2. Lapsa ortaque signa. The subject of the poem is the Roman festivals, and the rising and setting of the constellations. See Introduction, § 1.
3. Caesar Germ, son of Drusus Claudius Nero, and nephew of Tiberius, by whom he was adopted at the desire of Augustus. See Tacit. Annal II. 73. Suet. Calig. 1-4.—Pacato vultu, etc. as if he were a deity.
5. Heinsius and Burmann, following some of the best MSS. read officii … In tibi devoto munere, which gives a good sense. Lenz, Mitscherlich and Krebs, prefer the present reading.
7, 8. See Introd. § 4.
9. Vobis, your family, i.e. the Claudii, or rather the Julii, into which he had been adopted.
10. Pater, Tiberius; avus, Augustus, who had adopted Tiberius.
11. Germanicus and his brother, the poet says, will perform actions and receive honors similar to those of Augustus and Tiberius. Drusus was the son of Tiberius; and therefore, only the adoptive brother of Germanicus. —Pictos. the Fasti, were like all other books, adorned with various colours.
13. Aras. The altars dedicated by Augustus, perhaps the altars raised to him, Hor. Ep. II. 1. 15. The following line shows the former sense to be preferable.
15-20. All the terms annue, etc. used here, are such as would be addressed to a deity.—Laudes, praiseworthy deeds.—Tuorum, like vobis, v. 9.—Pagina for liber.—Movetur scil; with awe. He personifies the book.—Clario Deo. There was a celebrated oracle of the Clarian Apollo, near Colophon, in Asia Minor, which Germanicus himself once consulted. Tac. Annal. xii. 22.
21, 22. Germanicus had pleaded causes publicly with success, Suet. Cal. 4. Dion. 56. 26.
23-25. He had written Greek comedies, Suet, ut sup. He also made a version of Aratus which is still extant,
26. Totus annus, i. e. the whole poem on the year.
27. Tempora, the parts of the year, i. e. months and days.—Cond. urb. Romulus.
28. See Introd. § 2.
33, 34. That is ten lunar months.
35, 35. This is putting the effect for the cause, the mourning was for ten months, because that was the length of the original year.—Tristia signa, the signs of grief, such as avoiding society, wearing mourning, &c.
37. Trabeati, Romulus wore the trabea. Liv. I. 8.
38. Populis, i. e. civibus.—Annua jura daret, i.e. regulated the year, v. 27.
40. Princeps head or origin. Venus was the mother of aeneas, Mars the father of Romulus.
41. See the beginning of Books III and IV.
42. Quinctilis, Sextilis, September, &c.
43. Nec avitas, see below II. 19. et seq.
45-62. See Introd. § 3.
50. Qui jam, &c. a half holiday, the latter part of the day might be devoted to business.
52. Honoratus, as bearing office. It was applied with peculiar propriety to the Praetor whose edicts were called the Jus honorarium.
53. The Dies comitiales on which cum populo licebat agi, i. e. laws might be proposed, &c.—Septis the wooden palings, within which the people were assembled in the Campus Martius, to pass laws.
54. The Nundinae. Every ninth day the country people came into Rome to attend the market. By the Hortensian law, these days were made fasti in order that their rustic disputes might be settled.
55. On all the Kalends the Pontifex Minor and the Regina Sacrorum sacrificed to Juno who was by some regarded as the moon. For the name Juno see my Mythology, p. 461.—Junonis, Heinsius would read Junonia.
56. A sacrifice of a lamb was offered on the Capitol to Jupiter on the Ides of each month.
57. The Nones were not under the care of any deity.
57-60. The days following the Kalends, Nones and Ides were termed Atri, black or unlucky, as on these days, the Romans had met with their most memorable defeats at the Cremera, the Allia, and elsewhere. A public calamity on any particular day of any one month rendered ater, that day in every other month.
61, 62. I say it once for all.
63. For the mythology of Janus, see Mythology, p. 466, et seq.
65. An. tac lab. denotes the noiseless pace of time.—Origo as the year began with January.
66. See his figure. Mythology, Plate xii. 4.
67. Ducibus, perhaps Tib. and Germ, after the victory gained by the latter over the Catti and Cherusci, and other German tribes, A.U.C. 770; it may, however, include Augustus and other generals.
