5 10 nodum. simplex munditiis? Heu quotiens fidem nigris aequora ventis emirabitur insolens, qui nunc te fruitur credulus aurea, With the question, cf. 5 f. simplex munditiis: plain in thy neatness (Milton). munditia denotes a natural beauty and elegance that is unadorned; Pyrrha has chosen studied simplicity in dress. fidem: sc. mutatam from the following mutatos; therefore equivalent to perfidiam, as the context shows. - mutatos deos: i.e. adversos; cf. Prop. 1, 1, 8 cum tamen adversos cogor habere deos. 7. nigris: belonging naturally with aequora, as 'darkened by the gusts of wind, but here transferred to ventis; cf. 1, 3, 40, iracunda fulmina. Intr. 99. The comparison of a coquette to the sea is very old. Cf Semonides of Amor gos, Frg. 7, 37 ff. σñeρ áλaσoa πολλάκις μὲν ἀτρεμής | ἕστηκ ̓ ἀπήμων, χάρμα ναύτῃσιν μέγα, | θέρεος ἐν ὥρῃ, πολλάκις δὲ μαίνεται | βαρυκτύποισι κύμασιν φορεμένη. | ταύτῃ μάλιστ ̓ ἔοικε τοιαύτη γυνή. 'As the sea ofttimes is motionless and harmless, a mighty joy to sailors in the summer season, and yet ofttimes doth rage, driven to and fro with loud roaring billows. This sea it is that such a woman is most like.' 8. emirabitur: found only here in classical Latin. The prefix is intensive. Cf. the Greek Klavμáčew. insolens: used here in its original meaning of unaccustomed, poor innocent. 9. credulus aurea: note the force of the juxtaposition; cf. 1, 6, 10 tenues grandia. aurea : a common designation of perfection; cf. the Homeric χρυσέη Αφροδίτη. In present-day English it is seldom applied to persons, but cf. Shakspere, Cymbeline, 4, 2 Golden lads and girls all must | As chimney sweepers, come to dust.' . 10 f. vacuam: fancy free, to all the world but him. aurae : re 15 intemptata nites: me tabula sacer turning to the metaphor of v. 6 f.; cf. 3. 2, 20 arbitrio popularis aurae. 13. intemptata nites : still keeping up the figure of the glittering sea, untried and treacherous. Cf. Lucret. 2, 559 subdola cum ridet placidi pellacia ponti. - tabula sacer, etc.: the ancient custom of dedicating in the shrine of a divinity a picture (tabula) can still be seen in Roman Catholic churches, especially in Europe. Shipwrecked sailors sometimes hung up the garments in which they had been saved as offerings "Varius, who vies with Homer, shall sing thy exploits, Agrippa. The deeds of heroes and tragic themes are all too great for my weak powers: I will not detract from Caesar's fame and thine. Only wine and lovers' quarrels are suited to my verse.' Addressed to M. Vipsanius Agrippa, Augustus' 'Minister of War' and greatest general; he defeated Sextus Pompey at Naulochus, 36 B.C., and was commander at Actium, 31 B.C. Apparently Agrippa, or Agrippa's friends, had suggested to Horace that he celebrate the general's exploits in verse. This ode is Horace's skillful apology and should be compared with similar expressions, 2, 12; 4, 2, 27 ff.; S. 2, I, 12; Epist. 2, 1. 250 ff. In each case, however, while declaring his unfitness for the task, he describes deeds of war, yet briefly, not in an elaborate poem. Here by his manner of declining, he pays Agrippa the highest tribute as well as compliments his friend Varius. The date of composition is after 29 B.C., when Agrippa returned from the East. Metre, 72. 5 Scriberis Vario fortis et hostium victor Maeonii carminis alite, quam rem cumque ferox navibus aut equis miles te duce gesserit. Nos, Agrippa, neque haec dicere nec gravem Pelidae stomachum cedere nescii 1. scribēris: expressing assurance; different from laudabunt alii of the following ode, which is equivalent to others may praise (if they wish). The real subject of the verb is 'thy brave deeds and victories,' (tu) fortis et hostium victor. Vario: frequently taken as abl. abs. with alite to avoid the apparent solecism of the abl. of agent without ab. This is as unnecessary as to change alite to the dat. aliti. For the abl. of agent without ab, cf. Epist. 1, 19, 2 carmina . . buntur aquae potoribus. Intr. 96. quae scri Lucius Varius Rufus was the intimate friend of Horace and Vergil. With Plotius Tucca he was the latter's literary executor, and at Augustus' command published the Aeneid in 17 B.C.; before the publication of the Aeneid he was reckoned the chief epic poet of the period. S. 1, 10, 43 f. forte epos acer ut nemo l'arius ducit. His posthumous fame, however, seems to have been based on his tragedies, especially his Thyestes. Quint. 