hic iuvenum genus hoc hominum tremit infula et omne pulvinar divum; lotus procul absit, et unctus: pulcra reformatis redeat Proserpina sacris. dixit et exsanguis collabitur, ac, velut ipsum cerneret exerto minitantem fulmine Christum, ipse quoque exanimis posito diademate princeps pallet et adstantes circumspicit, ecquis alumnus chrismatis inscripto signaret tempora ligno, qui Zoroastreos turbasset fronte susurros. armiger e cuneo puerorum flavicomantum purpurei custos lateris deprenditur unus, nec negat et gemino gemmata hastilia ferro proicit ac signum Christi se ferre fatetur. prosiluit pavidus deiecto antistite princeps, marmoreum fugiens nullo comitante sacellum, dum tremefacta cohors dominique oblita supinas erigit ad caelum facies atque invocat Iesum.

490

495

500

BOETHIUS (Al. c. 520 a.D.)

CCCXI

THE REIGN OF LAW

Quod mundus stabili fide
concordes variat vices;
quod pugnantia semina
foedus perpetuum tenent;
quod Phoebus roseum diem
curru provehit aureo,
ut quas duxerit Hesperus
Phoebe noctibus imperet,
ut fluctus avidum mare
certo fine coërceat
ne terris liceat vagis
latos tendere terminos-
hanc rerum seriem ligat
terras ac pelagus regens
et caelo imperitans amor.
hic si frena remiserit

quidquid nunc amat invicem

5

ΙΟ

15

bellum continuo gerat :
et quam nunc socia fide
pulchris motibus incitant
certent solvere machinam.
hic sancto populos quoque
iunctos foedere continet;
hic et coniugii sacrum
castis nectit amoribus;
hic fidis etiam sua
dictat iura sodalibus.
o felix hominum genus
si vestros animos amor
quo caelum regitur regat.

20

25

30

NOTES

THE rules of the Saturnian metre, in which are written the following pre-Hellenic carmina as well as the translation of the Odyssey by Livius and the Punic War of Naevius, are thus given by Wordsworth Fragments and Specimens of Early Latin p. 397 (abridged) :

The most regular scheme is a double set of three trochees preceded by an anacrusis or base

༄|4u[4]?u]Z|2|4,

but the following seem to be the special rules which are drawn from a comparison of the more regular specimens. They are substantially the same as those adopted by Spengel:

(1) The anacrusis at the beginning of a line and the thesis at the end of each half of it cannot be suppressed.

(2) With this exception, one thesis (or syllable without an ictus) may be suppressed.

(3) The thesis most commonly suppressed is the last but one in the last half.

(4) Two short syllables may stand for one long.

(5) A long syllable may be substituted for a short in thesis.

(6) The caesura generally, but not always, divides the two halves. (7) Elision is observed or neglected at pleasure.

With these licences the full scheme is as follows:

()()()()に

I

1. The meaning is 'When thou dost thunder, Lord of light, men tremble before thee-when thy bolts thunder on the right.' prae tet tremontite praetremunt. The version given is that of Bergk. Merry, keeping nearer to the MS. of Terentianus Scaurus, gives for the second verse quot ibi te viri audeïsunt tonare, where audeïsunt audierunt, the change of s tor between vowels not having yet established itself in Latin. So in l. 1 Leucesie = Lucerie. In fragments of the same hymn we have foedesum, plusima, meliosem, asenam (=harenam); and Lases Lares in the Carmen Fratrum Arvalium.

=

2. enos nos; cp. the e in equidem, ecastor, edepol. lue=luem; rue= ruem=ruinam; sins=sine (sines) from sinere, as in 1. 4 advocapit=

advocabitis; pleores plures; fu=esto; berber verbera; semunis = sehomōnes='superhuman powers'; triumpe=triumpha. Literally rendered the chant runs: 'Help us, Lares, and thou, Marmar, suffer not plague and ruin to come on the folk. Be satiate, fierce Mars-[To the priests] Leap each o'er the threshold of the temple. Halt. Beat the ground. Call ye in turn on all the powers above. Help us, Marmor.-Tramp!' For limen sali Havet reads nive ensali neve insili, and supposes the words to be addressed to Mars. Preller also makes the words an appeal to the god, and supposes the meaning to be return o'er the threshold of thy temple, cease to lash thy steeds.' But sta verbere 'halt with thy lash' seems impossible even in the most archaic Latin. The superstition of not touching the threshold with the foot appears in the carrying of the Roman bride into the house. Cp. Catull. LXI. 159

Transfer omine cum bono

limen aureolos pedes
rasilemque subi forem.

See also Plaut. Cas. IV. 1 (815). Triumphare means to march in solemn measure, and is probably connected etymologically with tramp. The song Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching' offers a curious literary coincidence.

II

2. frudis fraudis = 'harm.' ferocia is 'crime,' 'violence;' stupri= turpitudinis.

4. This is the oracle brought by commissioners from Delphi during the siege of Veii 395 B.C. In 1. 9 endostaurata=instaurata.

III

These epitaphs on the Scipios are taken from a monument near the Appian Way, beyond the Porta Capena. 1-4 are in Saturnian verse, the 5th being the earliest example of elegiac verse except the Epigrammata of Ennius.

1. Gnaivod=Gnaeo; parisuma parissima, 'quite equal to '; T. C. = Taurasiam, Cisaunam; Samnio, 'in Samnium.'

2.

Hunc unum plurimi consentiunt Romani
bonorum optimum fuisse virum virorum
Lucium Scipionem. filius Barbati

consul censor aedilis hic fuit apud vos.

hic cepit Corsicam Aleriamque urbem pugnando,
dedit Tempestatibus aedem merito votam.

For duonorum=bonorum, cp. duellum=bellum.

3. 1. 1 apicem insignem ; 1. 6=gremium. The words Publi Corneli Scipio go together as vocatives.

4. quom=cum, prep. 1. 3 'Whom (the shortness of his) life, not (the want of) merit deprived of office.' 1. 6 'Ask not for his office, seeing that none was bestowed on him' owing to his early death.