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was minus aptus acutis | naribus horum hominum, and could not see through Balatro's ill-natured raillery. 77. soleas poscit: Nasidienus calls for bis slippers to leave the table, in order to go out and personally see to the safe bringing in of new dishes, to make up for the one that was spoilt. In the house the Romans wore slippers, soleae: these were taken off before lying down at dinner; hence demere soleas is equivalent to lying down at table; poscere soleas, to rising from it. Plaut. Truc. 2. 4. 12 cedo soleas mihi, when about to leave the table; the same speaker, changing his mind about going, says, line 16, iam rediit animus, deme soleas, cedo bibam. Cf. Ep. 1. 13. 15. videres: you might see the guests putting their heads together as they whispered. 78. The whispering is imitated by the sigmatismus.

81. quoque, which should follow the word it belongs to, is here somewhat irregularly placed, as it clearly refers to lagoena, 'whether the wine flagon is broken as well as the dish' containing the lamprey. 82. The table had been cleared when the curtains fell; but the slaves, perhaps acting on a hint from Nasidienus, had not set fresh cups before Vibidius, who, he thought, had drunk as much as was good for him. 83. ridetur: impers. fictis rerum: at pretended subjects. So vanis rerum 2. 2. 25; abdita rerum A. P. 49. Balatrone secundo, 'by the help of Balatro,' who invented subjects for the guests to pretend to laugh at. The expression is a burlesque of phrases like Iunone secunda, Marte secundo. 84. Nasidiene: the apostrophe is also epic. mutatae frontis: a very strong gen. of quality

with a verb like redire, 1. 1. 33.

90.

86. mazonomo, a large dish, properly a trencher, from which bread was served (μᾶζα, νέμειν). discerpta, 'pulled asunder,' not cut. 87. The flesh of the crane is spoken of by Pliny, H. N. 10. 23. 60, as highly prized. It is remarkable that grus is here masc. contrary to the ordinary rule: so too anser is regularly masc., but vet. Bland. gives albae for which albi of most MSS. is probably a correction. 89. avulsos: the wings of the hare were to be separated from the loins, and separated by tearing. edit: the archaic form of the subj. used by Hor. also Epod. 3. 3; Virg. Aen. 12. 801; it is used in Cic.'s letters, and very frequently in Plautus. 91. vidimus, 'we looked on while they were served,' did not touch them. merulas, blackbirds, a delicacy among the Greeks and Romans: Aristoph. Av. 1081. sine clune: the rump was thought the best part of birds, Gell. 15. 8. 2. Nasidienus or his cook thought differently. 92. causas et naturas: as if Nasidienus were lecturing on some physiological theme. As Virg. says of Lucretius, who wrote de Rerum Natura, Georg. 2. 490 felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas. 93. sic ut describes the manner of their revenge. 94. velut=velut si. illis, dat., like Prop. 2. 29. 17 adflabunt tibi non Arabum de gramine odores; Tibull. 2. 1. 80 felix cui placidus leniter adflat Amor. 95. The breath of certain serpents was supposed to be deadly. Colum. 8. 5. 18 cavendum ne a serpentibus (pulli) adflentur. C. Rabirius, p. 226, ed. Kreyssig (ap. Or.) percutit adflatu brevis hunc sine morsibus anguis. For the witch Canidia, cf. 1. 8.

EPISTLES-BOOK I

EPISTLE I

Maecenas, as is plain from the opening words, had urged Horace to resume the composition of lyric verse. If any special occasion for this advice is to be sought, it may probably be found in the journey of Augustus to the East in 21 в.с., followed by the expedition of Tiberius to Armenia, and the restoration

(of the Roman standards taken by Crassus (cf. 1. 12. 26). It would be natural for Maecenas to wish that his friend and protégé should not lose the opportunity thus supplied for a panegyric on the Emperor and his policy. Horace here expresses the reasons which had led him to devote himself for the future rather to the study of philosophy; differing from the mass of mankind who value wealth above virtue, he declares that it is only in the pursuit of the latter that true happiness is to be found.

1-19. You would fain, Maecenas, press me into service again, but I have received my discharge; an old soldier may well be allowed to hang up his arms and rest, for fear of a break-down at last. I am laying aside all trifling pursuits, and storing up provision of wisdom, following no special school, but borne along wherever the breeze may take me.

