walls is a space called by contraction Pomerium, as lying behind or beyond the wall. Where they designed to have a gate, they took the plough-share out of the ground, and lifted up the plough, making a break for it. Hence they look upon the whole wall as sacred, except the gateways. If they considered the gates in the same light as the rest, it would be deemed unlawful either to receive the necessaries of life by them, or to carry out through them what is unclean.1" 13. (Ad solidum.) The meaning seems to be that the trench was sunk until they reached the rock, or at all events the hard subsoil, as distinguished from the soft mould near the surface. This interpretation is supported by Val. Max. II. iv. 4. "Is, quod eo loci nullam aram viderat, desiderari credens, ut a se construeretur, aram emturus in Urbem perrexit; relictis, qui, fundamentorum constituendorum gratia, terram ad solidum foderent." and Columell. IV. 30. "Perticæ.... tantur. panguntur eousque dum ad solidum demit The reading solitum is found in many MSS., but seems to be a corruption, or to have arisen from solidum not being understood. 16. (Fungitur igne.) The proper meaning of fungi is to execute a task, to discharge a duty, now the use or duty of an altar is to receive the fire which consumes the offering, and hence the phrase focus fungitur igne, "the altar does its duty by the fire." Gierig and other editors prefer finditur, "the unseasoned altar is cracked by the fire. 17. (Stivam.) The stiva was the lever, attached to the buris or plough-handle, by means of which the course of the share was guided. See Virg. G. I. 174. Stivaque quæ currus a tergo torqueat imos. 'Langhorne's Translation. Compare with the above, Varro L. L. V. 32. "Oppida condebant in Latio Etrusco ritu multi, id est iunctis bobus, tauro et vacca, interiore aratro circumagebunt sulcum. Hoc faciebant religionis causa die auspicato ut fossa et muro essent muniti. Terram unde exsculpserant Fossam vocabant et introrsum factam Murum. Postea qui fiebat orbis, Urbis principium; qui quod erat post murum Postmærium dictum, eiusque ambitu auspicia urbana finiuntur. also Isidorus Orig. XV. 2. "Locus futuræ civitatis sulco designabatur, idest, aratro. Cato, "Qui urbem," inquit "novam condet, tauro et vacca aret, ubi araverit, murum faciat, ubi portam vult esse, aratrum sustollat et portet, et Portam vocet." 25. (Tonitru...lavo.) Romans a happy omen. "Læva (sc. tonitrua) mundi ortus est." Thunder on the left was considered by the Thus Plin. H. N. II. 54. prospera existimantur quoniam læva parte 35. (Rutro.) The rutrum was an agricultural implement for turning up the earth, and is derived by Varro from ruere. It would appear to have been a kind of spade, but no description of it is to be found in those authors who use the term (Occupat.) See note on Extract from Ovid, Fast. I. 575, line 33. 39. (Exemplaque fortia servat,) sequitur exemplum virorum fortium in devorandis lacrimis et in dolore intus claudendo. G. 45. (Arsurosque artus unxit.) We have already quoted in a note on Tibull. I. iii. 5, a passage containing an accurate description of the manner in which the ashes of the dead were preserved, we shall here give the lines of Virgil, detailing minutely the ceremonies connected with burning the corpse. E. VI. 214. Principio pinguem tædis et robore secto Triste ministerium, et subiectam more parentum 50. (Victorem, &c.) “Destined to trample with victorious foot on all lands." 53. 54. Rome is here tacitly compared to a heroine standing amid a crowd of inferior mortals, and the poet prays that she may overtop them all by the head and shoulders. Thus in Homer Il. III. 227, Ajax Εξοχος ̓Αργείων κεφαλήν τε καὶ εὐρέας ὤμους. So also Musæus Virg. Æ. VI. 666. Quos circum fusos sic est affata Sibylla, Musæum ante omnes, medium nam plurima turba OVID. FASTI. I. 335. 1.. 3. This extract contains a history of the various offerings presented to different gods. The poet begins by giving the etymology of the words victima and hostia, deriving the former from victor or victrix, the latter from hostis. 3. (Ante,) in days of yore. 4. He describes the mola salsa, the most simple of all offerings, composed of meal and salt. Mica is "a glittering particle," and is frequently used absolutely without the addition of salis, e. g. Hor. C. III. xxiii. 