffingly said, Sat. 10.

So Justine, lib. 2. Erat res spectaculo digna, & aestimatione sortis hu­manae, rerum varietate, miranda; in exiguo latentem videre navigio quem paulò antè vix aequor [...] capiebat. Thus the Hellespont hath the greatest part of its fame, from the misfortunes of two kind Lovers, and one proud Prince; It received its name from Helle, daughter of Athamas, King of Thebes, who fearing the treacheries of her Mother in Law, fled with Phryxus her Brother, and with him was, here drowned. Lucian, Dialogo Neptuni & Nereidum, saith, she fell into the water by reason of a Vertigo that took her on the sud­dain: And Hesiod, troubled with such another, saith, she was mar­ried to Neptune, of whom he begat Paeon.

37. What Proreus told] This was a Sea-God, famous for his pro­phecying, and for the power he had to change his shape at his plea­sure; Ovid Metamorph, l. 2. v. 9. and lib. 8. v. 737. Virgil, Georg. 4. [Page 187] 388. Hygin. fab. 118. He fore-told Thetis, that her Son should be killed in the Trojan War: Which prophecy gave the argument to the ensuing story. This Proteus was King of Aegypt, Serv. in Aeneid. 11. and, perhaps, got this fame of transforming himselfe by his using, still to alter his temper and disposition, suitably to his affairs and occasions; From the like ground, sprung the fame of Herculeae labours, atchieved with unimitable strength and valour. Proteus was also called Hercules, as Servius affirmeth on that of Vir­gil, Aen. 11. 262.

Those Columnes having been wholly attributed to Hercules, are there set for the bounds of Aegypt.

40. Ionian] Over the Ionian sea, many auxiliaries came to assist the Greeks against Troy. This Sea took its name from Ion son of Dyrrhachius, whom Hercules having by mischance slain, that he might make him some amends by perpetuating his memory, threw him into this Sea; Others alledge different reasons, but none worth setting down: Formerly, as Pausanias saith, it was accounted part of the Adriatick. But Ptolomy, in his description of Macedon, attri­buteth that part of the Adriatick which washeth Macedonia on the East, to the Ionian. But Pliny, lib. 3. c. 6. more rightly divideth these two Seas, by the Ceraunian, or (as Horace, lib. 1. Carm. Od. 3. v. 20. calleth them) Acroceraunian mountains: From which the Ionian Sea reacheth to the promontory of Malea.

¶ Aegean billows] A Sea between Asia and Greece, full of Islands called Cyclades and Sporades; of as uncertain Etymology, as the Ionian. Most say, it had its name from Aegeus, the father of These­us: Who going to fight the Minotaur, was charged, if he got the victory, to give notice thereof at his return by a white sail; But he forgetting so to do, his Father, from his Tower seeing the ship coming without the token of successe, gave his Son for lost, and for grief cast himselfe into the Sea. But some derive the name from Aege, a Queen of the Amazons; Strabo, from Aegae, a Sea-Town in Eubaea, Servius in Aen. 3. calleth that the Aegean, which is between the Hellespont and the Adriatick; others, that between the Hel­lespont, and Tenedus. It is now named the Archipelago.

41. All the sworn Greeks, which the Atrides got] i. e. Menelaus and Agamemnon, called Atridae, from Atreus, their supposed father. But they were indeed the sons of Philisthenes, and onely bred by Atreus [Page 188] their Uncle; These two Brethren, to revenge the injury done by Paris, having assembled the whole strength of Greece at Aulis, bound them all by an Oath, to see Troy ruined, or never to return, Serv. in Aen. 4. as will also appear in the third book of this Poem. Thucydides, lib. 1. glanceth at the reason of the unanimous consent of the Greeks, to punish the rape of Helen, viz. an Oath by which Tyndarus had obliged all that came Suitors to his daugher, that they should revenge whatsoever wrong should be done to him that should enjoy her; But he rather believeth, that Agamemnon being heir to the houses of Perseus and Pelops, and (as Homer styleth him) King of many Islands, was the chief cause of the Expedition. The account of the ships in this Fleet, is various in severall Authors; D [...]ctys Cretensis maketh them, 1138. Dares, 1140. Homer, 1193. our Author here, with a Poeticall carelessenesse, reckoneth them but 1000. So Seneca, in Agamemnon, and Virgil, Aen. 2.

