V. 33. Pegae or Pege. This word is corruptly written in the MSS. Either form, however, is quite admissible (Gr. τŋyń, a fountain). V. 48. Sonitum. "The sound of the voice of Hylas as he disappeared," and not " the splash,” as Paley and Wratislaw explain it. It is to this "sound" or scream that Alcides iterat responsa. ELEGY XXI. Gallus, a relative of Propertius (not the Gallus of the preceding elegies), having joined the side of Lucius Antonius in the Perusian war, and being mortally wounded by bandits, entreats a comrade to convey to his sister the particulars of his death. V. 2. Etruscis-aggeribus. Perusia (Perugia), in Etruria, was taken from L. Antonius by Octavian 40 B.C. ELEGY XXII. The poet informs Tullus of his birthplace. While doing so he feelingly refers to his friend Gallus, whose untimely fate is the subject of the preceding elegy. V. 9, 10. Propertius was born at Asisium (Asisi). See Propert., V. I, 123-125; and Life of Propertius, supra. BOOK II. ELEGY I. Addressed to Maecenas. Propertius declares that Cynthia is the sole source of his inspiration; that his genius is fitted for elegy alone; and that heroic poetry is beyond his powers. V. 5. Coccis. Coccum. A dye extracted from an insect on the scarlet oak (Quercus coccifera), rivalling in brilliancy the famous Tyrian dye. V. 22. Bina-vada. The canal cut through Mount Athos by Xerxes is referred to. Cf. Juv., x. 173, Creditur olim velificatus Athos. V. 24. Benefacta Mari. The destruction of the Teutones and Cimbri, 102 and 101 B.C. V. 27. Mutinam. 43 B.C. The battle of Mutina, fought 27th April V. 27. Philippos. The battle of Philippi, fatal to the Republic, 42 B.C. V. 28. Siculae classica bella fugae. The defeat of Sextus Pompeius by Octavian off the coast of Sicily, 36 B.C. Cf. Hor. Epod., ix. 7. V. 29. Eversosque focos antiquae gentis Etruscae. The war and siege of Perusia, 40 B.C. V. 30. Ptolemaeei litora capta Phari. The taking of Alexandria by Augustus, 30 B.C. V. 31. Barth, Kuinoel, Jacob, Keil, and Wratislaw read Aegyptum; Hertzberg and Paley, Cyprum; Lachmann prints canere inciperem; Mueller, though approving Baehrens' conjecture Coptum, marks the word as corrupt. V. 31. Nilum. An effigy or representation of the seven-mouthed Nile dragged in chains to Rome (tractus in urbem). Such emblems frequently formed part of triumphal processions. V. 33. Regum. The kings who had taken part with the enemies of Augustus. V. 34. Actia-rostra. The beaks of the vessels taken at Actium, 2d September 31 B.C. Р V. 37, 38. The meaning is: The fidelity of Maecenas to Augustus is equal to that of Theseus to Pirithous, and of Achilles to Patroclus. V. 39. Phlegraeos—tumultus. The war between the gods and the rebel giants, begun at Phlegra, in Chalcidice, and renewed on the Phlegraci Campi, the volcanic coast-plain between Cumae and Capua, in Campania. V. 40. Callimachus. A distinguished poet of the Alexandrine school, whom Propertius took as his model. V. 42. Caesaris in Phrygios condere nomen avos. The Iulia gens claimed descent from Iulus, son of Aeneas. V. 51. Novercae pocula Phaedrae. Propertius alludes to some legend which made Phaedra mix a philtre for Hippolytus. V. 54. Colchis Iolciacis urat aëna focis. In allusion to the boiling of Pelias by his daughters, at the instance of Medea. V. 59. Machaon, son of Aesculapius, cured Philoctetes of a wound in the foot, received either from a snake or from one of the poisoned arrows of Hercules. V. 60. Phoenicis - Phillyrides. Chiron, a Centaur, skilled in music, medicine, and archery, restored sight to Phoenix, whose eyes had been put out by his father Amyntor. V. 61. Deus Epidaurius. Aesculapius (called Epidaurius, from Epidaurus, his birthplace) restored Androgeos, son of Minos, to life. No other writer mentions