important settlements on the E. and S. coasts. Augustus went to Spain in person in B.C. 27, and stayed there until B.C. 25, but the final subjugation of the Cantabri was accom- plished by his war-minister Agrippa в.c. 19. Livy (27. 12) notices that Spain was the first province entered by the Romans and the last subdued, and the interest taken in the war is shewn by Horace's frequent allusions to it. Cf. Od. 3. 8. 22, Cantaber sera domitus catena, Od. 4. 14. 41, Cantaber non ante domabilis. So too Virgil, wishing to select a special instance of the mountain robbers who continually threaten the peaceful farmer, selects the Hiberi, Georg. 3, 408, aut impacatos a tergo horrebis Hiberos. There is no doubt that the Ode must have been written about the time when Aug. was in Spain, or the allusion here would be unnatural and out of place. But cf. n.. iuga ferre] A metaphor from breaking in oxen, but which also refers to the custom of making a conquered enemy 'pass under the yoke' (sub jugum mittere). 3. barbaras Syrtes] The epithet alludes partly to the bar- barous character of the inhabitants, partly to the dangerous 5. Tibur] Tivoli. v. Class. Dict., and for a full description Burn's 'Rome and the Campagna.' For the same sentiment Argeo colono] Argeo is a representation of 'Apyelo in Latin letters, long 'e' answering to '.' Tiburtus, son of Catilus, is said to have come with Evander from Greece. 'colono' is what Kennedy calls a Recipient Dative, instead of an Ablative of the Agent,' but it is only used after the Past Part. Pass. or 7. sit modus]... Martin gives the general sense : To one with war and travel worn.' The genitives go both with 'modus' (= 'a limit') and with The commentators explain 'viarum' of the marches Horace • militia' of the campaign he then served, and then proceed to raise a difficulty as to how his allusion to that date can be reconciled with his allusion to B. c. 27 in line 2: the difficulty is however entirely of their own creating. Horace is here speaking quite generally of the ordinary labours of life, possibly, of course, thinking of his own, but certainly not specially alluding to them. Anyhow the Ode cannot have been written any time near B. c. 42, for, putting aside the reference to the Cantabri, (1) all the other Odes in the Book were certainly written much later, (2) the whole tone of the Ode represents Horace as no longer young. 10. pellitis ovibus Galaesi] The Galaesus was a river near Tarentum its rich pastures supported a choice breed of sheep, whose wool was so valuable that they were 'covered with skins' (pellitae) to protect it from injury. = 11. regnata Phalantho] 'ruled over by Phalanthus." regnare 'to reign,' an intransitive verb, ought not to have a passive, but for convenience sake (and probably to avoid the ambiguous participle of rego, rectus') the past. part. is allowed to be used passively. Cf. Virg. Aen. 6. 794, regnata Saturno. For the foundation of Tarentum circ. B. c. 700, see Class. Dict. s. v. Phalanthus. 14. angulus terrarum] 'corner of the world.' 'terrarum' is used in exactly the same manner as in the phrase orbis terrarum. By the word 'angulus' Horace does not so much wish to imply that Tarentum was in a 'corner of the world' as that it was a snug nook for retirement. The last syllable in 'ridet' is lengthened because the accent of the verse falls on it. Cf. 13. 16 timēt aliunde. 'ridet mihi,' lit. 'smiles to me'= takes my fancy. non Hymetto mella decedunt] 'the honey does not give way before that of Hymettus.' Neither I atin nor Greek have a use of the pronoun similar to the word 'that' in the above sentence: they are therefore obliged either to say the honey does not give way before the honey of Hymettus,' or to take a short cut (compendium, whence the phrase 'comparatio compendiaria' applied to this idiom) and avoid such round-about method by saying 'honey does not give way before Hymettus.' So below baca Venafro' and Hom. Il. 17. 51 кoμal Xapíтeσow duoia 'locks like those of the Graces.' Cf. also 14. 28 mero... pontificum potiore caenis. 15. decedere is used of one who quits the footpath to make way for another, hence to yield to.' Probably however here, considering the use of the word 'certat ' immediately after, the notion is rather of a vanquished competitor quitting the arena. 16. baca] 'the berry,' par excellence, i. e. the berry of the olive. 18. Iuppiter] i. e. the god of the atmosphere. Jupiter-Diu. pater, the father of brightness,' i. e. of the sky, Diu being from the Sanskrit root DIV (whence divus, dies, Zevs, Acòs, or AFos &c.) which indicate brightness. Cf. too, Diespiter, Od. 1. 34. 5 and Od. 3. 2. 29. brumas] bruma'='brevima,' i. e. 'the shortest day,' then generally winter.' Aulon] a mountain near Tarentum, celebrated for its vineyards. For Falernis see 3. 8, and note. 21. te mecum] The two words are side by side, even as the two friends were to be. et beatae arces] These words complete and specialize the words ille locus': 'that spot, yes, those happy heights call for our presence.' Orelli is probably right in referring arces to the heights of Aulon, near Tarentum. The word is undoubtedly often applied to towns, for indeed most of the Italian towns were originally arces, i. e. 