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23.

ROBIGO.

FAS. IV. 901.

THE festival of the 'Robigalia' was celebrated on VII. Kal. Mai. (25th April), in order to propitiate the deity 'Robigus' or 'Rubigus,' to whose influence the mildew or smut in corn was attributed.

We find 'Robigo' addressed also as a female, but this word seems to mean properly the disease itself, while 'Robigus' is the power which causes it, unless indeed we suppose 'Robigus' and ‘Robigo' to have been a married pair, according to the fashion of the Italian deities. The term is thus explained by Servius in his note on Virg. G. 1. 151

'Mox et frumentis labor additus, ut mala culmos
Esset robigo'..

'Robigo autem genus est vitii, quo culmi pereunt, quod a rusticanis calamitas dicitur. Hoc autem genus vitii ex nebula nasci solet, cum nigrescunt et consumuntur frumenta. Inde et Robigus deus et sacra eius septimo Kalendas Maias Robigalia appellantur.'

Varro in his treatise de Re Rustica 1. 1, includes 'Robigus' among the twelve 'Dii Consentes' who were worshipped by the husbandman. The passage is so important for the illustration of the old Latin rural superstitions, that it deserves to be consulted. See also Id. de Ling. Lat. 6. 3, and also Pliny H. N. 18. 29, which bears directly upon this and Extract 29 on the Floralia, p. 49.

2. According to Ovid, the commencement of Spring is on the V. Id. Feb.

'En etiam, si quis Borean horrere solebat,

Gaudeat a Zephyris mollior aura venit.

Quintus ab aequoreis nitidum iubar extulit undis

Lucifer, et primi tempora veris eunt' Fast. 2. 147, and in the line before us, the VII. Kal. Mai. is fixed upon as the middle point. On the other hand, Columella 11. 2, 15 and 36

'VII. Idus Feb. Callisto sidus occidit; Favonii spirare

incipiunt.....

nonnumquam grando.'

XI. Kal. Maias ver bipartitur, pluvia, et

3. Pecudem...Athamantidos Helles, i.e. the constellation 'Aries;' the golden-fleeced ram, which bore away Phrixus and Helle, the children of Athamas king of Thebes, when they fled from the persecution of their step-mother Ino. We have the whole story in Ov. Fast. 3. 851 seqq.

4. Signaque, &c., i. e. 'the rains show themselves;' the showers descend; or, 'the showers give indications of the seasons,' which is better. So Fast. 1. 315

'Institerint Nonae: missi tibi nubibus atris

Signa dabunt imbres, exoriente Lyra.'

Exoriturque canis. Ovid has made a blunder here; the Dog sets at this season so Columella 11. 2, 37 'Pridie Kalendas Maias Canis se vespere celat: tempestatem significat.' One good MS. indeed has 'occidit atque Canis ;' but this is probably a correction. The conjectural emendations of different critics are given in the various readings.

5. Nomento. Nomentum (Lamentana Vecchia) was built by a colony from Alba, in the Sabine territory, not far from the river Allia.

'Hi tibi Nomentum, et Gabios, urbemque Fidenam,

Hi Collatinas imponent montibus asres' Virg. Ae. 6.773. It is frequently mentioned by Martial, who possessed an estate in the neighbourhood, e. g. 6. 43

'Me Nomentani confirmant otia ruris,

Et casa jugeribus non onerosa suis.
Hic mihi Baiani soles, mollisque Lucrinus;
Hic vestrae mihi sunt, Castrice, divitiae.'

See also 1. 85; 10. 44; 12. 57.

The road which led to this town from Rome, passed through the Porta Viminalis, and was called the Via Nomentana; it afterwards joined the Via Salaria.

6. Candida pompa, 'a procession in pure white raiment.' See note on 22. 16.

7. Antiquae. The worship of this deity was established, according to Pliny, by Numa.

8. Exta canis. Columella mentions the sacrifice of the dog (a sucking puppy), but not the sheep, 10. 342

'Hinc mala Rubigo virideis ne torreat herbas,
Sanguine lactentis catuli placatur et extis.'

10. The officiating priest, it appears, was the Flamen Quirinalis.

II. Aspera, 'rough,' and so 'Scabras manus' below v. 20. So also Virgil, when applying this word to the rust of iron, G. I. 495

'Exesa inveniet scabra robigine pila.'

12. Laeve, i.e. ‘smooth,' not roughened by 'scabra,' ‘aspera robigo.'

18. Adusta. 'Vro,' 'aduro,' &c., are constantly applied to the blighting influence of cold. Thus Cic. Tusc. 2. 17 'Pernoctant venatores in nive, in montibus uri se patiuntur,' and Virg. G. 1. 92

'Ne tenues pluviae, rapidive potentia solis

Acrior, aut Boreae penetrabile frigus adurat,'

and in like manner Livy 21. 32, 'pecora iumentaque torrida frigore.'

19. Titan, the Sun. See note on Hyperion, pp. 203, 204. 23. Contere expresses well the slow continued action by which rust wears away and consumes the substance of iron. 'Carpere' also implies a gradual process.

