Plebs eris. At pueri ludentes 'Rex eris' ajunt, Nec sequar aut fugiam, quae diligit ipse vel odit: 60 65 70 75 Respondit, referam: Quia me vestigia terrent, ‘Omnia te adversum spectantia, nulla retrorsum.' Belua multorum es capitum. Nam quid sequar, aut quem? Pars hominum gestit conducere publica; sunt qui Crustis et pomis viduas venentur avaras, Excipiantque senes, quos in vivaria mittant; Multis occulto crescit res fenore. Verum Esto, aliis alios rebus studiisque teneri: Idem eadem possunt horam durare probantes? 78. frustis, some Codd. tiûm), the census of the equestrian order (about £3,540). 59. plebs eris, i. e. inter plebem reputaberis, contemnêris. 60. murus aëneus, i. e. the firmest rampart, bulwark.' 62. construe dic sodes, (utrum) Roscia lex est melior an nenia puerorum? 63 nenia, here in general = cantilena,' song.' 64. maribus, active dative = a maribus,' by the manly Curii and Camilli.' 65. rem, sc. familiarem, 'property, wealth;' remark the expressive repeti- | tion of this monosyllable at the end of both verses. 67. the meaning is: in order that, in 80 'Nullus in orbe sinus Bajis praelucet amoenis,' Si dixit dives: lacus et mare sentit amorem Festinantis heri; cui si vitiosa libido 6 Fecerit auspicium, Cras ferramenta Teanum unguem Ad summam: sapiens uno minor est Jove, dives, 85 90 95 100 105 94. curtatus, some edd.-95. occurri, some Codd.; occurro, other Codd., Bentl.97. mecum, some Codd. in an uneven manner.' 101. sollemnia, accus. plur. instead of the adv. solito more, solito errore, quemadmodum faciunt omnes alii, 'I am mad in the common way, I am afflicted with an every-day madness.' 106. ad summam ne longum faciam, 'to conclude '-sapiens, &c., facetiously alluding to the Stoic doctrine. 108. pituita, three syllables, as: pitvi-ta (comp. above S. 2, 2, 76). EPISTOLA II. AD LOLLIUM. Dated hypothetically A. U. c. 727. This epistle is addressed to Marcus Lollius (probably surnamed Paulinus), son of that Marcus Lollius consul A. U. c. 733, to whom Horace inscribed the ninth ode of the fourth book. The younger Lollius, who appears to have been a man of high birth, great wealth, amiable disposition, and refined taste, was pursuing the study of eloquence at Rome when the poet wrote to him this epistle from Praeneste. The object of Horace in this poetical letter was to encourage his young friend in the pursuit of wisdom and the practice of virtue: and as he himself had just then finished a re-perusal of Homer's poems, he recommended them to Lollius, as containing lessons in practical ethics far more apt and impressive than any which had been taught by the most distinguished masters, whether of the Stoic or Academic schools. He follows up this eulogium upon the Homeric morality by a series of precepts regarding the government of the passions, precepts fitted to exert a most salutary influence upon the conduct and character of the person for whose benefit they were originally designed. TROJANI belli scriptorem, maxime Lolli, Dum tu declamas Romae, Praeneste relegi; 5 Qui, quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, Stultorum regum et populorum continet aestûs. 10 Hunc amor, ira quidem communiter urit utrumque. EP. 2.-4. plenius, some Codd.-10. Quod Paris, ut some Codd., Bentl. Ep. 2.-1.maxime, sc. natu, ‘eldest.' 2. declamas, i. e. art exercising thyself in the art of speaking on feigned subjects. 6. fabula, i. e. argumentum (Iliadis). 7. Barbariae Phrygiae (comp.Virg. Aen. 2, 504: Barbarico postes auro spoliisque superbi, Procubuere Phrygio) lento collisa duello (old form for bello) longo bello conflictata. 8. aestus vehementiores animi per turbationes, the excited passions.' 9. Antenor, &c., comp. Hom. Il. 7, 347 sq. : Τοῖσιν δ' Αντήνωρ πεπνυμένος ἦρχ ̓ ἀγορεύειν · Κέκλυτέ μευ, Τρῶες... Δεῦτ ̓ ἄγετ', Αργείην Ελένην καὶ κτήμαθ ̓ ἅμ ̓ αὐτῇ Δώομεν 'Ατρείδῃσιν ἄγειν, &c. censet praecidere, Greek construction for: praecidendam esse (causam). 10. Quid Paris Paris? 13. hunc, sc. Agamemnonem. Quid contra facit Quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi. Qui, domitor Trojae, multorum providus urbes Et mores hominum inspexit, latumque per aequor, Dum sibi, dum sociis reditum parat, aspera multa 15 20 Quae si cum sociis stultus cupidusque bibisset, 25 30 35 17. rursum, Bentl.-18. Ulyssem and Ulixem, some edd.-31. cessatum ducere somnum, some Codd.; cessantum ducere somnum, Bentl. conj.-32. hominem, some Codd.-34. nolis, some Codd.-37. Cur nam, some Codd.-38. oculos, some Codd. 18. proposuit, sc. Homerus. 19. sq., a free translation of the beginning of the Odyssey (comp. also below A. P. 141 sq.: Dic mihi, Musa, virum, captae post tempora Trojae Qui mores hominum multorum vidit et urbes). 22. immersabilis = quem res adversae demergere, opprimere numquam potuerunt, unconquerable.' 27. nos sumus numerus, poetic., we are a mere number, mere cyphers'nati, poetic. with the infin. consumere. 28 and 29. Alcinoique, &c., construe: atque juventus Alcinoi operata (magnopere occupata) in cute curandâ plus aequo (comp. below Ep. 1, 4, 15: Me pinguem et nitidum bene curatâ cute vises). 31. ducere curam cessatum (supine), 'to lull their cares to rest.' 34. sanus dum sanus es, dum vales (comp. below, v. 68). 39. est, from edo, consumes, preys upon.' Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet: sapere aude; 40 45 Non animo curas: valeat possessor oportet, Si comportatis rebus bene cogitat uti. 50 Qui cupit aut metuit, juvat illum sic domus et res, Ut lippum pictae tabulae, fomenta podagram, Sincerum est nisi vas, quodcumque infundis, acescit. Sperne voluptates: nocet empta dolore voluptas. 55 Majus tormentum. Qui non moderabitur irae, Ira furor brevis est: animum rege; qui nisi paret, 60 41. vivendi qui recte, some Codd.—46. contingit, nil, some Codd.—52. podagrum, some Codd., Bentl. S. 1, 3, 74; 2, 3, 27: illius, and Ep. 1, 1, 14: nullius). 58. Siculi tyranni, i. e. Phalaris, Agathocles, both Dionysii. 60. dolor, sc. quem iracundus sentit, quum offenditur, indignatio, 'indignation-mens, the Greek Ovpós = furor, 'passion.' 61. odio inulto, dative dependent on festinat poenas. 63. note the expressive repetition of hunc, and the addition of the pronoun tu with the imperative; as to the latter (comp. C. 1, 9, 16; 1, 11, 1; 1, 14, 5; Epod. 13, 6). 64. fingit format, instituit, poetic. with the infin. ire, instead of: ad eundum. |