10

15

20

sky.

pura novum vati laurea mollit iter.
musa, Palatini referemus Apollinis aedem:
res est, Calliope, digna favore tuo.
Caesaris in nomen ducuntur carmina: Caesar
dum canitur, quaeso, Iuppiter ipse vaces.
est Phoebi fugiens Athamana ad litora portus,
qua sinus Ioniae murmura condit aquae,
Actia Iuleae pelagus monumenta carinae,
nautarum votis non operosa via.

huc mundi coiere manus: stetit aequore moles
pinea nec remis aequa favebat avis.
altera classis erat Teucro damnata Quirino,

aere: i.e. under another

Io. novum: a type of poetry new at Rome, though tried by Callimachus. - laurea: as dear to

Apollo. - mollit: for the figure cf. the biblical story of Palm Sunday.

11. After this highly poetic introduction we have here the simple announcement of the real theme of the elegy.

12. Calliope: her function is not restricted in Propertius to any particular field, any more than in Horace; cf. 3, 2, 16.

13. in nomen: ‘in praise of'; purpose acc. - ducuntur carmina : 'the thread of my song is spun.'

14. vaces: 'keep holiday' (from ruling the universe), i.e. have leisure to listen.

15. Phoebi . . . portus: the Ambracian gulf, at whose entrance on the promontory of Actium was a temple of Apollo. - fugiens:

'stretching back.' - Athamana :
the Athamanes were a people in
Epirus, northeast of the gulf.
16. condit: 'quiets.'

17. Iuleae: i.e. of his descendant, Augustus. -pelagus: 'veritable sea'; in apposition with portus, as is also monumenta (made memorable by '). A glance at the map will justify the exclamatory addition of pelagus to the description.

18. non operosa (i.e. of access): this was hardly true till Augustus himself made improvements at Nicopolis after the battle of Actium; cf. Verg. Aen. 3, 275: formidatus nautis aperitur Apollo. via: roadstead.'

19. moles pinea: referring to the two fleets.

20. nec: with adversative force: L. 1445 (d).—avis: 'omen.'

21. Teucro: the followers of Aeneas, destined to found Rome, are constantly called Teucri by

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pilaque feminea turpiter acta manu:
hinc Augusta ratis plenis Iovis omine velis

signaque iam patriae vincere docta suae.
tandem aciem geminos Nereus lunarat in arcus,
armorum et radiis picta tremebat aqua,

cum Phoebus linquens stantem se vindice Delon
(nam tulit iratos mobilis una notos)

adstitit Augusti puppim super et nova flamma
luxit in obliquam ter sinuata facem.

non ille attulerat crines in colla solutos

aut testudineae carmen inerme lyrae,

sed quali adspexit Pelopeum Agamemnona vultu

25. aciem O acies w.

Vergil; the use of the term here emphasizes the decree of fate. damnata: doomed to submit.". Quirino : by yielding to Octavian, the enemy really gave new glory to the deified founder of Rome.

22. turpiter: the disgrace lay in being pitted against a woman, whose soldiers were using the national weapon of the Romans.

23. hinc corresponding to altera. Augusta: by anticipation; the title was not given to Octavian till 27 B.C. - Iovis: as god of the sky.

24. iam: this battle was only the culmination of a series of victories won by Octavian. — patriae the victor is represented as entirely unselfish, and fighting to save the State.

:

25. geminos . . . arcus: Octavian's fleet being in concave (inclosing), and Antony's in convex

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40

45

egessitque avidis Dorica castra rogis,
aut qualis flexos solvit Pythona per orbes
serpentem, inbelles quem timuere lyrae.
mox ait 'o longa mundi servator ab Alba,

Auguste, Hectoreis cognite maior avis,
vince mari: iam terra tua est. tibi militat arcus
et favet ex umeris hoc onus omne meis.

solve metu patriam, quae nunc te vindice freta
inposuit prorae publica vota tuae.

quam nisi defendes, murorum Romulus augur
ire Palatinas non bene vidit aves.

et nimium remis audent prope. turpe Latinos
principe te fluctus regia vela pati.

nec te, quod classis centenis remiget alis,

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55

terreat invito labitur illa mari.

quodque vehunt prorae Centaurica saxa minantis,
tigna cava et pictos experiere metus.
frangit et attollit vires in milite causa;

quae nisi iusta subest, excutit arma pudor.

