Aurum irrepertum et sic melius situm, Quicunque mundo terminus obstitit, Trojae renascens alite lugubri Ter si resurgat murus aëneus Magna modis tenuare parvis. 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 (ignes) 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 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 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. Ľudo 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 situ ated, 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.'-22. 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 (frigidum) refreshing air, and for this reason still a favourite summer res 6 Vestris amicum fontibus et choris Utcunque mecum vos eritis, libens Litoris Assyrii viator, Visam Britannos hospitibus feros Et Scythicum inviolatus amnem. Vos Caesarem altum, militia simul Fessas cohortes addidit oppidis, Pierio recreatis antro. Vos lene consilium et datis et dato idence for the Romans. Tibur (now Tivoli) is situated on the peak and slope of the Alban range, and is hence called supinum, 'hanging on a hill.' Baiae (see ii. 18, 20) is called liquidae, on account of its clear, pure, pellucid air.- 26. Acies versa retro Philippis; that is, the defeat at Philippi.' See ii. 7, 9.-27. Devota = sacra diis inferis, accursed.' See ii. 13.-28. Palinurus, a promontory on the coast of Lucania, near the Gulf of Velia. Nothing is known of the danger alluded to here, to which Horace was exposed in the Sicilian Sea (Sicula unda.)-29. Utcunque: see 17, 10.-30. Bosporum: see ii. 13, 14, and 20, 14.-32. Litoris Assyrii, of the Arabian deserts, which extend as far as the Persian Gulf. - 33. Britannos hospitibus feros. The story went, that the Britons sacrificed strangers to the gods. 34. Concanum, a Spanish tribe, said to practise the Scythian custom of eating horse-flesh. -35. Gelonos see ii. 9, 23.36. Scythicum amnem; namely, the Tanais. -37. Militia oppidis, as soon as he has added the cohorts weary of service (that is, the veterans, the milites emeriti) to the towns,' settled them in the towns; for the Romans used to settle their veterans as colonists; and Augustus in particular had, after the battle of Actium, done this on a most extensive scale.40. Pierio antro, in, or by means of the Pierian grotto;' that is, by the study of poetry; for the cave on Mount Pierus in Thessaly was sacred to the muses.-41. Consilium here is trisyllabic, i after being pronounced as y. See Zumpt, § 3.-42. Description of the battle of the Titans and giants with Jupiter and the other celestial deities. Compare ii. 19, 22.-43. Immanemque turmam, and the rest of the horrid troop,' for the poet mentions afterwards many besides the Titans.-44. Sustulerit = extinxerit, interfecerit. Caduco, Qui terram inertem, qui mare temperat Imperio regit unus aequo. Magnum illa terrorem intulerat Jovi Sed quid Typhoeus et validus Mimas, Contra sonantem Palladis aegida Possent ruentes? Hinc avidus stetit Crines solutos, qui Lyciae tenet Vis consili expers mole ruit sua, Vim temperatam di quoque provehunt 'descending' from heaven. Compare ii. 13, 11.-45. Description of the power of Jupiter. Terram inertem, the sluggish earth,' because, according to the ideas of the ancients, it stood still, whilst the heaven moved.-46. Regna tristia, the sad kingdoms.' In the mind of a republican Roman there was no more unfortunate state than a monarchy: no doubt, however, the poet is thinking chiefly of the despotisms of the East.-50. Connect horrida juventus fidens brachiis, the fearful crew (of the Titans), trusting to the brute strength of their arms,' whilst the gods above had wisdom and prudence to oppose to them.-51. Fratres; namely, Otus and Ephialtes, two giants, who attempted to reach heaven by piling Pelion and Olympus, two Thessalian mountains, upon each other. -52. Imposuisse, for imponere. See Gram. § 380, note 2; and Zumpt, § 590. -53. Those here named were all giants, sons of Tartarus and Tellus, and therefore uterine brothers of the Titans, who were sprung from Uranus and Tellus.-54. Minaci-statu, an ablative of quality, ' of threatening posture,' of, or with, the attitude which pugilists assume.-56. Audax is to be connected with evulsis truncis, bold, as a slinger, with his uprooted trunks of trees.'-57. Aegida: see i. 15, 11.58. Hinc, 'on this side, on the side of Jupiter." Avidus, eager,' for battle. - 60. Nunquam · arcum, Apollo, 'who is resolved never, at no moment (so long as the war lasts), to lay aside his bow.' -61. Rore puro Castaliae, with the pure dew of the Castalian fount,' a spring on Mount Parnassus in Thessaly, sacred to the muses.-Lavit, present for lavat, from lavere. Compare iv. 6, 26.-64. DeliusApollo. Apollo was born in Delos, and there consequently is his natalis silva. Patara, a city of Lycia, was a favourite place of his abode, and he had a celebrated oracle there.-65. Vis consilii ex |