8b vicimus : adsiduas non tulit illa preces destitit ire novas Cynthia nostra vias. illi carus ego et per me carissima Roma dicitur, et sine me dulcia regna negat. illa vel angusto mecum requiescere lecto 30 27. Divided from the foregoing by Lipsius. No break in 0. I, 8 b Rhod. 4, 535-539: àudi mólev cf. Hor. Sat. 1, 3, 135: miserque resistible. groundless, because based on a fear which is now not to become fact. - gaudia : The sequel to the preceding jealousy dotes on every opportupoem, written as soon as Proper nity to gratify its passion. - livor: tius learns the successful result of Propertius gloats over the livor, as his petitions. 27-38: Victory! if it had a personal and separate Cynthia stays, and says she prefers existence. me to all that kings could give. 30. destitit: ‘has given up her 39-42 : It was not by such offers purpose.'— nostra : emphatic. that she was won, but by my 31. ego: Sc. dicor : note the potent verse. 43-46: Now she triumphant repetitions of the peris mine so long as life shall last.' sonal pronoun in these three 27. Hic ... hic: the emphasis in the first overjoyed exclamations 32. sine me : cf. v. 4. - dulcia : of delight is upon the thought that instead of wandering in the remote 33. angusto : it is the slenderand vague regions just mentioned ness of the circumstances of the in the preceding poem, she is to owner that the poet means to imbe here." - iurata: she has ply. Cf. Sen. Thyestes, 452: taken her oath to. Cf. v. 17 for scelera non intrant casas, tutusque the unrealized fear. — rumpantur : mensa capitur angusta cibus. verses. SC. esse. 35 et quocumque modo maluit esse mea, et quas Elis opes ante pararat equis. non tamen illa meos fugit avara sinus. sed potui blandi carminis obsequio. quis ego fretus amo: Cynthia rara meast. 40 e 34. quocumque modo: cf. the salo; Tib. 3, 3, 17; 2, 4, 30 : phraseology of the marriage ritual : rubro lucida concha mari; Ovid, “ for better, for worse, for richer, Am. 2, 11, 13. for poorer.” Observe the triple 40. blandi carminis : the prerime; cf. Cholmeley, Theocritus, vious poem answers the descrippp. 44 sq. tion, in its remarkable self-restraint 35. sibi : the force of the esse and irresistible attraction. But in the preceding verse is continued Propertius may not refer to this here.- dotatae : her dos was the poem alone. — obsequio : “through regnum of her father, Oenomaus. obedience to the compelling 36. et: namely’; the verse power!' It is not the poet, but explains further the meaning of his mistress, that has obeyed. dotatae. Cf. for this et 3, 7, 29. 41. sunt igitur musae : cf. 4, 7, ante pararat: “has ever won.' 1: Sunt aliquid manes. Cf. 3, 11,65 for the tense. — equis : 42. quis = quibus. — rara: cf. as if Pelops and the other kings of Elis had owned all the horses 43. summa: for there is nothwhich during the centuries won ing higher to mortal vision, or the Olympian prizes! mortal ken. — contingere sidera 37. daret : the rival. - daturus : plantis: Propertius outdoes his sc. esset ; would probably have predecessors and his successors. given,' perhaps even promised to We are content to be on the give.' mountain top.” Horace's phrase 38. avara belongs to the predi for his hoped-for triumph is only cate. sublimi feriam sidera vertice (Car. 39. conchis : by metonymy for I, I, 36). But Propertius, the the pearl within. Cf. 3, 13, 6: et favored lover, is among the imvenit e rubro concha Erythraea mortals, and, like theirs, his celes I, 17, 16. sive dies seu nox venerit, illa meast, nec mihi rivalis certos subducit amores. ista meam norit gloria canitiem. Dicebam tibi venturos, inrisor, amores, nec tibi perpetuo libera verba fore: 9. 4. quaevis 0 quovis V, quidvis Postgate. tial steps are planted on the stars; ation ; Cupid is all-powerful, and cf. Cat. 66, 69. can do with you as he will. 46. ista : the scornful pronoun 33-34: So speak your woes in refers to the praetor's failure to verse.' accomplish exactly what Propertius 1. Dicebam: in 1,7. The forhad achieved: that glory which mula for recalling a warning. my rival hoped for, viz. subducere Cf. Ovid, Am. 1, 14, 1: Dicebam aniores, is to be mine forever, in ómedicare tuos desiste capillos'; having won it away from him for Plaut. As. 938: dicebam, pater, all time. tibi ne matri consuleres male. 2. libera: i.e. because not reI, 9 strained from scoffing by any consciousness of being himself The sequel to 1, 7. Ponticus vulnerable to a like attack. has indeed succumbed to Amor, 3. iaces: “are humbled.'and Propertius prescribes elegiac venis ad iura : a legal formula, composition as likely to offer of coming to court' (the pun is relief. 