10, 1, 98, Varii Thyestes cuilibet Graecarum comparari potest. He brought out this play not long after 31 B.C., according to the didascalia, Thyesten tragoediam magna cura absolutam post Actiacam victoriam Augusti ludis eius in scena edidit. Pro qua fabula sestertium deciens accepit. 2. Maeonii carminis alite: i.e. the equal of Homer, who, according to tradition, was born at Smyrna in Lydia, anciently called Maeonia; cf. 4, 9, 5 Maconius Homerus. alite for bird' in the sense of 'poet,' cf. 4, 2, 25 Dircaeum . . . cycnum of Pindar, and 2, 20 entire. 3. quam rem cumque : this tmesis is common in Horace (eg. 1, 7, 25 quo nos cumque feret . . fortuna) and not unknown in prose: Cic. pro Sest. 68 quod iudicium cumque subierat. 5 ff. With the following, cf. the Anacreontic verses 23 Oéλw λέγειν 'Ατρείδας, | θέλω δὲ Κάδμον ᾄδειν· [ ὁ βάρβιτος δὲ χορδαῖς ἔρωτα μοῦνον ἠχεῖ. nos: the plural of modesty, so v. 17 below. The singular of the first person is ordinarily used in the lyric poems, the plural being found only here and 2, 17, 32; 3. 28, 9; Epod. 1,5. For the emphatic position, see Intr. 22. haec: thy - 10 nec cursus duplicis per mare Vlixei nec saevam Pelopis domum conamur, tenues grandia, dum pudor imbellisque lyrae musa potens vetat laudes egregii Caesaris et tuas culpa deterere ingeni. Quis Martem tunica tectum adamantina digne scripserit aut pulvere Troico - exploits,' taking up quam rem gesserit, above. dicere: sing, in contrast to scribere, v. I, used of epic composition. Cf. loqui 3, 25, 18. — gravem Pelidae stomachum i.e. the Iliad; Il. 1, 1 μήνιν άειδε, θεά, Πηληϊαδέω Ayños. cedere nescii: Intr. 108. Cf. Verg. A. 12,527, nescia vinci pectora. 7. cursus duplicis ... Vlixei : the Odyssey; Od. 1, 1 avôpa por ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ | πλάγχθη. Horace humorously shows his own unfitness for epic song by translating unves by stomachus, bile, and πολύτροπος by duplex, wily. Vlixei: from a (non-existent) nominative Vlixeus, formed after the Sicilian dialectic Ovλigns, Ολίξης. 8. saevam Pelopis domum: Tantalus, Pelops, Atreus, Thyestes, Agamemnon, Orestes, etc. The bloody history of this house was a favorite tragic theme; we have still extant Æschylus' Trilogy, Sophocles' Electra, Euripides' Orestes, Electra, and two Iphigenias. The verse is a compliment to Varius' genius for tragedy, as vv. 5-7 are to his position as epic poet. 9. tenues grandia : in agreement with nos and haec. Notice the forceful juxtaposition. Cf. 1, 3, 10 fragilem truci; 1, 5, 9 credulus aurea; 1, 15, 2 perfidus hospitam.-lyrae musa potens: cf. n. to 1, 5, 15f 11. With great skill Horace associates Agrippa's glory with that of Caesar. — egregii: Horace applies this adjective only to Caesar among the living, and among the dead to Regulus, 3, 5, 48 egregius exul.-deterere: to impair, properly to wear off the edge.' 13 ff. The answer to this question is of course, only a second Homer, a Varius.' The following themes are naturally selected from the Iliad. tunica tectum adamantina: cf. the Homeric xaλκοχίτων, χαλκεοθώραξ, χάλκεος "Apŋs. - pulvere . . . nigrum: cf. 2, 15 20 nigrum Merionen aut ope Palladis Nos convivia, nos proelia virginum 1, 22 duces non indecoro pulvere 17 ff. Contrasted with the tragic 7 and epic themes are drinking This ode is very similar in construction to the fourth, in which the first twelve verses are given to the praise of spring, the remainder of the ode to the exhortation to enjoy life while we may; in this, 1–14 celebrate the charm of Tivoli, 15-32 urge the value of wine as a releaser from care. This second part again falls naturally into two divisions: the general exhortation (15-21), and the concrete example (21-32). The connection between the two parts of the ode is so slight that as early as the second century some critics regarded them as separate poems, and they so appear in some manuscripts, but that the two parts belong together was recognized by Porphyrio, who notes on v. 15 hanc oden quidam putant aliam esse, sed eadem est; nam et hic ad Plancum loquitur, in cuius honore et in superiori parte Tibur laudavit. Plancus enim inde fuit oriundus. L. Munatius Plancus, who is here addressed, had a varied military and political career. He was a legate of Julius Caesar; in 43 B.C. as |