20 frater ad eloquium viridi tendebat ab aevo, fortia verbosi natus ad arma fori. inque suum furtim Musa trahebat opus. Maeonides nullas ipse reliquit opes.' motus eram dictis totoque Helicone relicto scribere conabar verba soluta modis : 25 sponte sua carmen numeros veniebat ad aptos; et quod temptabam dicere, versus erat. interea tacito passu labentibus annis liberior fratri sumpta mihique togast; induiturque umeris cum lato purpura clavo : 30 et studium nobis, quod fuit ante, manet. iamque decem frater vitae geminaverat annos, cum perit, et coepi parte carere mei. cepimus et tenerae primos aetatis honores, eque viris quondam pars tribus una fui. 34. eque vulg. deque A. 17. eloquium = eloquentia, a but usually came on the Li ralia variation common after this time. (March 17), and not often later 18. Cf. Prop. 4, 1, 134. than the boy's seventeenth year. 19. caelestia i.e. the 28. liberior: since it indicated poetic art. a greater degree of freedom for 21. studium ... inutile : poetry the young man. was not a practical," as the saying 29. lato . . . clavo: instead of goes to-day of similar pursuits. the usual tunica angusticlavia 22. Maeonides : cf. Am. 3, 6, of the knight. Sons of senators and of noble knights often in 23. Helicone : the Boeotian the Augustan epoch assumed the mountain recognized as the abode tunica laticlavia as a token that of the Muses. they were planning a higher of24. verba soluta modis : ‘prose.' ficial career. 27. labentibus annis : the date 32. Cf. Cat. 68, 22. for the assumption of the toga 34. viris ... tribus : either the virilis was not definitely fixed, tresviri capitales, who punished 27 417 sacra: 25, n. ROM. EL. POETS 35 40 curia restabat: clavi mensura coactast: maius erat nostris viribus illud onus. sollicitaeque fugax ambitionis eram, otia, iudicio semper amata meo. quotque aderant vates, rebar adesse deos. saepe suas volucres legit mihi grandior aevo, quaeque nocet serpens, quae iuvat herba, Macer. saepe suos solitus recitare Propertius ignes, iure sodalicii quo mihi iunctus erat. dulcia convictus membra fuere mei; dum ferit Ausonia carmina culta lyra. 45 50 tempus amicitiae fata dedere meae. 46. quo vulg. qui A. 51. amara w avara 44. iuvat vulg. iuvet AH. vulg: 29, n.). slaves and criminals of low rank; the senatorial dress (cf. v. or the tresviri monetales, who had 39. Aoniae : Boeotian; cf. charge of the coinage. Ovid was V. 23, n. also a member of the decemviri 43. volucres : the Ornithogonia stlitibus iudicandis, and of the of Aemilius Macer. centumviral court; but he never 44. Other works of Macer were really entered on the regular the Theriaca (on poisonous creasenatorial offices, which properly tures) and a poem De Herbis. began with the quaestorship. 47. Ponticus heroo : for the 35. curia : the senate house, to epic Thebais of Ponticus, cf. Prop. which he would have naturally 1, 7. — Bassus: ... iambis : problooked forward, had he chosen to ably the Bassus referred to in follow the senatorial career. Prop. I, 4. clavi mensura coactast: i.e. he 49. numerosus: tuneful.' was obliged, on giving up the 51. vidi tantum : Vergil lived senatorial career, to relinquish also at Naples, the latter part of his life. successor fuit hic tibi, Galle: Propertius illi : quartus ab his serie temporis ipse fui. utque ego maiores, sic me coluere minores, notaque non tarde facta Thalia meast. carmina cum primum populo iuvenalia legi, barba resecta mihi bisve semelve fuit. nomine non vero dicta Corinna mihi. emendaturis ignibus ipse dedi. cremavi, cor mihi, quodque levis causa moveret, erat. nomine sub nostro fabula nulla fuit. 53. Galle: cf. Intr. $ 12. Kópn. There was also a Boeotian 56. Thalia : Muse,' in general; poetess of the same name. here for the product of the Muse. 63. fugerem: of going into 57. The custom of holding banishment; cf. Tac. Ann. 3, readings (recitationes) of one's 24. -- placitura : which would own works before publication, in probably have proved popular.' — the presence of a select company cremavi: cf. Intr. $ 39; Trist. 