68. Terra ferax, the [Greek: zeidoros arera] of Homer.
69. Tuis, Burmann would read tui as it seems awkward to say the Patres Jani and the Populus Quirini. Quirinus was a name of Janus (Janum Quirinum ter clusit Suet. Aug. 22.) and Gierig thinks the true reading might have been Quirine. After all it was perhaps the constraint of the metre that made the poet express himself thus.
70. Candida templa, either as being built of marble, or on account of those who frequented them on festival days, being clad in white. Gierig inclines to the latter, I should prefer the former sense.
71. Lin. anim. fav. [Greek: euphaemeite] by using no words of ill omen and by admitting no thoughts but what were good.
75. Odor. ig. with the frankincense, cinnamon, saffron, &c. which were burnt on the altars.
76. Spica Cilissa, the saffron from Mount Corycus in Cilicia.– Spica, the chives or filaments of the saffron.—Sonet, when the saffron was good it crackled in the fire.
77. Aurum, the gilded roof of the temple.
79, 80. Vest, intact. with new or white garments, the Roman toga was white.—Concolor, a festal or happy day was metaphorically termed white.—Tarp. Arces, the Capitol. It was the practice ever since A.U.C. 601 for the consuls elect, followed by the people, to go in procession to the Capitol and offer a sacrifice to Jupiter.
81, 82. The consuls entered on their office on this day.—Purpura, the toga praetexta or trabea, worn by magistrates.—Ebur, the curule chair.
83. Rudis operum, that had never been worked.
84. Herba Fal. &c., the land of Falerii in Etruria, whence the animals for sacrifice were chiefly brought, the water of the Clitumnus, in Umbria, was supposed to make them white, Virg. G. II. 146.
85. Arce, either the Capitol, or the dome of Heaven, see Met. I. 163. Virg aen. I. 223.
88. Pop. rer. pol. the Romanos rerum dominos of Virgil.
89. The poet here commences his enquiry into the mythology of Janus.
90. There was no deity worshipped in Greece whose attributes were the same as those of Janus. A curious similarity has been traced out between him and the Ganesa of India.
93. Tabellis, his writing-tables.
94. A usual sign of the presence of a Deity.
100. Ore priore, his front face. See his image.
101. Vat. oper. dier. Poet engaged on the days.
103. First opinion, Janus was the World.
105-110. Compare Met. I. init.
113, 114. His back and front figure were the same, a memorial of the time when the world was in a chaotic state of confusion, all its parts being alike. This is a very silly explanation.
115. Second opinion, see below v. 135-140.
116. His office of door-keeper (Janitor) of heaven and earth.
120. The cardines of heaven, if they are meant, are the cardinal points, where according to the poetic creed of the Augustan age there were doors for the gods to go in and out of heaven. Stat. Theb. i. 158, vii. 35. x. 1. See Mythology, p. 39.
121. He represents Peace and War as persons in the custody of Janus.– Placidis as being the abode of Peace.
122. Perpetuas, long.
125. See Hom. II. v. 749, et seq. Mythology p. 150.
127. Janus à janua.
127, 128. Cereale libum, the Janual, a kind of cake offered to Janus. Festus sub. voc.—Imponit on the altar.—Far mix. sal. the Mola salsa.
129, 130. Patulcius (à pateo) the Opener, Clusius (à claudo) the Shutter; sacrifical names of Janus.
133. Vis i.e. officium.
134. From what I have said you already in part perceive it.
137. Primi tecti, the first part of the house, i.e. the entrance.
141, 142. The three-faced Hecate, (see her figure Mythology, Plate III. 2.) was placed at the triviae, or the point where a road branched off (like the Greek capital Y) so that a face looked down each road.
149, 150. The poet naturally asks why the year began in the middle of winter and not in the spring. This gives him an opportunity of introducing the following lovely description with which compare, Virg. G. II. 324, et seq. Lucret I. 5, et seq. and below III. 236 et seq. IV. 87 et seq.
153. Oper. frond. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig on the authority of nine MSS. read amicitur vitibus; four MSS. have amicitur frondibus which I should feel disposed to prefer.
154. Seminis herba appears to be the corn which had been sown and was now coming up; one MS. reads graminis.
157. Ignota, the stranger, as the swallow returns in spring.
158. Lut. fing. opus. her clay-built nest: Fingere is the proper term when speaking of pottery any work in clay.
163. Bruma, the winter solstice after which the days begin to lenghten.
165-170. It was usual with all classes of the people to practice a little at their respective trades, or occupations on the Kalends of January by way of omen and not for payment. Thus the shoe-maker or the fuller did some little job or another, the peasant some rural work, pleaders skirmished a little in the forum, &c,—Delibat, i.e. leviter attingit.