Thucydides saith, the number of the Souldiers was not great: But by an indifferent judgement on his own words, the 1200 ships, as he numbreth them, carried 102000 men; a number in my opinion, not to be made so slight of. Some, as Dion Chrysostomus, have made a question, whether there ever was such a War; although it hath employed the pens of Homer, Dares Phrygius, Dyctis Cre­tensis, Lycephron with his Scholiast, and Josephus Iscanius, and hath been believed by so many Authors in succeeding ages. That a siege should continue ten whole years, seemed ridiculous to some; but Thucydides, lib. 1. initio, giveth a reason for it: Others have concei­ved, and our late Travellers have also observed, that a potent King could not reign in so inconsiderable a place. Neither do the ruines give testimony of an ample and famous City; And though there never were such a War, yet is it not to be wondred at, that so many have reported it, and that more have believed it: since the report of false-hoods, especially, when favoured by an antient penne, [Page 189] gaineth belief, either because it cannot be disproved, or because the crediting of it saveth pains. Besides, things are seldome examined or disputed, where interest is not concerned.

44. On Pelion bred, in Chiron's den] Pelion is a mountain of Thessaly, in the Territory of Magnesia, joyning to the mountain Ossa: Herodot. lib. 7. In mount Pelion, was the Cave of Chiron; who (as the rest of the Centaurs) was like an Horse behind, but forward like a Man: S. Ifidore, lib. 4. holdeth that he was so represented, quia medicinam jumentorum quidam Chiron Graecus invenit, because he found out medicines for beasts. And he was named Chiron, [...], because he was a Chirurgion; Suidas saith, he was the son of Ixion, and the Cloud, as the others Centaurs also were: whom Virgil, Aen. 6. placeth in Stables in hell. But he is gene­rally said, to have been the son of Saturn, and Phillyra: So Pindar, Pyth. od. 4. And Virgil, lib. 3. Georg v 550. ‘Phillyrides Chiron.’ according to the custom of the Greeks, who were wont to give the Parent's names to the children; Servins, on the place affirmeth the same: This Chiron, the justest of all the Centaurs, as Statius representeth him, was Master not onely to Achilles, but to Hercules also, Jason, Aesculapius, Castor, and others, (Apollon. Argonaut. lib. 3.) Hermippus styleth him, [...] Centaurum sapientem, in Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom. lib. 1. He first taught men to love justice, shewing the sacred Rites of the gods, the figures and na­tures of the heavenly bodies; His reputation was so great, that some of the Achaians sacrificed to him, as Eusebius writeth, lib. 4. Prepar. Evang. citing Monimus, [...]. A poysoned arrow of Hercules, by chance wounding Chiron's foot, he desired death, but could not obtain it, being the issue of immor­tall parents; At last, Jupiter advanced him to be a signe in Hea­ven, called Sagittariks.

Virgil, de XII Signis. So Seneca, Thyest. act. 4: Lucian, in his Dia­logue between Menippus and Chiron, maketh Chiron give another reason, Why he was out of Love with immortality here; Be­cause this life wanteth variety, and is nothing but the repetition, and doing again and again, of the same things: And he promised himselfe in the other World, to be free from Thirst and Hunger, and whatsoever begetteth care. And though Lucian maketh Menip­pus advise the Centaure, not to feed himselfe with hopes of that na­ture; [Page 190] yet we may have a better opinion of his wishes, having more knowledge of the joys of the next life, and enough of this to be of Plutarch's mind, Consolat. ad Apollonium.

62. The Tritons swim.] These by the Poets are commonly called Neptune's Trumpeters, and were the issue of him and Salacia, Serv [...]us in Aeneid. 1. That excellent Trumpeter Misenus oweth his death to the malice of a Triton, Aen. 6. v. 170.

So Virgil, Aen 10. v. 209. Ovid, Metam. l. 1. v. 333. and Claudian, de Nuptiis Honorii & Mariae, give Triton the character of Neptuue's Trumpeter, Seneca Troad. act. 2. Triton cecinit hymenaeum; that is, with his shell or trumpet; for none ascribe human voice to a Triton. Plinie, lib. 9. c. 5. saith, The Emperor Tib [...]rius was told, That a Triton was seen in a cave winding a shell. Gillius, in Addi­tionib. ad Aelian, and Alexander ab Alex. lib. 3. cap. 8. relate, That there was a Fountain near the Sea-shore, frequently used by the Inhabitants, whence women and virgins fetched water daily; which a Triton, that lay hid on the shore, espying, on a sudden ravished [Page 191] one of them, which his hot fancy had most liking to: And that af­terwards, he being caught in a snare and imprisoned, died for grief. The same Author reporteth, that one Trap [...]zuntius, to whom he af­fordeth a fair character, told some friends, That he had seen a Maid of an exceeding beauty playing in the Sea, and ever and anon from the middle upward appearing above the water, till at length perceiving she was discovered, she plunged her self into the Deep. Claudius the Emperor, by a device, made a Triton appear in the middle of a Lake, rising out of the water, and sounding a Trumpet, Sueton. in Claudio, c. 21. Which spectacle was afteward commonly shewed in the Theaters, as Casaubon on that place relateth.