Aeneas built, in days of yore,
Lavinium on the Latin shore;
And Alba Longa's power was feared
Until the walls of Rome appeared,
By Romulus at length upreared.
The tribes that dwelt there first were these:
The Ramnes, Tities, Luceres.
When Romulus had left this earth,
Wise Numa reigned, of Sabine birth,
Who temples built, and pontiffs chose.
But Tullus combated his foes:
Three brothers with three brothers vie --
Horatii, Curiatii.
And Ancus made the Ostian port,
Sublician bridge, and many a fort.
The verse is attributed to Edward B. Goodwin who wrote around 1875. There is some indication that this may be part of a larger work. If anyone knows where we can find more, please let me know. I'll start looking on this end...
The verse is from his book 'Roman History in Rhyme', now long out of print sadly...
ReplyDeleteThe poets of Augustan Age
ReplyDeleteWhose genius shines on many a page
Are all so widely known to fame
I scrace need mention them by name.
Virgil and Horace foremost stand
To whom Maecenas lent a hand
Tibullus showed a poet's mind
Propertius was not much behind
And Ovid's works, though far from pure
As monuments of ART endure.