This Ode contains some practical proofs and illustrations of the maxim, that money, or the love of it, is "the root of all evil." and forcibly expresses the poet's determination to seek happiness in contentment with the lot which had been assigned to him, and not in the accumulation of wealth. (Dated after A. U. C. 722.) 14. exiget, Cod. Bernens.-22. Myrrheum, some Codd.-cohibente, Bentl. conj. 13. atras curas, comp. above C. 3, 1, 40: Post equitem sedet atra cura. 14. tumultum, poetic. for bellum civile. 15. vim, i. e. civil or foreign war. 18. Marsi memorem duelli, poetic. = conditum bello Marsico sive sociali, A.U.C. 663-665 (= B.C. 91-89), i. e. about 70 years old. = 19. quá quâ (aliquâ) ratione, aliquo casu, any way.' 21. construe. dic et (= etiam) argu tae (= canorae, psaltriae) Neaerae (ut) properet cohibere, &c.--cohibere, 'to collect, bind' (comp. above C. 2, 19, 19: nodo coërces crines). 22. murrheum murrhâ madentem, 'anointed with myrrh.' 23. i. e. if any delay should be caused by the hateful door-keeper' (of Neaera). 28. consule Planco, i. e. L. Munatio Planco, M. Aemilio Lepido II. consuli INCLUSAM Danaën turris ahenea Si non Acrisium virginis abditae h Custodem pavidum Jupiter et Venus Risissent: fore enim tutum iter et patens Converso in pretium deo. a a. 5 Aurum per medios ire satellites Et perrumpere amat saxa, potentius 10 Argivi domus, ob lucrum Demersa exitio; diffidit urbium Portas vir Macedo, et subruit aemulos →→ Reges muneribus; munera navium Saevos illaqueant duces. Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam CARM. 16.-7. risisset, Bentl. conj.-13. excidio, some Codd. bus A.U.C. 712 (= B.C. 42), when Horace was in the 23d year of his age. Carm. 16.-1. sq. construe: turris aënea robustaeque fores et tristes excubiae vigilum canum munierant satis inclusam Danaën ab nocturnis adulteris, si non, &c. 3. munierant...si non risissent, the indicat. in an hypothical sentence, instead of the subjunct. munivissent (comp. C. 2, 17, 28: me truncus sustulerat, nisi Faunus ictum levasset). 7. risissent: fore, &c., i.e. 'had laughed at Acrisius, (well knowing that) there would be a safe and open way,' &c. 15 whom his wife Eriphyle, bribed by a necklace, persuaded to go to the war against Thebes. 13. diffidit, expressively, cleft asunder the gates.' 14. vir Macedo, i. e. Philip, father of Alexander the Great-subruit, a term properly applied to trees or walls, which are dug out, as it were, from their roots or foundations. 15. muneribus: munera, emphatically repeated and put near one another. 16. saevos duces, alluding to the freedman Menodorus or Menas, who was first admiral of Sextus Pompeius, then won by bribery, deserted to Octavianus, then again returned to Pompeius, whom he left a second time for Octavianus. 18. majorum, i. e. 'of greater wealth' -perhorrui, poetic. with the infin. tol lere, (see note to C. 1, 1, 8). Late conspicuum tollere verticem, 20 Quanto quisque sibi plura negaverit, Ab dîs plura feret: nil cupientium Nudus castra peto et transfuga divitum Partes linquere gestio, Contemptae dominus splendidior rei, Quam si, quidquid arat impiger Appulus, Purae rivus aquae silvaque jugerum Quamquam nec Calabrae mella ferunt apes, Nec Laestrygoniâ Bacchus in amphora Languescit mihi, nec pinguia Gallicis Crescunt vellera pascuis; / Importuna tamen pauperies abest, 31. fulgente, Bentl. conj. 20. equitum decus, Horace intentionally applies this designation to Maecenas, to convey the idea of a man who contented himself with a lower position than that to which he was entitled to aspire, namely, to senatorial order or high offices of state. 22 and 23. nil cupientium castra, poetic. of the sect of Stoic philosophers --nudus sine armis (using of the image corresponding to castra), i. e. without the means of becoming wealthy. 26. arát, the final syllable lengthened by arsis and caesura (comp. above C. 2, 6, 14: ridét; 2, 13, 16: timét; and 25 30 35 below C. 3, 24, 5: figst). 