1-8: I told you so; English only), indicating, with you're dead in love, and all too supplex, a complete dependence well I know what that means. upon the decision (or sentence?) 9-16: Of what avail are now your of the fair judge. epics? turn to elegy, for which, 4. quaevis : Propertian ambifortunately, you are well equipped. guity ; best taken as acc. plur.17-22: Your troubles are but just modo : but yesterday'; i.e. the begun. 23-32: Don't imagine girl is a libertina, or possibly still that you are master of the situ- even a slave. 5 non me Chaoniae vincant in amore columbae dicere quos iuvenes quaeque puella domet. atque utinam posito dicar amore rudis ! aut Amphioniae moenia flere lyrae ? carmina mansuetus lenia quaerit Amor. et cane quod quaevis nosse puella velit. IO 12. lenia w levia 0. as 5. me : emphatic. — Chaoniae to form the city wall. flere : cf. - Epiroticae. At Dodona in Epi 3, 9, 37 ; Hor. Epod. 14, II : cava rus was a very celebrated ancient testudine flevit amorem. oracle of Zeus, to whom doves 11. Mimnermi : a venerable were originally sacred; cf. Jour. figure in the field of elegy, and Hellen. Stud., Vol. 21 (1901), the elegist who originated the p. 105. — vincant: 'excel'; poten erotic type. Cf. Intr. § 4. For tial. -- columbae : sacred to his relation to Propertius cf. WilaVenus these oracular birds would mowitz in the Sitz. d. K'gl. Pr. be especially sure to hit the truth Akad. d. Wiss. 1912, pp. 100 sqq. in matters love. versus Homero : the juxtapo6. dicere : poetic construction sition heightens the contrast bewith vincant: cf. Sil. Ital. 6, 141 ; tween the single verse of the master non ullo Libycis in finibus amne of love elegies and Homer, epics victus limosas extendere latius and all ! undas. 13. tristis : cf. flere, v. 7. merito : i.e. I have nobody istos: those worthless for the to blame but myself. purpose to which you have been 8. atque : adversative. — rudis : devoting yourself. con pone : i.e. cf. 2, 34, 82: sive in amore rudis roll together and put away in their sive peritus erit. Cf. Hor. Car. 4, 14, 51 : 9. grave : i.e. an epic. Sygambri con positis venerantur 10. Cf. I, 7, 1, n. Amphion, armis; Cic. Ad Fam. 16, 20: one of the twin kings of Thebes, libros con pone. This verse, howplayed so skillfully on the lyre ever, , affords an elegant example of given him by Hermes that the the characteristic ambiguity of our huge stones arranged themselves poet; in another interpretation IO. case. 15 quid si non esset facilis tibi copia ? nunc tu insanus medio flumine quaeris aquam. necdum etiam palles, vero nec tangeris igni: haec est venturi prima favilla mali. tum magis Armenias cupies accedere tigres et magis infernae vincula nosse rotae, quam pueri totiens arcum sentire medullis 20 et nihil iratae posse negare tuae. ut non alterna presserit ille manu. 33, 2: more 25, n. conpone • write,' cf. I, 7, 19; Stromboli. But probably Prothen with tristis cf. Hor. Car. 1, pertius is thinking only of the miserabiles elegos ; and apparently lifeless ashes under istos = “ those which you have which still lie dangerous fires, scorned.' — libellos : com which may burn the curious mon of a short poem. Cf. 2, 13, meddler. 19. Armenias: a stock epithet 15. In such a case you would to indicate ferocity. Cf. Tib. 3, 6, have more excuse for hesitation. 15: Verg. Ec. 5, 29: Ovid, Met. copia: i.e. “facility' in compo 8, 121 : Armeniae tigres austroque sition. agitata Charybdis. 16. The familiar fable of the 20. vincula : the brazen band thirsty sailors at the mouth of the with which Ixion was bound to the Amazon is but a later adaptation wheel. nosse : i.l. experience. of a classical commonplace. Cf. 21. pueri : Cupid. Ovid, Trist. 5, 4, 9: nec froniem 22. iratae : i.e. whenever you in silvis, nec aperto mollia prato are out of favor. gramina, nec pleno flumine cernit 23. nullus : 'in no case.' aquam. facilis. alas: the successful 17. palles : cf. I, I, 22, n. — lover proverbially“ treads on air." igni: of love. It is unnecessary to look for a 18. prima favilla mali: the reference to Cupid's own wings. expression would well suit the 24. alterna (not altera): 'in usual phenomenon of a prelimi turn.' The “ups and downs' of nary shower of ashes before a love are equally certain. One great volcanic eruption, familiar moment the lover soars above the to the Romans of this period from heads of ordinary mortals; the frequent instances at Aetna and next, he falls to the ground in hu |