This was called 'lustratio' or 'lustrum;' and because it took place every five years, that period was called 'lustrum.' Ovid says he has now passed ten 'lustres,' or fifty years, without a single stain. But he had put away two wives, and was not a good liver either. The reason given for his banishment was the publication of a very licentious book.

35. metis] He says his chariot broke down when he was close to the winning-post. The metaphor is taken from the circus, in which chariot-races were held. At each end of the line, called Spina, which ran parallel to the opposite sides of the circus, there were set up three conical posts. The chariots starting from one end turned round the posts at the other and came back to those they had left. These posts were called, from their shape, metae,' which means the cones of a fir-tree.'

37. illum] That is, Augustus. He flatters him in a very abject way, but he gained nothing by it.

41. Boreo] This is a Greek adjective, and the penultimate syllable is a diphthong. Axis,' which is properly the imaginary line on which the earth turns, is taken also to mean the sky; and 'sub axe Boreo' is under a northern sky.'

42. terra sinistra] The western is the left shore to one coming from the south, and Tomi, Ovid's residence, was on the west shore.

43. Delphi Dodonaque] These places possessed the most famous oracles of all antiquity; Delphi was in Phocis, and belonged to Apollo; Dodona was in Epirus, and dedicated to Zeus. (Jupiter).

45. adamas] See p. 19, v. 14. He goes on again to make Augustus equal to Jove, vv. 46, 48, 50, 52.

52. emeruisse] To deserve well of, to earn the favour of." 'Virum' is generally used, as here, for more than an ordinary man, though we have no word that expresses the meaning always. 'Vir' may be related to the Greek word 'heros,' which properly signifies a warrior.'

A Quarrel.-P. 23.

2. Lethaeis] See above, p. 14, v. 36.

3. vincetur] Shall be won.' In the last page we had 'victa est clementia' in a different sense: his clemency was overcome.' The word is connected originally with vincire,'' to bind.'

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4. Fac modo te pateat] Only make it to appear.' Fac pateat,' cause that it appear,' is the Latin idiom, without ut,' though ut' is sometimes expressed. Fac modo te damnes,' in the next line, is only take care to condemn yourself.'

6. Tisiphonaea] The Romans and later Greeks believed in the existence of three goddesses who especially punished crime. The

Latins called them 'Furiae.' One of these was named Tisiphone, and the adjective formed from her name means guilty, that is, worthy of the punishment of Tisiphone.

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7. Sin minus] But if it be otherwise, then he says his pain will be obliged to put on its armour, that is, he will be obliged to persecute his slanderer, or expose him. Duere' is an old form of 'dare,' which is 'to put;' and 'induere' is 'to put on.' To give' is only a derived sense of 'dare;' it means to put into a person's hand.

9. Sim licet] Granted that I am.' Licet,' which is generally treated as an adverb, is a verb. See p. 5, v. 53 n. Ut' is not commonly used in this phrase any more than with 'fac' (above, v. 4.)

10. istuc] To that place where thou art' (Rome). See p. 1, v. 8 n.

11. jura] Ovid had not lost his rights as a Roman citizen (see p. 16, v. 41 n.). 'Si nescis,'' if you know it not,' means, 'I must tell you.'

14. quercus adusta] He likens himself to an oak scorched by lightning. But he says such oaks often recover their verdure, and he may recover his fortunes.

15. vindictae] This is a legal term, and means an action for compensation for some wrong sustained. He says if he has no power to bring an action against him, the Muses will give him their help. He will expose him in verse. As to Pierides, see p. 6, v. 26 n.

17. Ut Scythicis habitem] This is like 'sim licet,' above; and he might have said habitem licet' with the same meaning as 'ut habitem,' suppose that I do live.'

18. proxima signa] By the constellation nearest to his sight he means the Great Bear (p. 10, v. 48 n). He says it is a dry constellation, which he explains elsewhere (Trist. iii. 4, 47):

Proxima sideribus tellus Erymanthidos Ursae
Me tenet, adstricto terra perusta gelu.'

