Te minor latum reget æquus orbem: Tu gravi curru quaties Olympum; Fulmina lucis. NOTES. -55 60 46. Marcelli.] Marcellus had been five times consul at Rome, and at the battle of Nola convinced the Romans that if Hannibal were not yet conquered, at least he was not invincible. He was called the sword of the Roman people. 50. Orte Saturno.] Jupiter. 53. Parthos Latio imminentes.] Horace takes all opportunities of animating Augustus to revenge the death of Crassus, and to recover the glory of the Roman arms by subduing the Parthians, who were continually making incursions into the provinces of the Republic. 56. Seras.] A nation of Asia, according to Ptolemy, between the Ganges and the Eastern Ocean. Silk was brought to Rome from their country, and on that account it received the name of Seri cum. Some suppose the Seres are the same as the Chinese. Indos.] The most opulent nation of Asia. It takes its name from the river Indus, which bounds it on one side. 57. Te minor.] Horace, in the Epicurean philosophy, makes the gods themselves depend upon the destinies; by which the ancients understood a kind of mechanical necessity, producing successively all the changes of the universe. These destinies had commissioned Jupiter to be the tutelary god of Augustus, but when that prince shall have subdued all the nations of the earth, yet he shall still acknowledge the superiority of Jupiter, and, contented with the government of the world, shall leave to him the power of thunder. ་ Flumen, et regnata petam Laconi Ille terrarum mihi præter omnes Bacca Venafro. Ver ubi longum, tepidasque præbet Ille te mecum locus, et beatæ NOTES. 15 20 11. Regnata petam Laconi rura Phalanto.] Tarentum, a town of Calabria, situated on a bay of the same name, near the mouth of the river Galesus. It was founded, or rather rebuilt by a Lacedæmonian colony, under the conduct of Phalantus, about 707 years before Christ. 14. Hymetto.] A mountain of Attica, about two miles from Athens, famous for bees and excellent honey. 16. Venafro.] A town of Campania, abounding in olive trees. 18. Aulon.] It is probable, that Aulon was a little hill near Tarentum, famous for its vines. 19. Falernis uvis.] Falernus was a fertile mountain and plain of Campania, famous for its wine. 23. Favillam.] Horace, more strongly to mark the friendship of Septimius, says, that he shall perform this last pious office, before his ashes be cold; while they shall be yet glowing from the funeral pile. CARMEN VII. AD POMPEIUM VARUM. O Sæpe mecum tempus in ultimum Deducte, Bruto militiæ duce, Dîs patriis, Italoque cœlo, Malobathro Syrio capillos. Tecum Philippos, et celerem fugam Turpe solum tetigere mento. Sed me per hostes Mercurius celer Te rursus in bellum resorbens NOTES. The poet congratulates his friend on his happy return to his own country. 1. Sæpe mecum.] Brutus took with him from Athens, a number of young men, who were willing to follow his fortunes in the cause of liberty. Horace then began his warfare. He continued two years under the command of Brutus, and we may believe, with some merit, since he was raised to the tribuneship of a legion. 2. Bruto militiæ duce.] Brutus and Cassius, after the death of Cæsar, stood up for the liberty of their country, and endeavoured again to establish their ancient form of government; but being at last defeated by the party of Augustus, they laid violent hands on themselves. 8. Malobathro Syrio.] The Malobathrum was made in Malabar, of an herb that grew in the fenny places of that country, and brought from thence by the Syrian merchants; wherefore Horace calls it Malobathrum Syrium. 9. Philippos.] A city of Macedonia on the borders of Thrace, famous for the overthrow of Brutus and Cassius. 13. Sed me per hostes.] Horace here alludes to the battles of Homer, where heroes are frequently carried off from danger by Ergo obligatam redde Jovi dapem; Parce cadis tibi destinatis. Oblivioso lævia Massico Ciboria exple; funde capacibus Curatve myrto? Quem Venus arbitrum Dulce mihi furere est amico. NOTES. 20 25 their guardian gods; and as Mercury presided over lyric poetry, the poet hath here chosen him for his protector. 21. Massico.] Massicus was a mountain of Campania, famous for its wine. 25. Arbitrum bibendi.] The Romans in their entertainments usually appointed a person to regulate the feast, and govern the guests: his office was decided by the best cast of the dice, which was called Venus, or Veneris jactus. 27. Edonis.] The Thracians, so called from Edon, a mountain of Thrace. CARMEN VIII. omitted. CARMEN IX. AD TITUM VALGIUM. NON semper imbres nubibus hispidos NOTES. Horace comforts Valgius, afflicted for the death of a son, whom he tenderly loved. 2. Mare Caspium.] A large sea in the form of a lake, which lies between the Caspian and Hyrcanian mountains at the north of Parthia: it is extremely tempestuous and inconstant. Non Laërtiaden, exitium tuæ Teucerque, et Sthenelus sciens Quem tu, cervus uti vallis in altera Visum parte lupum, graminis immemor, Non hoc pollicitus tuæ. Iracunda diem proferet Ilio, Matronisque Phrygum, classis Achilleï. Post certas hiemes uret Achaïcus NOTES. 21. Laërtiaden.] Ulysses, the son of Läertes, celebrated for his prudence and sagacity. 22. Pylium Nestora.] Nestor, remarkable for his wisdom and long life, was brought up at Pylos, a city of Peloponnesus. When far advanced in age, he went with the other Grecian chiefs to the Trojan war. Agamemnon said of him, that if he had ten such counsellors as Nestor, Troy would soon be humbled. 24. Sthenelus.] A great warrior, one of those who were shut up in the wooden horse. 26. Merionem.] See Ode VI. v. 15. 28. Tydides.] See Ode VI. v. 16. 33. Iracunda diem proferet Ilio.] The fleet of Achilles is said to be iracunda, as if it bore a part in the anger of its leader, who refused to fight against the Trojans until Briseis should be restored to him, and thus protracted the fatal day of Troy. 35. Post certas hyemes.] After a certain number of years. Achaicus.] Achaia was a part of Greece. |