Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

160

et longe ante omnes mihi quae me carior ipsost,
lux mea, qua viva vivere dulce mihist.

70

Nulli se dicit mulier mea nubere malle
quam mihi, non si se Iuppiter ipse petat.
dicit: sed mulier cupido quod dicit amanti,
in vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua.

72

Dicebas quondam solum te nosse Catullum,
Lesbia, nec prae me velle tenere Iovem.

ring to the love affair as a whole.
Vahlen's proposition to change et
at the beginning of v. 157 to dum
and understand both verses to refer
to Jove has met with little favor.
- primo omnia: cf. Intr. § 43.
160. lux = Lesbia.

70

The first of the shorter, epigrammatic poems which end the Catullus collection. Probably addressed to Lesbia. A comparison with 72, 2 suggests that Catullus had already begun to have suspicions of Lesbia, and that this was intended as a playful warning to her.

1. mulier mea: a lover's term, found only here in the elegists, in this sense, though puella is often so used; but cf. Hor. Epod. 12, 23: magis quem diligeret mulier sua quam te.- nubere = tenere in 72, 2. Cf. Plaut. Cist. 43:

haec quidem ecastor cottidie viro nubit.

2. Iuppiter: cf. 72, 2.- petat : 6 come to woo.'

3. dicit: the repetition of this word suggests epigram 25 of Callimachus as a probable model: :Ωμοσε Καλλίγνωτος Ἰωνίδι, μήποτ ̓ ἐκείνης

ἕξειν μήτε φίλον κρέσσονα, μήτε φίλην.

ὤμοσεν. ἀλλὰ λέγουσιν ἀληθέα, τοὺς ἐν ἔρωτι

ὅρκους μὴ δύνειν οὔατ ̓ ἐς ἀθαvárov; etc.-cupido: cf. 107, 1. 4. Cf. Tib. 4, 4, 8; Prop. 2, 28, 8.

72

Catullus is now well aware of Lesbia's true character; and, though his passion is not quenched, he cannot longer respect her. Cf. Nos. 73 and 85.

1. Dicebas... Iovem: cf. dicit. . . Iuppiter, 70, 1.- nosse :

5

dilexi tum te non tantum ut vulgus amicam,
sed pater ut gnatos diligit et generos.
nunc te cognovi: quare etsi inpensius uror,
multo mi tamen es vilior et levior.

qui potis est? inquis. quod amantem iniuria talis
cogit amare magis, sed bene velle minus.

73

Desine de quoquam quicquam bene velle mereri
aut aliquem fieri posse putare pium.

73. 1. quicquam D quisquam VM.

i.e. as an accepted lover; the history of Lesbia's career before this makes it impossible to believe that Catullus ever understood her to use the word in sensu venerio. Cf. such expressions as "this one thing I do," "I am resolved to know only," etc.

2. tenere: cf. 11, 18: conplexa tenet; 64, 28.

3. dilexi love mingled with esteem is meant, as compared with the merely sensual amare. Cf. bene velle, v. 8.

4. gnatos. . . generos: by way of contrast to amicam, those in the family circle toward whom there is the least element of that amor here in mind; and so a more emphatic expression than even uxorem or filiam would be.

5. inpensius uror: the flames of passion are all the hotter, though my esteem is gone. Cf. Ter. Eun. 72: et taedet et amore ardeo.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

5

omnia sunt ingrata, nihil fecisse benigne:

immo etiam taedet, taedet obestque magis,

ut mihi, quem nemo gravius nec acerbius urget

quam modo qui me unum atque unicum amicum habuit.

75

Huc est mens deducta tua, mea Lesbia, culpa,
atque ita se officio perdidit ipsa suo,

ut iam nec bene velle queat tibi, si optima fias,
nec desistere amare, omnia si facias.

73. 3. benigne V Friedrich adds est. the verse.

4. Guyetus prefixed prodest to taedet, taedet Avantius taedet obestque magisque magis V taedet, si fit Lachmann.

75. 1. huc VRM nunc Codex Cuiacianus, accepted by Scaliger, who transposed the poem and joined it to 87. deducta VRM diducta Lachmann.

[blocks in formation]

5

76

Siqua recordanti benefacta priora voluptas
est homini, cum se cogitat esse pium,
nec sanctam violasse fidem nec foedere in ullo
divum ad fallendos numine abusum homines,
multa parata manent in longa aetate, Catulle,
ex hoc ingrato gaudia amore tibi.

nam quaecumque homines bene cuiquam aut dicere
possunt

aut facere, haec a te dictaque factaque sunt.

76. Follows 75 in the Mss. immediately, and was therefore also transposed after 87-75 by Lachmann. 3. in ullo nullo VRM.

76

Realizing thoroughly the entire unworthiness of Lesbia and bitterly conscious of the faithlessness with which she has rewarded his constant devotion, Catullus has resolved to cure himself of his love. But, finding reason powerless to cope with passion, he summons the aid of the gods to rid him of his infatuation.

1. benefacta: cf. vv. 7, 8.

2. pium: 'conscientious'; explained by the next two verses. Several such expressions in this elegy are to be explained only from the point of view of the poet consumed by the one thought already stated in the introduction to

the poem.

3. fidem: to men, as contrasted with that obligation towards the gods which is referred to in the following clause.

4. divum . . . numine: 'an oath in the name of the gods'; cf. 64, 134: neglecto numine divum; Ovid, Met. 10, 430: promissaque numine firmat.

5. longa aetate: 'during a long life'; i.e. he has enough memories of this kind (cf. multa) to last him a lifetime.

6. ingrato: cf. 73, 3, n.

7. cuiquam: this indefinite, more common in universal negatives, is sometimes employed also in universal affirmatives, usually in expressed, or implied, conditions; cf. Cic. Ad Fam. 6, 14, 1: si quisquam est timidus. . . is ego

sum.

IO

15

20

omnia quae ingratae perierunt credita menti.

quare cur te iam amplius excrucies?

quin tu animo offirmas atque istinc teque reducis,
et dis invitis desinis esse miser?
difficile est longum subito deponere amorem.
difficile est, verum hoc qua lubet efficias:
una salus haec est, hoc est tibi pervincendum :
hoc facias, sive id non pote sive pote.

o di, si vestrum est misereri, aut si quibus umquam
extremam iam ipsa morte tulistis opem,
me miserum adspicite et, si vitam puriter egi,
eripite hanc pestem perniciemque mihi.

10. cur te iam VM iam te cur Do cur tu te iam Schoell. Heinsius instincteque O instinctoque GM istinc te ipsa Ellis.

[blocks in formation]

II. istinc teque

15. haec refers to the same thing as hoc in vv. 14, 15, 16 ; the gender here conforms to that of salus.

16. pote: sc. est. Cf. v. 24; 72, 7, n.; Prop. 3, 7, 10; Pers. 1, 56: qui pote?

18. extremam iam ipsa morte : in the last article of death.' Catullus feels that his is a desperate, life-and-death struggle.

19. puriter in the sense elaborated in the opening verses of this elegy. The form is one of the poet's archaisms; cf. 39, 14; Cato, R. R. 23, 2.

20. pestem perniciemque: this expression, found in various other writers, was doubtless considered especially emphatic from its alliteration and assonance. Cf. "beastly bore," "plaguey particular," and the like.

« ZurückWeiter »