The land that lieth nearest to the Arcadian Bear possesseth me; a land dried up with binding frost.' The stars are called 'signa,' as they are signs of the seasons, guides to the sailor, and so forth. When God made them, he said, "Let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years."

19. praeconia] Praeconium' is a proclamation, properly by a 'praeco' or 'crier.'

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22. Testis et Hesperiae] And of the voice from the west there shall be witness in the east.' Eous is an adjective. The voice from the west is his own, which he says shall go forth to the east, and all over the world, to proclaim the baseness of his enemy.

26. Perpetuae crimen] Thou shalt be blamed by posterity for ever.' Perpetuus' means 'uninterrupted.'

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27. cornua sumpsi] I have not yet taken the horn,' that is to blow the signal of attack; the phrase for which is bellicum canere,' or signum canere,' or simply 'canere;' to give the signal for retreating is canere receptum' or 'receptui' (v. 31, where the plural receptus' is put for the singular).

29. Circus adhuc cessat] The circus Maximus at Rome was a large building for chariot-races, and horse-races; and for bullbaits, if we may trust this passage. Ovid says the Circus (i. e. the spectators) is still in suspense (that is, the sport has not begun), but the bull is scattering the sand,' &c. The floor was strewed with sand, and was therefore called arena' (see p. 20, v. 31). He means that he is ready to attack his adversary, like the bull in the arena waiting for the fight.

31. Hoc quoque] He means the threatening attitude that he has assumed is more than he had wished to assume.

HEROIDES.

Phyllis to Demophoon.

INTRODUCTION.

The story says that Demophoon a prince of Athens, son of king Theseus, returning from the Trojan war, was driven on the coast of Thrace, and was hospitably entertained by Phyllis, the daughter of Sithon king of that country. He married Phyllis, and had occasion to go to Attica soon after. Being absent longer than he intended, which she says was only a month (v. 4), he appeared to Phyllis to have abandoned her. She therefore killed herself; but before she did so, she is supposed to have written him this letter.

(The Argument prefixed to the text should be frequently referred to, to show the connection of the parts, and so also with the next poem.) 1. Rhodopeia] Rhodope was a mountain range in Thrace, and this adjective is equivalent to Thracian.'

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4. pacta] Was promised.' Pacisci' contains the same root, 'pag,' as 'pangere,' 'to fasten,' and means to make an agreement. 6. Actaeas] This is equivalent to Atticas,' from the first king of Athens, Actaeus; or from the Greek word, Acte. 'Sithonis unda' is the waters that wash the coasts of Thrace, so named from a mythical king, Sithon, the father of Phyllis, according to some stories.

9. lenta fuit] Hope too lingered.'

10. invita nunc et amante] Now even though thy mistress is unwilling they torture her;' 'they' means the suspicions she is unwilling to admit, 'quae credita laedunt.'

13. Thesea] Theseus was his father. See Introduction.

15. Hebri] The Hebrus was the great river of Thrace. It is now called the Maritza. As to vada,' see p. 31, v. 19.

18. devenerata] Earnestly praying.' See p. 12. v. 93 n. 'Focis' is equivalent to 'aris.' See p. 10, v. 42.

23. jurata] She means the gods he swore by that he would re

turn soon.

26. carere] This belongs to both clauses.

28. demeruisse] To have won you' (see p. 22, v. 52 n.) She says if her only fault was loving him too well, 'I might have won your love by that fault.'

30. pondus et instar] The weight and fashion.' (See p. 5, v. 48, about instar.'

32. plurimus] Frequent.' He had often called God to witness his faith.

