Scire velim, chartis pretium quotus arroget annus. Est vetus atque probus, centum qui perficit annos. Qui redit in fastos et virtutem aestimat annis being already at the height of perfection (summum fortunae.) — 35. Arroget= tribuat, afferat.—38. Finis, a definition, the fixing of a definite time.'. 42. Horace mentions here an absurdity connected with the indiscriminate praise of ancient authors; namely, that every author becomes good through time.-43. An admirer of the old writers speaks.-47. Ratione ruentis acervi, in the same way as a heap of corn, which tumbles down,' when one takes away grain after grain. 48. Qui redit in fastos; that is, who, in judging of an author's merits, goes always to the calendar, and counts how long he has been dead. 49. As to Libitina, see Carm. iii. 30, 7.—52. Somnia Pythagorea. Ennius, in the commencement of his great work, the Annales, said that he had seen Homer in a vision, who told him that his spirit had migrated (according to the doctrine of Pythagoras) first into a peacock, and then into Ennius. Hence Horace's idea is: Ennius, who thought himself a second Homer, and is so called by the critics, was yet careless.-53. Cn. Naevius of Capua produced his first play on the Roman stage in the year 235 B. C. He wrote also an epic poem on the First Punic War. Non est nonne est, a question of wonder, 'do we not still read Naevius?' and yet he is no great poet.-55. Quoties ambigitur uter utro sit prior, as often as there is a discussion which poet is better than another' in any department, the ancients only are spoken of.-56. Pacuvius, a native of Brundusium and a nephew of Ennius, was a celebrated poet, distinguished particularly for his mythological lore. He was born in 220 B. C., and died in Tarentum at the age of · Dicitur Afrani toga convenisse Menandro, Plautus ad exemplar Siculi properare Epicharmi, Spectat Roma potens; habet hos numeratque poetas Interdum vulgus rectum videt; est ubi peccat. 60 Ut nihil anteferat, nihil illis comparet, errat. Et sapit et mecum facit et Jove judicat aequo. Indignor quidquam reprehendi, non quia crasse = 65 70 c ninety. As to Attius, see Sat. i. 10, 53.—57. L. Afranius, who flourished about 94 B. C., wrote fabulae togatae; that is, plays whose subject and dramatis personae were Roman, and called togatae in opposition to the palliatae, in which both subject and persons were Greek. Menander, a poet of the new Greek comedy. Convenisse: par fuisse.-58. Epicharmus, a Greek comedian, born in the island of Cos, was taken early to Sicily, and lived under King Hiero (hence Siculus.) Properare, to hurry,' on account of the liveliness and fulness of action which Epicharmus and Plautus had thrown into their plays.-59. C. Caecilius Statius, a friend of Ennius, who died 168 B. C., was considered as the greatest Roman comedian. Terence was praised for his art in the representation of character. -62. Livius Andronicus produced, 240 B. C., the first play ever acted at Rome. Besides writing plays, he translated the Odyssey into Latin verse.-66. Pleraque plurima, very much;' this is the chief use of plerique in the writers of the Augustan age. 68. Jove aequo, with the favour of Jupiter;' that is, rightly. The reverse is Jove irato. -71. Orbilius Pupillus of Beneventum, a shrewd, ready-witted man, came to Rome 63 B. C., and opened a school, which Horace attended. He was a severe master, hence plagosus. The old writers only were read in schools. Compare i. 19, 40. As to memini dictare, see Gram. § 371, note 3.— 72. Connect minimum distantia exactis (= perfectis.) -75. Ducit, scil. secum. The figure is taken from a person selling, who, if there be any good point in an article, takes advantage of it to recommend 6 Recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attae Jam Saliare Numae carmen qui laudat, et illud, Quam nobis, quid nunc esset vetus? Aut quid haberet, Nunc athletarum studiis, nunc arsit equorum, 100 = the whole.-79. Crocum floresque perambulet; that is, goes over the stage, is represented, for the ancient scena was strewed with crocus and flowers. T. Quinctius Atta, who died in the year 78 B. C., was the author of many highly-esteemed fabulae togatae.-81. Patres seniores.-82. Aesopus and Roscius, the two most celebrated Roman actors, both contemporaries of Cicero: the former excelled in tragedy, the latter in comedy.-84. Minoribus = junioribus.-86. Saliare Numae carmen, the old hymn which was sung by the priests of Mars in the procession which they made, equipped with the sacred shields. This hymn, like all the old religious institutions, was ascribed to Numa. It was quite unintelligible to the Romans in Horace's time, and was explained by learned philologists in many different ways. Hence Horace's remark in line 87.-88. Sepultis; that is, scriptorum mortuorum. -93. Nugari, 'to write poems.'-94. In vitium, into vice, effeminacy.' Fortuna aequa, causal ablative.-97. That is, began to admire pictures. -100. Mature plena reliquit; namely, Graecia. Greece brought the arts rapidly to perfection, and then abandoned them, as a child does a plaything.-102. Hoc; namely, the rapidity of the Greeks in attaining perfection. Venti secundi = bona fortuna.-103. Rome used to care only Mane domo vigilare, clienti promere jura, Navim agere ignarus navis timet, abrotonum aegro 105 110 Non audet, nisi qui didicit, dare; quod medicorum est 115 Scribimus indocti doctique poëmata passim. 125 Non temere est animus: versus amat, hoc studet unum; 120 130 for business.-105. Cautos nummos expendere for caute nummos expendere. Nomen, in money-matters, means either a debt, or a debtor or creditor, the sum being marked in the debtor's account-book under the 'name of the creditor, and vice versa. A rectum nomen here is a creditor who justly demands payment.-110. Fronde; namely, ivy. The people are now so zealous in writing poetry that they think about it even when at dinner.-112. Parthis mendacior. Compare Carm. iv. 15, 23.-117. The antithesis.-122. Socio, his partner in business.' Incogitare is an άraž asyóμvo, coined by Horace, to devise against a person.'-123. Pane secundo, the second quality of bread.'-124. Militiae, dative. — 127. Jam nunc; that is, even as a boy.-130. Orientia tempora, the children. -132. Ignara mariti = innupta.-134. Poscit opem chorus. At festivals Condita post frumenta levantes tempore festo 140 Corpus et ipsum animum spe finis dura ferentem Floribus et vino Genium memorem brevis aevi. 145 150 Defluxit numerus Saturnius, et grave virus Serus enim Graecis admovit acumina chartis, 160 (the secular games, for instance) a choir of boys and girls used to sing hymns in praise of the gods, and to supplicate their help. Praesentia. See Carm. i. 35, 2.-135. Coelestes aquas, rain. See Carm. Saec. 31.— 140. Condita post frumenta; that is, after the harvest, when they had brought the grain into their barns; for this is condere.-141. Finis, of the end; that is, of a good harvest. 142. His wife and sons were the socii operum, for slaves in those days there were few or none.-145. Fescennia was an Etruscan town on the Tiber, where the custom prevailed of singing jocular lampoons at weddings. Hence Horace calls the songs which the Roman peasants sang at their harvest-homes, 'a Fescennine licence.'-150. Ire per honestas domos. It passed over from the peasants to people of rank, and became natural among them.152. Lex poenaque. See Sat. ii. 1, 82.-154. Describi, a good word to indicate personal attacks. Satires on vice and folly in general were still allowed. Modum, the measure' or 'melody.'-158. As to the Saturnian verse, see Zumpt, § 863.-161. Admovit, scil. Romanus.— S |