V. II, 12 : Nec tamen est quisquam sacros qui laedat amantes. Cf. Tibull., i. 2, 27, 28: Quisquis amore tenetur, eat tutusque sacerque V. 19. Puro, Mueller; parvo, vulgo. V. 20. Ecce, suis, Mueller; et cursus, Lachmann; exclusis, vulgo. Haupt marks the line corrupt. V. 23. Haec, Lachmann, Haupt, Keil, Mueller; huc, MSS., Barth, Kuinoel, and Paley. V. 29. Aut humer ignotae cumulis vallatus harenae. So Lachmann, Haupt, Keil, and Mueller. Barth, Kuinoel, and Paley read— Aut humet ignotae cumulus vallatus arenae. ELEGY XVII. Propertius sings the praises of Bacchus, and entreats him to release him from the cruel bondage of Love. Cf. with this poem passim, Tibull., iii. 6. V. 2. Bacchato, Gron. MS., Barth, Lachmann; pacato, vulgo. V. 7, 8. Te-tuis. For the story of Bacchus and Ariadne, see Ovid. A. A., i. 527-564; Fast., iii. 459-516; Met., viii. 174-182. V. 12. Utroque modo, Barth, Jacob, Keil, Haupt, Mueller; utroque meum, Kuinoel, Lachmann, Paley; utrâque meum, Wratislaw. V. 23. Lycurgus, a king of Thrace, who opposed the introduction of the grape into his dominions, was punished by Bacchus with madness. V. 24. Pentheus, king of Thebes, another foe to his worship, was torn to pieces by the Maenads Autonoe, Agave, and Ino. See Theocr., xxvi. 1. V. 25, sq. For the story of the Tuscan pirates, see Ov. Met., iii. 630, sq.; Hom. Hymn in Bacch.; and Senec. Oedip., 449, sq. V. 27. Per mediam bene olentia flumina Naxon. Alluding to the abundance of the grape in the island. V. 40. Pindar, the grandest of the lyric poets of Greece, was born at Cynoscephalae 523 B.C., and died 442 B.C. ELEGY XVIII. A beautiful elegy on the death of Marcellus, son of C. Marcellus and Octavia. See the famous tribute to him in the Aeneid of Virgil (vi. 861, sq.) V. 1. Ludit. So all the recent editors, except Hertzberg and Wratislaw, who perhaps correctly read alludit, the conjecture of Canter. For Clausus, Barth, after Scaliger and Broukhusius, gives Plausus. Pontus. The "Sea." Paley takes it to mean V. 2. Baiarum. Virg. Aen., vi. 162. the Lucrine Lake." The trumpeter of Aeneas." Cf. i. 11, 4, and V. 4. Et sonat Herculeo structa labore via. "Echoes' from the dashing of the waves. The Via Herculea excluded the sea from the lake. Ancient embankments seem to have been ascribed to Hercules in heathen, as they have been to the devil in Christian, times" (Wratislaw). V. 6. Thebano-deo. "Hercules." His worship was akin to that of Bacchus. V. 12. Amplexum. Marcellus was betrothed to Julia, daughter of Augustus. V. 14. Maternas-manus. Octavia discharged the duties of the aedileship for her son during his illness. V. 27. Nirea. Nireus, son of Charopos and Aglaia, the most handsome man among the Greeks before Troy. Cf. Hor. Epod., XV. 22. V. 29. Ignaros luctus = causam mali nescientes (Paley). V. 31, 32 At tibi nauta, pias hominum qui trajicit umbras, I have followed Paley, whose corrections have also been adopted by Mr Wratislaw. Trajicis-portent-tuae, Barth, Keil, Haupt; trajicis-portent-suae, Lachmann and Mueller. V. 23. M. Claudius, Marcellus took Syracuse 212 B.C. ELEGY XIX. The poet recounts the most notorious examples of female incontinence furnished by antiquity. V. 7. Syrtes. Cf. ii. 9, 33; iv. 24, 16: Ov. Met., viii. 120: Sil. Ital., ii. 63, and xvii. 634. V. 8. Malea. A promontory in S.E. Laconia, dangerous to mariners. V. 10. Rabidae, Barth, Kuinoel, Mueller, and Paley; rapidae, Lachmann, Haupt, Keil. V. 26. Pendet Cretaea tracta puella rate. Minos caused Scylla to be tied to the rudder of his ship and dragged through the waters. ELEGY XX. The poet invites Cynthia to accept him as her lover (vv. 1-10). The remainder of the elegy (vv. 11-30 in the early editions), containing the conditions of union, is in all probability a separate piece. (Written 723-724 A.U.C.) V. 4. Tantine, ut lacrimes, Africa tota fuit? So Kuinoel, Haupt, Mueller, and Paley; Tantine in lacrimis, Jacob and Keil; Tantisne in lucris, Barth; Tantisne in lacrimis Africa grata fuit? Lachmann; Tantisne in lacrimis, MSS., except