tempus adest, committe rates: ego temporis auctor
ducam laurigera Iulia rostra manu.'

dixerat, et pharetrae pondus consumit in arcus:
proxima post arcus Caesaris hasta fuit.
vincit Roma fide Phoebi: dat femina poenas :
sceptra per Ionias fracta vehuntur aquas.
at pater Idalio miratur Caesar ab astro:

and quote as a parallel Hom. Od. 11, 125: οὐδ ̓ εὐήρε ̓ ἐρετμά, τά τε πτερὰ νηυσὶ πέλονται; but there is no sufficient reason why we should not consider alis velis after the usual metaphor as seen so often, e.g. Verg. Aen. 1, 301: remigio alarum; Ovid, A. A. 2, 45: remigium volucrum disponit in ordine pennas; Lucr. 6, 743 : remigi oblitae pennarum vela remittunt.

48. invito cf. 1, 16, 14. As a matter of fact the heavy weather on the sea did much to interfere with the success of the Egyptian fleet; cf. Flor. 4, 11, 5: non sine gemitu maris et labore ventorum ferebantur.

49. Centaurica saxa minantis : 'forms threatening to cast rocks like those of the Centaurs.' The Centaurs in combat were a favorite subject of artistic representation, and made a good figurehead for the bulky ships of the ancients; minantis is acc.

50. Cf. Hor. Car. 1, 14, 14: nil pictis timidus navita puppibus fidit.

53. committe rates committe proelium navale.

54. laurigera: cf. Ovid, A. A. 3, 389; laurigero sacrata Palatia

Phoebo.

55. pharetrae pondus: cf. hoc onus omne (verse 40). — consumit : 'spent.'

56. proxima cf. Hor. Car. 1, 12, 18: nec viget quicquam simile aut secundum, proximos illi tamen occupavit Pallas honores.

57. femina: Propertius declines to mention the name of Cleopatra as he had declined before, in 3, II.

58. sceptra: a common emblem of royal power, here used of the fleet, another such emblem. — per Ionias . . . aquas: cf. Hor. Epod. 9, 29–32.

59. Idalio . . . astro: as Venus was especially worshiped at Cretan Idalium, this expression

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sum deus: est nostri sanguinis ista fides.'
prosequitur cantu Triton, omnesque marinae
plauserunt circa libera signa deae.

illa petit Nilum cymba male nixa fugaci,
hoc unum, iusso non moritura die.

di melius! quantus mulier foret una triumphus,
ductus erat per quas ante Iugurtha vias!
Actius hinc traxit Phoebus monumenta, quod eius
una decem vicit missa sagitta rates.

bella satis cecini: citharam iam poscit Apollo

victor et ad placidos exuit arma choros. candida nunc molli subeant convivia luco,

64. hoc unum: obj. of the purpose idea in moritura, so that the main idea of the verb becomes an appositive to this phrase; a unique construction: with this one thing in view, namely not to die on the appointed day' (i.e. that of a Roman triumph).

would most naturally refer to her fleet consisted of sixty ships. own star. But as Julius Caesar had a star of his own, the comet which appeared at the games given in his honor by Octavian (cf. Suet. Iul. 88; Hor. Car. 1, 12, 46: micat inter omnes Iulium sidus), Propertius ought to be referring to that; if so, he is indulging his penchant for ambiguity. — miratur: looks on admiringly.'

60. nostri sanguinis ista fides : 'that prowess of yours is proof enough that you belong to my family,' i.e. are an heir to divinity. Of course Octavian was really only an adopted son.

61. Triton it is appropriate that the marine divinities lead in proclaiming the triumph of Rome

on the sea.

62. libera signa: 'standards of a free state."

63. illa cf. v. 57, n. — cymba: hyperbole; Cleopatra's returning

65. melius: sc. consuluerunt, referring to the idea of the previous phrase. quantus: ironical.

67. The poet hastens to add that it was not for a triumph over one woman that Apollo derived his glory on this occasion, but for his divine archery in overcoming the hostile fleet.

71. candida: referring to the participants, who would be clad in fresh white garments; cf. Tib. 1, 10, 27; 2, 1, 13.- convivia: cf. Hor. Car. 1, 37, 1: Nunc est bibendum, opening the ode in celebration of this same victory.