Hac te merentem, Bacche pater, tuae Et mulier peregrina vertit In pulverem, ex quo destituit deos 15 20 25 the eternal youth which he enjoys as a god.-13. Hac-trahentes. An allusion to the triumphal march of Bacchus as he returned from India, after spreading over the whole world his precepts of civilization. 14. Indocili collo, with their necks, ill to teach (namely, to bear the yoke.)-15. Hac Quirinus. The tradition was, that Romulus had been taken up to heaven by his father Mars in his chariot, and that the Romans had named him, as a god, Quirinus.-17. The scene which Horace describes is this: A council of the gods is held, to determine whether Romulus shall be taken into their number, and in it Juno delivers the speech which we have following. In this speech she speaks strongly against the restoration of Ilium. Why, we naturally ask, does Horace (through the goddess) so much condemn the restoration of Troy, even going so far as to say, that Rome can endure only if Troy remains in ruins? For we know that Augustus really did rebuild Troy; and by granting it privileges, and settling many colonists in it, made it an important town. But he had it in his mind to do more: there was a report that he intended to make Troy the seat of government, and leave Rome. This is what Horace opposes. Connect gratum consiliantibus divis, a thing agreeable to the deliberating gods.'-19. Judex; namely, Paris, son of king Priam, who gave judgment in the dispute between Juno, Minerva, and Venus, regarding their beauty. Fatalis, appointed by fate,' which had doomed the fall of Troy.-20. Mulier peregrina, Helen, whom Paris carried off from Sparta. Compare i. 15, 5.-21. Connect ex quo with damnatum, &c. in line 23. Damnatum belongs to Ilion: condemned by me and Minerva, ever since the time when Laomedon cheated the gods.' Destituit = fraudavit, privavit, and on this account construed with the ablative, mercede pacta. Laomedon, father of Priam, had bargained with Apollo and Neptune to build the walls of Troy for a team of horses; but when the walls were finished, he refused to fulfil his engagement.-24. Duce fraudulento; namely, Laomedon. It is true, the punishment fell upon the innocent Priam, but the whole royal race of Troy was faithless. Hence (in line 27) perjura domus Priami. · 25. Lacaenae-adulterae-hospes; namely, Paris, who seduced Helen when he was a guest in her husband's house. 6 = Horrenda late nomen in ultimas Qua tumidus rigat arva Nilus, 45 He no more goes about in his glittering armour (splendet.)-29. Nostris ductum seditionibus, 'drawn out, prolonged (for this is bellum ducere) by dissensions among ourselves,' the gods. For whilst Juno and Minerva were hostile to the Trojans, Venus, Mars, and Apollo defended them. Jupiter wavered between the two parties.-30. Resedit extinctum est, is finished.' Protinus. The connection of ideas is as follows:-As my desire of revenge has been gratified by the destruction of Troy, I will not persecute the descendants of its inhabitants, and I forthwith (for this is protinus) vote for the assumption of Romulus among the gods. The Romans were (that is, believed themselves to be) descendants of the Trojans. Rea Silvia, who became by Mars the mother of Romulus, was a vestal virgin, and is here called Troica sacerdos on account of her descent. -33. Redonabo, in prose condonabo, I will make a present of him to Mars; that is, 'will pardon him for the sake of Mars, and will give up my anger to please him.' Lucidas-sedes. Compare arces igneas in line 10.-37. Inter, in prose, would have to be placed immediately before Ilion. 48. Exules; that is, the Romans, descendants of the fugitive Aeneas. 40. Busto. This is a mere poetical idea, and must be understood as the spot where they fell;' for the Trojan heroes had no monuments erected to them. Some of the Greek warriors, however -as, for instance, Achilles had monuments, which existed even in later times. Insultet, 'leaps upon them, or over them,' thus dishonouring them.-43. Triumphatis, a poetical construction, 'over whom she has triumphed.'-46. Medius liquor, the middle water; that is, 'the Mediterranean Sea.'-48. Tumidus, swelling;' that is, which annually, at a particular season, swells and inundates the country. 41. Aurum irrepertum et sic melius situm, Cum terra celat, spernere fortior Quam cogere, humanos in usus Omne sacrum rapiente dextra. 50 Quicunque mundo terminus obstitit, Hunc tangat armis, visere gestiens, Ter si resurgat murus aëneus Non hoc jocosae conveniet lyrae. Quo, Musa, tendis? Desine pervicax Magna modis tenuare parvis. 55 60 65 70 50. Connect fortior spernere aurum quam cogere, 'stronger, more anxious to despise gold than to gather it. Also, connect spernere aurum irrepertum, which is equivalent to nolle aurum reperire, ‘to spurn seeking gold.' Cum terra celat are to be connected with sic: gold is better situated then (in that state), when the earth conceals it, than when it is discovered.'—51. Humanos-dextra, whilst the right hand steals away for man's use everything sacred;' in its greed transgressing all law. This clause belongs closely to cogere. 55. Debacchentur, a very rare word, properly, 'to weary one's self with Bacchic frenzy.' Hence translate, where (qua parte = qua terra) the sun (gnes) rages with most fury; that is, in the extreme south. 57. Fata; that is, that which is appointed to them by fate.'-58. Hac lege = hac condicione.