FASTORUM LIB. III.

UNION OF THE ROMANS AND SABINES TO ONE NATION.

THE poet proposes to give an account of the origin of the Matronalia ; a festival celebrated by the Roman matrons on the 1st of March, in commemoration of the union of the Romans and Sabines.

'SI licet occultos monitus audire deorum
Vatibus, ut certe fama licere putat,
Cum sis officiis, Gradive, virilibus aptus,
Dic mihi, matronae cur tua festa colant.'
Sic ego.
Sic posita dixit mihi casside Mavors,
Sed tamen in dextra missilis hasta fuit.
'Nunc primum studiis pacis deus utilis armis
Advocor, et gressus in nova castra fero.

170

Nec piget incepti, juvat hac quoque parte morari,
Hoc solam ne se posse Minerva putet.

175

Disce, Latinorum vates operose dierum,

Quod petis, et memori pectore dicta nota. Parva fuit, si prima velis elementa referre, Roma; sed in parva spes tamen hujus erat. Moenia jam stabant populis angusta futuris, Credita sed turbae tunc nimis ampla suae. Quae fuerit nostri si quaeris regia nati,

180

169. Gradive, an epithet of Mars, of doubtful derivation. Even the quantity of the first syllable varies: here it is long; Metam. vi. 427 it is short fortě Grădīvō. Cum sis officiis virilibus aptus, since you should properly be worshipped only by men.-171-2. At the beginning of this book the poet invokes Mars thus: Bellice depositis clipeo paulisper et hasta Mars, ades et nitidas casside solve comas. Here, however, he retains his spear.-173. Nunc primum, I am now for the first time summoned by thee to another occupation, deus utilis armis, qui alias armis militaribus studeo. Utilis is therefore equivalent to idoneus.-179. Si velis-referre, sc. me, an omission which we have repeatedly remarked. Elementa, origines, incunabula.-180. Hujus, sc. urbis qualis nunc est. --181. Angusta, too narrow. See Metam. ii. 161.-183. Nostri nati,

Aspice de canna straminibusque domum.
In stipula placidi carpebat munera somni,
Et tamen ex illo venit in astra toro.
Jamque loco majus Romanus nomen habebat,
Nec conjunx illi, nec socer ullus erat.
Spernebant generos inopes vicinia dives
Et male credebar sanguinis auctor ego.
In stabulis habitasse et oves pavisse nocebat,

Jugeraque inculti pauca tenere soli.

Cum pare quaeque suo coëunt volucresque feraeque,
Atque aliquam, de qua procreet, anguis habet :
Extremis dantur connubia gentibus. At quae
Romano vellet nubere, nulla fuit.

6

Indolui patriamque dedi tibi, Romule, mentem:
'Tolle preces,' dixi. Quod petis, arma dabunt :
Festa para Conso.' Consus tibi caetera dicet,
Illa facta die, dum sua sacra canes.

Intumuere Cures et quos dolor attigit idem.
Tum primum generis intulit arma socer.

Jamque fere raptae matrum quoque nomen habebant,
Tractaque erant longa bella propinqua mora :
Conveniunt nuptae dictam Junonis in aedem,
Quas inter mea sic est nurus orsa loqui:

185

190

195

200

205

Romuli.-184. Aspice-domum. See i. 199.-185. In stipula. Compare i. 205.-188. Conjunx, older form for conjux. The word is derived from jungere.-190. Male credebar. Male, with suspicion, scarcely. 193. Quaeque suo. See Fast. ii. 729. 195. Extremis-gentibus. Ovid here transfers to primitive times the circumstances of his own age. Connubium, the right of intermarriage between two nations without loss of privileges, was extended by Augustus to all Italy and to a few places out of Italy. The sense of extremis gentibus must therefore be greatly restricted.-197. Patriamque mentem, mentem qualem ego habeo. — 199. Conso. The ancients differ as to this god. Livy calls him Neptunus equester; Cicero, consiliorum secretorum deus; that is, Neptunus laticum rex et rerum conditarum. Consus tibi caetera dicet. These words are again addressed to the poet, and refer him to Consus for further information as to what took place on that day. The festival of Consus was in the month of August; and as we have only the first six books of the Fasti, we do not possess the account referred to.-200. Sacra sua, ejus sacra. Compare Metam. xv. 750. Fast. vi. 601: Ipse (Servius) sub Esquiliis ubi erat sua regia caesus.--201. Quos dolor attigit idem, according to the historians, the Caeninenses, Crustumini, and Antemnates.-202. Tum primum generis-socer, perhaps with allusion to Caesar and Pompey.-204. Longa mora, three years, according to the account.-205. Dictam in aedem, to the temple they had agreed upon.-206. Mea nurus, the wife of Romulus, Hersilia.