171-174. The reason is here required and given, why the Romans when about to sacrifice to any other of the gods, first made offerings to Janus. The old historian, Fabius Pictor, said it was because Janus first taught to use spelt (far) and wine in sacrifice. Macrobius says because he was the first who erected temples to the gods in Italy. Others give other reasons equally unsatisfactory.
175-182. In our own custom of wishing each other a happy new year, &c. may still be witnessed, the practice of which the poet here asks the reason. The bona verba were used for the sake of omen.—Ulla lingua, any tongue which then utters a prayer.—Caducas, unavailing.
186, 187. The strenae (Fr. étrennes) or New Year's gift—Palma, dates, the fruit of the palm, (caryotae) covered with gold leaf, were a part of the strenae.—Carica the [Greek: ischas] or dried fig.– Cado, some MSS. read favo.
189. Stipis, pieces of money were then as now, a part of the New-year's gift. Augustus himself, as inscriptions shew, did not scruple to receive money as his strenae on the Kalends of January, See Suet. Aug. 91.
191-218. The praises of ancient simplicity, and censure of the vices of his own times,—a common place with Ovid and the other poets.
191. Quam te fallunt, etc. How little you know the character of your own times.
193, 194. Such was hardly the case even in the golden age.
Pris. tem. an. In the years of the olden time.
199. Martigena, Mars-begotten, like terrigena, etc.
201. Angusta aede, either the temple of Jupiter Feretrius, built by Romulus on the Capitol, and which was not quite fifteen feet long, or that built by Numa, or rather any temple of those ancient times.—Vix totus stabat seems to mean that the statue was in a sitting posture, and the roof of the temple so low, that it would not admit of its being placed erect in it.
202. Fictile fulmen. The images of the gods at Rome, in those times, were of baked clay, manufactured in Etruria. Even the four-horse chariot which was placed on the Capitoline temple, when first built, was of baked clay. Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. I. 491.
208. Levis lamina is employed to express more strongly the simplicity of those days, as if the possession of even the smallest quantity of the precious metals was a crime. Fabricius, when censor, A.U.C. 478, put out of the senate Cornel. Rufinus, who had been twice consul and dictator, for having ten pounds weight of wrought silver.
210. Rome would appear to be personified in this place.
212, 213. The union of luxury and avarice, Sallust Cat. 5 and 12. They vie in gaining what they may consume, in regaining, what they have consumed, and these very alternations (of avarice and luxury) are the aliment (or support) of (these) vices.
215, 216. The usual comparison of avarice to the dropsy. See Hor. Carm. II. 2. 13.
217, 218. In pret. pret. a play on words.—Dat census, etc. Hor. Epist. I. 6.
219. cur sit. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig, read si sit.—Quaeris, means you will probably ask, or you wish to know, for the poet had not yet asked the question.—Ausp. utile, a good omen.
220. Aera vestua, the stips or as. was a copper coin. In the old times, the Romans had none but copper money. See Neibuhr, Rom. Hist. I. 449 et seq.
223. Nos, we, the gods, or I, Janus.
226. The manners of each time are suited to it, and should be followed.
227. Munitus, acc. plur. of the substantive. Five MSS. read manitis.
229, 230. The old Roman coin bore on one side the figure of a ship; on the other, a two-headed Janus.
232. The impression on the old coins was, of course, often effaced by time and use.
234. Falcifer Saturn. See Mythology, p. 465, Virg. aen. viii. 315 et seq.
241. The Janiculum on the left, or Tuscan bank of the Tiber. See vv. 245, 246.
242. Aren. Tib. the flavus Tib. of Horace, Carm. I. 3.—Radit, like rodet and mordet, is very appropriately applied to a stream. See Hor. Carm. I. 22, 8.
243. Virg. aen. viii. 314. Propert, iv. 1. Tibul. II. 5, 25. This contrast of the former and the present state of the Seven Hills, was a favorite theme with poets of the Augustan age.—Incaedua uncut, i.e. ancient, denoting in general a wood, which was an object of religious awe and veneration.
245. Arx. The dwelling of the princes of the heroic ages was usually on an eminence, like the castles of the feudal chiefs of the middle ages.
