SHORTER POEMS. I. THE FASTI. THE word fasti, properly applied to those days of the year on which it was permitted (fas) to transact public business, came to be applied to the Roman Calendar, or systematic arrangement and classification of the days of each month. Ovid's purpose in this poem was to cast this calendar into a poetic form, describing whatever was peculiar and characteristic in the Roman usages, -as festivals and rites,—and working into it whatever traditions and myths were current among the people. The Roman religion was so meagre in the elements of fable, that its mythology, as presented in this work, is hardly more than a clumsy adaptation and vamping over of Grecian myths. It was, however, as rich in form and ceremonial, as it was poor in story; and the most valuable and original portions of the Fasti are those which describe fragments of these primitive rites, which had managed to survive the inroad of the more fashionable Greek and Oriental forms of worship, and still lingered in the community. Some of them, indeed, held their own for centuries longer, and some were transformed and adopted into the Christian calendar. Only six books of the Fasti, containing the months from January to June inclusive, are extant. It is a much disputed question whether the other six books have been lost, or were never written. It is probable that they were written in the rough, but unfinished at the time of the poet's exile, and never published. At any rate, there are no citations in ancient authors from any but the first six books. The following extracts from the fourth book (April) contain a description of two very ancient festivals, with the traditional account of the founding of Rome, introduced in the usual manner of the poet. 1. The Festival of Pales (April 21). NOX abiit, oriturque Aurora. Parilia poscor: Non poscor frustra, si favet alma Pales. Alma Pales, faveas pastoria sacra canenti, Certe ego de vitulo cinerem stipulasque fabalis Certe ego transilui positas ter in ordine flammas, Tertia res durae culmen inane fabae. Pastor, oves saturas ad prima crepuscula lustra : Et tegat ornatas longa corona fores. Caerulei fiant vivo de sulphure fumi, Ure mares oleas, taedamque, herbasque Sabinas, Libaque de milio milii fiscella sequetur: 725 730 735 740 1 750 Adde dapes mulctramque suas, dapibusque resectis 745 755 IV. 792.] The Fasti. 157 760 Nec noceat turbasse lacus: ignoscite, nymphae, Neve minus multos redigam quam mane fuerunt, 765 770 Quae precor, eveniant; et nos faciamus ad annum 775 His dea placanda est; haec tu conversus ad ortus Tum licet adposita, veluti cratere, camella, Lac niveum potes purpureamque sapam; Moxque per ardentes stipulae crepitantes acervos An, quod in his vitae causa est, haec perdidit exsul, 780 785 790 Vix equidem credo: sunt qui Phaëthonta referri Credant, et nimias Deucalionis aquas.. Scintillam subito prosiluisse ferunt: Prima quidem periit, stipulis excepta secunda est. An magis hunc morem pietas Aeneïa fecit, Innocuum victo cui dedit ignis iter? 795 800 Num tamen est vero propius, cum condita Roma est, Transferri jussos in nova tecta Lares, Mutantesque domum tectis agrestibus ignem, Et cessaturae supposuisse casae, Per flammas saluisse pecus, saluisse colonos? Ipse locus causas vati facit. Urbis origo Venit: ades factis, magne Quirine, tuis! 2. The Founding of Rome. JAM luerat poenas frater Numitoris, et omne Pastorum gemino sub duce volgus erat. 805 810 815 Sex Remus, hic volucres bis sex videt ordine; pacto 820 |