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,
sed chorus et cantus et levis aptus amor,
sed varii flores et frons redimita corymbis,
fusa sed ad teneros lutea palla pedes
et Tyriae vestes et dulcis tibia cantu

et levis occultis conscia cista sacris.
huc ades et genium ludo geniumque choreis
49. genium ludo Heyne centum ludos O ludis w.

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 regular 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. v. 12, n. - lutea palla: a long

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:
illius et nitido stillent unguenta capillo,

et capite et collo mollia serta gerat.
sic venias hodierne: tibi dem turis honores,
liba et Mopsopio dulcia melle feram.

at tibi succrescat proles, quae facta parentis
augeat et circa stet veneranda senem.
nec taceat monumenta viae, quem Tuscula tellus

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.

53. hodierne : sc. deus; i.e. 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.

menta :

57. taceat: sc. ille from the following relative clause. monu'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.
namque opibus congesta tuis hic glarea dura.
sternitur, hic apta iungitur arte silex.

te canit agricola, e magna cum venerit urbe
serus inoffensum rettuleritque pedem.
at tu, natalis multos celebrande per annos,
candidior semper candidiorque veni.

ΙΟ

Quis fuit, horrendos primus qui protulit enses?
quam ferus et vere ferreus ille fuit!

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. 1. 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,
tum brevior dirae mortis aperta viast.
an nihil ille miser meruit, nos ad mala nostra

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 imita- ́ tions 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.

1-14: 'War is a hateful thing, a child of avarice; the good old days knew it not. It would have been pleasanter to live then! 1532 Preserve me, Lares, as you did in my childhood; things were better in the days of simplicity which you represent; spare me, and I will render you your due. Let another be a doughty warrior! 33-44: What madness to covet a violent death on the battlefield!

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: 1, 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

vertimus in saevas quod dedit ille feras? divitis hoc vitium est auri, nec bella fuerunt, faginus adstabat cum scyphus ante dapes. non arces, non vallus erat, somnumque petebat securus varias dux gregis inter oves.

tunc mihi vita foret, vulgi nec tristia nossem

arma nec audissem corde micante tubam: nunc ad bella trahor, et iam quis forsitan hostis.

II. vulgi O dulcis Heinsius.