120 125 nam nec tam carum confecto aetate parenti una caput seri nata nepotis alit, qui, cum divitiis vix tandem inventus avitis nomen testatas intulit in tabulas, inpia derisi gentilis gaudia tollens suscitat a cano volturium capiti : nec tantum niveo gavisa est ulla columbo conpar, quae multo dicitur inprobius prominently in both of the epithalamia of Catullus; cf. 61, 81, 83, 95; 62, 20-24; also Hor. Car. 3, 9, 17: redit Venus, diductosque iugo cogit aeneo. - iugum: cf. 61, 45: coniugator amoris. 119-124. A second parallel to the intensity of Laodamia's love is found in that of an old man for his long-hoped-for grandson.carum... caput . . . alit = carum est caput seri nepotis quod nata alit. 120. caput: 'life.' Cf. Prop. 4, II, 10, n. -seri: and therefore long-expected. 123. inpia: because pietas especially implies loyalty to the highest interests and wishes of the older members of one's family, in the broad or narrow sense of the word family; and here a more distant relative had selfishly and greedily hoped for disappointment of the grandsire's fondest hopes. - derisi gentilis: now in turn mocked by the rotation of Fortune's wheel. The Laws of the XII Tables provided: si paterfamilias intestato moritur, familia pecuniaque eius agnatum gentiliumque esto (Cic. De Inv. 2,50). 124. volturium: the gentilis. Cf. Sen. Ep. 95, 43: amico aegro aliquis adsidet; probamus: at hoc si hereditatis causa facit, voltur est, cadaver exspectat; Plaut. Trin. 101: sunt alii qui te volturium vocant. capiti: an abl. form unparalleled in the classical period, and exceedingly rare even in the postclassical period. Cf. Neue, Vol. 1, p. 366. 125-128. A third comparison is found in the proverbial fondness of a dove for its mate. 126. conpar: 'mate.' 130 oscula mordenti semper decerpere rostro aut nihil aut paullo cui tum concedere digna 135 quae tamen etsi uno non est contenta Catullo, 127. mordenti: cf. 2, 2-4; cui primum digitum adpetenti et acris solet incitare morsus; Plaut. Men. 195. 128. multivola: amaέ λey. in classical Latin. The multa forming the first part of the compound refers to oscula. 129. tu: Laodamia. — furores : cf. 2, 8: uti gravis acquiescat ardor; Verg. Aen. 4, 101: ardet amans Dido traxitque per ossa furorem; Prop. 1, 13, 20: tantus erat demens inter utrosque furor. 130. flavo: of a typical ancient hero. 131. Reverting to the comparison in vv. 70-74, Catullus takes up again the theme of Lesbia's love and entrancing loveliness. 132. lux mea: cf. V. 160; Tib. 4, 3, 15: tum placeant silvae, si, lux mea, tecum arguar; Prop. 2, 14, 29: nunc ad 134. crocina: the same color as the bridal veil; so Hymen is represented in this color in 61, 8: flammeum cape, etc. 135. Catullus has heard enough of Lesbia's frailties to disturb his peace of mind; but, in no mood yet to cast her off, would excuse her as even in this respect also like the immortals. 136. verecundae: that Lesbia did not reveal her amours to the world is considered an extenuating circumstance. furta : see Lex. Cf. v. 145; Prov. 9, 17: "Stolen waters are sweet." erae: used also by Ovid in Her. 9, 78, for the more usual domina. 137. molesti: i.e. jealous. 140 coniugis in culpa flagrantem concoquit iram, noscens omnivoli plurima furta Iovis. atqui nec divis homines conponier aequumst: ingratum tremuli tolle parentis onus. nec tamen illa mihi dextra deducta paterna fragrantem Assyrio venit odore domum, 145 sed furtiva dedit mira munuscula nocte, ipsius ex ipso dempta viri gremio. quare illud satis est, si nobis is datur unis 139. concoquit Lachmann cotidiana O quotidiana GM contudit Hertzberg concipit Baehrens continet Santen. 140. furta w facta VM. 141. atqui @ atque VM at quia D. There is no gap in the Mss. after this verse. 139. in: 'in cases of.'