247, 248. In the golden age.
249, 250. See Met. I. 89, et seq. 150. Hesiod [Greek: herga] 195. Mythology, 258-262.
251. Pudor, [Greek: Aidos].
257, 258. The Romans gave the name of Jani to arches, like that of Templebar, in London, under which people passed from one street into another. They were always double, people entering by one and going out the other, every one keeping to the right. Lenz, understands by Jani, in this place, temples of Janus, of which there were three at Rome.– Stas sacratus_ have a statue. For. duob. the fish and the ox-market. This temple was built by Duilius.
260. Oebalii, alluding to the fancied descent of the Sabines, from the Lacedaemmonians, one of whose ancient kings Oebalus is said to have been. Tati—One MS. reads Titi, which Heinsius and Gierig adopted. for this story, see Met. xiv. 771 et seq. and Livy I 11.
261. Levis custos Tarpeia.—levis, light-minded.
264. Arduus clivus, a steep path.
265. Portam, the Palantine gate.—Saturnia, Juno.
267. Tanto numine Scil. Juno.
268. Meae artis, that is, of openings.
269. He caused streams of hot sulphurous water to gush out of the groung.
274. When after the repulse of the Sabines, the hot waters ceased to flow, and the place became as it was before.
275, 276. This earliest temple was exceedingly small, containing nothing but a statue of the god, five feet high. Procopius (de Bell. Goth.) describes it. Strue. The strues—was a kind of cake.
277. The well known circumstance of the temple of Janus being open in time of war, closed in time of peace.
279-281. For what is probably the true reason, see Niebuhr's Roman History, I. 287, or Mythology, p. 467.
283. Diversa tuentes, on account of his two faces.
285, 286. This was A.U.C. 770, when on the vii. Kal. Jun. Germanicus triumphed over the Catti, the Cherusci, and the Angivarii, Tacit. An. II. 4l.—Fam. Rhe. aq. the river, as was usual with the poets, put for the people who dwelt on its banks, to denote that the Germans now obeyed Rome.
287. Face, fac.—Ministros pacis, Tiberius and Germanicus.
288. May not he (Germ. or Tib.) who has procured this peace for the empire, break it by resuming arms.
289, 290. The poet now ceases to discourse with Janus, and informs the reader of what he had found in the Fasti, namely, that two temples had been consecrated, at different times, on the Kalends of January.
291, 292. A.U.C. 462, in consequence of a plague at Rome, by the direction of the Sybelline books, an embassy was sent to Epidaurus, and one of the serpents sacred to Aesculapius was brought to Rome; a temple was built to the god on the island in the Tiber. See Met. xv. 622—744. Ph. n. Cor. nat. Aesculapius. See Mythology, p. 384.
293, 294. In parte est, is a sharer in the day and place. The temple of Jupiter in the island was dedicated by C. Servilius Duumvir, some time after the second Punic war.
295-310. Being now for the first time about to perform the other part of his promise, namely, to note the risings and settings of the stars, he prefaces it by the praises of the astronomers. See Introd. § 1.
299, 300. As the study of astronomy elevates the mind above the terrestrial abode of men, so it raises, or should raise it, above all mean and groveling pursuits and ideas.
305. They have brought the distant stars to our eyes. Gierig, following one MS. for nostris, reads terris, a reading which Burmann approved, though he did not adopt it.
307, 308. Alluding to the Alodïes, Otus and Ephialtes, Hom. Od. xi. 304-316. Virg. G. I. 280. Hor. Carm. III. 4, 49.
311-314. The cosmic setting of Cancer, on the morning of the 3rd January, the third before the Nones. See Introd. §. 1.
316. The cosmic rising of Lyra, which was usually attended with rain.
317, 318. On the 9th January was celebrated the festival of Jannus, named the Agonia or Agonalia, the origin of which name the poet now proceeds to discuss.
319-322. One etymon was ago, to do, as the popa or officiating minister of the altar cried Agone? Shall I act? before he struck the victim.—Agatne. Four of the best MSS. read Agone; they are followed by Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig.
323, 324. A second from agor, because the victims were led to the altar. Both equally silly.
325. a third; quasi Agnalia from Agna.
327, 328. A fourth from the Greek [Greek: agonia, agoniazein]—In aqua, the vessels of water by the altar in which the knives were placed.
329, 330. A fifth from the Greek [Greek: agones] ludi.
