P. OVIDI NASONIS AMORVM LIBER PRIMVS EPIGRAMMA IPSIVS Qui modo Nasonis fueramus quinque libelli, tres sumus: hoc illi praetulit auctor opus; ut iam nulla tibi nos sit legisse voluptas, at levior demptis poena duobus erit. I Arma gravi numero violentaque bella parabam edere, materia conveniente modis; AMORES Epigramma Ipsius: there is no reason to doubt the genuineness of this epigram thus prefixed to the first book of the Amores. — Nasonis: Ovid is fond of calling himself by his cognomen; cf. Am. 2, 1, 2; Trist. 5, 13, 1; etc. quinque an earlier edition of the Amores was published in five books. Ovid later withdrew some of his more youthful efforts from circulation and published the existing edition in three books. Cf. Cicero's change of plan in the Academica. -- libelli: a term of modesty. hoc illi: the present to the earlier.' — ut: 'even if.' legisse cf. Tib. I, I, 29, n. I, I 1-4: 'I essayed heroic strains, but Cupid drove me to elegy. 5-20: "Who gave you the right to interfere?" I complained, "let every cobbler stick to his last." 21-26: But he drew his unerring bow at me, and now love rules my heart; 2730: so elegy is my province.' Cf. 2, I, II sqq.; Prop. 3, 3. 1. gravi numero : the hexameter; cf. modis (v. 2) (of the melody) and inferior versus (v. 3) (i.e. the second of a couplet) for a variety of expression of the general idea. 2. edere: 'to produce.' 5 IO 15 par erat inferior versus: risisse Cupido dicitur atque unum surripuisse pedem. quid, si praeripiat flavae Venus arma Minervae, quis probet in silvis Cererem regnare iugosis, crinibus insignem quis acuta cuspide Phoebum sunt tibi magna, puer, nimiumque potentia regna: an, quod ubique, tuum est? tua sunt Heliconia Tempe? 4. unum . . pedem: i.e. the two half feet which the pentameter lacks, as compared with the hexameter. surripuisse : the poet was taken unawares, like Apollo when Hermes stole his cattle. 5. saeve: a common epithet for Cupid in the elegiac writers; cf. Tib. 3, 4, 65. in carmina : this construction with ius is not infrequent in the poets. 6. vates: cf. Am. 3, 9, 17. 7. flavae: so Minerva is described, e.g. in Fast. 6,652; Trist. I, IO, I. II. crinibus: cf. Tib. 2, 5, 8; Prop. 3, 13, 52: intonsi Pythia regna dei. - cuspide: the spear (of Mars); the term is common in the poets. 12. Aoniam: cf. Prop. 1, 2, 28, n. 13. nimiumque potentia: and all too powerful.' 15. 'Do you" want the earth "?' Heliconia Tempe: the beautiful Thessalian valley through which ran the Peneios here becomes typical, and the poet means the beautiful regions where dwell the Muses, who were commonly located on Helicon. 17. surrexit: i.e. 'started off." - pagina: sc. mea. attempt the task of Diana. 18. ille: Cupid. 20 25 30 nec mihi materia est numeris levioribus apta, 'quod' que 'canas, vates, accipe' dixit 'opus!' uror, et in vacuo pectore regnat Amor. sex mihi surgat opus numeris, in quinque residat: 3 Iusta precor. quae me nuper praedata puellast, 19. nec adversative; the nega- 22. in exitium: purpose acc. 25. Cf. Prop. 2, 12, 9-12; 13, 2. 26. vacuo : 'hitherto fancyfree'; cf. Hor. Car. 1, 6, 19: cantamus, vacui, sive quid urimur. 27. Cf. Schiller's couplet: Im Hexameter steigt des Springquells flüssige Säule, Im Pentameter drauf fällt sie melodisch herab; and Coleridge's English version: "In the hexameter rises the foun tain's silvery column, In the pentameter aye falling in melody back." 29. cingere: the imperative used reflexively. litorea: cf. Mart. 4, 13, 6: litora myrtus amat: for the myrtle as sacred to Venus cf. A. A. 3, 53: dixit et e myrto (myrto nam vincta capillos constiterat) folium granaque pauca dedit. I, 3 ah, nimium volui! tantum patiatur amari: si me non veterum commendant magna parentum temperat et sumptus parcus uterque parens: nudaque simplicitas purpureusque pudor. 3. 12. hinc Merkel haec PS hac Palmer. at me Merkel ut me P et me S. 13. at Ehwald et 0. your lover, though I bring you neither nobility, nor wealth; 11-16: but I have the favor of the gods, fidelity and constancy. 17-26: Love me, live with me; and I will make your name as well known throughout the world as the names of the heroines of old.' 1. praedata... est: has captivated me'; cf. Am. 1, 2, 19: tua sum nova praeda, Cupido. 2. amet: his petition to Venus is in the third person, appropriately, in an address to his lady love. 3. tantum: 'simply.' 4. Cytherea cf. Am. 2, 17, 4. 5. accipe: the poet addresses the unknown lady, whose shadowy personality receives the name Corinna first in I, 5, 9. 7. With this passage cf. Prop. 3, 2, 11 sqq. 8. eques: Ovid was proud that his equestrian rank was not of the parvenu type; cf. Am. 3, 15, 5; and Trist. 4, 10, 7, to which he adds: non modo fortunae munere factus eques. 9. renovatur: cf. Tib. 3, 3, 5, n; Prop. 3, 5, 5. 10. But the poet's biography in Trist. 4, 10, and the manner of his life at Rome do not indicate straitened circumstances. Cf. Tib. I, I, 5, n. 11. comitesque novem: the Muses. vitisque repertor: Bacchus, who also inspired poetry and song; cf. Tib. 1, 7, 29, n.; Prop. 4, I, 62. 12. hinc faciunt: are on my side'; cf. Cic. Ad Att. 7, 3, 5: dignos illinc facere. 14. purpureusque pudor: i.e. modesty such as would cause a 'rosy blush'; cf. Am. 2, 5, 34: non mihi mille placent, non sum desultor amoris: te mihi materiem felicem in carmina praebe: carmine nomen habent exterrita cornibus Io quaeque super pontum simulato vecta iuvenco nos quoque per totum pariter cantabimur orbem, 15 Quid mihi, Livor edax, ignavos obicis annos conscia purpureus venit in ora 15. desultor: the figure is from the circus rider who leaped from one horse to another; cf. Prop. 4, 2, 36: traicit alterno qui leve pondus equo. 16. cura cf. 3, 3, 32, n. 17. fila sororum: cf. Hor. Car. 2, 3, 15: dum res et aetas et sororum fila trium patiuntur atra. 19. in carmina: purpose acc. 20. causa = materie: cf. Prop. 2, 1, 12: invenio causas mille poeta novas. 21. cornibus Io: cf. Prop. 2, 28, 17, n. 22. quam: Leda, wooed by Juppiter (adulter) in the form of a swan (fluminea . . ave). 23. quaeque: Europa ; cf. Prop. 2, 28, 52, n. 25. Cf. Am. 1, 15, 8. I, 15 The poet justifies his profession. 1-6: Envy says, I am wasting my time in poetry, which has no practical value. 7-30: Nay! my work will be immortal, like that of my great Greek and Roman predecessors. 31-34: Then let all bow before poetry. 35-42: The rabble may be wedded to their idols, but if Apollo fosters my art, I shall have undying fame after envious tongues have ceased to wag.' With the thought as a whole cf. Prop. 3, I. |