15

20

25

egressum tectis, pulcher Iule, tuis.

nec minus est confusa Venus moriente Tibullo,
quam iuveni rupit cum ferus inguen aper.

at sacri vates et divum cura vocamur!

sunt etiam, qui nos numen habere putent!
scilicet omne sacrum mors inportuna profanat,
omnibus obscuras inicit illa manus.

quid pater Ismario, quid mater profuit, Orpheo?
carmine quid victas obstipuisse feras?

et Linon in silvis idem pater 'aelinon!' altis
dicitur invita concinuisse lyra.

adice Maeoniden, a quo, ceu fonte perenni,

30

vatum Pieriis ora rigantur aquis:

hunc quoque summa dies nigro submersit Averno:
defugiunt avidos carmina sola rogos.

durat opus vatum, Troiani fama laboris,

tardaque nocturno tela retexta dolo.

sic Nemesis longum, sic Delia nomen habebunt,
altera cura recens, altera primus amor.

quid vos sacra iuvant? quid nunc Aegyptia prosunt

sistra? quid in vacuo secubuisse toro?

35

cum rapiunt mala fata bonos,

40

ignoscite fasso!-
sollicitor nullos esse putare deos.

vive pius moriere pius. cole sacra: colentem
mors gravis a templis in cava busta trahet.
carminibus confide bonis: iacet ecce Tibullus;
vix manet e toto, parva quod urna capit.
tene, sacer vates, flammae rapuere rogales
pectoribus pasci nec timuere tuis?
aurea sanctorum potuissent templa deorum

28. defugiunt. C. Jahn from 2 Mss.

26. Pieriis . . . aquis: the inspiring springs of the Muses, Aganippe, Hippocrene, Castalia.

27. Averno: the term is typical for the entrance to the lower world. 28. Cf. 1, 15, 32; Prop. 3, 2, 25-26.

29. Troiani fama laboris: the Iliad.

30. The Odyssey, represented by Penelope's well-known trick to put off the suitors.

31. The first book of Tibullus may be called a Delia book, though not with so good ground as the Cynthia Monobiblos of Propertius is so named. The second book,

likewise, may be designated the Nemesis book.

32. cura amor = amata; cf. Prop. 1, 1, 36, n.

33. Cf. Tib. 1, 3, 23-24. 35. Cf. 2, 6, 39; Tib. 1, 3, 52; Prop. 3, 7, 18.

37. The imperatives have concessive force.

40. Cf. Met. 12, 610 sq.: iam cinis est; et de tam magno restat Achille nescio quid, parvam quod non bene conpleat urnam.

41. tene: the question is exclamatory, expressing surprised incredulity.

43. potuissent: sc. flammae.

45

50

55

60

urere, quae tantum sustinuere nefas. avertit vultus, Erycis quae possidet arces:

sunt quoque, qui lacrimas continuisse negant. sed tamen hoc melius, quam si Phaeacia tellus ignotum vili supposuisset humo.

hinc certe madidos fugientis pressit ocellos

mater et in cineres ultima dona tulit;

hinc soror in partem misera cum matre doloris
venit inornatas dilaniata comas,

cumque tuis sua iunxerunt Nemesisque priorque
oscula nec solos destituere rogos.

Delia descendens 'felicius' inquit 'amata

sum tibi: vixisti, dum tuus ignis eram.'

cui Nemesis 'quid' ait 'tibi sunt mea damna dolori?
me tenuit moriens deficiente manu.'

si tamen e nobis aliquid nisi nomen et umbra
restat, in Elysia valle Tibullus erit:
obvius huic venias hedera iuvenalia cinctus
tempora cum Calvo, docte Catulle, tuo;

44. sustinuere: i.e. ventured. 45. quae: Venus Erycina,whose temple was on the heights of Mt. Eryx.

46. continuisse: sc. te; cf. Tib.

55. descendens: from the funeral pyre.

56. vixisti cf. Cat. 68, 34, n. - ignis: cf. 2, 16, 11, n.

58. Thus Nemesis claims for herself the fulfillment of what Tibullus in 1, 1, 60, had wished might be the function of Delia.

59. Cf. Trist. 4, 10, 85; Cat. 96, 1, n.; Prop. 2, 34, 53: si post Stygias aliquid restabimus undas.

61. hedera... cinctus: the ivy of Bacchus, inspirer of poetry, was appropriate for poets' wreaths.

62. Calvo: cf. Intr. § 12. docte: cf. Intr. § 16.

65

tu quoque, si falsum est temerati crimen amici,

sanguinis atque animae prodige Galle tuae.

his comes umbra tua est; siqua est modo corporis umbra,

auxisti numeros, culte Tibulle, pios.

ossa quieta, precor, tuta requiescite in urna,

et sit humus cineri non onerosa tuo!

5

15

Quaere novum vatem, tenerorum mater Amorum :
raditur hic elegis ultima meta meis;

quos ego conposui, Paeligni ruris alumnus.

(nec me deliciae dedecuere meae),

siquid id est, usque a proavis vetus ordinis heres,

Ovid, the poet of love; 17-20: but now Bacchus calls me on to broader fields.'

1. mater: Venus.

2. raditur. . . meta: this kind of poetic composition has run its course, and according to the figure of circus racing is now for the last time rounding the meta. In the race the driver's skill was shown by avoiding the meta as narrowly as possible.

3. alumnus: the relation of a native to his country.

4. deliciae: erotic poetry; cf. Cat. 68, 26. dedecuere: Ovid was more inclined to speak apologetically in after years, however.

5. The same verse occurs in Trist. 4, 10, 7; Ovid was proud that he was no parvenu knight,

IO

15

20

non modo militiae turbine factus eques.
Mantua Vergilio gaudet, Verona Catullo:
Paelignae dicar gloria gentis ego,

quam sua libertas ad honesta coegerat arma,
cum timuit socias anxia Roma manus.
atque aliquis spectans hospes Sulmonis aquosi
moenia, quae campi iugera pauca tenent,
'quae tantum' dicat 'potuistis ferre poetam,
quantulacumque estis, vos ego magna voco.'
culte puer, puerique parens Amathusia culti,
aurea de campo vellite signa meo.
corniger increpuit thyrso graviore Lyaeus:
pulsanda est magnis area maior equis.
inbelles elegi, genialis Musa, valete,

post mea mansurum fata superstes opus!

but belonged to an old equestrian cf. Intr. § 38.

line;

6. As a slave was whirled around when formally freed, so the whirligig of military life often suddenly made an equestrian out of a man of ignoble birth.

7. Cf. Mart. 14, 195: Tantum magna suo debet Verona Catullo, quantum parva suo Mantua Vergilio.

8. gloria: 'pride.'

9. libertas: 'longing after freedom.'

10. socias: the Paeligni were leaders in the bellum sociale.

11. Cf. Prop. 4, 1, 65-66.— aquosi: cf. Trist. 4, 10, 3.

15. Amathusia: like Cytheris, Cypria, Erycina, and other similar proper adjectives, referring to a

ROM. EL. POETS — 26

401

favorite seat of the worship of Venus, here Amathus in Cyprus. 16. Decamp! your campaign is finished.

17. corniger: cf. Tib. 2, 1, 3, n. — thyrso graviore: an inspiration to more serious writing. Bacchus was responsible for tragedy as well as for comedy, and was looked upon as a patron of all poetry. Cf. Prop. 3, 2, 9, n. 18. area maior: the figure of verse 2 is repeated in another form; cf. 3, 1, 26: "haec animo" dices" area facta meost"; Prop. 2,