SHORTER POEMS. I. THE FASTI. THE word fasti, properly applied to those days of the year on which it was permitted (fas) to transact public business, came to be applied to the Roman Calendar, or systematic arrangement and classification of the days of each month. Ovid's purpose in this poem was to cast this calendar into a poetic form, describing whatever was peculiar and characteristic in the Roman usages, as festivals and rites, — and working into it whatever traditions and myths were current among the people. The Roman religion was so meagre in the elements of fable, that its mythology, as presented in this work, is hardly more than a clumsy adaptation and vamping over of Grecian myths. It was, however, as rich in form and ceremonial as it was poor in story; and the most valuable and original portions of the Fasti are those which describe fragments of these primitive rites, which had managed to survive the inroad of the more fashionable Greek and Oriental forms of worship, and still lingered in the community. Some of them, indeed, held their own for centuries longer, and some were transformed and adopted into the Christian calendar. Only six books of the Fasti, containing the months from January to June inclusive, are extant. It is a much disputed question whether the other six books have been lost, or were never written. It is probable that they were written in the rough, but unfinished at the time of the poet's exile, and never published. At any rate, there are no citations in ancient authors from any but the first six books. The following extracts from the fourth book (April) contain a description of two very ancient festivals, with the traditional account of the founding of Rome, introduced in the usual manner of the poet. 1. The Festival of Pales (April 21). Nox abiit, oriturque Aurora. Parilia poscor: Certe ego de vitulo cinerem stipulasque fabalis 725 Certe ego transilui positas ter in ordine flammas, I, pete virginea, populus, suffimen ab ara : Tertia res durae culmen inane fabae. 730 Pastor, oves saturas ad prima crepuscula lustra : 735 Et tegat ornatas longa corona fores. Caerulei fiant vivo de sulfure fumi, 740 Ure mares oleas, taedamque, herbasque Sabinas, Libaque de milio milii fiscella sequetur: Rustica praecipue est hoc dea laeta cibo. Adde dapes mulctramque suas, dapibusque resectis 745 Consule (dic) pecori pariter pecorisque magistris : 750 Sunt oculis nymphae, semicaperve deus; Si mea falx ramo lucum spoliavit opaco, Unde data est aegrae fiscina frondis ovi; Nec noceat turbasse lacus: ignoscite, nymphae, Nec dryadas, nec nos videamus labra Dianae, 755 760 765 770 Mollis et ad teneras quamlibet apta manus. Quae precor, eveniant; et nos faciamus ad annum 775 His dea placanda est; haec tu conversus ad ortus Tum licet adposita, veluti cratere, camella, Lac niveum potes purpureamque sapam ; 780 Moxque per ardentes stipulae crepitantis acervos Expositus mos est: moris mihi restat origo. Omnia purgat edax ignis, vitiumque metallis 785 An, quia cunctarum contraria semina rerum An, quod in his vitae causa est, haec perdidit exsul, Pars quoque, cum saxis pastores saxa feribant, 790 795 Prima quidem periit, stipulis excepta secunda est. An magis hunc morem pietas Aeneïa fecit, Num tamen est vero propius, cum condita Roma est, 2. The Founding of Rome. JAM luerat poenas frater Numitoris, et omne 800 805 810 815 Sex Remus, hic volucres bis sex videt ordine; pacto Fossa repletur humo, plenaeque imponitur ara, 820 825 830 Ilie precabatur: tonitru dedit omina laevo 835 Et novus exiguo tempore murus erat. Hoc Celer urget opus, quem Romulus ipse vocarat, Quod Remus ignorans humiles contemnere muros Devorat, et clausum pectore volnus habet; Dat tamen exsequias; nec jam suspendere fletum 840 845 |