65 vescar, et aeternum sit mihi virginitas.' quidquid Amalthea, quidquid Marpesia dixit quasque Aniena sacras Tiburs per flumina sortes 68. Phyto Huschke Phebo A Phoebo V Phoeto Lachmann. Graia Lachmann grata 0. quod admonuit O grataque quod monuit w. 69. quasque w quodque AV quaeque Belling. the beginning to correspond with the sic. Cf. Ter. Haut. 463; Prop. I, 18, II. But when the first part of the expression is of an imperative or optative nature, sic is equivalent to si with that verb idea repeated in a different form; e.g. in v. 121 adnue: sic tibi sint = si adnues, tibi sint. Such expressions are very common in the poets of this period. Cf. 2, 6, 30; Prop. 3, 15, 1; Verg. Ec. 9, 30; Hor. Car. 1, 3, 1; Ovid, Her. 3, 135. The fundamental idea of the Roman religion was that of a bargain between men and the gods. A trace of it still survives in our own form of oath, "So help me God." innoxia: in the passive sense. Cf. Lucr. 6, 394: volvitur in flammis innoxius. - laurus : Tibullus uses this noun in the acc. pl. twice elsewhere, but each time in the 2d declension form (v. 117 and 1, 7, 7). 64. vescar, like the other deponent verbs commonly used with the ablative, sometimes governs the accusative in early Latin, and this is occasionally imitated by writers in all periods. Cf. Tac. Agr. 28. The prophets chewed the laurel leaves, sacred to Apollo, for the sake of inspiration. 66. caput ante: i.e. before her forehead.' 67. Amalthēā: (quantity the same in Ovid, Fast. 5, 115) best understood as the Cumaean Sibyl herself, following whom three other celebrated Sibyls are mentioned. Certainly the name of the woman who brought the Sibylline books to Tarquin was Amalthea. Cf. Lact. 1, 6; Serv. on Verg. Aen. 6, 72. - Marpesia . . . Herophile the Erythraean Sibyl, who dwelt at Marpesus, on Mt. Ida, near Troy. 68. Phyto Graia: the Sibyl of Samos, called Greek by contrast with the last mentioned. 69. Tiburs: the famous Sibyl of Tibur, whose name was Albunea; cf. Hor. Car. 1, 7, 12. The little church of S. Giorgio at Tivoli, perched on the edge of the precipice above the Anio ravine, is thought to be the temple of Albunea. 70 75 80 portarit sicco pertuleritque sinu (hae fore dixerunt belli mala signa cometen, ipsum etiam Solem defectum lumine vidit et succensa sacris crepitet bene laurea flammis, 70. portarit O portarat Belling. pertuleritque o perlueritque O pertuleratque Belling. 71. hae o hec AV. 72. ut G et AV. deplueretque o deplueritque AG depuleritque V. 79. fuerunt or fuerint o fuerant O. 70. portarit: note the change to the indirect question. - sicco: Albunea was said to carry her prophecies through the waters of the Anio, and yet keep them dry. 71. The list of portents mentioned here seems to refer especially to those connected with the assassination of Julius Caesar. Cf. Verg. Georg. 1, 463-492; Ovid, Met. 15, 783 sqq.; Luc. 1, 524 sqq.; Pliny, N. H. 2, 98. 72. Note position of -que (after 5th word). Cf vv. 22, 70, 86, 90; employing this favorite position at the end of the fifth foot becomes a mannerism in Tibullus. Cf. Postgate, Sel., p. xxix. 76. This year of feebler power of the sun, mentioned also by Pliny and Plutarch, seems to be attributable to sun spots. Similar phenomena have been observed in other and more recent years; cf. the Lemaire edition of Pliny, Vol. I, p. 306. 78. vocales: speaking with a human voice. 79. fuěrunt: cf. L. 857. 80. Even to-day the power of the sea to receive and render harmless and pure all the filth of the world remains a wonder. The poet here is applying this old truth to more abstract pollutions. Cf. 4, 4, 7-8. 81. Not only was the sacred laurel of Apollo supposed to supply inspiration to those chewing it (cf. v. 63), but the crackling noise it made in burning was the source of a popular divination, good fortune being apparently indicated in proportion to the amount of crack 85 90 omine quo felix et sacer annus erit. laurus ubi bona signa dedit, gaudete coloni: distendet spicis horrea plena Ceres, oblitus et musto feriet pede rusticus uvas, dolia dum magni deficiantque lacus. at madidus Baccho sua festa Palilia pastor concinet (a stabulis tum procul este lupi): ille levis stipulae solemnis potus acervos accendet, flammas transilietque sacras. et fetus matrona dabit, natusque parenti 87. at w ac 0. ling; cf. Verg. Ec. 8,82; fragiles incende bitumine laurus; Prop. 2, 28, 36. 83. dedit: for tense cf. A. 520, 2. 