-59. Rebus fidentes, 'trusting to their deeds.' -61. Alite lugubri is the same as mala avi in i. 15. 5. --62. Iterabitur = iterum delebitur, 'shall again be overthrown.' 65. Aëneus, literally, brazen;' here, figuratively, 'strong,' as strong as the first wall of Troy, which was built by Phoebus. 66. Meis Argivis, by warriors whom I protect,' as I did the Argives (Greeks) in the old Trojan war.-67. Uxor-ploret, as always follows the destruction of a town.-69. Horace had ventured into a field far distant from the ordinary range of his poetry, when he began to give political advice, and condemn the restoration of Ilium. The poem ends, therefore, with an apology. — 70. Pervicax, irreverent.'. ·72. Tenuare = extenuare, 'to make little, unimportant, by a little song (modis = carmine.) CARMEN IV. AD CALLIOPEN. ODE to Calliope, the muse of heroic poetry. In reality, however, it is a laudation of Augustus. As in the preceding poem Horace had praised his firmness, so here he extols his foresight, prudence (consilium), and the essence or substance of the whole ode is to be found in lines 65-68. Augustus exhibited this prudence in three distinct ways: first, in the conquest of the troops which opposed him (line 42 to the end), particularly those of Antony, and Horace represents his battle with him as that of Jupiter against the giants and Titans; secondly, in his mildness after the victory (line 41); and thirdly, in his literary occupations and enjoyments during peace (lines 37-40.) The giver of this prudence is Calliope, to whom also the poet has dedicated himself. Hence his right to sing the emperor's praises in an ode to the muse. The expansion of this thought forms the introduction (lines 1-36.) DESCENDE Coelo et dic, age, tibia Auditis an me ludit amabilis Quos et aquae subeunt et aurae. 5 1. Age, an encouraging call to the muse, 'do come.'-2. ReginaCalliope. The muse is a queen, partly, generally, because she is a goddess, and partly, specially, because she is a daughter of Jupiter, King of the gods, being thus of royal blood. Longum melos. The poet wishes to compose a long ode, and he has succeeded, for this is his longest.-3. The muse is offered the choice of three things, sive (which is omitted) tibia (compare i. 12, 1) seu voce acuta (with thy clear voice,' as in i. 24, 3; voce liquida) seu fidibus citharaque Phoebi, on the strings of Apollo's lyre.' For fidibus citharaque is a hendiadys, = fidibus citharae. 5. The poet turns to his companions. Auditis, 'do ye hear?' namely, the muse singing, or is that inspiration, enthusiasm (insania), which often takes possession of poets, deluding, befooling (ludit) me?'-6. Construe thus: videor audire et errare, I think I hear.' Sibi videri is the common expression for one who sees a vision, or to whom any supernatural phenomenon occurs. Pios per lucos, through the groves of the muses,' a common poetical fiction, indicating that inspiration comes upon a bard most readily in solitude, and in the enjoyment of nature. 8. Subeunt refers both to aquae and aurae, because wind and wa Me fabulosae Vulture in Appulo Texere (mirum quod foret omnibus, Ut tuto ab atris corpore viperis Vester, Camenae, vester in arduos 10 - 15 20 ter penetrate into the grove under the tops of the trees. 9. What Horace here relates of the adventures of his youth is borrowed from the Greek poets, who tell similar stories of themselves. Of Pindar, in particular, it is said that bees, when he was a boy, laid him down on boughs of laurel and myrtle, and fed him with honey. Fabulosae belongs to palumbes in line 12, the doves, of whom so many stories are told. Compare i. 22, 7. Vulture in Appulo. Vultur was a hill of Apulia above Venusia, Horace's birthplace; stretching, however, also into the neighbouring district of Lucania. Thus it happened that the boy, though playing on the hill beside his own native town, yet went beyond Apulia, extra limen altricis Apuliae; Apulia being called altrix, because the poet was born there. Observe the metrical liberty which Horace takes here in the word Apulia and its derivatives; having the first syllable long in Appulo, as is by far most common, but short in line 10. -11. Ludo fatigatumque somno, poetical; for the child was wearied with play only, and in consequence of this fatigue was overcome by sleep.12. Fronde nova, green, fresh leaves.'- 14. Acherontia (now Acerenza), Bantia (now Abbazia di Vanzo), and Forentum (now Forenzo), were towns in the neighbourhood of Venusia; the first situated, like most Italian towns, high on a hill, hence called nidus, the last in a valley, hence humilis. 17. Ut expresses the object, and belongs to texere, in line 13. Connect corpore tuto ab atris viperis, with my body safe from black snakes.' 20. Non sine dis; that is, non sine deorum auxilio. Without the particular assistance of the gods, the boy could not have been so bold (animosus) as to sleep in the forest. 21. Vester, belonging, devoted to you.' Tollor in arduos Sabinos, I raise myself, climb to the high land (situated among the Apennines) of the Sabines.' This land itself has no name in Latin, the name of the people, Sabini, being always used for it. Seu- that is, vel proficiscor (this must be supplied from tollor) Praeneste, si id mihi placuit, &c. for seu is equivalent to vel si. Praeneste (now Palestrina), celebrated for its cool (frigi dum) refreshing air, and for this reason still a favourite summer res 22. |