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summa =

1. prima Camena, 'theme of my earliest, destined theme of my latest Muse': Camena, one of the Italian goddesses of song (earlier form Casmena or Carmena from kas 'sing'), cannot cover any reference to the Satires, which were merely sermones. Either the phrase is a conventional expression of high esteem, cf. Hom. Il. 9.97 ἐν σοὶ μὲν λήξω, σέο δ ̓ ἄρξομαι, Theoc. 17. 1 ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα καὶ ἐς Δία λήγετε, Μοῖσαι, Virg. Ecl. 8. 11 a te principium, tibi desinet: or possibly the reference is to the Epodes, dedicated to Maecenas, as Horace's first effort in lyrics, cf. Epod. 1. 1, also Od. 1. 1. 1. ultima as in Od. 3. 28. 13; Virg. Aen, 2. 324, for which supremus is more common both in prose and verse. 2. spectatum, 'approved': the technical proved term, stamped on the tessera (prize medal) which a gladiator received, after distinguishing himself in the arena. A large number of these tesserae have been discovered, made of bone or ivory, and bearing the inscription SP. or SPECT. See Wilkins. donatum iam rude, 'already discharged.' rudis was the wooden foil with which gladiators practised, Livy 26.51.4; hence a rudis was presented to a veteran as a sign that he was no longer to take part in serious encounters. Cf. Suet. Calig. 32 Murmillonem e ludo, rudibus secum batuentem et sponte prostratum, confodit ferrea sica; and for the applied meaning Cic. Phil. 2. 29. 74 tam bonus gladiator rudem tam cito? Ovid, Am. 2. 9. 22 deposito poscitur ense rudis; Trist. 4. 8. 24 me quoque donari iam rude tempus erat; Juv. 7. 171. 3. antiquo in its more strict sense, 'in which I served of old.' includere after quaeris, a usage confined to poetry (e.g. S. 1. 9. 8; Od. 3. 4. 39, and later prose, e.g. Tac. Germ. 2; Roby 1344). ludo, 'the training school' ludus gladiatorius, cf. Caes. de Bell. Civ. 1. 14 gladiatores quos ibi Caesar in ludo habebat.

4. Veianius: Porphyrion writes nobilis gladiator post multas palmas consecratis Herculi Fundano armis tandem in agellum se contulit: there seems no positive evidence that gladiators were regarded as under the protection of Hercules; but this god would be naturally selected by a gladiator. So a soldier in Anth. Pal. 1. 241 writes : δέξαι μ', Ἡράκλεις, ̓Αρχεστράτου ἱερὸν ὅπλον, | ὄφρα ποτὶ ξεστὰν παστάδα κεκλιμένα | γηραλέα τελέθοιμι. For the dedication of the instruments of a profession on leaving it cf. Od. 3. 26 Intr. 6. extrema harena, i.e. at the outside edge of the circus, under the podium, where the more distinguished spectators had their seats. Veterans who had received their discharge were sometimes induced to reappear on special occasions (cf. Suet. Tib. 7 munus gladiatorium dedit, rudiariis quibusdam revocatis auctoramento centenum milium). Veianius, however, after his discharge, retired altogether that he might not, after so many victories, break down and be compelled again and again to appeal as a defeated combatant for the mercy of the spectators. The desire that mercy should be shown to a defeated gladiator was expressed by turning down the thumbs (Pliny, H. N. 28. 2.5 pollices, cum faveamus, premere etiam proverbio iubemur: cf. 1.18.66; Juv. 3. 36, Mayor's note). As exoro in itself is always 'to prevail upon,' we must here press the imperfect force of the present 'attempt to prevail upon': Roby 1454, 3, S. G. 591. 7. purgatam, 'well rinsed,' for which purpose vinegar was sometimes used; cf. Pers. 5. 86. qui: for the 'inner voice' cf. ib. 5. 96 stat contra ratio et secretam gannit in aurem. 8. sanus=si sapis. 9. peccet, 'break down.' ilia ducat, 'strain his panting flanks'; cf. ilia tendunt Virg. G. 3. 507; Aen. 9. 415 longis singultibus ilia pulsat; Plin. H. N. 26. 6. 15 iumentis non tussientibus modo sed ilia quoque trahentibus: all these phrases mean 'to become broken-winded.'

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10. itaque: not found second in a sentence in prose before Livy. ludicra, 'toys,' i.e. trifles, cf. 1. 6. 7. pono=depono, as sometimes even in Cicero, e.g. de Orat. 3. 12. 46; de Off. 3. 10. 43; and often, especially with arma, in Livy. 11. quid verum: sc. sit, a rare omission in prose: cf. Cic. de Off. 1. 43. 152 (Holden). For verum, 'right' τὸ πρέπον, cf. 1. 12. 24; S. 2. 3. 312; idne est verum Ter. Andr. 3. 4. 5. It is not so much speculative as moral truth of which. Horace is in quest. omnis in hoc sum, 'I am wholly absorbed in this':. cf. S. 1. 9. 2 totus in illis. 12. condo et compono, 'I store up and arrange,' so as to be able to produce at once, like a good condus promus.