33. Hymenaeus] The god of marriage. 'Socios in annos' means for years of union.'

34. sponsor et obses] The surety and the pledge.' Sponsor' is one qui spondet,' who in answer to a proposal assents to it. Obses' is commonly a hostage given by a conquered enemy as a pledge for his good behaviour; but it is used for any pledge. She says, Hymenaeus, whom he had so often invoked, and in whom she trusted, had become thereby the security for his fulfilling the contract of marriage.

38. avum] She means Neptune, who, according to the opinion of the Athenians, was the founder of Theseus' family.

39. mihi facientia tela] The expression 'mihi facientia' ('profiting me') has been explained before (p. 16, v. 23). By the 'tela' she explains herself to mean the bow of Cupid, by which Demophoon's heart had been won, and the torch he carried (see p. 5, v. 8). When she says that these 'tela' were too favourable to her, she means that she would have been happier, as it has proved, without them. 'Telum' in its original sense is a missile weapon, and applies to arrows more than to 'faces.'

41. Junonemque toris] Juno was the special protectress of women, and so was supposed to preside over marriages. For this reason she was called Pronuba, nubere' signifying to put on a veil,' and so 'to marry.' 'Maritus' is here an adjective.

42. mystica sacra deae] The goddess whom the Greeks called Demeter and the Romans Ceres, had a festival at which the rites were secret, being only known to those who were initiated, that is, admitted with certain ceremonies to share them. She is called taedifera,' because at the festival lighted torches were carried. Mystica' is derived from a Greek word signifying 'to close the mouth,' from the secresy that was to be observed. 44. Vindicet in poenas] Vindicare' by itself means to assert a right to a thing, to claim. Vindicare se or aliquem in libertatem' is a common phrase for getting one's own freedom or that of

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another who is a slave; it means to claim a person for the purpose of setting him free. Ovid has imitated this way of speaking here. Vindicet in poenas' can only be rendered in English 'should avenge,' as 'vindicare in libertatem' is to set free.'

45. furiosa] Furiosus' is one who is violently mad, as she says she was with love: amens,'' demens' are the words for one out of his mind but not violent. She says she was so mad as to get his shattered fleet repaired only that he might have a sound ship to abandon her in. See Introduction.

48. Heu patior telis] This appears to be an allusion to the eagle in the fable who mourned that he had been shot with an arrow feathered from his own wing.

50. nominibusque tuis] Your family and names;' the great names of his ancestors, with which he had dazzled her. There is a reading 'numinibus,' but nominibus' is better. The gods he swore by are referred to below, v. 53.

53. quo jam] A verb must be supplied, any verb which will fit the sense to what purpose were so many pledges given to me?' 54. inde] Of them.' This is not a common use of 'inde,' which generally signifies from that place or time.' See p. 2,

v. 28 n.

55. Nec moveor] See Argument.

62. aequa venit Justly comes.'

67. Aegidas] The sons of Aegeus, who was the father of Theseus and grandfather of Demophoon. She says for such a glorious achievement as the deceiving of a simple girl he ought to have a statue in the middle of Athens, among his great kinsmen, and behind his father, with an inscription declaring his exploit. Titulis' means inscriptions setting forth his great deeds. It depends on magnificus.'

69. Sciron] Sciron, Procrustes, and Sinis were famous robbers, who were killed by Theseus. Quum fuerit lectus' is' after the account of these persons has been read.'

70. et tauri] And the mingled form of bull and man. This was a monster called Minotaurus, half bull and half man, which was shut up in a labyrinth in Crete, and to which the Athenians were obliged to send seven young men and as many girls every year to be eaten. One year Theseus went as one of these youths, and with the help of Ariadne, daughter of Minos king of Crete, he killed the monster, and escaped from the labyrinth. He took off Ariadne with him, but deserted her on his way home.

71. domitae bello Thebae] Theseus is said to have led an army against the Thebans for the purpose of recovering the bodies of seven Argive leaders who, according to a famous legend, made an unsuccessful expedition against Thebes and were all killed, Theseus succeeded in his purpose, which is the subject of one of the plays of Euripides, called the Suppliants.