EXPLANATORY NOTES. ODES. THE word Ode (from the Greek d,) was not introduced into the Latin tongue until the third or fourth century of our era, and was then first used to denote any pieces of a lyric nature. The grammarians, perceiving that Horace had more than once used the word carmen to designate this kind of poetry, ventured to place it at the head of his odes, and their example has been followed by almost all succeeding editors. We have no very strong reason, however, to suppose that the poet himself ever intended this as a general title for his lyric productions. (Compare Les Poesies D'Horace, par Sanadon, vol. 1. p. 6.) ODE 1. Addressed to Mæcenas, and intended probably by Horace as a dedication to him of part of his odes. It is generally thought that the poet collected together and presented on this occasion the first three books of his lyric pieces. From the complexion, however, of the last ode of the second book, it would appear that the third book was separately given to the world, and at a later period. The subject of the present ode is briefly this: The objects of human desire and pursuit are various. One man delights in the victor's prize at the public games, another in attaining to high political preferment, a third in the pursuits of agriculture, &c. My chief aim is the successful cultivation of lyric verse, in which if I shall obtain your applause, O Mæcenas, my lot will be a happy one indeed. 1-2. 1. Maecenas atavis, &c. "Mæcenas, descended from regal ancestors." Caius Cilnius Mæcenas, who shared with Agrippa the favour and confidence of Augustus, and distinguished himself by his patronage of literary men, is said to have been descended from Elbius Volterrenus, one of the Lucumones of Etruria, who fell in the battle at the lake Vadimona, A. U. C. 445.—2. O et præsidium, &c. "O both my patron and sweet glory." The expression dulce decus meum refers to the feeling of gratification entertained by the poet in having so illustrious a patron and friend. The synaloepha is neglected in the commencement of this line, as it always is in the case of O, Heu, Ah, &c.; since the voice is sustained and the hiatus prevented by the strong feeling which these interjections are made to express. 3. Sunt quos curriculo, &c. "There are some, whom it delights to have collected the Olympic dust in the chariot-course.". i. e. to have contended for the prize at the Olympic games. The Olympic are here put κατ' ἐξοχὴν for any games. The Grecian games were as follows: 1. The Olympic, celebrated at Olympia in Elis, on the banks of the Alpheus, after an interval of four years, from the eleventh to the fifteenth of the month Hecatombæon which corresponds nearly to our July. It is uncertain whether Pelops or Hercules was their founder. After the invasion of the Heraclidæ, Iphitus renewed them, (884 B. C.) and Coroebus a second time, 776 B. C. They were celebrated in honour of Jupiter: the crown was of wild olive, KóTIVOS.-2. The Pythian, in honour of Apollo, celebrated on the Crissæan plain near Delphi, at first every nine, but subsequently every five, years. The season for holding them was the spring. The crown was of laurel.-3. The Nemean. These were originally funeral games, (ayvirápios,) in memory of Archemorus. Hercules, however, after having killed the Nemean lion, consecrated them to Jupiter. They were celebrated in a grove near the city of Nemea, in the second and fourth years of every Olympiad. The crown was of fresh parsley. 4. The Isthmian. Originally established in honor of Palemon, but afterwards re-modelled by Theseus, and consecrated to Neptune. They were held on the isthmus of Corinth, twice during each Olympiad. The crown was originally of pine, and afterwards of withered parsley, but the pine subsequently came again into use. 4. Metaque fervidis, &c. "And whom the goal, skilfully avoided by the glowing wheels." The principal part of the charioteer's skill was dis played in avoiding the meta (vborat) or goals. In the Greek hippodrome, as well as in the Roman circus, a low wall was erected which divided the Spatium, or race-ground, into two unequal parts. Cassiodorus calls it the spina. At each of its extremities, and resting on hollow basements, were placed three pillars formed like cones; these cones were properly called meta, (viooai); but the whole was often collectively termed in the singular meta. The chariots, after starting from the carceres, or barriers, where their station had been determined by lot, ran seven times around the spina. The chief object, therefore, of the rival charioteers, was to get so near to the spina, as to graze (evitare) the meta in turning. This of course would give the shortest space to run, and, if effected each heat, would ensure the victory. Compare Burgess, Description of the Circus on the Via Appia, p. 65. 