'places of defence' (arceo), built on lofty rocks, spots generally with some river at the foot, as was naturally in an early and lawless society, and for which cf. Virgil's well-known description, Georg. 2. 156: Tot congesta manu praeruptis oppida saxis, Fluminaque antiquos subterlabentia muros. But Tarentum being on the sea coast could scarcely be called arx; unless, indeed, its position happened to be such as that of e. g. Scarborough or Whitby. 22. calentem] i. e. when the ashes were being removed from the pyre to the urn. It was customary to sprinkle them with perfumes and wine: the poet naturally prefers the homage of a tear.' Notice 'tu' emphatic. 23. debita] not due by custom,' for custom ordained the sprinkling with perfumes, but due to our friendship.' 24. vatis amici] I have little doubt that in the summary at the beginning I have not unduly pressed the meaning of these two most emphatic concluding words, which the commentators seem entirely to neglect. Horace has a double claim (cf. debita) on Septimius' tears (1) their long friendship, (2) the fact that that friendship had been hallowed by the presence and favour of the Muses. Theirs had not only been a 'fair companionship,' but they had also 'with singing cheered the way.' (Tennyson, In Mem. c. 22.) ODE VII. 'Pompeius, with whom I once saw service under Brutus, with whom I have often joined in revelry, who has thus restored you to your civil rights? How I remember being in the rout of Philippi with you, when I ran away so ingloriously and Mercury spirited me away safe home, while you were sucked back into the tempest and tumult of the war! Come offer a sacrifice to Iuppiter for your return, and then we will hold a reckless revel beneath the laurels here. On such a day I should scorn to be sober.' 1. saepe] i. e. during the two years before the battle of Philippi. tempus in ultimum deducte] 'Brought down into uttermost peril.' tempus' here means 'a special' or 'critical period of time;' the notion of 'peril' attaches to it from the adjective 'ultimum,' which implies danger. Cf. Cic. Phil. 5. 17. 46 tempore summo reipublicae='at an extreme crisis of the commonwealth.' 2. Bruto] M. Brutus, the murderer of Caesar, commanded, along with Cassius, at Philippi (B.c. 42). 3. redonavit Quiritem] 'given thee back a full citizen.' After Philippi a large proportion of the republican party were pardoned by Octavian, Horace among them: Pompeius, however, seems still to have remained in arms with the relics of the beaten faction; possibly he joined his namesake, Sex. Pompeius, whose piratical career only ended in B. c. 35. Anyhow he had only just been amnestied. Quirites signifies a Roman citizen in full possession of his civil rights, or, according to the legal phrase, capite non deminutus. Hence in public documents the phrase, populus Romanus Quiritum, and among the jurists, ius Quiritum. The word was only applied to Roman citizens in a civil capacity, never to soldiers; hence the point of Caesar's beginning a speech to the mutinous 10th legion with the word Quirites. The word deserves study in a good Dict. 5. sodalium] used of 'comrades in enjoyment' in connection with the lines which follow. 6. morantem...fregi] 'I have often with (the aid of) wine defeated a wearisome day.' Wickham explains 'fregi' of 'breaking the continuity of business hours,' comparing Od. 1. 1. 2, partem solido demere de die, but the interpretation seems forced and gives no sense to 'morantem.' Orelli simply says 'fregi, breviorem reddidi,' which lacks clearness. Frangere, however, is very common in the sense of to crush,' 'defeat,' 'break the back of,' and so taken it gives admirable sense: the day threatened to be dull, wearisome and tedious, but Horace had a remedy quite strong enough to defeat its threats and make it move along very fast and pleasantly. 7. coronatus...] lit. 'garlanded as to my locks glistening with Syrian unguent,' i. e. wearing a garland on my locks, &c. Malobathrum is a corruption of the Indian name for a plant from which unguent was extracted. It is called 'Syrian' because nearly all Indian products were brought to the sea-coast through Syria, and bought by Roman merchants in Syria, so that all such merchandise is indiscriminately called 'Syrian.' Cf. 11. 16, Assyriaque nardo. 9. Philippos et celerem fugam] A good instance of Hendiadys (ev dia ovoîv) Philippi's hurried rout.' For a description of it cf. 1. 16-20 and notes. 10. sensi] a favourite word of Horace, meaning 'to feel to one's cost,' 'to feel anything painful.' Cf. Od. 4. 4. 25, sensere, of the conquered tribes feeling to their cost' the power of Rome. So Od. 3. 27. 22, sentiant motus, of those at sea. relicta non bene parmula] Horace always speaks of his short military career as of something he can look back upon as too curiously absurd to be talked of gravely; that he is half |