ern bank of the Tiber, on which the Etruscans dwelt. The waves, driven back with violence from it, inundated the city, most of which lay on the south side.-15. Dejectum, the supine ut dejiceret: monumenta regis, the so-called Regia, said to have been built by Numa, close to which stood the temple of Vesta, where the Palladium of Rome was kept.-17. Ilia, or Rea Silvia, the wife of Tiber. She complains too much (for nimium querenti go together) of Caesar's murder, and wishes for the utter destruction of the wicked city, whereas Jupiter wants merely to punish it: therefore afterwards Jove non probante.-18. Jactat se ultorem, acts as the avenger of Ilia;' for which reason, in line 19, he is called uxorius, governed by the will of his wife.'-23. Vitio parentum are to be connected with rara the youths are not numerous, because their fathers fought with each other.-25. Vocet, can the people call to for help.' -26. Prece, the ablative singular, confined almost entirely to poetry. Gram. 80, 4.-27. Virgines sanctae, the Vestal virgins. Vesta does not listen to their songs (carmina minus audit), because she is angry with the Romans.-29. Partes, office, duty.'-31. Candentes humeros, a Greek accusative; comp. Gram. § 259.-32. Augur, because he is the god of oracles and prophecy.-33. Erycina; that is, Venus: so called from the celebrated temple which she had on Mount Eryx, near Lilybaeum in Sicily. The companions of Venus were Jocus and Amor, or Cupido, who were usually represented as boys with wings.-36. Auctor; that is, Mars, the father of Romulus and Remus, and the god who delighted in the game (ludus) of war. Ocior aura Tollat. Hic magnos potius triumphos, Te duce, Caesar. 40 45 50 -38. Leves, smooth, polished, burnished.'-39. Construe thus: et vultus Mauri peditis acer in cruentum hostem. The look of the Mauritanian soldier is fierce at all times, but particularly when he is glancing at an enemy whom he has wounded or slain.-41. The author now comes to the main point of his poem; namely, the statement that Octavianus Caesar had been sent by the gods to save the Romans. He ventures on the fancy that Mercury, the son of the goddess Maia, had assumed the form of Octavian, and had condescended (therefore, in line 43, patiens) to become the avenger of Caesar's murder. Sive-juvenem in terris imitaris, or if thou hast assumed, and art bearing on earth the form of young Octavian,' who was then in his thirty-fifth year.-43. Filius, nominative for vocative. See Gram. 311, note.-45. Serus, a poetical construction for sero. -47. Nostris vitiis iniquum, 'hostile, opposed to our faults.'—49. Hic potius, here on earth rather than in heaven, where, as Mercury, thou usually dwellest.' The accusative triumphos depends upon ames.-50. Pater, scil. patriae, a title which was afterwards formally conferred on Octavianus by a decree of the senate. 51. Medos; that is, the Parthians. Octavianus, like his grand-uncle Julius, intended to commence a war against this people, after settling the internal affairs of the state. His motive was a desire to avenge on the Parthians the defeats which M. Crassus and Antony the triumvir had sustained at their hands, and particularly to deliver the Roman captives, of whom they had still a very great number, and to recover the standards. Fisser Asd-hiad CARMEN III. AD NAVEM, QUA VEHEBATUR VIRGILIUS ATHENAS PROFICISCENS. 19 An ode to the ship in which Virgil sailed to Athens in the year The poet wishes his friend a good passage over the stormy His wish was gratified; but Virgil died at Brundusium on his return from Greece, the same year. B. C. sea. Sic te diva potens Cypri, Sic fratres Helenae, lucida sidera, Et serves animae dimidium meae. Circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci Primus, nec timuit praecipitem Africum 5 10 10 1. Sic is often used at the beginning of prayers and wishes, and need not be translated. Diva potens Cypri, the goddess who rules over Cyprus; that is, Venus, of whose worship that island was a principal seat. She had sprung, according to mythology, from the foam of the sea, and was believed to have the power of granting a favourable passage over her native element. 2. Fratres Helenae, Castor and Pollux, the Acórkovpot. To their benevolent care deliverance in storms was ascribed, and the ancients recognised their protecting presence in those electric flashes which are frequently seen about the tops of masts after a storm. This phenomenon is sometimes called St. Elm's fire; properly, St. Helena's fire. On account of their guardian care of sailors, the Dioscuri were placed among the stars; the constellation of the Twins being frequently called Castor and Pollux. Compare Carm. i. 12, 27.