5--6. 5. Palmaque nobilis. "And the ennobling palm." Besides the crown, a palm-branch was presented to the conqueror at the Grecian games, as a general token of victory: this he carried in his hand.6. Terrarum dominos. "The rulers of the world," referring simply to the gods, and not, as some explain the phrase, to the Roman people. 7-10. 7. Hunc. Understand juvat. Hunc in this line; illum in the 9th; and gaudentem in the 11th, denote, respectively, the ambitious aspirant after popular favours, the covetous man, and the agriculturist.— 8. Certat tergeminis, &c. "Vie with each other in raising him to the highest offices in the state." Honoribus is here the dative, by a Græcism, for ad honores. The epithet tergeminis is equivalent merely to amplissimis. -9. Illum. Understand juvat.-10. Libycis. One of the principal granaries of Rome was the fertile region adjacent to the Syrtis Minor, and called Byzacium or Emporiæ. It formed part of Africa Propria. Horace uses the epithet Libycis for Africis, in imitation of the Greek writers, with whom Libya (Aɩbón) was a general appellation for the entire continent of Africa. 11-15. 11. Sarculo. "With the hoe." Sarculum is for sarriculum, from sarrio.-12. Attalicis conditionibus. "For all the wealth of Attalus." Alluding to Attalus 3d, the last king of Pergamus, famed for his riches, which he bequeathed, together with his kingdom, to the Roman people.13. Trabe Cypria. The epithet "Cyprian" seems to allude here not so much to the commerce of the island, extensive as it was, as to the excellent quality of its naval timber. The poet, it will be perceived, uses the expressions Cypria, Myrtoum, Icariis, Africum, Massici, &c. xar' ¿oxǹv, for any ship, any sea, any waves, &c.—14. My toum. The Myrtoan sea was a part of the Ægean, lying, according to Strabo, between Crete, Argolis, and Attica.-Pavidus nauta, "becoming a timid mariner."— 15. Icariis fluctibus. The Icarian sea was part of the Egean, near the islands of Icaria, Mycone, and Gyaros. It derived its name, not as the ancient mythologists pretend, from Icarus, the son of Daedalus, who, according to them, fell into it and was drowned, but from the first of the islands just mentioned, (Icaria, i. e. Icaure) the appellation of which denotes in the Phoenician language "the island of fish." Compare Bochart, Geogr. Sacr. 1. 8.-Africum. The wind Africus denotes, in strictness, the "West-South-West." In translating the text it will be sufficient to render it by "South-West." It derived its name from the circumstance of its coming in the direction of Africa Propria. 16-19. 16. Mercator. The Mercatores, among the Romans, were those who, remaining only a short time in any place, visited many countries, and were almost constantly occupied with the exportation or importation of merchandise. The Negotiatores, on the other hand, generally continued for some length of time in a place, whether at Rome, or in the provinces.-Metuens. "As long as he dreads."-Otium et oppidi, &c. 'Praises a retired life, and the rural scenery around his native place."18. Pauperiem. "The pressure of contracted means." Horace and the best Latin writers understand by pauperies and paupertas, not absolute poverty, which is properly expressed by egestas, but a state in which we are deprived indeed of the comforts, and yet possess in some degree, the necessaries, of life.-19. Massici. Of the Roman wines, the best growths are styled indiscriminately Massicum and Falernum (vinum.) The Massic wine derived its name from the vineyards of Mons Massicus, now Monte Massico, near the ancient Sinuessa. The choicest wines were produced on the southern declivities of the range of hills which commences in the neighbourhood of Sinuessa, and extend for a considerable distance inland, and which may have taken their general name from the town or district of Falernus. But the most conspicuous, or the best exposed among them, seems to have been the Massic; and as in process of time several infe rior growths were confounded under the common name of Falernian, correct writers would choose that epithet which most accurately denoted the finest vintage. 