Rome held the oceans in her hands, splendid and stern and young!
The wild tribes bend before her, the kings are overthrown,
The purple empires of the East before her feet fall down.
From strange barbaric countries her captains bring her spoil,
Treasures of gems and ivory, spices and wines and oil.
Wheat grows for her in Egypt; for her the Greek scribes write,
For her the diver dares the shark, the fowler scales the height,
To feed her great arenas the bold beast-tamer quakes
Among the tawny lions or the hissing pits of snakes.
Her legions march in Asia, they tramp through Farthest Gaul,