Meanwhile the maid with azure eye 90
Her favour'd Rhodians deign'd to grace
Above all else of mortal race,
With arts of manual industry.
Hence framed by the laborious hand,
The animated figures stand, 95
Adorning every public street,
And seem to breathe in stone, or move their marble feet. [1] 98
Wisdom true glory can impart
Without the aid of magic art.
As ancient fame reports, when Jove 100
And all th' immortal powers above
Held upon earth divided sway;
Not yet had Rhodes in glittering pride
On Ocean's breast appeared to ride,
But hid beneath his briny caverns lay. 105 105
Then while the absent god of light
Delay'd to claim his equal share,
No friendly voice maintain'd his right
Of all the bless'd assembly there.
Jove, to repair the wrong, in vain 110
Wish'd to adjudge the lots again.
Since in his course the sun had found
Retired within the hoary deep
A fertile land with heroes crown'd,
Prolific nurse of fleecy sheep. 116 115
Then straight he gave the high command
To Lachesis,[2] whose locks of jet
- ↑ Pindar probably alludes to the Telchines, an ancient people of Rhodes, much addicted to magical fascination, from which probably they derive their name: (Ov. Met. vii. 365:)—
"Phœbeamque Rhodon, et Ialysios Telchinas,
Quorum oculos ipso vitiantes omnia visu
Jupiter exosus, fraternis abdiait undis." - ↑ This ratifying power, which distinguishes Lachesis above