14.

13. ne forte roges: cf. 2. 1. 208 ac ne forte putes; Roby 1662, S.G. 690. quo. tuter, 'who is my leader, and what the home in which I find shelter.' dux=head of a school: Quint. 5. 13. 59 duos diversarum sectarum quasi duces. The terms domus and familia were often used of a philosophic school (e.g. de Orat. 1. 10. 42; 3. 16. 21): hence the transition to lar, properly the household god, is natural. addictus: as strongly supported by MSS. as adductus, and unquestionably right here; for the metaphor of the gladiatorial school is still retained: cf. Petron. 117 uri vinciri verberari ferroque necari, et quicquid aliud Eumolpus iussisset: tamquam legitimi gladiatores domino corpora animasque religiosissime addicimus; Quint. 3. 1. 22 neque me cuiusquam sectae velut quadam superstitione imbutus addixi. The word is strictly used of an insolvent debtor, 'adjudged' by the praetor as the slave of his creditor, but is here employed in a reflexive or middle sense 'not binding myself to swear obedience to any master.' The inf. is like that in 1. 2. 27. magister Samnitium is

iurare in

used of the 'trainer' of gladiators in Cic. de Orat. 3. 23. 86. verba: cf. Epod. 15. 4 n. 15. quo cumque: tmesis, cf. Od. 1. 6. 3 n. deferor: cf. Cic. Acad. 2. 3. 8 ad quamcunque sunt disciplinam quasi tempestate delati.

16. agilis = πρακτικός, i.e. I adopt the doctrines of the Stoics, which make it a duty to take an active part in civic life. 'If virtue does not consist in idle contemplation, but in action, how dare the wise man lose the opportunity of promoting good and repressing evil by taking part in political life?' (Zeller, Stoics and Epicureans 320 E. T.) Later Stoics however advised philosophers not to intermeddle at all in civil matters (ib. 323). 18. Aristippi: Cic. Acad. 2. 42 alii voluptatem finem bonorum esse voluerunt, quorum princeps Aristippus Cyrenaicus. Aristippus who regarded the bodily gratification of the moment as the highest pleasure represents a lower stage of the philosophy of mere enjoyment than Epicurus himself. 19. mihi res conor, i.e. I endeavour to subdue all events and circumstances to my own enjoyment, and not to become a slave to circumstances. Cf. 1. 17. 23 n.

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20-26. I pass my time in weariness and impatience until I can attain to that virtue which alone blesses rich and poor alike. 20. quibus mentitur amica, 'whose love proves jade.' 21. opus debentibus = operariis, 'those who are bound to give their service,' 'hirelings': cf. Job vii. 1 'Are not his days also like the days of an hireling? As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow' etc. 22. custodia, 'charge,' i.e. general oversight, to be distinguished from the legal guardianship (tutela), which was never assigned to the mother, for women were themselves always under tutela, so that strictly speaking no one could be pupillus to his mother. 23. spem antur, 'delay the fulfilment of my hope'; cf. Livy 23. 14 si spem morarentur. 25. aeque, aeque, repeated for the sake of emphasis by anaphora to show that there is absolutely no exception. Cf. Tac. Agric. 15 aeque discordiam praepositorum, aeque concordiam subiectis exitiosam. 26. neclectum, 'while its neglect,' a participle in agreement for an abstract noun with the genitive; cf. Od. 2. 4. 10 n.

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27-32. If I cannot attain to perfection, I can still put into practice the elementary knowledge which I possess. 27. restat, i.e. in spite of the hindrances which I meet with in my attempts at progress. elementa = στοιχεῖα τοῦ λόγου of Zeno, the κύριαι δόξαι of Epicurus (Zeller 408), general ethical principles. 28. possis: Roby 1552, S. G. 650. oculo: oculos, though adopted by Bentley, who proves that both constructions are legitimate, has much less MS. authority. Lynceus, one of the Argonauts, famed for his keen sight, cf. Pind. Nem. 10. 62 κείνου γὰρ ἐπιχθονίων πάντων γένετ ̓ ὀξύτατον ὄμμα, Aristoph. Plut. 210 βλέπειν ὀξύτερον τοῦ Λυγκέως. 30. desperes: Roby 1740, S. G. 740. Glyconis, shown by Lessing (Werke 8. 526) from a Greek epigram (Anth. Pal. 7. 692 Γλύκων, τὸ Περγαμηνὸν ̓Ασίδι κλέος, ὁ παμμάχων κεραυνός, ὁ πλατὺς πόδας, ὁ καινὸς ̓́Ατλας, αϊ τ ̓ ἀνίκατοι χέρες ἔρροντι κτλ.) to have been a famous athlete contemporary with the poet. This quite disposes of the notion that there may be a reference to the Farnese Hercules, the work of the sculptor Glycon. 31. nodosa: gout produces chalk-stones in the fingers, as with Milton, who in his later years was 'pale but not cadaverous, his hands and fingers gouty and with chalk-stones': cf. S. 2. 7. 15 cheragra | contudit articulos. corpus prohibere cheragra: for the construction of prohibere ='guard from' cf. Cic. de Off. 2. 12. 41 cum prohibent iniuria tenuiores; Od. 1. 27. 4 Bacchum pro

