He complains that, being now past fifty, he is deprived of the comforts of home, which he had looked for in his old age.

[Eleg. 8.]

JAM mea cygneas imitantur tempora plumas
Inficit et nigras alba senecta comas:
Jam subeunt anni fragiles et inertior aetas
Jamque parum firmo me mihi ferre grave est.
Nunc erat ut posito deberem fine laborum
Vivere me nullo sollicitante metu:
Quaeque meae semper placuerunt otia menti
Carpere et in studiis molliter esse meis:
parvam celebrare domum veteresque Penates;
Et quae nunc domino rura paterna carent:
Inque sinu dominae carisque nepotibus inque
Securus patria consenuisse mea.

Et

Haec mea sic quondam peragi speraverat aetas:
Hos ego sic annos ponere dignus eram.
Non ita dis visum; qui me terraque marique
Actum Sarmaticis exposuere locis.
In cava ducuntur quassae navalia puppes,
Ne temere in mediis dissoluantur aquis.
Ne cadat et multas palmas inhonestet adeptas
Languidus in pratis gramina carpit equus.
Miles ubi emeritis non est satis utilis annis
Ponit ad antiquos quae tulit arma Lares.
Sic igitur tarda vires minuente senecta
Me quoque donari jam rude tempus erat,
Tempus erat nec me peregrinum ducere coelum
Nec siccam Getico fonte levare sitim:

Sed modo quos habui vacuos secedere in hortos;
Nunc hominum visu rursus et Urbe frui.
Sic animo quondam non divinante futura
Optabam placide vivere posse senex.

Fata repugnarunt quae quum mihi tempora prima
Mollia praebuerint posteriora gravant :
Jamque decem lustris omni sine labe peractis
Parte premor vitae deteriore meae:
Nec procul a metis quas paene tenere videbar
Curriculo gravis est facta ruina meo.
Ergo illum demens in me saevire coëgi
Mitius immensus quo nihil orbis habet:
Ipsaque delictis victa est clementia nostris:
Nec tamen errori vita negata meo:
Vita procul patria peragenda sub axe Boreo
Qua maris Euxini terra sinistra jacet.
Hoc mihi si Delphi Dodonaque diceret ipsa
Esse viderentur vanus uterque locus.
Nil adeo validum est adamas licet alliget illud
Ut maneat rapido firmius igne Jovis.
Nil ita sublime est supraque pericula tendit
Non sit ut inferius suppositumque deo.
Nam quamquam vitio pars est contracta malorum
Plus tamen exitii numinis ira dedit.

At vos admoniti nostris quoque casibus este
Aequantem Superos emeruisse virum.

He offers to forgive one who has been his enemy, if he shall shew sincere repentance.

[Eleg. 9.]

Si licet et pateris nomen facinusque tacebo,
Et tua Lethaeis acta dabuntur aquis:
Nostraque vincetur lacrimis clementia seris
Fac modo te pateat poenituisse tui:
Fac modo te damnes cupiasque eradere vitae
Tempora si possis Tisiphonaea tuae.

Sin minus et flagrant odio tua pectora nostro
Induet infelix arma coacta dolor.

Sim licet extremum sicut sum missus in orbem
Nostra suas istuc porriget ira manus.
Omnia si nescis Caesar mihi jura reliquit,
Et sola est patria poena carere mea.
Et patriam modo sit sospes speramus ab illo.
Saepe Jovis telo quercus adusta viret.
Denique vindictae si sit mihi nulla facultas
Pierides vires et sua tela dabunt.

Ut Scythicis habitem longe submotus in oris
Siccaque sint oculis proxima signa meis:
Nostra per immensas ibunt praeconia gentes;
Quodque querar notum qua patet orbis erit.
Ibit ad occasum quidquid dicemus ab ortu:
Testis et Hesperiae vocis Eous erit.
Trans ego tellurem trans latas audiar undas:
Et gemitus vox est magna futura mei.

Nec tua te sontem tantummodo saecula norint:
Perpetuae crimen posteritatis eris.

Jam feror in pugnas et nondum cornua sumsi:
Nec mihi sumendi causa sit ulla velim.

Circus adhuc cessat: spargit tamen acer arenam
Taurus et infesto jam pede pulsat humum.

Hoc quoque quam volui plus est. Cane Musa receptus,

Dum licet huic nomen dissimulare suum.

HEROIDES.

Phyllis to Demophoon.

She complains of his long absence (1-8); tells him how she had hoped and invented causes for his delay, but he does not come (9-26); what fault has she committed but loving him? (27-31); where are all his vows sworn by so many gods? (32-44); she helped his departure, trusting in his good faith and the gods (45-54); she grieves not that she gave him a home but herself, which she did relying on his gratitude (55-62); what an addition to the achievements of his father Theseus will be the betrayal of a trusting girl (63-74); he can only imitate his father in his one crime, that of deserting Ariadne; but she has married another, while Phyllis is taunted by all (75-84); it would be the greatest blessing to her people as to herself if he would return, but he will not (85-90); how fondly he embraced her when he was going, and bade her expect him soon (91-98); how can she expect him? perhaps he is already married to another, and has forgotten Phyllis (99

106); Phyllis, who entertained him, and gave him wealth, a kingdom, and herself (107-120); day and night she wanders on the shore, and every ship she thinks is his (121-130); she is resolved to kill herself, and he will be recorded on her tomb as her destroyer (131-fin.).

HOSPITA Demophoon tua te Rhodopeïa Phyllis
Ultra promissum tempus abesse queror.
Cornua quum Lunae pleno semel orbe coissent,
Littoribus nostris ancora pacta tua est.
Luna quater latuit pleno quater orbe recrevit,
Nec vehit Actaeas Sithonis unda rates.
Tempora si numeres bene quae numeramus amantes
Non venit ante suum nostra querela diem.

Spes quoque lenta fuit: tarde quae credita laedunt
Credimus: invita nunc et amante nocent.
Saepe fui mendax pro te mihi: saepe putavi

Alba procellosos vela referre Notos.

Thesea devovi quia te dimittere nollet;

5

10

Nec tenuit cursus forsitan ille tuos.

Interdum timui ne dum vada tendis ad Hebri

15

Mersa foret cana naufraga puppis aqua.

Saepe deos supplex pro te scelerate rogavi
Cum prece turicremis devenerata focis.

Saepe videns ventos caelo pelagoque faventes
Ipsa mihi dixi: Si valet ille venit.

20