30 35 barbara, Memphiten plangere docta bovem. et teneram ferro sollicitavit humum, movit et ad certos nescia membra modos, principle of fructification, was supposed to be responsible for the annual overflow of the Nile, and so his worship is here coupled appropriately with that of father Nile; cf. Fraser, Adonis, Attis, and Osiris. : 28. Memphiten . . . bovem : the sacred bull, Apis, the, incarnation of Osiris, kept at Memphis. plangere the method of mourning, used for the general idea of mourning for one; rare with an object. On the death of Apis the whole people went into mourning until a new bull was found to take his place; cf. Plin. N. H. 8, 46; Cumont, Oriental Relig, in Roman Paganism, pp. 97 sqq. 29. aratra: Osiris, in many respects the counterpart of the Greek Dionysus, was credited also with the invention of the plow, and of the culture of various fruits besides that of the vine. The invention of the plow was usually attributed to Ceres. For another point of view, cf. 1, 10, 45. 30. teneram: by way of contrast to ferro sollicitavit. — sollicitavit: cf. Ovid, Fast. 4, 396: quas tellus nullo sollicitante dabat; Verg. Georg. 2, 418: sollicitanda tamen tellus pulvisque movendus. 32. non notis: i.e. those with the edible qualities of whose fruit men were as yet unacquainted. 33. teneram: cf. 1, 1, 7; Cic. Cat. Mai. 15, 52: vitis. nisi fulta est, fertur ad terram. palis adiungere: the so-called alligatio and amputatio referred to in these two verses were the most important arts in connection with viticulture. 35. illi: Osiris. - sapores: cf. 40 45 pectora tristitiae dissoluenda dedit. Bacchus et adflictis requiem mortalibus adfert, crura licet dura compede pulsa sonent. non tibi sunt tristes curae nec luctus, Osiri, et levis occultis conscia cista sacris. 40. tristitiae: the gen. after the analogy of the Greek, instead of the regular abl. Cf. Hor. Car. 3, 17, 16: cum famulis operum solutis; Plaut. Rud. 247: me omnium iam laborum levas. A reg ular epithet of Bacchus is Lyaeus ('freer' from care). - dissoluenda dedit = fecit ut dissolverentur; cf. also v. 2, n. 42. compede: the idea of a 'chain gang' of workers is not modern; cf. 2, 6, 25-26. 43. sunt: sc. apti; as the adjective is expressed only in v. 44, it agrees with the nearest noun. 45. corymbis: usually, as here, of a cluster of ivy berries, the ivy being especially sacred to Bacchus and to Osiris; cf. Ovid, Fast. 1, 393 festa corymbiferi celebrabas Graecia Bacchi; Fraser, Adonis, Attis, and Osiris, p. 279; Creuzer, Symbolik u. Mythologie, Vol. 4, pp. 10 sqq. 46. sed for the position cf. - lutea palla: a long V. 12, n. ROM. EL. POETS 10 saffron robe was appropriate to Bacchus - the woman's garment being suggestive of his almost feminine beauty, and the color being suitable for festive occasions; cf. Prop. 3, 17, 32: et feries nudos veste fluente pedes; Sen. Oed. 422: lutea vestem retinente zona. The combination of such an effeminate garment with the insignia of Hercules is ridiculed in the Frogs of Aristophanes, v. 46. 47. Tyriae vestes: a cloak of Tyrian purple. 48. cista the box containing the mystic emblems of the god, which was carried in the processions of the festivals of Bacchus ; cf. Cat. 64, 259: cavis celebrabant orgia cistis. 49. huc ades: with consummate skill the thought has been developed from the Aquitanian triumph to this summons to Osiris to be present on this festal day as the wine god whose worship (in a 145 50 55 concelebra et multo tempora funde mero: et capite et collo mollia serta gerat. at tibi succrescat proles, quae facta parentis 54. liba AV libem G. melle o mella 0. feram AV favo G. figurative sense) will necessarily be prominent. -genium: i.e. Messalla's. The Genius was the individual man's tutelary divinity (corresponding to the Juno of each woman; cf. H. & T. § 188), presiding over his life from birth to death (cf. gigno). Each man had his own Genius, who was worshiped, especially on his birthday, with offerings of wine, cakes, perfumes, and garlands; cf. 2, 2, 1, sqq.; B. G., p. 78, n. 15. For the form of the verse cf. 1, 10, 28. 50. Cf. 1, 2, 3: neu quisquam multo percussum tempora Baccho excitet. 51. illius: i.e. Genii. It was appropriate on such occasions to decorate the image of the divinity honored. In this case, however, we must not forget that the Genius is closely identified with the man himself. Evidently the poet is here not thinking of the serpent form of Genius representations. — stillent: cf. 2, 2, 7. i.e. 53. hodierne: sc. deus; the Genius, who was the particular divinity of a birthday, and to whom the next word refers; cf. 2, 2,5; 5, 5; 4, 5, 9. 