19. Patriae exsul argidos Quyás. their chariot horses abreast, as exhibited in

Only the two centre ones, however, were yoke-horses (juyales); the rest were out riggers, (funales, or funarii,) and attached by traces, the one farthest to the right being styled dexter funalis, and the one farthest to the left sinister, or laevus funalis. Bis Afro murice tinctae-Vestments twice dyed were called dibapha (díaqa). The object of this process was to communicate to the garment what was deemed the most valuable purple, resembling the colour of clotted blood, and of a blackish shining appearance. The purple of the ancients was obtained from the juice of a shell-fish called

ODE XVII.-Tricolos tetrastrophos: Metre-The Alcaic or Horatian stanza, of which the two first verses are Greater Alcaic, the third an Archilochian, and the fourth a Lesser Alcaic: thus

Addressed to Mæcenas, when languishing under a protracted fever, and afraid of death. Cp. Pliny Hist. Nat. viii. 51, and Seneca, Epist. 101. Written probably in the same year as the thirteenth Ode of this Book, since it appears that the bard had not yet paid his vow to Faunus.

SUBJECT-The poet endeavours to comfort his patron with the assurance that he loves him too well to be able to survive him; and after pointing out as remarkable coincidences in their lives that Mæcenas had once before been miraculously rescued from a dangerous illness, and that Horace had been similarly preserved from being crushed to death by the fall of a tree, he concludes by reminding him of his votive offerings to Jupiter, and at the same time declaring his own intention of sacrificing to Pan, implying that such a course was wiser than vexing themselves to death with unavailing complaimts. It is a striking commentary on this Ode, and on Epode i. 5, to remember that Horace died suddenly, in the 57th year of his age, B.C. 8, having survived his patron only about a month, and that they were buried together on the slope of the Esquline.

1. Exanimas-"dost thou kill," or "distress?" Cp. Sat. i. 4, 127.

2. Amicum est, píλov iorí, a Grecism for placet-"it is agreeable."

3. After obire supply mortem or diem supremum. With mearum, &c.-rerum, compare Ode i. 1, 2.

5. Meae partem animae-"the one-half of my existence," a fond expression of intimate friendship. Cp. Ode i. 3, 8.

6. Maturior vis-"too early violence, "i.e., an untimely death. Quid, &c.-integer "why do I, the remaining portion, linger behind, neither equally dear to myself, nor surviving entire ?" After aeque understand atque prius eram or atque nunc sum. Cp. Epist. i. 3, 29.

8. Utramque ducet ruinam-" will bring destruction to us both."

10. Sacramentum-A figurative allusion to the oath taken by the Roman soldiers, the terms of which were, that they would be faithful to their commander, and follow wherever he led, were it even to death. 11. Utcunque quandocunque.

13. Chimaerae-See Notes, Ode i. 26, 24; and Virg. Æn. vi. 285.

14. Gyas-One of the giants that attempted to scale the heavens. He was hurled to Tartarus by the thunderbolts of Jove, and there lay prostrate and in fetters. Cp. Ode iii. 4, 69.

16. Justitiae, Aixn-The daughter of Jupiter and Themis, and sister of the Fates (Morgan). Placitumque-For the position of the enclitic particle, see Notes, Ode i. 30, 6.

17. Me- adspicit· -"presides over my existence." The reference is here to judicial astrology, according to which pretended science, the stars that appeared above the horizon at the moment of one's birth, as well as their particular positions with reference to each other, were supposed to exercise a decided influence upon, and to regulate the life of, the individual. Cp. Ode i. 11.

18. Pars, &c.-horae-"as the one or as the party having the greater influence over the hour of my birth." Though several

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stars were shining at the birth of a child, one was understood by the astrologers to predominate.

Saturn," or "to wicked Saturn," according as it is understood to be governed by eripuit or by refulgens. Impius refers to lis cruelty towards his children.

23. Refulgens-"shining in direct oppo

20. Capricornus-The rising and setting of Capricornus was usually attended with storms in the Mediterranean. Cp. Proper-sition." tius, iv 1, 107. Hence the epithet aquosus is sometimes applied to this constellation. Cp. also Ode i. 3, 15. In astrology, Libra, Jupiter, Venus, and Luna were deemed favourable (ayaboroso) while Scorpius, Capricornus, Saturnus, and Mars were regarded as inauspicious, (xxxoooí).

21. Utrumque, &c.-astrum-"our rerespective horoscopes agree in a wonderful manner. The term horoscope is applied in astrology to the position of the stars at the moment of one's birth.

