Sensere, quid mens rite, quid indoles Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis ; Indecorant bene nata culpae. Quid debeas, o Roma, Neronibus, Testis Metaurum flumen, et Hasdrubal Ille dies Latio tenebris, Ceu flamma per taedas, vel Eurus Post hoc secundis usque laboribus Fana deos habuere rectos: Dixitque tandem perfidus Hannibal : 'Cervi, luporum praeda rapacium, Sectamur ultro, quos opimus Fallere et effugere est triumphus. 'Gens, quae cremato fortis ab Ilio 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 'Duris ut ilex tonsa bipennibus Nigrae feraci frondis in Algido, Per damna, per caedes, ab ipso 60 'Non Hydra secto corpore firmior 'Merses profundo, pulchrior evenit : Nominis, Hasdrubale interempto. 'Nil Claudiae non perficient manus : III. 65 70 75 [IV. 14.] ! This Ode is on the same subject as the preceding. Its special purpose is to celebrate the part taken by Tiberius in the conquest of the Raeti and Vindelici. All nations, says the poet, from Spain to India, from Britain to Egypt, now acknowledge the sway of Augustus. QUAE cura Patrum, quaeve Quiritium, Per titulos memoresque fastos Aeternet, O, qua sol habitabiles Quid Marte posses. Milite nam tuo Alpibus impositas tremendis, 10 Dejecit acer plus vice simplici; Major Neronum mox grave proelium Auspiciis pepulit secundis : Spectandus in certamine Martio, Indomitas prope qualis undas Te copias, te consilium et tuos Nam, tibi quo die Te Cantaber non ante domabilis, Medusque, et Indus, te profugus Scythes Miratur, o tutela praesens Italiae dominaeque Romae : Te, fontium qui celat origines, Nilusque, et Hister, te rapidus Tigris, Te beluosus' qui remotis Obstrepit Oceanus Britannis: 1 belluosus. 15 20 25 330 35 40 45 Te non paventis funera Galliae IV. [III. 5.] 50 The Roman arms had been terribly disgraced by the defeats of Crassus and Antony in Asia, and there was, no doubt, a sore feeling in consequence. Augustus, says the poet, will be recognized as a god upon earth when he has added the Briton and the Persian to the empire. Many a Roman soldier of Crassus' army has lived and grown old among his country's enemies, in our degenerate age; whereas Regulus, with his far-seeing mind, deliberately preferred that the captive Roman army should perish rather than return in disgrace after the payment of a ransom. We have a picture of the brave but unfortunate general pushing aside his wife and children with eyes fixed on the ground, taking leave of his sorrowful friends, and departing, a noble exile, though he knew the horrors that awaited him, with as much composure as if he was going from Rome to his country house. CAELO tonantem credidimus Jovem Milesne Crassi conjuge barbara Sub rege Medo, Marsus et Apulus, Incolumi Jove et urbe Roma? Hoc caverat mens provida Reguli, 5 15 Si non periret immiserabilis Militibus sine caede,' dixit, 'Derepta vidi : vidi ego civium Curat reponi deterioribus. 30 Si pugnat extricata densis Sensit iners, timuitque mortem. 'Hic, unde vitam sumeret inscius Fertur pudicae conjugis osculum, Torvus humi posuisse voltum ; 35 40 Donec labantis consilio Patres 45 Firmaret auctor numquam alias dato, Interque maerentis amicos Atqui sciebat, quae sibi barbarus 50 |