54. Mopsopio: honey from Mt. Hymettus. Mopsopus was a mythical king of Attica, in which Hymettus stands. 55. tibi: Messalla; for the sudden change in meaning from the tibi in v. 53 cf. v. 3, n. — proles: Messalla had two sons and a daughter. Cf. 2, 5. 56. augeat: cf. 2, 5, 115-120, and especially v. 119, n. - veneranda: worthy of honor.'. senem sc. te. 57. taceat: sc. ille from the following relative clause.. monumenta : ⚫ monumental work.'viae: the Via Latina, which Messalla had repaired, paying the expense from the spoils of war according to the command of Augustus. Citizens of Tusculum and Alba would reach Rome by this road. Cf. Burn, RL. and RA., p. 252. 60 candidaque antiquo detinet Alba lare. ΙΟ Quis fuit, horrendos primus qui protulit enses? 58. candida: the reference is to the same appearance in the limestone rock which had originally given the name Alba. Cf. Taylor, Words and Places, pp. 141-142. — lare: home.' 59. glarea: the broken rock and gravel used for foundation, while the silex was the polygonal flint (selce) regularly used for the surface, as still to-day in many Italian cities. 60. apta . . . arte: how neat the joints were can still be seen from many extant examples on various ancient Roman roads, e.g. the Via Praenestina. 62. serus though late,' and therefore presumably rather mellow. Cf. Cic. Ad Fam. 7, 22: bene potus seroque redieram. — inoffensum: 'without stumbling.' 63. natalis: sc. dies. 64. candidior semper candidiorque: more and more joyous.' Cf. I, 10, 45; Ovid, Trist. 5, 5, 13: optime Natalis . . . candidus huc venias. I, 10 This is generally considered the earliest of Tibullus's elegies. I. It contains no definite hints at any relations between the poet and either his patron, Messalla, or his mistress, Delia, with both of whom they were established by the latter part of the year 31 B.C. 2. The reference to war in vv. 13 and 14 can hardly be to any war later than the Aquitanian expedition in 31 B.C., and therefore, if not to an earlier one, expresses a vague premonition of the approaching conflict of which the events of 31 B.C. were a part. 3. The simplicity of the form of composition, and the frequent recurrence of similar thoughts in different connections, while belonging to the genuine manner of Tibullus, are so marked here as 5 tum caedes hominum generi, tum proelia nata, 10. 5. an AV at G forsan et ille nihil P. to suggest early work. Belling, through a series of parallel passages in other elegies of this first book, has sought to show that this was written last, as a climax (Bell. p. 244 sqq.); but the examples may as easily be considered imitations of this, as imitated by this elegy. The early part of B.C. 31, or possibly the end of B.c. 32, is, therefore, the most probable date when the poet fears that he will be drawn into the impending conflict If the expectation is based on his liability to serve the usual campaign as a young man of seventeen years, this may be an important poem in determining the date of the author's birth. Cf. Intr. § 21. The elegy forms a fitting close to Bk. 1, from its striking similarity in theme and many points of treatment to the opening poem of the book. All is gloom in Acheron; how much better to lead a humble, peaceful life on a little farm! 4568: Let peace hold sway, under whose rule happy home life flourishes, and there are no battles save those of love, and even these but playful contests! Come, Peace, and bless us!' I. enses: the words lead up to the idea of ferreus, · iron-hearted.' 2. ferus . . . ferreus: alliteration and assonance, which played an important rôle in early Latin poetry, survived in the classical period mainly in certain formulas or stereotyped expressions. This one, for example, occurs in Cic. Ad Q. Fr. 1, 3, 3; quem ego ferus ac ferreus e complexu; cf. Cat. 76, 20. The same process has been gone through in other languages; cf. Eng. "weal and woe," "slow and sure," "fun and frolic," etc. Other instances of ferreus in this sense in Tibullus may be seen: I, 2, 65 ferreus ille fuit; 2, 3, 2; 3, 2, 2. 4. mortis... via: cf. 1, 3, 50; Ovid, Met. 11, 792: letique viam sine fine retemptat; Prop. 3, 7, 2; Hor. Car. 1, 3, 32: tarda necessitas leti corripuit gradum. 5. miser: unfortunate' in being blamed rather than really responsible. Note the asyndeton |