15

nudus at inferna, stulte, vehere rate. victor cum victis pariter miscebitur umbris :

consule cum Mario, capte Iugurtha, sedes.
Lydus Dulichio non distat Croesus ab Iro.

optima mors, parca quae venit acta die.
me iuvat in prima coluisse Helicona iuventa,

musarumque choris inplicuisse manus:
me iuvat et multo mentem vincire Lyaeo

et caput in verna semper habere rosa. atque ubi iam Venerem gravis interceperit aetas,

sparserit et nigras alba senecta comas, tum mihi naturae libeat perdiscere mores,

20

25

30

quis deus hanc mundi temperet arte domum, qua venit exoriens, qua deficit, unde coactis

cornibus in plenum menstrua luna redit, unde salo superant venti, quid flamine captet

eurus, et in nubes unde perennis aqua, sit ventura dies, mundi quae subruat arces,

purpureus pluvias cur bibit arcus aquas,
aut cur Perrhaebi tremuere cacumina Pindi,

solis et atratis luxerit orbis equis,
cur serus versare boves et plaustra Bootes,

35

a

26. deus .. tem peret: the Met. 1o, 295: coactis cornibus in Epicurean idea that it is necessary plenum. to eliminate the divine element 31. Cf. Lucr. 5, 95: una dies from natural law is not followed dabit exitio, quoted by Ovid, Am. by Propertius, any more than by 1, 15, 24. Indeed the inspiration Horace; cf. Hor. Car. I, 12, 15: given by Lucretius to his succesqui mare et terras variisque mun- sors in similar queries is incalculadum temperat horis; but Horace ble. leaves the gods out in Ep. 1, 12,

32. bibit :

common poetic 16 (quid temperet annum), where conception; cf. Verg. Georg. 1, questions similar to those in this 380: bibit ingens arcus. passage are suggested. Cf. also 33. The origin of earthquakes Ovid, Met. 15, 66 sqq. Vergil, is treated under a typical case, viz. on the other hand, does not raise that of the Pindus range between the question of theism in his two Thessaly and Epirus. Tribes well-known passages that suggest called Perrhaebi were located on questions similar to those broached

either side of this range. here, Georg. 2, 477 sqq., and Aen. 34. luxerit : puts on 1, 742-746. — temperet:

.con

ing. trols.'

35. serus : sc. sit. As a mat27. venit: there is a character- ter of fact Ursa Major does not istically Propertian disregard of set at all in the latitude of the mood throughout this series of a Romans. Cf. Ovid, Mct. 2, 528 : score of indirect questions, the in- gurgite caeruleo Septem prohibete dicatives somewhat outnumbering triones.

i.e. the subjunctives. — coactis : cf. Used with the adjective serus. Ovid, Her. 2, 3: cornua boves et plaustra : the constellalunae pleno semel orbe coissent; tion of the Wain, or wagon, i.e.

mourn

versare :

to

set.

40

Pleiadum spisso cur coit igne chorus,
curve suos fines altum non exeat aequor,

plenus et in partes quattuor annus eat,
sub terris sint iura deum et tormenta nocentum,

Tisiphones atro si furit angue caput,
aut Alcmaeoniae furiae aut ieiunia Phinei,

num rota, num scopuli, num sitis inter aquas,
num tribus infernum custodit faucibus antrum

Cerberus, et Tityo iugera pauca novem, an ficta in miseras descendit fabula gentis,

et timor haud ultra quam rogus esse potest.

45

39. nocentum Haupt Gigantum FLDV omitted in N reorum Housman.

or

Ursa Major, or the Septemtriones, 41. furiae : Alcmaeon was purthe seven oxen

en. Cf. 2, 33, 24: sued by the furies for having slain flectant Icarii sidera tarda boves. his mother Eriphyle. — ieiunia :

- Bootes : the ox-driver, caused by the Harpies, who were plowman, whose constellation, sent to steal his food, after he had otherwise known as Ursa Minor, put out his sons' eyes. Neither is so situated that it seems to be of the punishments mentioned in driving the oxen in Ursa Major. this verse was ordinarily supposed

exitus hic vitae superest mihi : vos, quibus arma

grata magis, Crassi signa referte domum.

7

Ergo sollicitae tu causa, pecunia, vitae,

per te inmaturum mortis adimus iter.

47. superest 0 superet w.
7. 1. vitae NFL vitae es DVF2.

we

47. exitus hic: i.e. one busy even a corse to bury! 13–28: with such discussions.

Ye winds, ye waves, how could

you destroy so innocent, so con3, 7

fiding a youth ? Alas! AgamemThe drowning of Paetus with non knew your ruthlessness too its sad lessons and reflections well. And since you have the (C.S.). It is not improbable life of Paetus, restore his body for that this sympathetic elegy was burial, that his tomb may warn written to comfort the sorrowing others against like rashness.

29mother of the ill-fated youth, of 42: But nay! Foolish men will whose personality know not cease to venture on the deep, nothing that is not contained in though certain ruin awaits them, the poem itself. Pedantic efforts

5

tu vitiis hominum crudelia pabula praebes :

semina curarum de capite orta tuo.
tu Paetum ad Pharios tendentem lintea portus

obruis insano terque quaterque mari.
nam dum te sequitur, primo miser excidit aevo,

et nova longinquis piscibus esca natat:
et mater non iusta piae dare debita terrae,

nec pote cognatos inter humare rogos,
sed tua nunc volucres adstant super ossa marinae,

nunc tibi pro tumulo Carpathium omne marest.
infelix Aquilo, raptae timor Orithyiae,

quae spolia ex illo tanta fuere tibi ?
aut quidnam fracta gaudes, Neptune, carina?

portabat sanctos alveus ille viros.

IO

15

.

22; see Kuttner, De Propertii seas must have new delicacies Elocutione Quaestiones, p. 42. while thus the mother of Paetus 3. crudelia : i.e. in the result.

cannot bury her dead. 4. de capite tuo de te

9. piae

.. terrae : dative; capite; cf. Cat. 55, 2: ubi sint otherwise debita is superfluous ; tuae tenebrae.

the earthly remains of her dutiful 5. Pharios. portus : cf. son.' Cf. 2, 13, 42. Cf. English Tib. I, 3, 32, n.

“pious dust of the martyrs." 6. insano mari: cf. 1, 8, 10. pote : cf. Cat. 72, 7, n. ; 76, 5; Verg. Ec. 9, 43 : insani feriant 16, n. — cognatos . sine litora fluctus. — terque qua Cat. 68, 98. terque : a common expression for 11. Cf. Ovid, Her. 10, 123: an indefinitely large number. ossa superstabunt volucres inhuPropertius is thinking of the body mata marinae. of Paetus floating long in the sea. 12. Carpathium : Horatian par