this legend. V. 63, 64. Mysus-juvenis. Telephus, wounded by the spear of Achilles, was cured by the rust scraped from it. V. 65-70. The sense is: The man who can cure me of love is able to alleviate the torments of hell. V. 74. Spes and pars have equal MS. authority. V. 76. Esseda Britanna. Some modification of the British warchariot. ELEGY II. A glowing elegy in praise of Cynthia's beauty. The poet cannot believe that Jupiter is really so amorous as he is represented, or he would have taken Cynthia to the sky long ago. V. 6. Incedit vel Jove digna soror. Cf. Virg. Aen., i. 46, 47 :— Ast ego, quae divum incedo regina, Jovisque Et soror et conjux. 4 V. 7. Dulichias, MSS.; Munychias, Mueller, after the Italians. V. 9. Ischomache, called also Hippodamia, was carried off by the Centaur Eurytion on the night of her nuptials with Pirithoüs. See Propert., ii. 6. 18, and iii. 25, 31. V. II, 12 : Mercurio et sanctis fertur Boebeïdos undis, Virgineum Brimo composuisse latus. The MSS. have Mercurio satis; Barth, Kuinoel, Lachmann, and Keil read as above; Hertzberg, Mercurio et Sais; Mueller, Mercurioque Sais. Perhaps the true reading is Mercurio qualis. For Brimo, the MSS. have primo. Boebeïs is a lake in Thessaly; Brimo, a name of Proserpina. The legend to which Propertius refers is not known. ELEGY III. The same subject continued. V. 12. Utque rosae puro lacte natant folia. Cf. Virg. Aen., xii. 67, sq. : Indum sanguineo veluti violaverit ostro Si quis ebur, aut mixta rubent ubi lilia multa Alba rosa talis virgo dabat ore colores. and Anacr., xxviii. 22, 23:— Γράφε ρῖνα καὶ παρειάς Ρόδα τῷ γάλακτι μίξας. V. 18. Egit ut euhantes dux Ariadna choros. Ariadne, after her desertion by Theseus, became the wife of Bacchus. V. 20. Aganippeae — lyrae. Aganippe (frigerans Aganippe, Catull., lxi. 30), a famous fountain at the foot of Helicon. V. 21. Corinna. A poetess of Tanagra, in Boeotia, fifth century B.C. V. 22. Erinne. A friend and contemporary of Sappho, about 612 B.C. She died at the age of 19, but left behind her poems that were reckoned worthy to rank with those of Homer. V. 24. Argutum-omen. The omen of sneezing was considered lucky from the earliest times. Cf. Hom. Od., xvii. 545; Theocr. vii. 95; and Catull., xlv. 8, 9. V. 45-54. I am by no means satisfied that these verses belong to this elegy. Still less do I consider that Lachmann, Jacob, Keil, and Mueller are justified in printing them as the commencement of the next poem. They look like a fragment, and ought, in my opinion, to be printed by themselves as such. V. 51, sq. Melampus, son of Amythaon, according to the common legend, undertook to drive off the oxen of Iphiclus, that his brother Bias might obtain the hand of Pero, daughter of Neleus, who had refused to give her away on any other condition. Propertius seems to follow some other version of the story, in which Melampus is himself the lover of Pero. ELEGY IV. Under the semblance of counsel to a friend, the poet details his own love experience, and recommends him, if he wishes to lead a happy life, to renounce the sex altogether. V. 7, 8: Non hic herba valet, non hic nocturna Cytaeis, Non Perimedeae gramina cocta manus. Cf. Theocr. Idyll., ii. 15, 16 :— Φάρμακα ταῦτ' ἔρδοισα χερείονα μήτέ τι Κίρκης V. 15, 16 :— Nam cui non ego sum fallaci praemia vati? Cf. Theocr. Idyll., ii. 90, 91 :— καὶ ἐς τίνος οὐκ ἐπέρασα, Ἢ ποίας ἔλιπον γραίας δόμον, ἅτις ἐπᾷδεν. ELEGY V. Propertius threatens to leave Cynthia on account of her inconstancy, which has now become notorious. V. 4. Aliquo, Lachmann and the recent editors; Aquilo, MSS. V. II. Carpathiae-undae. The Carpathian sea, so called from the island Carpathus (Skarpanto), between Rhodes and Crete. V. 17. Per dominae Junonis dulcia jura. Cf. Tibull., iii. 6, 47-50. |