60 65 dulce sonant tenui gutture carmen aves, at iuvenum series teneris inmixta puellis ludit, et adsidue proelia miscet Amor. 61. casiam: not the common casia of Italy referred to in Verg. Ec. 2, 49; but the imported product, corresponding to our common cinnamon bark. - - non culta: A. 496, note 3; H. 636, 3. —seges: for a similar use of the word cf. 4, 2, 18. 63. at: used often by Tibullus without any adversative force; cf. v. 87, n.; also 1, 7, 7; 10, 41; in 2, 5, 7 sed is used in the same = sceleratorum ; cf. Verg. Aen. 6, 543: inpia Tartara; Ovid, Met. 4, 456 sqq. 68. circum: this preposition is always postpositive in Tibullus; cf. I, 1, 23. flumina nigra: the rivers that may properly be said to surround Tartarus are Phlegethon and Pyriphlegethon, the rivers of fire; cf. Verg. Aen. 6, 550-551: quae rapidus flammis ambit torrentibus amnis, Tartareus Phlegethon, torquetque sonantia saxa. The poets' conceptions of the details of the lower world were naturally vague and differed widely. Cf. Cat. 65, 6, n. 69. Tisiphone, with her wriggling locks of serpents, is a familiar figure in descriptions of the horrors of Tartarus; cf. Prop. 3, 5, 40; Verg. Aen. 6, 570-572; Ovid, Met. 4, 474-475; Hor. Car. 2, 13, 3536. The expression pro crinibus is a modifier of angues, equivalent to a relative clause. angues : for the construction cf. capillos, v. 91. Serpents are particularly connected 70 75 saevit, et huc illuc inpia turba fugit: versantur celeri noxia membra rota, Tantalus est illic, et circum stagna, sed acrem with earth gods and beings of the 70. Cf. Culex, 219. 71. tum: cf. Verg. Aen. 4, 250, for similar use of the conj. to add another detail. in porta: of Tartarus, as in Verg. Georg. 4, 483; but Cerberus is usually the keeper of the entrance to the lower world as a whole; cf. Verg. Aen. 6, 417. serpentum. . . ore stridet visage of hissing serpents'; cf. Ovid, Met. 11, 597: non vigil ales ibi cristati cantibus oris evocat Auroram; Plin. N. H. 10, 56, 77: ore rubicundo (of a hen); the expression gives us no definite information as to whether Tibullus conceived Cerberus as with one head or more, or with the snakes on his head (Hor. Car. 3, 11, 18), around his neck (Culex, 221), or composing his head, or heads. For the idea that Cerberus really was a snake cf. Paus. 3, 25, 5. Honey cakes were thrown to the snakes of Trophonius in Boeotia, as to Cerberus. 73. illic belongs to the next distich as well as to this one; similarly the force of illic in v. 77 extends as far as v. 80. So the examples of condemned wretches in Tartarus are arranged in pairs. The first two, Ixion and Tityos, were guilty of unbridled lust, and Tibullus wishes vv. 71-82 to be taken as a parallel to these. Tantalus and the Danaides were punished for presumptuous ingratitude and lack of appreciation of the good gifts of the gods, which in the latter case were represented by good husbands; these examples are quoted rather as a warning to Delia herself, and are to be compared with vv. 83-84. 77. circum: adverb; sc. sunt; cf. Caes. B. C. 2, 10: ubi ex ea turri quae circum essent opera tueri se posse sunt confisi. 78. iam iam : the repetition makes more vivid the picture of the sufferer's palpitating hope ever just on the verge of realization. Cf. Verg. Aen. 6, 602. 80 85 90 et Danai proles, Veneris quod numina laesit, at tu casta precor maneas, sanctique pudoris at circa gravibus pensis adfixa puella paullatim somno fessa remittat opus. tunc mihi, qualis eris, longos turbata capillos, 86. colu M colo OP. 87. at P ac 0. 89. tunc O tum w. nunc A. 80. cava = cavata = 'perforated'; cf. Ovid, A. A. 1, 432: elapsusque cava fingitur aure lapis; Met. 12, 130: parmam gladio galeamque cavari cernit. 81. quicumque: a comprehensive term for potential or actual rivals. 83. tu: the same as meos amores in v. 81, i.e. Delia. 84. anus: either Delia's mother (cf. 1, 6, 57-66) or nurse (cf. Prop. 4, 3, 41). For the picture cf. Ter. Haut. 275 sqq. 85. fabellas referat: the older woman is to 'spin yarns' to the maidens while they all spin yarn, - their evening's task. Cf. the story of Lucretia's occupation in Livy, 1, 57, 9. — lucerna : the fact that lights were necessary so early 91. tunc GV indicates perhaps that this elegy was written in the fall of the year. 87. at ac. Tibullus is particular not to use ac before a palatal; cf. Haupt, Opusc. 