Dicitur Aegyptos caruisse iuvantibus arva
Imbribus, atque annos sicca fuisse novem,
Cum Thrasius Bisirin adit, monstratque piari
650 Hospitis adfuso sanguine posse Iovem.
Illi Busiris "fies Iovis hostia primus,"
Inquit "et Aegypto tu dabis hospes aquam."
Et Phalaris tauro violenti membra Perilli
Torruit: infelix inbuit austor opus.
655 Iustus uterque fuit: neque enim lex aequior ulla est,
Quam necis artifices arte perire sua.
notes
Text after Amores, Epistulae, Medicamina faciei femineae, Ars amatoria, Remedia amoris, by R. Ehwald (Teubner: 1916).
translation
Egypt was said to have been without rains benefitting
the fields and to have been arid for nine years,
when Thrasius came to Busiris and informed him that it was
possible to appease Jupiter by pouring out the blood of a stranger. 650
Busiris said to him, "You will be Jupiter's first sacrifice,
and you, a guest, will give water to Egypt.
And Phalaris burned the violent limbs of Perilli in his bull:
its creator inaugurated his unfortunate work.
Both were just: indeed there isn't any juster law655
than that the purveyors of death perish by their own skill.