1, of invited guests, was introduced 7, 15 sqq. by Asinius Pollio. 64. iratus : 'grieving for.' 58. The first cutting of the 68. fabula: ‘gossip.' Ovid's youthful beard was a festal occa- life, he maintains steadfastly, was sion; and the cuttings were pure, in spite of the impurity of offered to divinities (the depositio some of his writings. Cf. Trist. 2, barbae). 353-354 : crede mihi, distant mores 60. nomine non vero : her real a carmine nostro : vita verecunda name is not known, if indeed there est, musa jocosa mea. Other Rowas any real person involved. The man writers, e.g. Catullus, Martial, name may have been easily derived and even Pliny the younger, argued from the Greek name for girl, similarly. 70 paene mihi puero nec digna nec utilis uxor est data, quae tempus per breve nupta fuit. illi successit quamvis sine crimine coniunx, non tamen in nostro firma futura toro. ultima, quae mecum seros permansit in annos, sustinuit coniunx exulis esse viri. sed non ex uno coniuge, fecit avum. addiderat lustris altera lustra novem; non aliter flevi, quam me fleturus ademptum 80 ille fuit. matri proxima iusta tuli. felices ambo tempestiveque sepulti, ante diem poenae quod periere meae ! sum miser, et de me quod doluere nihil ! 85. restat vulg. restant AV. 69. paene mihi puero : "when I Rome, in the hope that she might was hardly more than a boy.' A exert influence to secure his recall. Roman boy might marry as early 75. filia . . . mea: by his first as the age of fourteen, and a girl or his second wife. The daughter at twelve; but a greater age was was herself twice married. more usual. — uxor : one of Ovid's 77. conplerat sua fata : first two wives came from Falerii, cf. Hom. I. 4, 170: až ke Oávys as we learn from Am. 3, 13, 1. και πότμον αναπλήσης βιότοιο. . Both were divorced from him. 78. Ovid's father died at the 73. Ovid's third wife proved age of ninety. faithful and devoted through the 80. iusta tuli: “paid the last long years of his banishment, and honors,' like iusta solvere and survived him. She belonged to iusta dare. the noble family of the Fabii, and 82. poenae : i.e. his relegatio. was a widow with one daughter 85. Cf. Am. 3, 9, 59, n. when married to the poet. He 86. gracilis : substanceless '; preferred to have her remain in, cf. Tib. 3, 2, 9. . 90 fama, parentales, si vos mea contigit, umbrae, et sunt in Stygio crimina nostra foro : errorem iussae, non scelus, esse fugae. pectora, qui vitae quaeritis acta meae. venerat, antiquas miscueratque comas, postque meos ortus Pisaea vinctus oliva abstulerat decies praemia victor equus, quaerere me laesi principis ira iubet. indicio non est testificanda meo. ipsa multa tuli non leviora fuga. 96. equus Bentley eques Mss. equis Strachan. fifth year. 6 88. Cf. Prop. 4, II, 19. The lustrum was a 90. Cf. Intr. $ 38; Trist. I, common five-year period in reck3, 37-38: quis me deceperit error, oning, which fostered the condicite, pro culpa ne scelus esse fusion. Cf. Met. 14, 324-325: putet. per annos quinquennem ; Tac. 91. studiosa. pectora:“ eager Ann. 14; 20: quinquennale cersouls.' tamen. Ovid was past fifty when 94. antiquas: of old age.' banished. — miscueratque : sc. some word for 97. positos ad laeva Tomitas : • with that of youth. For the Tomi was on the left side of the position of the enclitic, cf. Tib. 2, Euxine as one passed through the Bosporus. 95. Pisaea : the Olympic games 99. nimium quoque: "only too were celebrated near Pisa in Elis. well.' - vinctus oliva: the victors were 100. Ovid consistently precrowned with wreaths of olive. serves this judicious silence. 96. The Olympic games were 101. Cf. Trist. I, 5, 63 sqq. ; held every four years, i.e. after Hor. Car. I, 35, 25. four years; so Ovid calls it every 102. fuga : cf. v. 63. 5, 72, n. |