Tergaque Parthorum, Romanaque pectora dicam ;
Telaque ab averso quae jacit hostis equo.1
Qui fugis, ut vincas, quíd victo, Parthe relinquis; 35
Parthe, malum jam nunc Mars tuus omen 2 habet.
Ergo erit illa dies, qua tu, pulcherrime rerum,
Quattuor in niveis aureus ibis equis.
Ibunt ante duces onerati colla catenis;
Ne possint tuti, qua prius, esse fuga.
Spectabunt laeti juvenes, mistaeque puellae:
Diffundetque animos omnibus ista dies.

4

The building of Rome, and death of Remus. Jam luerat poenas frater Numitoris, et omne Pastorum gemino sub duce vulgus erat: Contrahere agrestes, et moenia ponere utrique

Convenit, ambigitur, moenia ponat uter: Nil opus est, dixit, certamine, Romulus, ullo: Magna fides avium est: experiamur aves. Res placet, alter init nemorosi saxa Palatî; Alter Aventinum mane cacumen init.

troops)." Below, in "ne desint," etc., Ovid expresses a hope that his words will not fall short of Caius' spirit.

1 Averso... equo. The Parthians' tactics were to feign retreat, and suddenly to turn round and charge their enemies, when disordered by pursuit. Below, in "qui fugis," etc., Ovid says, “If you flee in order to conquer, what is there left for the conquered to do? They can only run away too."

2 Omen. The tactical retreat of the Parthians will be now

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5

ominous of a real retreat. Below, "pulcherrime rerum is "noblest of creatures-or of mankind." Similarly, Horace has "dulcissime rerum." Caius would soon celebrate a triumph over the Parthians.

3 Animos, etc. "Will infuse spirit or exultation into all."

4 Frater Numitoris. Amulius. Below, "utrique convenit" is "both are agreed." They were both agreed that a city should be built; the only question was which of the two should found it.

Sex Remus, hic volucres bis sex videt ordine: pacto Statur; et arbitrium Romulus urbis habet.

1

Apta dies legitur, qua moenia signet aratro,

Sacra Palis suberant; inde movetur opus.
Fossa fit ad solidum: fruges jaciuntur in ima,
Et de vicino terra petita solo.

Fossa repletur humo, plenaeque imponitur ara,
Et novus accenso fungitur igne focus.
Inde premens stivam designat moenia sulco:
Alba jugum niveo cum bove vacca tulit.
Vox fuit haec Regis, Condenti Juppiter urbem,
Et Genitor Mavors, Vestaque mater ades!
Quosque pium est adhibere deos, advertite cuncti :
Auspicibus vobis hoc mihi surgat opus.
Longa sit huic aetas, dominaeque potentia terrae;
Sitque sub hac oriens occiduusque dies.
Ille precabatur. Tonitru dedit omina laevo
Juppiter; et lævo fulmina missa polo.
Augurio laeti jaciunt fundamina cives;
Et novus exiguo tempore murus erat.

10

15

20

25

Hoc Celer urget opus, quem Romulus ipse vocârat;2
Sintque, Celer, curae, dixerat, ista tuae.

Neve quis aut muros, aut factam vomere fossam
Transeat, audentem talia dede neci.

Quod Remus ignorans, humiles contemnere muros
Coepit: et, His populus, dicere, tutus erit?

1 Statur. The verb is used impersonally in the passive. This is the only way in which it can be used passively. So "itur" is used. Below, "fungitur" is "gets rid of the fire" by its being burnt out. "Fungi," or "defungi vita," is to get rid of one's life, to die, and "defungi morte is used in the sense of to get

30

through the act of dying; the ultimate meaning of the two expressions being the same.

2

Quem-vocarat. Either "had so named" from his quickness, or "had summoned to the duty," which I think is the real sense. Below, for "occupat" see a previous note.

Nec mora, transiluit: rutro Celer occupat ausum. 35
Ille premit duram sanguinolentus humum.
Haec ubi Rex didicit; lacrimas introrsus obortas
Devorat, et clausum pectore vulnus habet.
Flere palam non vult, exemplaque fortia servat;
Sicque meos muros transeat hostis, ait.
Dat tamen exsequias; nec jam suspendere fletum
Sustinet, et pietas dissimulata patet.
Osculaque applicuit posito suprema feretro;
Atque ait: Invito frater adempte, vale.

40

Hercules and Cacus.

Puppibus egressus Latia stetit exul1 in herba :
Felix, exilium cui locus ille fuit!

