CARMEN V. IN LAUDEM CAESARIS AUGUSTI. The subject of this Ode may be thus briefly explained: The son of Phraates, king of the Parthians, had been for some time detained at Rome as a hostage by Augustus, but was sent back, on condition that Phraates himself should restore the Roman standards and prisoners that had been taken in the war with Crassus and Antony, B.C. 53. This condition was proposed by Augustus, and agreed to by Phraates, A.U.C. 731, but was not actually fulfilled by the latter till A.U.C. 734, when the Parthian king was alarmed by the rumour that Augustus was preparing to invade his dominions, and had already penetrated as far as Syria. The restoration of these prisoners and standards was celebrated at Rome with great enthusiasm, by festivals and poetical compositions, as well as by the erection of a triumphal arch and temple, and by the striking of coins to commemorate the event. The purpose of the poet, in this Ode, is to magnify the power of Augustus, which had been exerted with signal effect in the recovery of the Roman prisoners and standards from the Parthians, and in the consequent humiliation of that people. Sub rege Medo Marsus et Appulus, et-pro curia inversique mores!-con- tolio. 'Nec vera virtus, quum semel excidit, 'Curat reponi deterioribus. 21. direpta, some Codd. 13. hoc, i. e. such dishonest behaviour in Roman soldiers. 14. condicionibus, dative, disagreeing with the base conditions.' 15. trahentis (= qui traheret) perniciem (suo) exemplo, in veniens aevum (in futuram aetatem), si captiva pubes non periret immiserabilis, and that he should bring, by his example (of dishonesty), destruction upon his citizens in a future time, if the captive youth were not to perish unpitied.' 17. periret, the only example in Horace of a short syllable (ět) in the thesis of the first order of the Alcaic strophe (hence some have corrected: perirent or perires). 20. militibus, sc. nostris Romanis, 'from our soldiers.' 21. derepta, i. e. violenter et contumeliose detracta, ignominiously torn 15 20 25 30 off'(comp. Virg. A. 11, 193: spolia occisis derepta Latinis). 22. retorta, bound behind' (comp. below Ep. 2, 1, 191: Mox trahitur manibus regum fortuna retortis). 23. portas, sc. Carthaginis — non clausas, as a sign of their perfect security (comp. A. P 199 Chorus laudet... Justitiam legesque et apertis otia portis); as in the following line, 'the fields, devastated by the Roman war, cultivated anew,' an expressive sign of perfect fearlessness respecting a new attack of the Romans. 24. populata, in the passive meaning, 'desolated,'' devastated.' 25. auro repensus, &c., bitter irony quasi vero miles, repensus auro, rediturus sit acrior! the soldier, ransomed by gold, will, no doubt, return a braver one.' 30. nec curat (= nec vult) with the Donec labantes consilio patres Firmaret auctor numquam alias dato, Interque maerentes amicos Egregius properaret exsul. Atqui sciebat quae sibi barbarus 45 50 33. dedidit, Bentl. conj.-36 and 37. mortem Hinc, unde vitam sumeret aptius, Bentl (hinc conj., aptius some Codd.)—38. pacem et duello, Bentl. conj. infin., comp. above C. 2, 13, 39: Nec curat Orion leones agitare)-deterioribus, dative: to be restored to minds degraded' (by cowardice). 31. si pugnat, &c., i. e. if the regular order of nature can be changed. 33. se credidit, expressive opposition to perfidis, who has intrusted himself to faithless foes.' 34. Marte altero, ablat. absol. = bello altero, in a second war.' 37 and 38. construe: hic (sc. ignavus miles, qui hosti se tradidit), inscius, unde sumeret vitam (= ignarus vitam tantum fortiter pugnando servari), miscuit pacem duello (= suam pacem illegi timam fecit cum hoste)-duello, intentionally the poet uses here the old form for bello, as spoken by old Regulus. 40. altior, made higher,' in opposition to ruinis, by the downfal' (of Italy). 41. fertur, sc. Regulus. 42. ut capitis minor capite deminutus, i. c. ut qui in hostium potestate esset, as a prisoner.' 44. posuisse vultum defixisse oculos, to have fixed his eyes' (on the ground). 45. consilio, belongs to firmaret, 'by counsel' (never given, heard before). 50. tortor, torturer, executioner,' Dimovit obstantes propinquos Quam si clientum longa negotia Aut Lacedaemonium Tarentum. amnium 55 CARMEN VIII. AD MAECENATEM. Horace invites Maecenas to celebrate with him the festival of the Matronalia, in honour of Juno Lucina, on the 1st of March; and since the poet must have known that this festival was observed only by married men and women, his invitation is, perhaps, to be regarded as merely jocular. Written A.U.c. 725. MARTIIS caelebs quid agam Calendis, ne Docte sermones utriusque linguae. CARM. 8.-1. Kalendis, some Codd.-2. thuris, some Codd. 5. sermonis, some Codd. alluding to the general belief that after his return to Carthage he was put to death by the most terrible torments, comp. Cic. Off. 1, 13 and 3, 27 (which fate, however, is now regarded as a mere invention of the Romans, in order to justify their own cruelty towards the Carthaginian prisoners). 51. dimovit cedere sibi jussit viamque aperire, 'removed out of his way.' 52. reditus, accus. plur., poetic. inst. of the sing. reditum, 'his return' (comp. above C. 1, 14, 7: carinae), perh. only in order to avoid the repetition of the 5 final m three times in one line. 53. longa, here= taedii plena, 'tedious.' Carm. 8.-1. Martiis Calendis, i. e. on the festival of the ladies (Matronalia). 3. positusque carbo, poetic. for the fire lighted upon the altar made of live turf.' 5. docte sermones (acc. Graec.) &c., of Maecenas tu cui quidquid rerum est sacrarum vel Latinarum vel Graecarum bene perspectum est, 'well instructed in the sciences (rites) of both languages;' sermones literas. 8. arboris ictu, comp. above C. 2, 13. 10. demovebit, some edd.-15. profer, some Codd.-19. infestis sibi luctuosus, Cod. Galean.-26. cavere et, some Codd.-27 and 28. horae Linque and horae ac Linque, some Codd. 10. sq. corticem astrictum, &c., see Excurs. to C. 1, 20. 11. construe: amphorae (dative) institutae bibere fumum (= quae didicit bibere fumum) consule Tullo, i. e. L. Vulcatio Tullo, M' Aemilio Lepido consulibus, A.U.C. 688 B.C. 66, a year before Horace's birth; therefore the wine was 46 years old at those Martiis Calendis, of which Horace speaks. 13. sume...amici, &c., i. e. take...to drink to, in honour of; a Greek use of the genitive in such an expression; comp. also below C. 3, 19, 9 sq.: Da lunae propere novae, Da noctis mediae, da, puer, auguris Murenae. |