Cum prole matronisque nostris Rite deos prius apprecati, Virtute functos more patrum duces 30 28. Apprecati, a rare word first used by Horace, = precati. — 29. More patrum. It was an old custom among the Romans to have songs in praise of their ancestors sung at their feasts, and accompanied by a flute-player. Horace says he will do this, celebrating particularly Anchises, and Aeneas, the son of Venus: for from these the gens Julia, to which Augustus belonged, traced its descent.-30. Lydis remixto_carmine tibiis, in a song mixed with (accompanied by) Lydian flutes.' The flute is called Lydian, because it was much used by the Lydians. Some commentators suppose that allusion is here made to the peculiar measure called Lydian, and well known as effeminate; but this is improbable. SPOR Roman Standard CARMEN SAECULARE. In the year 17 B. C. Augustus celebrated the ludi saeculares. These were instituted in the earliest times of Rome, to mark with solemnity the longest period to which human life was supposed ever to extend: but it was a disputed point whether saeculum in regard to these games meant, as in common usage, a space of 100, or, in a peculiar religious sense, 110 years. Both views found supporters. Augustus, after the pacification of the empire, wishing to reawaken the religious feeling of the people, which during the long civil wars had almost died away, resolved to revive these games, which, as Suetonius (August. 31) tells us, had fallen into disuse. He ordered the Sibylline books to be consulted; and these, taking the cycle of 110 years, stated the year and the mode of celebrating the festival. The next who celebrated these games was the Emperor Claudius, A. D. 47 (A. U. c. 800), following the cycle of 100 years; then A. D. 88 (A. U. C. 841), Domitian, and A. d. 204 (a. u. c. 957), Septimius Severus, again following the reckoning of Augustus; and lastly, A. D. 247 (A. U. C. 1000), Philippus. The secular games lasted for three days, beginning in the evening and continuing during the night. They consisted in the offering of various sacrifices to all the gods of Rome (hence, in line 7, Dis, quibus septem placuere colles), and are fully described by Zosimus, ii. 5. To heighten the interest of the festival, Augustus requested from Horace a carmen saeculare, which was to be sung by a choir of boys and girls. Many commentators have been of opinion that the song is a so-called carmen amoebaeum; that is, consists of stanzas intended to be sung alternately by the boys and girls. But this opinion finds no confirmation in the poem itself, equally little in the description which we have of the proceedings at the games, and is altogether improbable. In the aesthetic criticism of the poem, we must remember that it was an official composition, in which no high flight of poetic fancy could be allowed. It is addressed to Apollo and Diana, to whom the Sibylline books directed a poem as well as a sacrifice to be offered. PHOEBE silvarumque potens Diana, 2. Lucidum coeli decus refers both to Phoebus, god of the sun, and to Diana, who was goddess of the moon as well as of the M (177) 20 woods.-6. Lectas, the proper and standing epithet of women, 'chosen, excellent.' The epithet of the boys, castus, refers to the fact that both classes, boys and girls, were to consist only of such as had both father and mother alive, so that they might be 'pure,' not defiled, as it were, by any death in the family. The choir consisted of twenty-seven boys and the same number of girls.-7. Hence the poem is indeed addressed specially to Apollo and Diana, according to the order of the Sibylline books, and these divinities are first invoked, but yet a prayer to all the gods worshipped at Rome is to be admitted.-9. Curru nitido. The chariot of the sun, according to the representations of the poets, glistened with metal and precious stones. -10. Aliusque et idem, 'every day new, as it were another, and yet always the same.' 14. As to the construction of lenis aperire, compare iv. 14, 22: impiger, vexare, and line 25 of this poem. The goddess who is invoked is she who presides over births; she is called either by a Greek name, Ilithyia, or a Latin, Lucina or Genitalis.