19. Mollivit aversos Penates-Farre pio et saliente mica. and Tibull. III. iv. 10. Farre pio placant et saliente mica, where the epithet saliens represents the leaping of the salt as it crackles in the fire. 5. Myrrha derived from Mugsv to drop, is always represented by the ancients as a gum which exsuded in tears from the bark of an Arabian shrub. That which dropped spontaneously before an incision was made was called oraxr), and was considered the most valuable. Pliny (H. N. XII. c. 15. 16.) gives a full description of myrrh and of the plant which yields it, but it has as yet eluded the search of modern botanists. 7. (Tura.) Thus or Tus, the Bavaròs of the Greeks, is gener ally believed to be the same with the Gum Olibanum of commerce, still extensively employed in the services of the Roman Catholic church. 7. (Euphrates.) Many of the costly productions of the East were sent down the Euphrates, and from thence transported by the Persian and Arabian gulphs to Alexandria, the great emporium of oriental commerce at this period. Frankincense, however, was generally believed to grow exclusively in the land of the Sabaeans in Arabia Felix, "Thura, præter Arabiam, nullis, ac ne Arabiæ quidem universæ, &c." Plin. H. N. XII. 14. 7. (Costum.) The plant which yielded this perfume and the substance itself, are alike unknown. Those curious in these matters will find the subject discussed in Doctor Vincent's Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients. Pliny H. N. XII. 12, gives an account of Costum and Nardus, which, he says, were held in high estimation among the Indians, the former he describes as a root, the latter as a leaf which formed the principal ingredient in Roman Unguenta. 8. (Croci.) See note on Ovid Amor. II. vi. 22, p. 256. 9. (Herbis...Sabinis.) The herb called Bgálu by the Greeks, supposed to be the same as our Savin. Pliny H. N. XXIV. 11. "Herba Sabina brathy appellata a Græcis.........a multis in suffitus pro ture adsumitur." So the author of the Culex, 403. Herbaque turis opes priscis imitata Sabina. Compare also Fast. IV. 741. Ure mares oleas, tædamque, herbasque Sabinas, 10. See note on Tibull. II. v. 81, p. 207. 15. Compare Varro R. R. II. 4. "A suillo genere pecoris immolandi initium primum sumtum videtur. Cuius vestigia quod initiis Cereris porci immolantur et quod initiis pacis, foedus cum feritur, porcus occiditur, &c." 16. (Ulta...suas opes.) "In vengeance for the injury inflicted on her possessions." Ulciscor signifies, 1. To take vengeance upon, followed by the accusative of the object punished. 2. To take vengeance for, followed by the accusative of the object or guilt, on account of which punishment is inflicted. 3. To take vengeance for, followed by the accusative of the object on account of whose wrongs punishment is inflicted. (1.) Odi hominem et odero: utinam ulcisci possem! sed ulciscentur illum mores sui. Cic. Ep. Att. IX. 12. (2.) Si istius nefarium scelus Lampsaceni ulti vi manuque essent. Cic. Verr. Act. II. i. 27. (3.) Hoc opus, hæc pietas, hæc prima elementa fuerunt Cæsaris, ulcisci iusta per arma patrem. Ov. Fast. III. 709 23. 24. This couplet is translated by Ovid from a Greek Epigram, in which a vine thus addresses its persecutor, Κἢν με φάγῃς ἐπὶ ῥίζαν, ὅμως ἔτι καρποφορήσω el Όσσον ἐπισπεῖσαί σοι, τράγε, θυομένῳ. 25. (Noxa...deditus,) "given over to punishment on account of guilt:" is a technical legal phrase. Thus Festus, "Cum lex iubet noxæ dedere, pro peccato dedi iubet." 29. Ovid ought now to assign the reason why the ox was offered in sacrifice. Instead of doing this he merely recounts the circumstances under which it was first slain, and thus takes occasion to narrate the story of Aristæus and his bees, which the student will find detailed more fully and in a most exquisite vein of poetry by Virgil, G. IV. 280..558. Aristaus was the son of Apollo and the nymph Cyrene. Once upon a time, the Cyclades being scourged by excessive drought and famine, he was invited to visit Cea, and taught the inhabitants how they might appease the wrath of Sirius; upon which the Etesian winds began to blow and by their coolness restored fertility to the land. Aristæus was worshipped by the islanders under the titles of Jupiter Aristaus and Apollo Nomius. He is spoken of by Virgil as connected with Thessaly and Arcadia, as well as Cea. Pastor Aristæus fugiens Peneia Tempe Amissis, ut fama est, apibus morboque fameque, &c. G. IV.317. ...... et cultor nemorum cui pinguia Ceæ Ter centum nivei tondent dumeta iuvenci. G. I. 14. Tempus et Arcadii memoranda inventa magistri G. IV. 283. |