331. A sixth, which the poet approves, from Agonia, an old name for cattle.
333, 334. A ram was the victim offered on this day by the Rex Sacrorum.
335, 336. Two trifling etymoligies. The victima, he intimates, was offered after a victory; the hostia, in time of peace, when there was no enemy, hostibus amotis. Krebs reads a motis: almost all the MSS. a domitis.
337-456. A long digression on the origin and causes of the various sacrifices offered to the gods.
338. The Mola salsa.—Pura because it purifies or keeps from decay.
340. Hospita navis, a foreign ship.
343. Herbis Sabinis. The Savin, called by the Greeks [Greek: brathu]. Duorum generum est, says Pliny, altera tamaraci similis folio, altera cupresso.
344. A loud crackling of the leaves of the bay or laurel in the fire was a good omen.
347. This was in the golden age, before animals were slain in honor of the gods.
349. He now proceeds to explain how the altars came to be stained with the blood of animals. This was caused chiefly by the anger of the gods, on account of the mischief which they did.
357. [Greek: Kaen me phagaes epi rizan, omos eti karpophoraeoo Osson epispeisai soi, trage, Ouomeno], Euenus in Anthol. Gr. T. I. p. 165, Jacobs.
363. Aristaeus, the son of Apollo, by the nymph Cyrene. See Virg. G. iv. 281-558. Mythology, p. 294-296. This tale, after all, gives not the reason why the ox was offered in sacrifice.
381. Some popular legend probably assigned this silly cause.—Verbena, herbs gathered in a sacred place.
385. Persis, Persia.—Hyperiona, the Persian Mithras, the presiding deity of the Sun, identified by the Greeks with their god Helius, also called Hyperion.
387. Quod, because; given by Heinsius from the best MSS. others read _quaae.—Trip. Dianae, identifying her with Hecate. See above, v. 41.– Virgine, Iphigenia.
389. Sapaeos, a people of Thrace. Herod, vii. 110. Most MSS. have Sabaeos, or Saphaeos, but incorrectly.—Vidi. When Ovid was going into exile, at Tomi, A.U.C. 763, he passed through Thrace.
391. Custodi ruris, Priapus. This god who was chiefly worshiped at Lampsacus, was said to be the offspring of Bacchus and Venus. See Mythology, p. 205.
393. Festa, etc. the Trieterides, celebrated once in every three years.—Corymbiferi, Bacchus was frequently represented crowned with bunches of ivy-berries. Some MSS. read racemiferi.—Celebrabat, Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig, read celebrabas, on the authority of two MSS.
395. Di cultores Lycaei. Scil. the Pans and Satyrs, the gods of Arcadia. Gierig, on the authority of some of the best MSS. reads Lyaei. For Pan, etc. see Mythology, p. 198-205.
398. The Naïdes and other nymphs.
400. Priapus.
403. Parce is to be joined with miscendas.
407. That is, succincta.
410. Vincula nulla, they were barefoot. It is to be recollected that in the heroic ages, after which the poets modelled the life of the gods, the attendants at meals were females.
412. Pan.
414. Nequitia, lust.
420. She evinces her haughty contempt of him by her looks.
423. Ultima, the most remote.
425. Animam, his breath.
426. Digitis scil pedis, his toes. A beautiful description of one stealing on tip-toe.
436. Omne nemus, all the gods in the grove.
440. Hellesp. Deo. Priapus, the god of Lampsacus, on the Hellespont.
445. Linguae crimen. Still ascribing a revengeful character to the gods, he supposes them to be pleased with the sacrifice of the birds, who revealed their intentions to mankind.
447. Dis ut proxima. Flying high towards heaven. "Ye birds, That singing up to heaven gate ascend."—Milton.
448. Penna, the Praepetes; ore, the oscines, as they were styled in language of augury.
453. See Liv. v. 47, for this well-known story.
454. Inachi lauta. Isis the Egyptian deity, supposed to be the same with Io, the daughter of the river-god, Inachus. See Met. I. 747, et seq. Mythology, 367.—Lauta, dainty, as lautioribus cibis utens, such as the livers of geese. Isis was much worshiped at Rome at this time.
455. Deae Nocti. A cock was sacrificed to Night, as being odious to her.—Ales, like the Greek [Greek: ornis], the bird [Greek: kat exochaen].
