The poem bears as its title the name of a Grecian historian, who
flourished at the time of the invasion of the Goths, one episode of
which is here described, the poet dating the event 267 A.D.
1. _Pallas' stad_, i.e. Athens, whose tutelary goddess was Pallas
Athene.
8. _örnar_, the eagle-shaped figures used as standards in the Roman
army. That emblem of imperialism had been the ensign of the kings of
Babylon and of the Ptolemies. The Romans adopted it in conjunction with
other devices, but Marius made it the ensign of the legion, and confined
the other devices to the cohorts. It has remained to this day the
preëminent sign of power in coats of arms, whether of monarchies,
empires or republics. See U.S. seal and ensigns.
_järn_, here, the swords and lances of the legions.
24. The Corybant priests of the goddess Cybele in Phrygia, Asia Minor,
worshiped by means of boisterous music and frantic dances.
27. _Befriarn Dionysos_. Dionysus, the god of wine and vineyards and of
dramatic poetry, was styled Liberator (from care). Note the effective
application of the same epithet in the personifications following.
39. _som Dodonas gamla ek_. The simile refers to the famous oracle at
Dodona, in Epirus, dedicated to Zevs. The oracular answers were supposed
to be derived from the whispering of the breezes in the crown of a great
sacred oak.
_Dodonas ekar talade fordomdags,
ur helga skuggor stammades ödets dom_.
(Dodona's oaks aforetime their message spake;
Prom sacred shadows stammering Fate's decree.)