22. Impio Saturno-"from wicked

26. Laetum-ter crepuit sonum-" thrice Acclamations raised the sound of joy." raised by the people on account of the safety of Mecenas. See Ode i. 20, 3. 27. Cerebro is governed by illapsus.

28. Sustulerat, for sustulisset. The indicative here imparts an air of liveliness to the representation, though in the conditional clause the subjunctive is used. As regards the allusion of the poet, compare Ode ii. 13.

29. Mercurialium-See Notes, Ode ii. 7, 13.

ODE XVIII.-Dicolos distrophos: Metre-The Trochaic, of which the first verse is a Trochaic Dimeter Catalectic, and the second a Catalectic Iambic Trimeter; or the two may be regarded as one Trochaic Tetrameter Hypercatalectic: thus

1.

2. 1, 2.

or 13

Addressed to the covetous. Date of composition uncertain.

SUBJECT-The poet depicts the superiority of his own condition to that of the covetous, and the worthlessness of riches to their owner at death. Cp. Ode ii. 15; and iii. 24.

Africa-"slabs of Hymettian marble do not press upon pillars hewn from the remotest part of Africa." Trabes may include the whole entablature-the architrave, frieze, and cornice, as exhibited in the preceding cut. Some, however, understand trabes in the sense of "beams" for the support of the roof, as in Ode iv. 1, 20, and read recisae for recisas, but apparently without the authority of any MS. For Hymettus, see Notes, Ode ii. 6, 14. With Africa, compare Epist. i. 10, 19. The white marble most esteemed by the Romans was obtained from Hymettus, Pentelicus, Paros, and Lunense Italicum; the yellow from Numidia and Lybia, now called giallo antico, the green from Tænarus; the white with red veins and spots from Synnada and Mygdonia, and that with green veins and spots from Carystus.

5. Neque, &c.-occupavi-"nor have I as an unrecognized heir, seized upon the palace of an Attalus," as Aristonicus did, "being sufficiently happy with my single Sabine farm" (line 14). The riches of Attalus had become a proverb in the time of Horace. See Note, Ode i. 1, 12.

7. Nec, &c.-clientelae-" nor do honoured female dependants spin for me Laconian purple," ie., wool died with Laconian purple, implying very great riches and power

on the part of the patron. Cp. Notes, Ode ii. 16, 35.

9. At fides, &c.-est (mihi)—"but I have integrity, and a liberal vein of talent." Vena is a metaphor derived from the language of miners, and here appropriately employed, since there is so much allusion to quarries.

12. Potentem amicum-Alluding to Mæ

cenas.

ing on the grounds of an inferior. Quid quod is more emphatic than quid, and equivalent to quid dicam de eo quod.

24. Ultra-salis-"leapest over." Salio is here used to express the contemptuous disregard of the powerful man for the rights of his dependants.

26. Avarus-"prompted by cupidity." 27. Ferens-"bearing, each."

28. Sordidos-"squalid,” i.e., in the habiliments of extreme poverty.

14. With Sabinis supply praediis or agris. 17. Tu, &c.-funus" whilst thou, on the 29. Nulla, &c. - herum-" and yet no verge of death, are contracting for the cut-home awaits the rich master with greater ting of marble," to ornament thy dwelling. certainty than the destined limit of rapaLocare, locatio, and locator, are correlative cious Orcus." Fine beautifully marks the to conducere, conductio, and conductor, or last limit of our earthly career. Some ediredimere, redemptio, and redemptor, the tions have sede instead of fine. Finis is former signifying "to let," or "give out on used in the feminine, also in Epode 17, 36, contract," the latter "to hire," or "to un- and by some of the best writers. dertake." Cp. Ode iii. 1, 35.

20. Marisque Baiis-Baiæ, on the Campanian shore, in the neighbourhood of Cumae, was the favourite watering-place of the Roman nobility, and adorned with beautiful villas. There were numerous warm springs also in its vicinity, which were considered to possess salutary properties for various disorders.

21. Summovere litora-"to remove the shores," ie., to erect moles on which to build splendid structures amid the waters. Cp. Ode ii. 15, 2, 3; and iii. 1, 33, &c.

22. Parum, &c.-ripa-"not rich enough with the shore of the main land," i.e., not satisfied with the limits of the land.

32. Quid ultra tendis "why strivest thou for more?" Death must overtake thee in the midst of thy course. Aequa tellus-recluditur-"the impartial earth (lit. is opened) opens."

34. Regumque pueris-The allusion is to the wealthy and powerful. Satelles Orci Charon.

38. Levare is governed by vocatus, and equivalent in prose to ut levet. 40. Vocatus, &c. vocatus, κάκλητος, λn "whether called or not," lit., "called and not called," in allusion, probably, to the well known fable of the Old

23. Quid quod, &c,-terminos - "what shall I say of this, that thou art ever removing the neighbouring land-marks?" i.e., Why need I tell of thy removing the land-marks of thy neighbour's possessions. The allusion is to the rich man's encroach-Man and Death.

