M. MANILIUS

ASTRONOMICON

BOOK ONE

[v. 59] ...perceived in their own seats, and having returned to their certain
60 orders of fates, its own power of form for each,
through varied uses, experience created art,
with example showing the way, and having watched from afar,
it caught the stars dominating by silent laws,
and that the whole world is moved by eternal reason,
65 and to discern the turns of the fates by certain signs.
For life before them, crude and without any discrimination,
turned into the appearance of works, lacked reason,
and stupefied, it hung upon the new light of the world,
then grieving as if it had been lost, then happy at the reborn
70 star, nor could they discern the varied days or uncertain
times of night, nor similar shadows when the sun had returned,
nor distinguish them by their own causes when it was nearer.
Not yet had skill made learned arts,
and the vast earth remained idle under crude farmers;
75 and then gold lived in the deserted mountains,
and the unknown sea had hidden new worlds;
nor did they dare to entrust their lives or vows to the ocean or winds;
each thought he knew enough for himself.
But when the long day sharpens mortal hearts,
80 and labor gave talent to the miserable, and fortune, by pressing,
ordered each to be vigilant for himself,
minds were drawn away into varied cares,
and whatever sagacious use found by testing,
they happily gave to the common good as an invention.
85 Then also the barbarian tongue received its own laws,
and the wild fields were exercised with diverse crops,
and the wandering sailor penetrated into the blind sea,
and travel made commerce for unknown lands.
Then antiquity invented the arts of war and peace;
90 for always does one use propagate another.
Lest I sing of common things: they learned the languages of birds,