-17. Patrum decreta. In this very year, 17 B. C., Augustus, by a decree of the senate, established his first regulations regarding morals, in order to put a stop to the diminution of the number of Roman citizens caused by the visibly increasing immorality and dislike to marriage. His ordinances on this subject consisted partly in the imposition of severe penalties on adultery (lex Julia de adulteriis), and partly in encouraging, by numerous rewards, those who married and had children. This course of legislation was completed A. D. 9 by the celebrated lex Papia Poppaea. -18. Connect super (= de) lege marita feraci novae prolis. Lex marita, with maritus used as an adjective, is a short poetical expression for law of marriage.' -22. Orbis, 'cycle,' of Ter die claro totiesque grata Nocte frequentes. Vosque veraces cecinisse, Parcae, Quod semel dictum est stabilisque rerum Fertilis frugum pecorisque Tellus Spicea donet Cererem corona; Condito mitis placidusque telo 25 30 35 Roma si vestrum est opus, Iliaeque Litus Etruscum teriuere turmae, Jussa pars mutare lares et urbem Sospite cursu, 40 Cui per ardentem sine fraude Trojam Castus Aeneas patriae superstes Liberum munivit iter daturus Plura relictis: Di, probos mores docili juventae, Di, senectuti placidae quietem, Romulae genti date remque prolemque Et decus omne; 45 ten times eleven-that is, 110-years, which, as is mentioned in the introduction to the poem, Augustus adopted in fixing the time of his games.-23. Grata, because it was illumined with torches and altar-fires, and spent merrily in all manner of festivity.-24. Frequentes, because numerously attended.-25. 'And do you, O Parcae, truthful in singing (that is, who sing truthfully; compare line 13) that which is said by you once for all (semel), and which then even the end of the world keeps, observes.'-27. Bona-fata. The sense is this grant that the future may be as fortunate for the Roman state as the ages past have been.-29. The idea is, that Tellus, joyous and grateful on account of her fertility, should bring to Ceres, the goddess of the fruits of the earth, a wreath of ears of corn, such as the country people used to give to this deity at the harvest feast. -31: Aquae, 'rain.' 32. Aurae,breezes' or 'weather' generally, Jove being the god of the weather. -33. Telo; namely, the bow. See line 61.35. Bicornis, for Diana, as goddess of the moon, was represented with a crescent on her head. 37. Si does not imply doubt here, but means 'as truly as, since assuredly.' As to Iliae turmae, compare Carm. iv. 15, 31.39. Jussa pars, apposition to Iliae turmae, and quae pars gentis Trojanae jussa est.- 41. Sine fraude, without injury.'-42. Castus. Pius is the attribute which Virgil commonly gives to Aeneas.-44. Plura relictis = plura quam reliquerant, or quam relicta erant. -47. Romulae genti. Compare = Carm. iv. 5, 1, and Gram. § 208, 2, note. The poet, in the two preceding lines, has been praying for the classes of young and old, and for the blessings most required by each; here he prays for the Roman people collectively, the whole body. Rem is 'property' rem familiarem.-49. Bobus albis. These were the sacrifices to Apollo and Diana; they had been directed by the Sibylline books. -51. Bellante prior; that is, superior iis qui bellum gerunt. The sense of the passage is the same which Virgil (Aen. vi. 854) expresses as the guiding principle or motto of the Romans, parcere subjectis, et debellare superbos. 53. Manus potentes Albanasque secures; that is, manus potentes et secures Albanorum. Secures means the power of the magistrates, as symbolised by the axes in the fasces. The Romans are called Albans, as being descended from the inhabitants of Alba Longa; in the same way the Parthians are called Medes. See Carm. iii. 8, 19. -55. As to the Scythians and Indians, compare Carm. iv. 14, 42. -- 60. Copia, the goddess of plenty, used to be represented with a horn, and her figure occurs particularly often on the coins which were struck in the reign of Augustus. She is called beata, because she confers happiness, and consequently must be herself happy.-63. Apollo was god of the healing art.--65. Si is to be understood as in line 37. Horace mentions the Palatine, because on it Augustus had built a magnificent temple to Apollo, and the god would, from gratitude, protect Rome. Aequus, gracious, graciously. -66. Here the apodosis begins. Rem Romanam Romanos, imperium Romanum.-67. Alterum in lustrum. Lustrum seems to denote here the space of time between each celebration of the secular games and the next. Hence the wish of the poet is, that Apollo will preserve the empire from one century to another, and that each may be better than that which = |