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tenus,

hibete rixis: similarly with arcere 1. 8. 10. 32. quadam formed like hactenus, eatenus etc. and common in Pliny the elder: the earlier reading quodam has equal MS. authority, but is a copyist's correction and would not be good Latin, tenus never being employed with an adverb of direction, Roby 2164.

33-40. The cure for all diseases of the mind is to be found in the magic spells of philosophy. 33. fervet, 'is fevered.' For the mood cf. est line 32; Roby 1553, S. G. 651. Horace appears to have been especially struck by the greed for money in his own time, and refers to this with great frequency : 2. 1. 119; 2. 2. 148; S. 1. 4. 26; 2.3. 82, etc. cupidine, always masculine in Horace, never in Virgil: Ovid's practice varies. 34. verba et voces, 'spells and strains,' the former apparently magic formulae (Virg. G. 2. 129 miscueruntque herbas et non innoxia verba), the latter incantations, so that Horace inverts the order of Euripides (Hipp. 478) εἰσὶν δ ̓ ἐπῳδαὶ καὶ λόγοι θελκτήριοι· | φανήσεταί τι τῆσδε φάρμακον νόσου. The term voces however probably also includes music (cf. 1. 2. 23; S. 1.3.8; A. P. 216), to which great efficacy was ascribed in allaying pain; e.g. Aul. Gell. 4. 13 creditum ischiaci cum maxime doleant, tum si modulis lenibus tibicen incinat, minui dolores. 35. morbi, the πάθος of the Stoics. 36. certa piacula, 'specific remedies': as antiquissimo tempore morbi ad iram deorum immortalium referebantur (Cels. Praef. 1), the remedies provided by philosophy are spoken of as 'propitiatory offerings.' These 'remedies' are the precepts contained in the books of the philosophers, which must be read through thrice, after previous purification. For the magic efficacy of the number three cf. S. 2.1.8 n. libellus is not without a reference to the books of magic charms (cf. Acts xix. 19), though it denotes primarily the writings of philosophers. 38. amator, 'licentious'; cf. Od. 3. 4. 79 n. 40. culturae: Tusc. 2. 5. 13 ut ager quamvis Fertilis sine cultura fructuosus esse non potest : sic sine doctrina animus cultura autem animi philosophia est.

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41-52. At any rate the first step in a virtuous life can be taken. Even this would free you from the toils which many undergo, though they would escape them if they knew the true value of things. 41. virtus: sc. prima; cf. Quint. 8. 3. 41 prima virtus est vitio carere. 42. vides: Horace has now quite passed away from Maecenas, and is addressing the reader, as often. 43. repulsam: a technical word for losing an election, cf. Od. 3. 2. 17. At this time the elections were nominally left in the hands of the people (Suet. Oct. 40 comitiorum pristinum ius reduxit), although Augustus reserved to himself the right of nominating half the magistrates, and of exercising a veto upon unworthy candidates. Cf. Merivale c. 44. 44. animi capitisque, 'of mind and head'; i.e. generally of all your faculties. 46. per mare, etc.: proverbial expressions, not to be pressed in detail, cf. S. 2. 3. 56; Solon Fragm. 13. 43 σπεύδει δ ̓ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος· ὁ μὲν κατὰ πόντον ἀλᾶται | ἐν νηυσὶν χρήζων οἴκαδε κέρδος ἄγειν | ἰχθυόεντ', ἀνέμοισι φορεύμενος ἀργαλέοισιν, | φειδωλὴν ψυχῆς οὐδεμίαν θέμενος. 47. ne cures=ut non-cures. meliori, masc.: cf. 1. 2. 68.

48.

49. circum pagos, 'who goes the round of the villages': cf. S. 1. 6. 82 circum doctores aderat; Cic. pro Quinct. 6. 25 Naevius pueros circum amicos dimittit. compita, 'cross-ways,' where spectators might easily collect, especially at the festivals known as Paganalia and Compitalia, the former in January, the latter about the same time. 50. magna, the famous games at Elis. There were other less celebrated Olympic games in Greece.

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