30. sq. construe: et certa fides segetis meae, beatior sorte, fallit fulgentem imperio fertilis Africae, poetic. 'the sure reliance on my crop makes my lot happier than that of him who rules over fertile African lands.' 34. Laestrygoniâ, poetic. of Formiae, said to be a city of the Homeric Laestry gonians (Hom. Od. 10, 82 sq). 35. languescit mitescit, 'becomes more mellow by age' (comp. C. 3, 21, 8: languidiora vina)--pinguia = spissa et copiosa, rich.' 39. sq. note the emphatic antitheses Quam si Mygdoniis regnum Alyattei CARMEN XVII. AD AELIUM LAMIAM. An Ode addressed to Lucius Ælius Lamia, who is said to have distinguished himself as one of the lieutenants of Augustus in the war with the Cantabri. This Lamia, who traced his lineage to Lamus, a son of Neptune, and King of the Laestrygones, is here urged by the poet to spend the next day-which, from the warnings of the crow, was likely to prove a stormy one-in festive enjoyment. AELI vetusto nobilis ab Lamo Quando et priores hinc Lamias ferunt Per memores genus omne fastos; Auctore ab illo ducis originem, CARM. 17.-5. ducit, Bentl. conj. 5 contracto (cupidine)...porrigam (= extendam) - melius = rectius: 'by contracting my desires, I shall extend more wisely my humble income, than if,' &c.; contracto certis limitibus circumscripto et veluti coartato-cupido with Horace always gen. mascul., see above note to C. 2, 16, 15-vectigalia, prop.: toll, taxes, here, in general, of 'private income' (thus below S. 2, 2, 100, and also in classic prose). 41 and 42. si continuem regnum Alyattei ( Lydiam) Mygdoniis campis (dative = Phrygiae), than if I join (as possessor) Lydia with Phrygia, i. e. 'than if I possess both contiguous countries as my property.' 43. bene est (sc. ei) beatus ille est, cui, &c., 'happy he to whom,' &c. 44. parca manu (belonging to obtulit), 'with a sparing hand.' Carm. 17.-1. nobilis ab vetusto Lamo, i. e. noble descendant of the ancient Lamus.' 2. quando = quoniam (thus also below S. 2, 5, 9; 2, 7, 5)—hinc, i. e. ab eo, ab Lamo (see note to C. 1, 12, 17). 4. memores fastos, i. e. the family annals or genealogies which also recorded the remarkable deeds of the eminent members of the family (comp. below C. 4, 14, 4: Per titulos memoresque fastos). Annosa cornix. Dum potis, aridum 10 15 CARMEN XVIII. AD FAUNUM. Hymn to Faunus, the patron god of harvests and flocks, whose festival was celebrated twice a-year; first, on the 5th of December, when the year's produce was gathered in, and the god was implored to protect it, and multiply the flock; and secondly, on the 13th of February, when a propitiatory sacrifice was offered to him, that he might give increase to the seed sown in the earth. FAUNE, Nympharum fugientum amator, Si tener pleno cadit haedus anno, 13. potes, some Codd.-15. bimenstri, some Codd. CARM. 18.-5. cadet, 9. late tyrannus = εὐρυκρείων, late regnans (comp. Virg. A. 1, 21: populum late regem; above C. 3, 3, 45: horrenda late; and below Ep. 2, 2, 167: emptor quondam), here with ironical exaggeration-cras, &c., construe: cras tempestas demissa ab Euro sternet nemus foliis multis et litus algâ inutili. 12. aquae augur, i.e. pluviam praesagiens (cornix), 'the prophetess of rain.' 13. dum potis, sc. est ews duvaróv σTI, dum licet per serenitatem: 'as long as it is possible.' 14. compone, i. e. extrue super focum: 'pile up.' 5 15. curabis, in a mild imperative sense, 'you may indulge.' 16. solutis, with the genit. operum, 'freed from labour' (comp. Cic. pro Lest. 7: legum solvere). Carm. 18.-3. lenis propitius--parvis alumnis, i. e. vitulis, lambs, kids.' 4. aequus, like the preced. lenis = propitius, benignus, 'propitious, benignant' 5. pleno anno, i. e. ad finem vergente, prope exacto, at the close of every year' (i. e. at thy festival in December, see in the foll. v 10). 6 and 7. craterae (dative), sodali Ven |