V. 51. Orithyia, daughter of Erechtheus, when crossing the Ilissus, was carried off to Thrace by Boreas. V. 53, 54. Scylla and Charybdis, two whirlpools in the Fretum Siculum (Strait of Messina)—the former off the Italian, the latter off the Sicilian coast-were very dangerous to mariners. Cf. Virg. Aen., iii. 420, sq. ELEGY XIX. The lover alone knows when and by what means he must die. V. 3. Phoenicum inventa. The Chaldaeans were the earliest astrologers; the Phoenicians were the first to apply a knowledge of the stars to the purposes of navigation. V. 5-10. Seu-tuis. Cf. Catull., xxiii. 8-11 nihil timetis, Non incendia, non graves ruinas, V. 9. Praeterea domibus flammas metuisque ruinas. Metuis is Mueller's correction; the MSS. have domibus, which appears to be corrupt; Lachmann reads dominis. V. 13. Remex; "the lover with oar in hand." The shades are the rowers of Charon's boat. Cf. Virg. Aen., vi. 320 :— V. 15. Damnatum, Gron. MS.; Clamantis, Barth, Kuinoel, and Lachmann. ELEGY XX. Written on the occasion of Cynthia's dangerous illness. V. 2. Tam formosa tuum mortua crimen erit. Cf. Ov. Amor., ii. 11, 35, 36:— Vestrum crimen erit talis jactura puellae, V. 8. Quicquid jurarunt, ventus et unda rapit. Cf. Ov. Amor., ii. 16, 45, 46 :- Verba puellarum, foliis leviora caducis, Inrita qua visum est, ventus et unda ferunt. V. 17-30. The argument is: Io, once a heifer, was deified as Isis; Ino, who roamed the valleys of Parnassus as a Bacchante, was changed into the sea-goddess Leucothoe; Andromeda, exposed to sea-monsters, became the noble wife of her deliverer; Callisto, who ranged Arcadia in the form of a bear, now shines as a benignant star but, Cynthia, if thy days are numbered, thy fate, too, shall be blessed—for, crowned queen over the Heroines of Homer, thou shalt reign, and tell the while of the dangers of beauty to Semele, who, herself taught by experience, will appreciate thy story. V. 29. Et tibi Maconias inter Heroidas omnes. Paley, with the Gron. MS., reads interque, deeming the conjunction less objectionable than the metrical licence. Cf. Ov. Trist., i. 6, 33 Prima locum sanctas Heroidas inter haberes. V. 35. Deficiunt magico torti sub carmine rhombi. Rhombus, the "vyέ" of Theocr. Idyll., ii., q. v. Cf. also Propert., iv. 6, 26: : Staminea rhombi ducitur ille rota. V. 36. Et jacet extincto laurus adusta foco. V. 37. Luna. Cf. Propert., i. 1, 19, and v. 5, 13. V. 47-58. The poet now implores Pluto and Proserpine to continue their clemency, and not insist on Cynthia's removal, since so much of female bloom and beauty is in their realm already. V. 51. Iope, Naples MS., Jacob, Hertzberg, Keil, Mueller, and Paley; Iole, Groningen MS., Kuinoel, and Lachmann; Antiope, Barth and others. V. 53. Troja, MSS. and most of the recent editors; Iona, Scaliger, Barth, and Kuinoel. The objection to Troja is the reference to it again in the following line: "Priami diruta regna senis; "—but this goes for nothing, as Propertius has done the same thing in iv. 1, 31, 32. V. 54. Phoebi, all the copies; Thebae, Scaliger; Thebe, Mueller. ELEGY XXI. The poet excuses himself for playing the spy on Cynthia. V. 1. Extrema, Heinsius. The MSS. have hesterna, which is irreconcilable with v. 42. V. 2. Servorum―manus. Cf. Propert., i. 3, 10; and Juv. iii. 284, sq. V. 15. Sidoniae nocturna ligamina mitrae. Ct. iii. 7, 55: "Sidonia vestis." V. 17, 18. Adflabunt—manibus. Cf. Catull., xiii. 11, 12:— Nam unguentum dabo, quod meae puellae Donarunt Veneres Cupidinesque. V. 21. Mi-dixerunt. So most editors; Paley, with the MSS., me-duxerunt. V. 40. Prosilit in laxa nixa pedem solea. Cf. Catull., lxviii. 