'O pariter raptae, quoniam hoc commune tenemus, Non ultra lente possumus esse piae.

Stant acies. Sed utra di sint pro parte rogandi,

Eligite. Hinc conjunx, hinc pater arma tenet.
Quaerendum est, viduae fieri malimus, an orbae.
Consilium vobis forte piumque dabo.'

Consilium dederat. Parent, crinemque resolvunt,
Maestaque funerea corpora veste tegunt.
Jam steterant acies ferro mortique paratae:
Jam lituus pugnae signa daturus erat:
Cum raptae veniunt inter patresque virosque,
Inque sinu natos, pignora cara, tenent.

In terram posito procubuere genu.

210

215

Ut medium campi scissis tetigere capillis,

220

Et quasi sentirent, blando clamore nepotes
Tendebant ad avos brachia parva suos.

Qui poterat, clamabat avum tum denique visum :
Et qui vix poterat, posse coactus erat.

Tela viris animique cadunt, gladiisque remotis

225

Dant soceri generis accipiuntque manus.

Laudatasque tenent natas, scutoque nepotem
Fert avus. Hic scuti dulcior usus erat.

Inde diem, quae prima, meas celebrare kalendas
Oebaliae matres non leve munus habent.'

230

208. Non ultra-piae, we can no longer be tardy or inactive in showing our love; that is, we must now act.-213. Crinemque resolvunt. Dishevelled hair is always a token of sorrow.-217. Virosque, conjuges, as femina for marita.-225. Animi, warlike spirit, disposition to continue the fight. 227. Tenent, amplectuntur.-230. Oebaliae matres. Oebalus was an ancient king of Sparta; and as the Sabines were supposed to be descended from the Spartans, Oebaliae is equivalent to Sabinae.

THE SALII.

Quis mihi nunc dicet, quare coelestia Martis
Arma ferant salii Mamuriumque canant?
Nympha, mone nemori stagnoque operata Dianae :

260

261. Nympha-Numae conjunx. Egeria. Operata. Operari is used particularly in reference to religious matters: Egeria devoted her ser

Nympha, Numae conjunx, ad tua sacra veni. Vallis Aricinae silva praecinctus opaca

Est lacus antiqua relligione sacer.

Hic latet Hippolytus furiis direptus equorum,
Unde nemus nullis illud aditur equis.

265

Licia dependent longas velantia sepes,

Et posita est meritae multa tabella deae. Saepe potens voti frontem redimita coronis Femina lucentes portat ab urbe faces.

270

Regna tenent fortesque manu pedibusque fugaces,

Et perit exemplo postmodo quisque suo.

Defluit incerto lapidosus murmure rivus :

Saepe, sed exiguis haustibus inde bibi.

Egeria est quae praebet aquas, dea grata Camenis.
Illa Numae conjunx consiliumque fuit.

275

Principio nimium promptos ad bella Quirites
Molliri placuit jure deumque metu.