1, 109; cf. v. 63, n. — puella: the collective use for puellae; cf. Lachmann on Prop. 3, 3, 29. 90. caelo: Tibullus uses the preposition in a similar phrase in 4, 13, 13. 92. nudato: Delia, surprised at her quiet evening's work, not only will leave her hair unconfined, but also will not even stop to put on her sandals as she runs to meet her lover. It is clear from this idyllic picture of Delia's modest home life that she was not a married woman. hoc precor, hunc illum nobis Aurora nitentem Luciferum roseis candida portet equis. クレ Hunc cecinere diem Parcae fatalia nentes stamina non ulli dissoluenda deo; After Messalla's brief but victorious campaign in Aquitania, probably in B C. 31, he was summoned by Augustus to help settle affairs in the East (cf. 1, 3. Intr.), and his triumph over the Aquitani was therefore delayed until his return to Rome in B.C. 27, when it was celebrated on Sept. 25. His birthday occurring a few days thereafter, he received from Tibullus for the occasion this congratulatory poem. Belling (Untersuchung, pp. 174-175) has collected an interesting series of parallelisms from Vergil's Georgics. 1-12: The Fates decreed that this should be the birthday of one who should subdue proud Aquitania. That has come true, Messalla; the Romans have seen thy triumph; I was a witness of thy glorious deeds, as were the ocean, strange rivers, and people. 1322: Witnesses, too, of thy victorious progress are such eastern lands as Cilicia, Syria, and Egypt. 23-42: Egypt! 'Tis to thee, father Nile, and to thee, great Osiris, that she owes her preëminence in agriculture, especially in the fruit of the vine, which gladdens the heart of man and drives dull care away: 43-54: Yea, Osiris, thou lovest the festal day, with dance and song and beauty. Come then, and join in the celebration of this glad natal day! Come thou, Genius of the day, and let me offer thee appropriate offerings! 55-64: And, Messalla, may thy sons live to emulate thy deeds and bring honor to thy declining years! Let not men forget thy blessings conferred upon them! And may this day many times return, with ever-increasing joy!' 1. Hunc ... diem: Messalla's birthday. - Parcae: the three sisters, Clotho (spinner'), Lachesis (allotter), and Atropos (inevitable). — nentes : SO the fates sang as they spun before the birth of Pollio's son in Verg. Ec. 4, 46– 47 talia saecla, suis dixerunt, 'currite' fusis concordes stabili fatorum numine Parcae. In Cat. 64, 323 sqq the prophecy is uttered 5 hunc fore, Aquitanas posset qui fundere gentes, portabat niveis currus eburnus equis. non sine me est tibi partus honos: Tarbella Pyrene 7. 8. niveis o nitidis 0. 9. Tarbella Scaliger tua bella 0. at the wedding of the father and mother, with the oft-recurring refrain, 'currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.' In Tib. 4, 5, 3, the Parcae are represented as singing the fates at the time of birth: te nascente novum Parcae cecinere puellis servitium. In this case the time is undefined. Ovid seems to have had this passage in mind when he wrote (Trist. 5, 3, 25), scilicet hanc legem nentes fatalia Parcae stamina bis genito bis cecinere tibi. account of the victorious progress of Messalla to the limits of Aquitania proper. As the Atax was directly in the line of march from the Province' to Aquitania, very likely it was the scene of the first conflict between the armies. 5. evenere: i.e. the predictions of the preceding verses. - triumphos: like lauros (v. 7), merely a poetic plural. Cf. 2, 5, 117. 6. capta by hypallage for captos. - duces: among the features of Roman triumphal processions was a selection of the noblest captives led, bound, to death (commonly inflicted at the Tullianum); cf. Ovid, A. A. 1, 215: ibunt ante duces onerati colla catenis. 8. portabat descriptive imperfect.-niveis: cf. Ovid, A. A. I, 214: quattuor in niveis aureus ibis equis! currus eburnus: the triumphal car was richly adorned with gold and ivory, and drawn by four horses, often, but not always, white. For details of the Roman triumph see Pohlmey's Der römische Triumph. Cf. 2, 5, 120. 9. non sine me: i.e. Tibullus was present in the Aquitanian cam |