Meanwhile a maiden of years full ripe for marriage troubled a father’s heart, and the emperor doubted whom to select as her husband and as future ruler of the world; right anxiously did he search east and west for a son-in-law worthy of being wedded
[185] By Assyria Claudian means Persia. He refers to the dispatch of Stilicho in 387 as ambassador to the court of Sapor III. (383-388) to arrange about the partition of Armenia.
iudicium virtutis erat; per castra, per urbes, per populos animi cunctantis libra cucurrit. 75 tu legeris tantosque viros, quos obtulit orbis, intra consilium vincis sensumque legentis, et gener Augustis olim socer ipse futurus accedis. radiis auri Tyriaque superbit maiestate torus; comitata parentibus exit 80 purpureis virgo. stabat pater inde tropaeis inclitus; inde pium matris regina gerebat obsequium gravibus subnectens flammea gemmis. tunc et Solis equos, tunc exultasse choreis astra ferunt mellisque lacus et flumina lactis 85 erupisse solo, cum floribus aequora vernis Bosphorus indueret roseisque evincta coronis certantes Asiae taedas Europa levaret. Felix arbitrii princeps, qui congrua mundo iudicat et primus censet, quod cernimus omnes. 90 talem quippe virum natis adiunxit et aulae, cui neque luxuries bello nec blanda periclis otia nec lucis fructus pretiosior umquam laude fuit. quis enim Visos in plaustra feroces reppulit aut saeva Promoti caede tumentes 95 Bastarnas una potuit delere ruina? Pallantis iugulum Turno moriente piavit Aeneas, tractusque rotis ultricibus Hector irato vindicta fuit vel quaestus Achilli. tu neque vesano raptas venalia curru 100 funera nec vanam corpus meditaris in unum saevitiam; turmas equitum peditumque catervas
to Serena. Merit alone had to decide; through camps, through cities, through nations roamed his poised and hesitating thoughts. But thou wast chosen, thus in the opinion and judgement of him who selected thee surpassing all the candidates of the whole world and becoming a son-in-law in the imperial family where thou wast shortly to become a father-in-law. The marriage-bed was ablaze with flashing gold and regal purple. The maiden steps forth accompanied by her parents clad in scarlet. On one side stood her sire, famed for his triumphs, on the other was the queen, fulfilling a mother’s loving office and ordering the bridal veil beneath a weight of jewels. Then, so men say, the horses of the sun and the stars of heaven danced for joy, pools of honey and rivers of milk welled forth from the earth. Bosporus decked his banks with vernal flowers, and Europe, entwined with rosy garlands, uplifted the torches in rivalry with Asia.