Inde datae leges, ne firmior omnia posset,

vice to the grove and lake of Diana Aricina.-262. Ad tua sacra, ad expositionem sacrorum tuorum.-263. Vallis Aricinae. Aricia was a town in Latium, at the foot of the Alban Mount, noted for the worship of Diana.-265. Furiis direptus equorum, a translation of the name Hippolytus. He was torn in pieces by his own horses, which were frightened at a bull which Neptune caused to rise from the sea on purpose. Aesculapius, however, restored him to life; and Diana, who was favourably inclined to him, hid him in the fountain of the Arician grove under the name of Virbius.-268. Multa tabella, multae tabellae, so called votive-tablets, hung up in gratitude for some favour bestowed by the divinity: they were hung by fillets or garlands.-269. Potens voti, compos voti.-271. Regna tenent. The priest in the Arician grove was called rex Nemorensis; he was always a fugitive slave (pedibusque fugaces); and it was requisite that he should surpass the existing priest in strength (fortesque manu): he then took possession of his office, and held it till he in turn should have to give place to a stronger. Hence perit exemplo suo, falls in the same way as he had caused his predecessor to fall.-273. Defluit. A connection was supposed to exist between it and the fountain at the foot of the Aventine Hill, into which Egeria dissolved away after the death of Numa, and to which healing virtue was ascribed. Hence perhaps saepe inde bibi; perhaps also, however, because Egeria was dea grata Camenis.-274. Exiguis haustibus. Probably the water had a powerful effect, and could only be drunk of in small quantities. Perhaps also we may suppose that the fountain had an inspiring power, and that large draughts of it would therefore make a great poet. In this case exiguis haustibus is an expression of modesty.-279. Ne firmior omnia posset, that the stronger might not, as hitherto, prevail in all things; that might should not be

Coeptaque sunt pure tradita sacra coli.
Exuitur feritas, armisque potentius aequum est,
Et cum cive pudet conseruisse manus.
Atque aliquis, modo trux, visa jam vertitur ara,
Vinaque dat tepidis farraque salsa focis.
Ecce deum genitor rutilas per nubila flammas
Spargit, et effusis aethera siccat aquis.
Non alias missi cecidere frequentius ignes.
Rex pavet, et vulgi pectora terror habet,

Cui dea, 'Ne nimium terrere; piabile fulmen
Est,' ait, et saevi flectitur ira Jovis.

280

285

290

Sed poterunt ritum Picus Faunusque piandi

Tradere, Romani numen uterque soli.

Nec sine vi tradent. Adhibe tu vincula captis.'
Atque ita qua possint edidit arte capi.

Lucus Aventino suberat niger ilicis umbra,

295

Quo posses viso dicere, numen inest.

In medio gramen, muscoque adoperta virenti
Manabat saxo vena perennis aquae.
Inde fere soli Faunus Picusque bibebant.

Huc venit, et fonti rex Numa mactat ovem.
Plenaque odorati disponit pocula Bacchi:
Cumque suis antro conditus ipse latet.
Ad solitos veniunt silvestria numina fontes,
Et relevant multo pectora sicca mero.

300

Vina quies sequitur. Gelido Numa prodit ab antro, 305 Vinclaque sopitas addit in arta manus.

Somnus ut abscessit, tentando vincula pugnant

right.-280. Pure, pie, with pure heart and with pure body.-283. Vertitur, mutatur.-284. Vinaque-farraque salsa. Wine, meal, and salt were usually thrown between the horns of the victim.-286. Effusis aethera siccat aquis, dries the air by pouring out the water; that is, by rain.-288. Habet, implet, occupat.-291. Picus, an Italian national divinity, son of Saturn, a god of woods and fields (silvestre numen, v. 303; nemorum numen, v. 309; deus agrestis, v. 315). Faunus, son of Picus, father of Latinus, king of the Aborigines. He was worshipped as a god, and usually identified with the Greek Pan.-293. Nec sine vi tradent. The use of violence in order to obtain responses from the gods occurs in the Greek mythology also, especially in the case of Proteus.-300. Fonti, the divinity of the fountain.-302. Cumque suis. These were duodecim casti juvenes, according to Valerius Antias, an old annalist, whose account Ovid appears to have followed in this description.-307. Rumpere pugnant, a poetical construction after the analogy