456. Tepidum diem, the dawn, warm after the chill of the night.– Provocat, calls forth.
457. The cosmic rising of the Dolphin, on the ninth of January.
459. Postera lux, the tenth of January, which, according to the poet, was the bruma, or middle of winter. Columella and Ptolemy place it on the 4th January, the day before the Nones; Pliny, xviii. 5, makes it the viii. Kal. Jan. or 25th December.
461. Aurora. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig read nupta, on the authority of seven MSS.
462. The Carmentalia, on the 10th, or III. Id. of January.—Arcad. deae. Carmenta, the mother of Evander; her altar was at the Carmental gate, at the foot of the Capitol.
463. Turni soror, Juturna. See Virg. aen. xii. 134, et seq.
464. The temple of Juturna stood in the Campus Martius, by the Aqua Virgo, which Agrippa had brought thither on account of its excellence.
467. Quae nomen, etc. Scil. Carmenta.
496, 470. Orta, etc. The Arcadians called themselves [Greek: proselaenous] as having existed before the Moon.—Tellus, scil. gens.—Areade, Arcas, the son of Jupiter and Callisto. See Met. II. 401, et seq. Mythology, p. 387.
471. Evander was the son of Mercury and Carmenta. According to Servius, on the aeneis, his father was Echemus, and I am inclined to think that Ovid followed this last genealogy.
473. aetherios ignes, the inspiration of the god.
474. Plena may be joined either with carmina, or with the nominative to dabat.
475. Motus, civil discord.
475. Time verified her predictions.
478. Parrhasium, for Arcadian, part for the whole. Evander dwelt at Pallantium.
490. See Met. III. init. Mythology, 291.
491. Iason is always a trisyllable. For Tydeus and Jason, see Mythology under their names.
493. [Greek: Apas men aaer aieto perasimos, Apasa de chthon andri gennaio patris]. Eurip. frag. Comp. Hor. Carm. II. 9.
494. Vacuo, etc. the air.
495. Hor. Carm. II. 10. 15.
498. Hesperiam tenet. He reaches Italy, not, as Gierig understands it, he held his course for Italy.
500. Sailed up against the stream,—Tuscis, as flowing by Etruria.
501. There was a place in the Campus Martius, named Terentum, where was an altar of Dis and Proserpine, at which secular games were celebrated. I rather incline to think with Gierig, that the vada Terenti was a part of the river near the Terentum.
502. The abodes of the Aborigines.
503-508. The furor divinus comes over her; her hair is disheveled; her countenance becomes stern; by signs she directs the steersman to turn the ship to the land; she is hardly restrained from jumping out of the vessel.
510. Romulus and the Caesars—the flattery of the poet.
511. Hospita, stranger.
515-518. The future greatness of Rome.
519. The fleet of Aeneas. All the following events occur in the last six books of the Aeneis.
520. Femina, Lavinia.
521. Pallas, the son of Evander, slain by Turnus, and avenged by Aeneas.
523, 524. The future conquest of Greece by the Romans. Virg. aen. I. 283.
525. Troy was walled by Neptune. Eight MSS. read moenia for Pergama.
526. Num, etc. Are those ashes (of Troy) nevertheless not higher than the whole world? i.e. Will not Rome spring from them?
527. A tradition, followed by Cato, Strabo, Dio Cassius, and others, related that Anchises came to Italy. Perhaps Ovid followed the same tradition.
528. According to Dionysius. (I. 67,) the temple of the Penates, whom Aeneas brought from Troy, was near that of Vesta. Others (Tacit. An. xv. 41) thought that they were in the temple of that goddess.
529. Julius Caesar who was Pontifex Maximus, and was deified after his death. Some think it is Augustus who is meant.
531. Augustos seems to be equivalent to Caesares.
532. Hanc domum, scil: the Caesarian.
533. Tiberius, by adoption the son of Augustus, and grandson of Julius Caesar, both of whom were deified. His affected reluctance to accept the imperial dignity is well known. Tac. An. I. init.
534. Pondera, the weight of empire.
536. Augusta Julia. Livia, the wife of Augustus, adopted by his testament into the Julian family. This prediction of the poet was accomplished by the emperor Claudius, who placed Livia among the gods.