the MS. Gron., which omits in. V. 5. At tu stulta deos tu fingis inania verba. Editors differ as to the punctuation of this line. For verba, Lachmann, Haupt, and Mueller read vera. V. 7, 8. Forma potens, &c. Cf. ii. 5, 28: Cynthia forma potens, Cynthia verba levis. Palladis artes, &c. Cf. i. 2, 27-30. V. 8. Splendidaque a docto fama refulget avo. The doctus avus is generally supposed to be Hostius, author of a poem on the "Histric War." Paley suggests that "the avus in question may probably have been celebrated as an actor or musician on the stage; for the laudatory words of the poet may fairly be regarded as the language of compliment." The expressions splendida fama and docto avo are far too strong and marked to be got over in this way. V. 10. Toros. So most editors; sinus, Barth and Kuinoel. V. 13 (11). Date, Lachmann, Keil, Haupt, and Mueller; data, vulgo. V. 15, sq. See Life of Propertius, ante. V. 19. Cedent, vulgo; cedant, Barth and Kuinoel. V. 21, 22. Namque deos. Paley, in my opinion, completely misinterprets this passage. He translates: 'For when no marriage-tie as yet exists, the gods will not bring punishment on a night spent in talk." Verses 19, 20, are parenthetical; and namque follows up the statement in vv. 15-18, thus: "We must have a sure bond, a covenant, &c.; for when none exists, a night that must be spent in weary watching (i.e., waiting for the absent one) has no gods as avengers." See version, p. 157, ante. ELEGY XXI.' Propertius declares his intention to make a journey to Athens, in order that, by getting out of Cynthia's way, he may rid himself of the bondage of Love. V. 7. Negavit. All the recent editors, except Mueller, who reads negarit, with the Naples MS. V. 8. Amicta, most editors, after Scaliger; amica, Paley, with the MSS. V. 16. Tuque puella vale. "Est quidam liber in quo, teste Broukhusio, liquidis literis exaratum legitur: tuque Johanna vale" (Barth). "The scribe," as Paley remarks, "was evidently thinking of his own Cynthia." V. 19. Lechaeo. Lechaeum, on the Corinthian Gulf, one of the harbours of Corinth. V. 22. Isthmos. The Isthmus was about 31⁄2 English miles in breadth at the narrowest part. V. 25, 26. Lachmann and Haupt consider these lines spurious. For vel in v. 25, Mueller reads aut. V. 28. Docte Menandre, vulgo; scite Menandre, Mueller. ELEGY XXII. The poet pleads with Tullus (see i. 1; i. 6, &c.) to return to Rome. V. I. Cyzicus. A city on the Propontis (Sea of Marmara). V. 2. Isthmos. Cyzicus was connected with the mainland by a bridge. V. 3. Dindymus. A hill above the city, with a temple of Cybele, founded by the Argonauts. I have followed Haupt's emendation, e vite, which has been admitted by Mueller. The common reading is juvenca; the MSS. have inventa, which Scaliger retains. V. 4. The poet follows an obscure legend. V. 5. Helles Athamantidos. Helle, daughter of Athamas. See iii. 18, 5. V. 9. Geryonis stabula. At Erythea. Cf. v. 9, 2. V. 9. Signa; footprints." Mauritania was the scene of the contest. V. 10. Hesperidumque choros. "The daughters of Hesperus." An allusion to the legend of the "golden apples." V. 13. Argoa-columba. Cf. iii. 18, 39, 40. V. 15. Ortygia. The ancient name of Ephesus, on the northwest of which flowed the Cäyster. V. 24. Marcius humor. Cf. iv. 2, 12; and see note thereon. V. 25. Some tradition must have represented the lakes Albano and Nemi as connected by a channel underground. They can hardly have been said to have a common source. V. 26. Lympha. The "Lacus Juturnae" in the Roman Forum. V. 30. "The banquet of Thyestes." V. 31, 32. "Althea's revenge on Meleager." V. 33. "The legend of Pentheus pursued by the Bacchants." Cf. iv. 17, 24. V. 34. "The sacrifice of the deer instead of Iphigenia." V. 35, 36. “Io.” Cf. i. 3, 20; and iii. 20, 17. V. 37. Mueller indicates a lacuna before this verse. "There is a very awkward zeugma here-so awkward that it seems to me to indicate a corruption" (Wratislaw). There is apparently a confusion of Sinis with Sciron. Both robbers were slain by Theseus. |