Nec saevus Arcturi cadentis Non verberatae grandine vineae Fundusque mendax, arbore nunc aquas Sidera, nunc hiemes iniquas. 30 Contracta pisces aequora sentiunt 35 Cum famulis dominusque terrae Cur invidendis postibus et novo 39 and 40. triremi Postque, Bentl. conj.-43. delinit, some Codd., Bentl. 44. Achaemeniumve, Bentl. conj. 27. Arcturi cadentis, i. e. at the end of October, in general a stormy season in Italy. 28. orientis Haedi, i. e. in the beginning of October, with rainy and windy weather (comp. Virg. A. 9, 668: Quantus ab occasu veniens, pluvialibus Haedis, Verberat imber humum). 30. mendax, poetic. 'deceitful' (comp. below Ep. 1, 7, 87: Spem mentita seges) -arbore culpante, poetically regarded as living, 'the trees accusing, attributing the fault to'-aquas, the rains.' 33 and 34. construe: aequora contracta molibus jactis in altum, the sea made narrower by the moles built out into the deep' (comp. above C. 2, 15, 1 sq.) -frequens. Doetic. inst. of the adv. fre 45 quenter, often returning to the place.' 39. aerata, i. e. 'with brazen beak,' 'brazen-beaked-note the personification of Timor, Minae and Cura, as inseparable companions of the fastidious rich. 41. Phrygius lapis, i. e. Phrygian marble. 44. Achaemenium, poetic. for Arabicum or Indicum (as the Arabian and Indian nard was brought to Europe through Persia, an ancient king of which was Achaemenes). 45. invidendis, 'exciting envy' (comp. above C. 2, 10, 7: caret invidendâ sobrius aulâ)-novo ritu, 'in a new (magnificent) style.' 46. moliar?'shall I build with labour' Before the entrance (ostium) of a noble Roman's house at the time of our poet, there was an area called vestibulum. After passing the entrance-door, we might see a high and spacious square hall, which was vaulted and adorned on all sides with columns bearing the roof which covered the hall, leaving a square opening in the middle (impluvium). The ground was decked with small flower-beds and lawns, with waterbasins and fountains placed between, which afforded a refreshing coolness. Such was the atrium in the time of Horace. In more ancient times, there was, in the middle of the atrium, the hearth (focus), which both served the profane purpose of cooking and held the house-gods (Lares and Penates) the images of which were kept in small presses or niches (aedicula). It was here, near the cheerful fireside, that the family-meals were taken. Here the mistress of the house was seated in the midst of her servants; here, too, was the place both for the nuptial couch and the moneybox of the head of the house. Here all visitors were received and clients admitted, who came to seek their patron's (patronus) counsel and help. Here the bodies of the members of the family lay in state before setting out on their last journey. Here, too, the sacred memorials of ancestors were kept in boxes; these were masks of wax taken from life, with the name, titles, and merits (tituli) of the deceased; on festivals they were adorned with new wreaths of laurels. For letting in the light, and allowing the smoke a free passage, there was an opening in the roof in proportion to the size of the room, but not so large as to deprive it of the appearance of a closed hall. But when the ancient simplicity of Roman manners had disappeared, when those frugal family-repasts had given place to large banquets, when, instead of a few intimate friends and closely-connected clients, large crowds of visitors were moving up and down, the old arrangements of the atrium became insufficient. The old family-hearth was removed to the back part of the house, and the time-honoured union of its twofold purposes no longer existed, as the Lares were placed in the sacrarium, and the hearth for cooking was in a spacious kitchen. The female slaves had also to repair with their work to the back of the house; and special dining-rooms of different sizes were set apart for the coenae. The atrium was used only as a waiting-room, and also for the reception of clients and friends on all occasions.1 It was the place for exhibiting the bodies after death; and it contained the images of ancestors, which, however, from having been originally masks of wax, had become masks of bronze and silver, or busts (of stone and marble). It was now no longer required to have the roof entire; on the contrary, the larger the atrium was, the wider the opening in the roof had to be, so as to admit a sufficient amount of light and fresh air. So large an opening (being one-fourth or one-third of the width of the atrium) was impossible without supporting columns, especially when the roof was inclining towards the middle. Columns were therefore set up, first for architectural reasons, but afterwards to improve the appearance of the place, as they were made of the most costly marble. The following passage of the preceding ode refers to the splendour of the Roman atrium: "Cur invidendis postibus et novo Sublime ritu moliar atrium?" 1 Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 31: Atria servantem postico falle clientem. CARMEN II. AD PUBEM ROMANAM. Horace urges the Roman youth to emulate the heroism of their ancestors; but while exhorting them to display the warlike courage and prowess which are needed to defend their native land from hostile invasion, he, at the same time, inculcates upon them the obligations of duty, both to gods and men, and warns them of the penalties attached to the neglect or violation of such duties. Dated A.U.C. 726. ANGUSTAM amice pauperiem pati Condiscat et Parthos feroces Vitamque sub divo et trepidis agat Prospiciens et adulta virgo Suspiret, eheu, ne rudis agminum Per medias rapit ira caedes. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori: CARM. 2.-1. amici, some Codd., Bentl.-5. dio, some Codd.-14. prosequitur, Cod. Sangall., consequitur, Bentl. conj. 5 10 10. sponsus regius, i. e. 'the affianced prince' (fighting as ally against the Romans). 13. Dulce et decorum, &c. (comp. the same sentence in the beautiful distich of Tyrtaeus fragm. 7, 1: Teováμevai γὰρ καλὸν ἐνὶ προμάχοισι πεσόντα Ανδρ' ἀγαθόν, περὶ ᾗ πατρίδι μαρνά MEVOV; and the verses of Eurip. Troad. 386: Τρῶες δὲ πρῶτον μέν, τὸ κάλλισ τον κλέος, Ὑπὲρ πάτρας ἔθνησκον. Comp also below C. 4, 9, 51 sq.: Non ille pro caris amicis Aut patriâ timidus perire. 16. timidore, some Codd., Bentl.-28. fragilemque, some Codd.-29. faselum, some Codd. 16. poplitibus timidoque tergo, both joined (hence que, not ve) are signs of a fleeing enemy. 17. repulsae' nescia sordidae, unacquainted with a disgraceful repulse,' i. e. insensible to any feeling of shame under a repulse which it has not deserved-sordidae, 'disgraceful 'according to the opinion of the common people (comp. Ep. 1. 1, 42 sq.: Vides quae maxima credis Esse mala, exiguum censum turpemque repulsam). 19. secures, poetic. for fasces, the emblems of office. 20. popularis aurae favor populi (also in classic prose; in plur. Virg. A. 6, 817: nimium gaudens popularibus auris). = 21. immeritis mori, poetic. dignis immortalitate, 'to those undeserving of death.' 22. negatâ denied' (to common people). 25. est et, &c. Virtutis socia est Fides, perh. allusion to the proverb of Simonides, often used by Augustus: ἔστι καὶ σιγᾶς ἀκίνδυνον γέρας (comp. also Virg. A. 3, 112: hinc fida silentia sacris). 26. construe: vetabo (= prohibebo ne is) qui vulgarit sacrum Cereris arcanae, sit (mecum) sub isdem trabibus. 29. Diespiter Jupiter, see above note to C. 1, 34, 5. 30. incesto impio, 'involves the innocent with the wicked, guilty." |