Sanguinis atque animae prodige Galle tuae. His comes umbra tua est, si quid modo corporis umbra est: Auxisti numeros, culte Tibulle, pios. Ossa quieta, precor, tuta requiescite in urna, Et sit humus cineri non onerosa tuo. 65 difference between Gallus and him, of which we know nothing further. Temerati, violati. ELEGIA XIII. DESCRIPTION of a procession in honour of Juno at Falerii, and the origin of that city. CUM mihi pomiferis conjux foret orta Faliscis, Moenia contigimus, victa, Camille, tibi. Casta sacerdotes Junoni festa parabant Per celebres ludos indigenamque bovem. Grande morae pretium ritus cognoscere; quamvis Stat vetus et densa praenubilus arbore lucus. It per 5 10 1. Cum mihi-conjux. Ovid was three times married-twice in early youth, and the third time for the greater part of his life. One of his first two wives, from both of whom he was separated, came, as we here see, from Falerii; which of the two cannot be determined. The expression orta foret (not sit) shows that the marriage here referred to was again dissolved, so that his third wife cannot be meant, as she survived him. Faliscis, the name of the nation to which the town of Falerii in Etruria belonged. Juno Curitis, or Quiritis, was here originally worshipped, from which we may assume that there was a Sabine element in the population. When the Romans afterwards sent a colony to Falerii, they called it Colonia Junonis.-2. Moenia victa, Camille, tibi. During the siege of Veii, Falerii also was involved in the war, and was conquered by Camillus.-4. Indigenamque bovem. The white bulls of Falerii were greatly in request at Rome also, as sacrifices.-6. Difficilis-iter. The town was situated on a hill.-12. Per velatas vias. The streets were covered with carpets. So v. 24: veste Ducuntur niveae populo plaudente juvencae, Nunc quoque per pueros jaculis incessitur index, Ille suos docuit Junonia sacra Faliscos. Sint mihi, sint populo semper amica suo! jacente.-14. Quas-herba. This same line occurs in other two passages of Ovid: Fast. i. 84, Pont. iv. 4, 32.-18. Invisa est-capella. Juno hates the goat for a reason which is annexed. It appears that she had been on some occasion betrayed in her flight by a goat.-21. Index; that is, capella.-26. Auratos, aureis calceamentis ornatos.-27. More patrum Graio. The writers of this age endeavour to trace a connection with Greece in all the original Italian usages. Hence the following narration. Vestibus albis, as on all solemn occasions.-29. Ore favent, linguis favent, tacent. Aurea pompa, splendida pompa.-30. Ipsa, Juno.-31. Argiva. The Falerian worship of Juno is here derived from Argos, or, more accurately, from Mycenae. Halesus, a son of Agamemnon, is said to have abandoned Mycenae after the murder of his father; and after long wanderings, to have founded the city of Falerii.-32. Halesus, from which Falerii is formed, the H being changed into the Digamma, and the r into s, as in Papirius for Papisius, Furius for Fusius, or as in gero gessi gestum. ELEGIA XV. THE concluding elegy, in which the poet bids farewell to the whole class of love-songs. QUAERE novum vatem, tenerorum mater Amorum : Quos ego composui, Peligni ruris alumnus,— Nec me deliciae dedecuere meae,— Si quid id est, usque a proavis vetus ordinis heres, Mantua Virgilio gaudet, Verona, Catullo; Quam sua libertas ad honesta coëgerat arma, Aurea de campo vellite signa meo. Post mea mansurum fata superstes opus! 5 10 15 20 20 3. Peligni ruris alumnus. Ovid was born at Sulmo in the country of the Peligni.-5. Si quid id est; he himself throws a doubt on the justifiableness of his pride of ancestry.-7. Mantua Virgilio gaudet, Mantua is proud of its Virgil.-9. Quam sua libertas-manus. The Peligni took up arms against the Romans in the Social War, and fought for their liberty, or, more correctly, for the rights of Roman citizenship. Ovid is proud of this also.-11. Sulmonis aquosi. There are many rivers and fountains in the neighbourhood of Sulmo. So Amor. ii. 1, 1: Pelignis natus aquosis.-15. Amathusia, of Amathus, a town in Cyprus, noted for the worship of Venus.-16. Aurea signa, vexilla. Vellite, retrahite. -17. Corniger-Lyaeus. Bacchus was often represented as a bull; the bull also was usually sacrificed to him. Increpuit, sc. me, has addressed me. Graviore thyrso, with a more dignified thyrsus; that is, in a higher style. The poet here intimates his intention of turning his efforts to tragedy.-20. Post mea fata, post mortem meam. ARTIS AMATORIAE LIB. I. THE RAPE OF THE SABINE WOMEN, PRIMUS Sollicitos fecisti, Romule, ludos, 105 110 115 101. Primus sollicitos-ludos. Games and theatres form the subject of what goes before: Romulus made them anxious; that is, brought danger into them.-102. Viduos, not, as usually, widowers, but single, unmarried men.-103. Tunc-theatro. At that time luxury did not yet reign in the theatre; the theatres were not yet made of marble, and it was even forbidden to have other than temporary ones: Pompey was the first who built one of stone (B. C. 55). Neither were they yet provided with covers to protect the spectators against the heat of the sun. -104. Liquido croco, with liquid, that is, dissolved saffron.-108. Hirsutas comas, intonsas, not yet skilfully dressed.-111. Tibicine Tusco. Ovid here transfers to the primitive times what was not introduced till a later period. The ludi scenici were brought from Etruria to Rome B.C. 364, and of course the tibicen at the same time.-112. Ludius, histrio. Aequatam ter refers to the trimeter of the drama.-113. Plausus tunc arte carebat. In later times a certain rule was observed even in applauding.-114. Signa petenda. If the reading is correct, we must translate: the signs which they had to follow. For petenda Heinsius proposes to Virginibus cupidas injiciuntque manus. Ut fugiunt aquilas, timidissima turba, columbae, Constitit in nulla, qui fuit ante, color. 120 Altera maesta silet, frustra vocat altera matrem; Haec queritur, stupet haec; haec manet, illa fugit. Ducuntur raptae, genialis praeda, puellae, Et potuit multas ipse decere timor. Si qua repugnarat nimium comitemque negarat, 125 Atque ita 'Quid teneros lacrimis corrumpis ocellos? 130 read repente.-125. Genialis praeda, a nuptial booty, for the reference is to the Genius of the house. |