ODE XIX-Tricolos tetrastrophos: Metre-The Alcaic or Horatian, of which the two first verses are Greater Alcaic, the third an Archilochian, and the fourth a Lesser Alcaic: thus

This Hymn, in honour of Bacchus (Dionysus), is probably an imitation of some Greck dithyrambic. SUBJECT-The praises of Bacchus, as overheard by the poet, when sung by the deity himself to his attendant nymphs and satyrs.

1. Carmina docentem - "dictating strains," i.e., teaching how to celebrate his praises in song. Compare the Greek form of expression didárny deaμa. As the "strains" have reference to the mysteries of the god, the scene is laid in remotis rupibus, amid rocks far distant from the haunts of men."

4. Acutas" attentively listening," literally, "pricked up to listen."

5. Evoe! The poet now feels himself under the powerful influence of the god, and breaks forth into the well known cry of the Bacchantes, when they celebrate the orgies. See Notes, Ode i. 18, 9. Recenti, &c.-laetatur "my mind trembles with recent

dom.

17. Tu flectis, &c.-barbarum-"thou turnest back the courses of rivers, thou swayest the billows of the Indian sea," alluding to the wonders performed by Bacchus, in his fabled conquest of India and other regions of the east. The rivers here meant are the Orontes and Hydaspes.

dread, and, my bosom being filled with the | driven the infant Bacchus from his kinginspiration of Bacchus, is agitated with troubled joy." Both trepidat and laetatur refer to mens, and turbidum is to be construed as equivalent to turbide. The arrangement of the whole clause is purposely involved, that the words may, by their order, yield a more marked echo to the sense. 8. Gravi metuende thyrso-Bacchus was thought to inspire with fury by hurling his thyrsus, which was a long pole, having its head sometimes ornamented by a fir cone, and sometimes by ivy or vine leaves, as in the subjoined illustrations.

9. Fas, &c.-cantare-"it is allowed me to sing of the stubbornly-raging Bacchantes," &c., i.e., my piety toward the god requires that I sing of, &c.

10. Vinique fontem, &c.-The poet enumerates the gifts bestowed upon man in earlier ages, by the miraculous powers of the god. At his presence all nature rejoices, and, under his potent influence, the earth, struck by the thyrsi of the Bacchantes, yields wine and milk, while honey flows from the trees. The imagery is here decidedly Oriental, and must remind us of that employed in many parts of the sacred writings.

12. Iterare-"to tell again and again of," 14. Honorem ornamentum or decus. The allusion is to the crown of Ariadne (corona borealis), one of the constellations, consisting of nine stars. The epithet beatae, applied to Ariadne, who was the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, refers to her having been translated to the skies, and made one of the "blessed" immortals. Cp. Ovid, Fast. iii. 459-516. Penthei-Alluding to the legend of Pentheus, king of Thebes, who was torn in pieces by his own mother and her sisters, and his palace overthrown by

Bacchus.

16. Lycurgi - Lycurgus, king of the Edones in Thrace, punished for having

18. Tu separatis, &c.-crines-"on the lonely mountain tops, moist with wine, thou confinest, without harm to them, the locks of the Bacchantes with a knot of vipers," i.e., under thy influence the Bacchantes tie up their locks, &c.

=

20. Bistonidum Baccharum-Literally, "of the female Bistones."

23. Leonis unguibus-Bacchus was fabled to have assumed on this occasion the form of a lion.

24. Mala-"jaw," ore-" mouth." 25. Quamquam, &c. dictus-"though said to be fitter for dances and festive mirth."'

26. Non sat idoneus-"not equally well suited." Ferebaris-"thou wast reported."

27. Sed, &c.-belli-" yet on that occasion thou, the same deity, didst become the arbiter of peace and of war." The poet means to convey the idea, that the intervention of Bacchus alone put an end to the conflict. Had not Bacchus lent his aid, the battle must have been longer in its duration, and different, perhaps, in its issue.

29. Insons" without offering to harm." Bacchus descended to the shades for the purpose of bringing back his mother Semele. Aureo cornu decorum-A figurative illustration of the power of the god. The horn was the well known emblem of power among the ancients. The following are specimens of horned helmets which were sometimes bestowed on meritorious soldiers by their commanding officers.

30. Leniter atterens caudam—“ "gently wagging his tail," as if inviting you to approach.

31. Recedentis-"when you left," lit. "of you leaving."