IO 15 20 sky. pura novum vati laurea mollit iter. huc mundi coiere manus: stetit aequore moles altera classis erat Teucro damnata Quirino, aere: i.e. under another 10. novum: a type of poetry new at Rome, though tried by Callimachus. - laurea: as dear to Apollo.mollit: for the figure cf. the biblical story of Palm Sunday. 11. After this highly poetic introduction we have here the simple announcement of the real theme of the elegy. 12. Calliope: her function is not restricted in Propertius to any particular field, any more than in Horace; cf. 3, 2, 16. 13. in nomen: 'in praise of'; purpose acc. ducuntur carmina: 'the thread of my song is spun.' 14. vaces: 'keep holiday' (from ruling the universe), i.e. have leisure to listen. 'stretching back.' - Athamana : the Athamanes were a people in Epirus, northeast of the gulf. 16. condit: quiets.' 17. Iuleae: i.e. of his descendant, Augustus. -pelagus: 'veritable sea'; in apposition with portus, as is also monumenta ('made memorable by '). A glance at the map will justify the exclamatory addition of pelagus to the description. 18. non operosa (i.e. of access): this was hardly true till Augustus himself made improvements at Nicopolis after the battle of Actium; cf. Verg. Aen. 3, 275: formidatus nautis aperitur Apollo. via: roadstead.' 19. moles pinea: referring to the two fleets. 20. nec with adversative force: L. 1445 (d).—avis: ‘omen.' 21. Teucro: the followers of Aeneas, destined to found Rome, are constantly called Teucri by 25 30 pilaque feminea turpiter acta manu: hinc Augusta ratis plenis Iovis omine velis signaque iam patriae vincere docta suae. cum Phoebus linquens stantem se vindice Delon adstitit Augusti puppim super et nova flamma luxit in obliquam ter sinuata facem. non ille attulerat crines in colla solutos aut testudineae carmen inerme lyrae, sed quali adspexit Pelopeum Agamemnona vultu 25. aciem O acies w. Vergil; the use of the term here emphasizes the decree of fate. damnata: doomed to submit.'. Quirino : by yielding to Octavian, the enemy really gave new glory to the deified founder of Rome. 22. turpiter: the disgrace lay in being pitted against a woman,* whose soldiers were using the national weapon of the Romans. 23. hinc corresponding to altera. Augusta: by anticipation; the title was not given to Octavian till 27 B.C.-Iovis: as god of the sky. 24. iam: this battle was only the culmination of a series of victories won by Octavian. — patriae the victor is represented as entirely unselfish, and fighting to save the State. 25. geminos. . . arcus: Octavian's fleet being in concave (inclosing), and Antony's in convex 35 40 45 egessitque avidis Dorica castra rogis, Auguste, Hectoreis cognite maior avis, solve metu patriam, quae nunc te vindice freta quam nisi defendes, murorum Romulus augur et nimium remis audent prope. turpe Latinos nec te, quod classis centenis remiget alis, 50 55 terreat invito labitur illa mari. quodque vehunt prorae Centaurica saxa minantis, quae nisi iusta subest, excutit arma pudor. tempus adest, committe rates: ego temporis auctor ducam laurigera Iulia rostra manu.' dixerat, et pharetrae pondus consumit in arcus: and quote as a parallel Hom. Od. 50. Cf. Hor. Car. 1, 14, 14: nil pictis timidus navita puppibus fidit. 53. committe rates committe proelium navale. 54. laurigera: cf. Ovid, A. A. 3, 389; laurigero sacrata Palatia Phoebo. 55. pharetrae pondus: cf. hoc onus omne (verse 40). — consumit : 'spent.' 56. proxima cf. Hor. Car. I, 12, 18: nec viget quicquam simile aut secundum. proximos illi tamen occupavit Pallas honores. 57. femina: Propertius declines to mention the name of Cleopatra as he had declined before, in 3, 11. 58. sceptra: a common emblem of royal power, here used of the fleet, another such emblem. — per Ionias . . . aquas: cf. Hor. Epod. 9, 29-32. 59. Idalio . . . astro: as Venus was especially worshiped at Cretan Idalium, this expression 60 65 70 'sum deus est nostri sanguinis ista fides.' illa petit Nilum cymba male nixa fugaci, di melius! quantus mulier foret una triumphus, bella satis cecini: citharam iam poscit Apollo victor et ad placidos exuit arma choros. candida nunc molli subeant convivia luco, would most naturally refer to her fleet consisted of sixty ships. own star. But as Julius Caesar had a star of his own, the comet which appeared at the games given in his honor by Octavian (cf. Suet. Iul. 88; Hor. Car. 1, 12, 46: micat inter omnes Iulium sidus), Propertius ought to be referring to that; if so, he is indulging his penchant for ambiguity. miratur: 'looks on admiringly.' 60. nostri sanguinis ista fides: 'that prowess of yours is proof enough that you belong to my family, i.e. are an heir to divinity. Of course Octavian was really only an adopted son. 61. Triton it is appropriate that the marine divinities lead in proclaiming the triumph of Rome on the sea. 62. libera signa: 'standards of a free state.' 63. illa cf. v. 57, n. — cymba: hyperbole; Cleopatra's returning 64. hoc unum: obj. of the purpose idea in moritura, so that the main idea of the verb becomes an appositive to this phrase; a unique construction: with this one thing in view, namely not to die on the appointed day' (i.e. that of a Roman triumph). 65. melius: sc. consuluerunt, referring to the idea of the previous phrase. quantus: ironical. 67. The poet hastens to add that it was not for a triumph over one woman that Apollo derived his glory on this occasion, but for his divine archery in overcoming the hostile fleet. 71. candida: referring to the participants, who would be clad in fresh white garments; cf. Tib. 1, 10, 27; 2, 1, 13. - convivia: cf. Hor. Car. 1, 37, 1: Nunc est bibendum, opening the ode in celebration of this same victory. |