Nec mora longa fuit, stabant nova tecta; nec alter
Montibus Ausoniis Arcade major erat.

Ecce! boves illuc Erythëidas applicat2 heros
Emensus longi claviger orbis iter;

5

Dumque huic hospitium domus est Tegëaea, vagantur

Incustoditae laeta per arva boves.

Mane erat: excussos somno Tirynthius hospes
De numero tauros sentit abesse duos.
Nulla videt quaerens taciti vestigia furti :
Traxerat aversos Cacus in antra feros:
Cacus Aventinae timor, atque infamia, silvae,
Non leve finitimis hospitibusque malum:

10

2 Applicat. "Brings to shore." Below, "claviger" is Hercules, the wielder of the club.

Dira viro facies; vires pro corpore;1 corpus
Grande: pater monstri Mulciber hujus erat.
Proque domo, longis spelunca recessibus ingens,
Abdita, vix ipsis invenienda feris.

Ora super postes affixaque bracchia pendent;
Squallidaque humanis ossibus albet humus.
Servata male parte boum Jove natus abibat;
Mugitum rauco furta dedere sono.
Accipio revocamen, ait: vocemque sequutus
Impia per silvas ultor ad antra venit.
Ille aditum fracti praestruxerat obice montis;
Vix juga movissent quinque bis illud opus.
Nititur hic humeris (caelum quoque sederat illis),
Et vastum motu collabefactat onus.

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Quod simul evulsum est, fragor aethera terruit ipsum,
Ictaque subsedit pondere molis humus.
Prima movet Cacus collata proelia dextra,
Remque ferox saxis stipitibusque gerit.
Queis ubi nil agitur, patrias male fortis ad artes
Confugit, et flammas ore sonante vomit:
Quas quoties proflat, spirare Typhoëa credas,
Et rapidum Aetnaeo fulgur ab igne jaci.
Occupat Alcides; adductaque clava trinodis
Ter quater adversi sedit in ore viri.

3

Ille cadit, mixtosque vomit cum sanguine fumos,
Et lato moriens pectore plangit humum.

1 Pro corpore. Cacus' strength was in proportion to his size. They were both vast. Below, "abibat" is "was on the point of going to seek them."

2 Sederat illis. When Her cules relieved Atlas for a short time from the load of the heavens which the latter bore upon his shoulders. Below, "male for

tis" is " cowardly," as
fidus" is "traitorous."

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40

"male

3 Typhoea. A Greek accusative. Typhoeus was one of the giants who made war on the gods. He was punished by confinement under Mount Aetna. Below, "sedit," etc., is "fell full on the face of Cacus who fronted him,"

Immolat ex illis taurum tibi, Juppiter, unum
Victor, et Evandrum ruricolasque vocat;
Constituitque sibi, quae Maxima dicitur, aram,
Hic ubi pars Urbis 1 de bove nomen habet.

To Corinna going to sea.

Prima malas docuit, mirantibus aequoris undis,
Peliaco 2 pinus vertice caesa vias:
Quae concurrentes inter temeraria cautes
Conspicuam fulvo vellere vexit ovem.
O utinam, ne quis remo freta longa moveret,
Argo funestas pressa bibisset aquas!
Ecce fugit notumque torum sociosque Penates,
Fallacesque vias ire Corinna parat.

Quid tibi (me miserum!) Zephyros Eurosque timebo,

Et gelidum Borean, egelidumque Notum ? 10 Non illic urbes, non tu mirabere silvas:

Una est injusti caerula forma maris.

Nec medius tenues conchas pictosve lapillos
Pontus habet; bibuli litoris illa mora est.

1 Pars Urbis. The Forum Boarium, between the Palatine hill and the Tiber.

2 Peliaco. The ship Argo was built of pine from Mount Pelion, in Thessaly. Below, "the closing rocks" are the Symplegades, two rocks at the entrance of the Bosphorus, which closed on and crushed (hence "pressa ") whatever passed between them.

3 Sociosque Penates. "The homes of her friends." The Penates were the gods of the house, each house, in addition to

4

three common to all (Jupiter,
Juno, and Vesta), having gods of
its own. Below, "ire vias" is
an instance of a cognate accusa-
tive,
"9
"ire being, of course, a
neuter verb.

4 Illa mora. "Such loitering (in the gathering of these shells) belongs only to the thirsty shore." They can only be gathered on the sands. Below, "Scylla" was a sea monster lurking behind a rock; and "Charybdis" a whirlpool in the straits of Messina; which rendered navigation dangerous;