27. Sarcula. From the manner in which the 'sarculus' or 'sarculum' is spoken of, it must have resembled very closely a common boe. The 'bidens' describes itself, and must have been the same with our drag.

28. Situs, from 'sino,' is the crust which forms upon anything which is left untouched or neglected. Hence it is put for filth or dirt in general, for the hard surface of land left fallow, for rust, and metaphorically for the effect of sloth upon the mind, e. g. Ov. Amor. I. 8, 51

‘Aera nitent usu, vestis bona quaerit haberi,
Canescunt turpi tecta relicta situ.'

Virg. G. 1. 72

'Et segnem patiere situ durescere campum.' Ov. Trist. 5. 12, I

'Scribis, ut oblectem studio lacrimabile tempus,
Ne pereant turpi pectora nostra situ.'

33. Mantele, Mantelium, or Mantelum, was a woolen napkin, with a long loose pile 'villis solutis,' which was sometimes shorn off to make it more smooth. So Virg. Ae. 1. 701

'Dant famuli manibus lymphas, Cereremque canistris Expediunt, tonsisque ferunt mantelia villis.'

34. Patera, from 'pateo,' a sort of shallow ladle employed for pouring libations to the gods.

Acerra ought to be translated 'incense-box.' The frankincense in ancient sacrifices was generally consumed on the altar, not in a vessel constructed for the purpose, as in the ceremonies of the Jewish religion and the Roman Catholic Church. When a censer was employed, it was called

' turibulum.'

36. Obscaenae. See note on 1. 119.

39. Est canis, Icarium dicunt, &c. Every constellation had a legend attached to it. Homer and Aratus call Sirius the dog of Orion. The tale with regard to Procyon, which explains the ephithet 'Icarius,' is as follows:

Dionysius visited Attica during the reign of Pandion, and was hospitably entertained by Icarius, who received from him a slip of the vine, and was instructed in the art of making wine. Eager to communicate to mankind the bounties of the god, he offered the new beverage to some shepherds, who, tempted by its pleasant flavour, drank copiously, became intoxicated, and then, supposing that they had been poisoned, slew Icarius. Upon recovering their senses, perceiving what they had done, they buried their victim. His daughter Erigone discovered the dead body by the aid of a favourite dog, named Maera; and after bewailing the loss of her father, hung herself in grief. Father, daughter, and dog, all became constellations. Icarius is Bootes, Erigone is Virgo, Maera is Procyon 1. Compare Fast. 5. 723

'Nocte sequente diem Canis Erigoneius exit,'

and Amor. 2. 16, 4

'Sol licet admoto tellurem sidere findat,

Et micet Icarii stella proterva Canis.'

Sirius and Procyon are often confounded. There were two constellations known to the Greek astronomers by the name of the Dog, which were distinguished as the greater and the lesser.

The greater, or 'Canis,' rose, according to Columella, on the 26th of July, and the bright star in its mouth was called

1 See Apollodor. 3. 14, 7, Hygin. P. A. 2. 4, Fab. 130.

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Canis,' or 'Canicula,' or 'Sirius,'-the terms 'Canis' and 'Canicula' being used to denote sometimes the whole constellation, and sometimes the principal star.

The lesser, or 'Procyon,' (роkúwv), that is in Latin, 'Antecanis,'

'Antecanis, Graio Procyon qui nomine fertur 1,'

rose, as its title imports, before the great Dog, according to Columella on the Ides of July. Although 'Canicula' is usually employed with reference to the greater Dog, yet, from its being a diminutive of 'Canis,' it is occasionally applied to the lesser; and we may observe generally that the two groups are frequently confounded by ancient writers, and the fables proper to the one transferred to the other.

Since their rising served to mark the period of greatest heat, they are commonly spoken of by the poets in connection with this circumstance. Compare Tibull. 1. 7, 21; 2. 1, 47; 3. 5, 1, all of which are in the Extracts, and also Hor. Od.

3. 29, 17

'Iam clarus occultum Andromedae pater = Ostendit ignem: iam Procyon furit.

Et stella vesani Leonis = Sole dies referente siccos 2,

and Od. 3. 13, 9, addressed to the Bandusian fount,

'Te flagrantis atrox hora Caniculae = Nescit tangere'.... and Od. 1. 17, 17

'Hic in reducta valle Caniculae = Vitabis aestus'.... to which add Ov. A. A. 2. 231, Pers. S. 3. 5, &c. In like manner, Virg. G. 4. 425

'Iam rapidus torrens sitientes Sirius Indos

Ardebat'.

and Ae. 3. 141

'tum steriles exurere Sirius agros,

Arebant herbae, et victum seges aegra negabat.'

&c. Our own familiar expression of 'The Dog-days,' is, of course, derived from the same source.

40. Praecipitur, i. e. ' is hurried on too fast '—is parched by the heat before it has attained to its full growth. 'Prae

1 Arat. ap. Cic. N. D. 2. 44. Many edd. have 'Ante Canem' connected in construction with the line preceding it.

2 According to Columella, the Sun enters Leo on 20th July; the bright star in the heart of the Lion rises on the 29th July; Cepheus rises in the evening on the 9th July.

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