-3. Ventorum pater, Aeolus, god of the winds. He resided on one of the Lipari islands (which from him were called Aeolian), and kept the winds shut up in a cave (hence in the next line obstrictis), letting out only those whom he pleased. -4. Iapyx, the north-west by west wind, favourable for ships sailing to Greece. Aliis ceteris, scil. ventis. -5. Tibi creditum, who has been intrusted to thee.'-8. Animae dimidium meae, the half of my soul,' a beautiful expression for a friend.-9. Robur, oak-wood,' for this is the original signification of the word. Horace is thinking of a shield made of the hardest wood, and covered with triple brass.-12. Praecipitem Africum, 6 'Africus (the south-west by west wind), who rushes fiercely and suddenly across the deep.' Compare Carm. i. 1, 15.- 13. Aquilonibus, the dative used poetically for cum Aquilonibus. -14. Hyadas, stars in the forehead of Taurus. The rising and setting of the Hyades were believed by the ancients to be always accompanied by much rain: hence the name, from the Greek dav, pluere, and the epithet here given to them, tristes.-15. Quo, than which,' or better perhaps, employing the personification,than whom,' is to be connected with ma (est.) Hadria, the Adriatic Sea.'-16. In prose it would be sive tollere sive ponere (= componere, to calm') vult.-17. Gradum, step approach.' Death is in poetry treated as a god.-18. Siccis oculis; that is, without tears: monstra, the sea-monsters, of which the mythologists spoke.-20. Acroceraunia, a promontory of Epirus, dangerous and sadly celebrated (infamis) on account of its cliffs. 24. Non tangenda vada, the waters, which, according to the appointment of the gods, were not to be touched.'-25. Audax perpeti; the infinitive depends upon audax, a Greek construction. 27. Iapeti genus = lapeti filius; namely, Prometheus, who secretly stole fire from the gods, and brought it down to men (gentibus.) -29. Aetheria domo subductum, 'stolen from the ethereal house;' namely, heaven.-31. Cohors, troop,' incubuit, ‘encamped.'· 32. Semoti, distant, far removed;' because, in the earliest ages of the world, all men were believed to have lived to a great age: corripuit gradum, quickened its pace.'-34. Expertus, scil. est. The story of Daedalus, a Cretan artist who made wings, Pennis non homini datis. Perrupit Acheronta Herculeus labor. Coelum ipsum petimus stultitia, neque Iracunda Jovem ponere fulmina. 6 35 40 and with his son Icarus flew over the sea, is well known.-36. Herculeus labor. One of the twelve tasks imposed on Hercules by Eurystheus, was to bring up Cerberus from the lower world. Here, therefore, Herculeus labor is a labour of Hercules.' The last syllable of perrupit in this line is made long by the ictus.-38. Stultitia, an ablative of cause, 'in or from our folly.'-40. An allusion to the belief that Jupiter killed several individuals, at whose conduct he was indignant (hence iracunda fulmina), by lightning. CARMEN IV. AD L. SESTIUM CONSULAREM. AN exhortation to enjoy life merrily, since death is speedily and surely impending. L. Sestius, consul suffectus in the year 23 B. C., was an intimate friend of Horace from the time when they served together against the triumvirs, in the republican army of Brutus and Cassius. SOLVITUR acris hiems grata vice veris et Favoni, Ac neque jam stabulis gaudet pecus aut arator igni, Jam Cytherea choros ducit Venus imminente Luna, Junctaeque Nymphis Gratiae decentes Alterno terram quatiunt pede, dum graves Cyclopum 6 5 2. Machinae trahunt siccas carinas; that is, naves: a part being poetically put for the whole. The ships of the ancients were in the beginning of winter drawn up on the beach, high and dry, and had of course to be taken down to the sea in spring by means of machines; that is, levers and rollers.-4. Canus, not gray,' but white.'-5. Cytherea, an epithet given to Venus, from the island of Cythera, south of Laconia, which was one of the places where she was chiefly worshipped: imminente Luna, whilst the moon appears over them, and looks smilingly down upon their sports. -6. Decentes pulchrae; alterno terram quatiunt pede; that is, they keep time in their dancing.-8. In the spring the Cyclopes, under the superintendence of Vulcan, forge in Aetna the thunderbolts which Jupiter darts upon the earth during the summer. Vulcan, the god of fire, is here treated as fire itself, being called ardens, |