85. oblitus . . . musto: before the invention of masks the lees of wine were daubed on the faces at rustic festivals. feriet pede: the wine-making process included (1) pressing out the juice of the grape by treading on the fruit with the bare feet, the juice running into the vats (lacus); (2) turning it into large, wide-mouthed jars (dolia) to settle and ferment; (3) drawing it off into storage jars (amphorae) after a time; (4) putting away whatever was not used at once to gather age and flavor in the storeroom (apotheca); cf. I, I, Io; Cato, R. R. 113. 86. deficiantque: for position of -que, cf. v. 72, n. 87. madidus: cf. lacte madens (v. 27); 2, 1, 29. - Palilia (sometimes written Parilia): the feast in honor of Pales, the patron goddess of the shepherds, was celebrated annually on the 21st of April, the traditional birthday of Rome. A comparison of pasco, pabulum, Pales, Palatium (= a fortified fold for the shepherds and their flocks), may serve to indicate the connection between the goddess and this merry day, which is still kept as a festival in the eternal city. For a fuller description of the customs of the feast, cf. I, I, 35; Ovid, Fast. 4, 721 sqq.; Preller3, 1, pp. 413 sqq.; Prop. 4, 4, 73 sqq.; 4, 1, 19; Scholia to Pers. I, 72. 88. concinet: cf. v. 10. 90. No other peculiarity of the Palilia seems to be as often mentioned as this custom of leaping over blazing piles of hay or stubble. Cf. Ovid, Fast. 4, 781 sqq.; Prop. 4, 4, 77; Pers. 1, 72; Fowler, Rom. Fest., p. 83. 91. fetus: there shall be fruitfulness in the family as well as in 95 100 oscula conprensis auribus eripiet, vincta, coronatus stabit et ante calix. 98. ante ipse 0. the flock, and a simple, happy home life. 92. conprensis auribus: this particular manner of kissing, in which the ears of the one kissed were held like the two handles of an amphora, was called the "pitcher kiss," and is still sometimes called the "sailor kiss." For a similar scene cf. Verg. Georg. 2, 523. 94. balba: an onomatopoetic word (akin to barbarus) representing originally the unintelligible prattle of an infant. 95. operata deo: cf. 2, 1, 9, 65. discumbet the regular word for reclining at a banquet. 96. levis cf. Prop. 1, 18, 21. 98. coronatus: for the Roman custom of wreathing mixing bowls and cups on festal occasions, cf. Verg. Aen. 1, 724; 3, 525; 7, 147; Stat. Silv. 3, 76. —et: for the position cf. 1, 10, 51, n. 99. at: cf. 1, 3, 63. — dapes : a sacrificial feast for the gods; cf. 2, 1, 81; 1, 5, 28. 102. post modo: we see here in modo almost its original force as an abl. of degree of difference; literally, afterwards by a measured (or limited, i.e. moderate) amount,' = shortly afterwards, pretty soon, presently. — votis . . . velit emphatic redundancy. 103. ferus ille suae plorabit : 'he that was so cruel will beg forgiveness before his darling.' Cf. Prop. 1, 12, 15, n. 104. mente. . . mala: i e. mente male sana. The expression was commonly used in begging pardon for an injury done. Cf. Sen. De Ben. 3, 27: cum malam mentem habuisse se pridie iurasset, etc. 105 pace tua pereant arcus pereantque sagittae, ΠΙΟ Phoebe, modo in terris erret inermis Amor. usque cano Nemesim, sine qua versus mihi nullus at tu (nam divum servat tutela poetas), 115 ut Messalinum celebrem, cum praemia belli ipse gerens lauros, lauro devinctus agresti 109. iaceo w taceo 0. cum O qui iam Wisser. 110. cum O tam w quin Leo. III. usque O vixque w. 105. The lover's quarrels just described remind the poet of his own trials at the hands of Cupid. pace tua: A. 420, 4. Apollo and Diana were the typical archers. 107. ars bona: i.e. archery. 108. dedit... malum: played the mischief with.' The expression is a common formula, which is seen as early as in the famous old Saturnian verse, dabunt malum Metelli Naevio poetae. 109. et mihi: sc. dedit. temporal (= dum). cum: annum III. Nemesim: who succeeded Delia as mistress of Tibullus's heart. See Intr. § 24.-mihi : H. 432. Note the unusual form of caesura, in the 5th foot; cf. Intr. $ 42, I (5) (b). 112. iustos belongs to both verba and pedes in thought. 115. celebrem : i.e. in the future, whenever the opportunity occurs, as he had done for his father Messalla in I, 7. 116. oppida victa : pictures and models of conquered countries, cities, and fortresses were carried in the triumphal processions; cf. Prop. 3, 4, 16; Ovid, A. A. 1,219. In addition to the customs here referred to, cf. 1, 7, 5-8. 117. ipse: i.e. Messalinus. devinctus: cf. v. 5. agresti: 'wild.' |