Heu, nimis longo satiate ludo! Vultus in hostem: Sive mutata juvenem figura Serus in cœlum redeas, diuque Ocior aura Tollat. Hic magnos potius triumphos, NOTES. 39. Mauri.] Mauritania was a country in the western part of Africa. 41. Sive mutata.] The poet would persuade the Romans that Augustus was no other than Mercury come down to avenge Cæsar's death. 42. Ales filius Maia.] Mercury, son of Jupiter and Maia. He was considered the messenger of the gods. 51. Medos.] The Parthians are called Medes and Persians, as these three monarchies were united. Equitare] Our author uses this term, because the greatest strength of the Persians and Parthians consisted in their cavalry. And, inultos, because of the signal defeat of Crassus by the latter, CARMEN III. AD NAVEM, QUA VIRGILIUS ATHENAS SIC te, Diva potens Cypri, Sic fratres Helenæ, lucida sidera, Obstrictis aliis, præter Iapyga, Navis, quæ tibi creditum Debes Virgilium: finibus Atticis Et serves animæ dimidium meæ. Illi robur et æs triplex Circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci NOTES. 5 10 We may look upon this ode as the last farewell of Horace to Virgil, when this poet went to finish his Eneid at Athens. 1. Sic te.] It was customary among the poets, when they asked a favour, to add their best wishes for a blessing on the person whose friendship they solicited. The poet, in the language of poetry, here addresses his vows to the vessel, and wishes her a happy voyage, as if she were sensible of his affection. Diva potens Cypri.] Venus was invoked by mariners, not only because she sprang from the ocean, but because her star was useful to navigation. 2. Fratres Helena.] Castor and Pollux twin sons of Leda, were feigned by the ancients to have been transformed into those two stars called Gemini. In their lifetime, they distinguished themselves by clearing the seas of pirates. 3. Ventorum pater.] The winds appear in the Heathen Mythology as a kind of little winged Genii, mutinous and unquiet, who take pleasure in disturbing the universe. They first opened a passage for the seas into the middle of the earth; they divided a number of islands from the continent, and caused a thousand other ravages in nature. To prevent these disorders for the future, they were confined, and had a king appointed to govern them, who had ever afterwards a large share in all poetical adventures, either by raising or calming the ocean. 4. Iapyga.] Iapyx was a wind which blew from Apulia, and was favourable to such as sailed from Italy towards Greece. 6. Finibus Atticis.] Attica, a country of Achaia or Hellas, of which Athens was the capital. Commisit pelago ratem Primus; nec timuit præcipitem Africum Nec tristes Hyadas, nec rabiem Noti; Major, tollere seu ponere vult freta. Qui siccis oculis monstra natantia, Infames scopulos Acroceraunia? Nequicquam Deus abscidit Prudens Oceano dissociabili Terras, si tamen impiæ 15 20 Non tangenda rates transiliunt vada. Audax omnia perpeti 25 Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas. Audax Iapeti genus Ignem fraude mala gentibus intulit. Post ignem ætherea domo NOTES. 14. Hyadas.] Seven stars in the head of Taurus, feigned by the poets to be the daughters of Atlas, king of Mauritania, who greatly lamenting the death of their brother Hyas, were compassionated by Jupiter and translated into heaven, where they were supposed still to continue weeping; it being observed that their rising and setting were frequently attended with rain. Noti.] The south wind, called also Auster. 15. Adria.] The Adriatic sea, or Gulf of Venice, a very tempestuous sea, lying between Italy and Greece. 20. Acroceraunia.] Hills on the frontier of Epirus, parting the Ionian and Adriatick seas. 27. Iapeti genus.] Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, and father of Deucalion, formed a statue of clay in the likeness of man. In order to give it life, he climbed into heaven, by the assistance of Minerva, and stole fire from the chariot of the sun, by means of which he animated his statue. To punish the impiety of Prometheus, Jupiter sent Pandora to him with a box containing the seeds of all kinds of diseases. Prometheus suspected the present, and refused it; but his brother Epimetheus incautiously received the box, from which, as soon as he opened it, there issued a multitude of evils and distempers, which dispersed themselves all over the world. Subductum, macies, et nova febrium Terris incubuit cohors: Lethi corripuit gradum. 30 Semotique prius tarda necessitas Expertus vacuum Dædalus aëra 3.5 Perrupit Acheronta Herculeus labor. Pennis non homini datis: Nil mortalibus arduum est. Cœlum ipsum petimus stultitia; neque Per nostrum patimur scelus Iracunda Jovem ponere fulmina. NOTES. 40 34. Expertus vacuum Dedalus.] Dædalus, an Athenian by birth, was the most distinguished artist of his age. He murdered Talus, his sister's son, and to escape punishment fled to Crete, where he was kindly received by Minos, king of the island. Minos employed him to build the labyrinth, in which he was afterwards confined for assisting Pasiphae in her amorous adventures. Through the influence of bribes, however, his keepers set him at liberty; upon which he immediately fitted out a ship with sails, of which he was the inventor, and fled from Crete to avoid the anger of Minos. Hence arose the poetical fiction that Dædalus escaped from the labyrinth on wings cemented with wax. 36. Perrupit Acheronta Herculeus labor.] Hercules was a celebrated hero, who, after death, was ranked among the gods, and received divine honours. He was subjected, by the will of Jupiter, to the power of Eurystheus, king of Mycenæ, who commanded him to atchieve a number of enterprizes the most difficult and arduous ever known, generally called the twelve labours of Hercules. The last, and most dangerous of them all, was that to which Horace here alludes, to descend to the lower regions, and bring up from thence, the three-headed dog Cerberus. 38. Calum ipsum petimus.] The poet here alludes to the fable of the giants. B SOLVITUR CARMEN IV. AD SEXTIUM. VITUR acris hiems grata vice veris et Favonî; Trahuntque siccas machinæ carinas; Ac neque jam stabulis gaudet pecus, aut arator igni; Nec prata canis albicant pruinis. Jam Cytherea choros ducit Venus, imminente luna: 5 Junctæque Nymphis Gratiæ decentes Alterno terram quatiunt pede, dum graves Cyclo pum Vulcanus ardens urit officinas. Nunc decet aut viridi nitidum caput impedire myrto, Aut flore, terræ quem ferunt solutæ. NOTES. 10 The poet exhorts Sextius to pleasure, on the considerations of the approach of spring, and the brevity of life. 1. Solvitur.] The earth is loosed from the fetters of winter by the grateful return of spring. Favoni.] Favonius, so called from faveo, is the same as Zephy rus. 2. Trahuntque siccas.] By this line we know that the ancients used to draw their ships on shore during the winter. 5. Jam Cytherea choros.] The poet here describes the feasts of Venus, which were celebrated by young women with dances and hymns in honour of the goddess. They began on the first of April, at the rising of the moon, imminente Luna, and continued three nights successively. 6. Gratia decentes.] The graces were the most amiable Divinities of the Heathen Mythology, and the source of all that is pleasing in nature. The poet calls them decentes for that modesty and reserve with which they behaved themselves in these assemblies. 7. Cyclopum.] The Cyclops were a people of Sicily, whom Vulcan employed in his forges. They were the first inhabitants of that island, and possessed the western coast of it. 8. Vulcanus.] The god of fire, son of Jupiter and Juno. He was employed in making his father's thunderbolts. 9. Nunc decet.] These two verses continue the description of the feasts of Venus; for flowers and myrtle, were consecrated to that goddess. |