71, 72; and Ovid. Amor., iii. 1, 31. ELEGY XXII. The impossibility of escaping from the thraldom of Love, and the expediency of bowing to one's fate. V. 3. Pegaseo-dorso. Alluding to the aerial expedition of Bellerophon on the winged horse Pegasus against the triformed Chimaera. V. 4. Si Persei moverit ala pedes. When Perseus set out to kill Medusa he was furnished by Mercury with winged sandals. The sandals of Mercury, referred to in vv. 5, 6, are familiar to every reader. V. 17, 18. Quae-tumor. This story is referred to by Ovid A. A., iii. 505, 506:— "I procul hinc," dixit, "non es mihi, tibia, tanti," Ut vidit vultus Pallas in amne suos. V. 19. Dure, Jacob, Mueller, and Paley; dura, MSS. V. 20. Rauca, Munro; nota, MSS.; nauta, Hertzberg and Paley; Eoa, Mueller. V. 30. Avis. Jupiter, in the form of an eagle, carried off Ganymede from Trojan Ida. V. 33. Virginibus. V. 35. Quaedam. king of Thrace. "The Muses." "Calliope." Oeagrus (or Oeager) was a V. 37. Te, Lachmann, Haupt, and Paley; Me, MSS. ELEGY XXIII. Description of the temple of Apollo on the Palatine, dedicated by Augustus, Oct. 24, A.U.C. 726, in commemoration of his victory at Actium (see Bk. v., Elegy 6). V. 3. Poenis digesta columnis. Cf Hor. Carm., ii. 18, 3-5 :— Non trabes Hymettiae Premunt columnas ultima recisas Africa. V. 7. Myronis. Myron, a Greek statuary and engraver, born 480 B.C. V. 8. Vivida signa. Cf. Virg. Aen., vi. 849. V. 10. Ortygia. Delos, the birthplace of Apollo. V. 13. Gallos. The Gauls, under Brennus, invaded Greece 279 B.C. They attempted to plunder the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and were all destroyed by the god. See iv. 13, 51-54. V. 13. Tantalidos. See Propert., iii. 11, 7, and note thereon, supra. ELEGY XXIV. Propertius upbraids Cynthia for her repeated absence from Rome; expresses disbelief in her excuses; and threatens to leave her to her own devices if she is determined to follow the example of women notorious for their profligacy. V. 3. Dubias-sortes. Praeneste, a town of Latium, S.E. of Rome, was noted for a temple of Fortune (Cic. de Divin. ii. 41). V. 4. Aeaei moenia Telegoni. Tusculum, founded by Telegonus, son of Ulysses and Circe. V. 5. Herculeum Tibur. Hercules. See v. 7, 82. Tibur was a seat of the worship of V. 6. Anus. So Lachmann, Jacob, Hertzberg, Haupt, Keil, and Mueller. Paley, with the earlier editors, reads anum, in support of which he quotes iii. 9, 20. Anus is applied to the Appian Way, as being the oldest of all the Roman roads. V. 10. In nemus et Triviae lumina ferre deae. "The grove and shrine of Diana at Aricia." V. 11, 12. Pompey's portico was a fashionable promenade. See v. 8, 75. With Aulaeis Attalicis, cf. iii. 4, 22, and v. 5, 24. V. 14. Sopito-Marone. "From the statue of a sleeping Maro." For Marone, Haupt, Keil, and Mueller read Anione; and in v. 15, Tot leviter, &c., for Et leviter. V. 23. Haupt and Mueller consider this verse corrupt. V. 31. Tyndaris. V. 35. Parim, vulgo; palam, Haupt and Mueller. V. 40. Naica dona; "gifts from the Naiad Oenone." Barth and Kuinoel give Nai, caduca. V. 45. Lesbia. The mistress of Catullus. ELEGY XXV. Propertius ridicules Isis, with the celebration of whose rites Cynthia is occupied; entreats his mistress to return to him, and to renounce the wine-cup, which has too often sapped the strength of the strongest and led the virtuous astray. V. I. Solennia. The rites of Isis, so religiously kept by Cynthia (see iii. 20, 61, 62, and v. 5, 34), were also observed by Delia, the mistress of Tibullus, with scrupulous attention (Tib., i. 3, 23-32). V. 19. Aut nos e nostra, te, saeva, fugabimus urbe. Quod minatur poeta, id accidit, A.U.C. 733, M. Lollio et Q. Aemilio Lepido Coss. Namque hoc anno Agrippa sec. Dion., lib. 54, praefectus urbi sacra Aegyptia ex urbe ejecit.-(Barth.) V. 24. Icarii, sidera tarda, boves. Icarus (Icarius or Icarion), a king of Attica, was changed by Bacchus into a constellation (Charles's Wain). V. 31. Eurytion. See ii. 2, 9; 6, 17, and notes thereon. V. 32. Polypheme. Ulysses, after stupefying the Cyclops Polyphemus with wine, put out his eye and slew him. See Hom. Odyss., ix. Ismario-mero. "Grown on Ismarus," a mountain in Thrace. |