- concoquit: cf. the slang phrase, “simmer down." 140. omnivoli: another arαέ λey. of the same pattern as multivola (v. 128); but the first part of the compound in this instance refers to persons (puellas ?); and an important part of classical mythology deals with their history. 141. conponier: the three other instances of the archaic infin. ending in Catullus are all in No. 61 (vv. 42, 65, 68). 142. 'Have done with the senile vexatiousness of over-jealousy' (Ellis). As men and gods are incomparable, a comedy scene is suggested as a parallel, the irritable old man enraged at the amorous escapades of a son. The thought essentially repeats that of v. 137, and is addressed to himself, like Prop. 2, 5, 14: subtrahe colla iugo, without any expressed vocative. ROM. EL. POETS-7 97 143. nec tamen: And, after all, she was not,' etc. Cf. Prop. 3, 16, II; Munro on Lucr. 5, 1177. deducta: in the wedding procession. — paterna: in a figurative sense only, referring to the fact that the father gave away the bride in manus of the bridegroom. 145. Cf. v. 136, n. - dedit: Lesbia gave the voluntary offering of passionate affection, as contrasted with the reluctance of the bride whose father had arranged a marriage, perhaps without consulting her wishes. The moral for Catullus seems to be, "You shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," but be judiciously blind to some failings. 147. is the antecedent diem is incorporated in the following relative clause. unis: 'only'; Catullus is most favored, of all the lovers of Lesbia. 150 quem lapide illa diem candidiore notet. ne vestrum scabra tangat robigine nomen haec atque illa dies atque alia atque alia.` 155 sitis felices et tu simul et tua vita, et domus ipsa in qua lusimus, et domina, † et qui principio nobis terram dedit aufert, a quo sunt primo omnia nata bona, 148. notet D notat V. 150. Alli Scaliger aliis VM alys R Manli w. 157. terram VRM teneram Statius te et eram Munro. aufert VRM Anser Heyse Afer Munro audens Friedrich. 148. lapide . . . diem candidiore: corresponding to our phrase, 'a red-letter day.' The custom was said to be a Cretan one, to count prosperous days by white pebbles. Cf. 107, 6; Plin. Ep. 6, II, 3:0 diem laetum notandumque mihi candidissimo calculo! Hor. Car. 1, 36, 10: Cressa ne careat pulchra dies nota; Pers. 2, I: diem numera meliore lapillo. 149. The panegyric now completed, Catullus turns in personal address to his friend with the final words of goodwill; cf. Intr. to the poem. 151. vestrum: i.e. the family name. scabra robigine: cf. Latimer, Misc.: "a new canker to rust and corrupt the old truth." 152. The flight of time; cf. 64, 16. 153. huc i.e. to this munus which I have offered. - Themis : 158. bona o bono VM. the divinity that represented "law." Her attributes were the horn of plenty, symbolizing blessing, and the balance, indicating exact justice. 155. vita = domina, but whether a parallel to Lesbia or a lawful wife it is impossible to determine. 156. domus cf. v. 68. domina is the same person as dominam in v. 68. sit felix is to be supplied several times in vv. 156– 157, and in v. 160. 157-158. These verses are still an unsolved puzzle for commentators. Perhaps they refer to a third person who assisted in the merry plot, terram being taken in the sense of a basis of undertaking, a footing from which to carry on the intrigue, a terra firma of refuge after being tossed on the waves of doubt, and omnia refer 160 et longe ante omnes mihi quae me carior ipsost, 70 Nulli se dicit mulier mea nubere malle 72 Dicebas quondam solum te nosse Catullum, ring to the love affair as a whole. = 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 : '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 ἀθα várov; etc.-cupido: cf. 107, I. 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 : |