20-21. 20. Partem solido, &c. Upon the increase of riches, the Romans deferred the cana, which used to be their mid-day meal, to the ninth hour, (or three o'clock afternoon,) in summer, and the tenth hour in winter, taking only a slight repast (prandium) at noon. Nearly the whole of the natural day was therefore devoted to affairs of business, or serious employment, and was called in consequence dies solidus. Hence the voluptuary, who begins to quaff the old Massic before the accustomed hour, is said "to take away a part from the solid day," or from the period devoted to more active pursuits, and expend it on his pleasures. This is what the poet, on another occasion, (Ode 2. 7. 6.) calls "breaking the lingering day with wine," diem morantem frangere mero.-21. Arbuto. The arbutus (or arbutum) is the arbute, or wild-strawberry tree, corresponding to the Kóμapos of the Greeks, the unedo of Pliny, and the arbutus unedo of Linnæus, class 10. The fruit itself is called κόμαρον, μεμαίκυλον, or μιμαίκυλον, (Athe næus, 2. 35.) and in Latin arbutum. It resembles our strawberry very closely, except that it is larger, and has no seeds on the outside of the pulp like that fruit. The arbute tree possesses medicinal qualities: its bark, leaves, and fruit are very astringent; and hence, according to Pliny, the origin of the Latin name unedo, (unus and edo,) because but one berry could be eaten at a time. The same writer describes the fruit as indigestible and unwholesome. Compare Plin. H. N. 19. 24: and 23. 8. Fée, Flore de Virgile, p. 20. Martyn, ad Virg. Georg. 1. 148. 22-28. 22. Sacra. The fountain-heads of streams were supposed to be the residence of the river-deity, and hence were always held sacred. Fountains generally were sacred to the nymphs and rural divinities.-23. Et lituo tubæ, &c. "And the sound of the trumpet intermingled with the notes of the clarion." The tuba was straight, and used for infantry; the lituus was bent a little at the end, like the augur's staff, and was used for the cavalry: it had the harsher sound.-25. Detestata, "Held in detestation." Taken passively.-Manet. "Passes the night.”— Sub Jove frigido. "Beneath the cold sky." Jupiter is here taken figuratively for the higher regions of the air. Compare the Greek phrase ind Alós.-28. Teretes. "Well-wrought."-Marsus. For Marsicus. The mountainous country of the Marsi, in Italy, abounded with wild boars of the fiercest kind. 29-34. 29. Me. Some editions have Te, referring to Mæcenas: an inferior reading.-Edera. "Ivy-crowns." The species of ivy here alluded to is the Edera nigru, sacred to Bacchus, and hence styled Atovóσia by the Greeks. It is the Edera poetica of Bauhin. Servius says that poets were crowned with ivy, because the poetic fury resembled that of the Bacchanalians.-Doctarum præmia fontium. Poets are called docti, "learned," in accordance with Grecian usage: doidoì copoí.—30. Dis miscent superis. "Raise to the converse of the gods above."-33. Euterpe cohibet, &c. Euterpe and Polyhymnia are meant to denote any of the Muses.--34. Lesboum refugit, &c. "Refuses to touch the Lesbian lyre." The lyre is called "Lesbian" in allusion to Sappho and Alcæus, both natives of Lesbos, and both famed for their lyric productions. ODE. 2. Octavianus assumed his new title of Augustus on the 17th of January (XVIII. Cal. Febr.) A. U. C. 727. On the following night Rome was visited by a severe tempest, and an inundation of the Tiber. The present ode was written in allusion to that event. The poet, regarding the visitation as a mark of divine displeasure, proceeds to inquire on what deity they are to call for succour. Who is to free the Romans from the pollution occasioned by their civil strife? Is it Apollo, god of prophecy? Or Venus, parent of Rome? Or Mars, founder of the Roman line? Or Mercury, messenger of the skies?-It is the last, the avenger of Cæsar, the deity who shrouds his godhead beneath the person of Augustus. He alone, if heaven spare him to the earth, can restore to us the favour of Jove, and national prosperity. 1-4. 1. Terris. A Græcism for in terras.-Diræ grandinis. Every thing sent by the wrath of the gods (dei ira) was termed dirum.-2. Pater. "The Father of Gods and men." Jupiter. Пarno ȧvdpwv Tε Jewy Tε.— Rubente dextera. "With his red right hand." Red with the reflected glare |