539. Exsul, Evander.
540. The poet had probably his own miserable place of exile in view.
542. Arcade, Evander.
543. Hercules, when driving the oxen of Geryon from the isle of Erythea. See Mythology, p. 320.
545. For this adventure with Cacus, see Virg. aen. viii. 190, _et. seq. Liv. I. 7.—Tegeaea, Arcadian.
553. Pro corpore, suited to his body.
559. Servata male, having ill kept, i.e. lost.
560. Furta, the stolen oxen.
564. Opus. The Greeks used their [Greek: ergon] in the same sense. Homer says that twenty-two waggons (juga) would not have moved the rock with which Polyphemus closed the mouth of his cave.
565. When he supported the heavens for Atlas. See Mythology, p. 324.
575. Occupat, attacks him. Jussit quatuor admoveri, canes, qui celeriter occupavere feram. Curtius, ix.—Clava trinodis, his knotty club. It was of the wood of the oleaster ([Greek: kotinos]) or wild olive.—Trinodis, a definite for an indefinite.
581, 582. The Ara Maxima of Hercules was in the Forum Boarium. According to Virgil, it was built by Evander.
583, 584. The apotheosis of Hercules.
587, 588. The usual sacrifice to Jupiter on the Ides, was a lamb, (see above, v. 57,) here it is a wether.
589. On the Ides of January, A.U.C. 727, Octavianus, after a speech full of hypocritical moderation, restored to the Senate and People such of the provinces as were in a state of tranquillity, retaining those which were still disturbed.—The Senate, on account of this, decreed him the title of Augustus.
591. Generosa atria, the halls of the different noble families at Rome.—Ceras, the waxen images of their ancestors, under which were inscribed their titles and actions.
593. Africa etc. P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus.—Isauruas. P. Servilius Isauricus.
594. Cretum. Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus.
595. Numidae. another Q. Caecilius Metellus, the predecessor of Marius, in the war against Jugurtha.—Messana. Claudius Caudex was sent to the aid of the Mamertines in Messana. He relieved the town, but derived no title from it. His statue and deeds, however, stood in the Atrium of the Claudii.
596. Numantina. Scipio aemilianus.
597. Druso. Drusus, the brother of Tiberius, and father of Germanicus, to whom the poem is dedicated, died in consequence of a broken leg, caused by his horse falling on him in the summer-camp on the Rhine, A.U.C. 745. The senate decreed the title of Germanicus to him and his children.
598. Quam brevis. How shortlived! Paterculus speaks in high terms of the virtues of Drusus. See also Hor. Car. iv. 4.
599. Caesar. C. Julius Caesar.
601. T. Manlius Torquatus. Liv. viii. 10.
602. M. Valerius Corvinus. Liv. vii. 26.
603. Magne. Cn. Pompeius Magnus.
604. C. Julius Caesar.
605, 606. When Fabius (A.U.C. 449.) divided the lower class of people into the four tribes named the Urbanas he was given the title of Maximus, which adhered to his family.—Nec gradus ullus, of comparison, playing on the magne of v. 603.
608. Hic. Augustus.
609. The Greeks rendered Augustus by [Greek: sebastus], from [Greek: sebo], to venerate. This name was considered beyond any human title.
610. Sacerd. manu. The Pontifex, when dedicating a temple, held one of the door-posts.
611. I do not think, with Gierig, that the poet derives augurium from augustus. It appears to me that he deduces them both from augeo. Loca quoque religiosa et in quibus augurato quid consecratur augusta dicantur ab auctu vel ab avium gestu gustuve. Suet. Aug. 7.
614. An oak-leaf garland, the symbol of protection, hung over the door of the Palatium; a laurel, the emblem of victory, stood on each side.
615. Tiberius, who bore the name of Augustus.
617-636. The Carmentalia were repeated on the 18th Kal. Feb. or the 15th of the month.
617. Actas, scil. exactas, past.
619. Matres. scil. Matronae.—Carpenta, the carpentum, was a covered two-wheel carriage. The etymon given by the poet is unworthy of attention.
629. Scortea, things made of skin or leather.
631. Precanti, by any one who is praying.
633. Porrima. This goddess is so named only in this place, and by Servius, on aen. viii. 336. Macrobius (Sat. I. 7.) calls her Antevorta. Varro, apud. A. Gellius (N. A. xvi. 6.) speaking of women who had a difficult labour, says, hujus periculi deprecandi causa arae statutae sunt Romae duabus Carmentibus; quarum altera Postverta nominata est, Prosa (alii Prorsa) altera; a recti perversique partus et potestate et nomine. We have here the true meaning of this feast of the Carmentalia, about which our poet has been puzzling.