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Postera quum teneras Aurora refecerit herbas,
Scorpios a prima parte videndus erit.
Tertia post Idus lux est celeberrima Baccho.
Bacche, fave vati, dum tua festa cano.
Nec referam Semelen; ad quam nisi fulmina secum 715
Jupiter afferret, parvus inermis erat:
Nec, puer ut posses maturo tempore nasci,
Expletum patrio corpore matris onus.
Sithonas et Scythicos longum est narrare triumphos,
Et domitas gentes, turifer Inde, tuas. 720
Tu quoque Thebanae mala praeda tacebere matris,
Inque tuum furiis acte, Lycurge, genu.
Ecce libet subitos pisces Tyrrhenaque monstra
Dicere; sed non est carminis hujus opus.
Carminis hujus opus, causas expromere, quare 725
Vilis anus populos ad sua liba vocet.
Ante tuos ortus arae sine honore fuerunt,
Liber, et in gelidis herba reperta focis.
Te memorant, Gange totoque Oriente subacto,
Primitias magno seposuisse Jovi. 730
Cinnama tu primus captivaque tura dedisti,
Deque triumphato viscera tosta bove.
Nomine ab auctoris ducunt Libamina nomen,
Libaque, quod sacris pars datur inde focis.
Liba deo fiunt, succis quia dulcibus ille 735
Gaudet, et a Baccho mella reperta ferunt.
Ibat arenoso Satyris comitatus ab Hebro:
--Non habet ingratos fabula nostra jocos--
Jamque erat ad Rhodopen Pangaeaque florida ventum:
aeriferae comitum concrepuere manus. 740
Ecce novae coëunt volucres tinnitibus actae,
Quaque movent sonitus aera sequuntur apes.
Colligit errantes, et in arbore claudit inani
Liber: et inventi praemia mellis habet.
Ut Satyri levisque senex tetigere saporem, 745
Quaerebant flavos per nemus omne favos,
Audit in exesa stridorem examinis ulmo,
Adspicit et ceras dissimulatque senex;
Utque piger pandi tergo residebat aselli,
Applicat hunc ulmo corticibusque cavis. 750
Constitit ipse super ramoso stipite nixus,
Atque avide trunco condita mella petit.
Millia crabronum coëunt, et vertice nudo
Spicula defigunt, oraque summa notant.
Ille cadit praeceps, et calce feritur aselli, 755
Inclamatque suos, auxiliumque rogat.
Concurrunt Satyri, turgentiaque ora parentis
Rident. Percusso claudicat ille genu.
Ridet et ipse deus, limumque inducere monstrat.
Hic paret monitis et linit ora luto. 760
Melle pater fruitur, liboque infusa calenti
Jure repertori candida mella damus.
Femina cur praestet, non est rationis opertae.
Femineos thyrso concitat ille chores.
Cur anus hoc faciat, quaeris. Vinosior aetas 765
Haec est, et gravidae munera vitis amans.
Cur hedera cincta est; Hedera est gratissima Baccho.
Hoc quoque cur ita sit, dicere nulla mora est.
Nysiades Nymphae, puerum quaerente noverca,
Hanc frondem cunis opposuere novis. 770
Restat, ut inveniam, quare toga libera detur
Lucifero pueris, candide Bacche, tuo;
Sive, quod ipse puer semper juvenisque videris,
Et media est aetas inter utrumque tibi:
Seu, quia tu pater es, patres sua pignora natos 775
Commendant curae numinibusque tuis;
Sive, quod es Liber, vestis quoque libera per te
Sumitur, et vitae liberioris iter;
An quia, quum prisci colerent studiosius agros,
Et patrio faceret rure senator opus, 780
Et caperet fasces a curvo consul aratro,
Nec crimen duras esset habere manus,
Rusticus ad ludos populus veniebat in urbem:
Sed dîs, non studiis ille dabatur honos.
Luce sua ludos uvae commentor habebat: 785
Quos cum taedifera nunc habet ipse dea.
Ergo, ut tironem celebrare frequentia posset,
Visa dies dandae non aliena togae.
Mite, Pater, caput huc placataque cornua vertas,
Et des ingenio vela secunda meo! 790
Itur ad Argeos--qui sint, sua pagina dicet--
Hac, si commemini, praeteritaque die.
Stella Lycaoniam vergit proclinis ad Arcton
Miluus. Haec illa nocte videnda venit.
Quid dederit volucri, si vis cognoscere, coelum: 795
Saturnus regnis ab Jove pulsus erat.
Concitat iratus validos Titanas in arma,
Quaeque fuit fatis debita, poscit opem.
Matre satus Terra, monstrum mirabile, taurus
Parte sui serpens posteriore fuit. 800
Hunc triplici muro lucis incluserat atris
Parcarum monitu Styx violenta trium.
Viscera qui tauri flammis adolenda dedisset,
Sors erat, aeternos vincere posse deos.
Immolat hunc Briareus facta ex adamante securi: 805
Et jam jam flammis exta daturus erat.
Jupiter alitibus rapere imperat. Attulit illi
Miluus, et meritis venit in astra suis.
Una dies media est, et fiunt sacra Minervae,
Nomina quae a junctis quinque diebus habent. 810
Sanguine prima vacat, nec fas concurrene ferro.
Causa, quod est illa nata Minerva die.
Altera tresque super strata celebrantur arena.
Ensibus exsertis bellica laeta dea est.
Pallada nunc pueri teneraeque ornate puellae. 815
Qui bene placarit Pallada, doctus erit.
Pallade placata, lanam mollite, puellae:
Discite jam plenas exonerare colos.
Illa etiam stantes radio percurrere telas
Erudit, et rarum pectine denset opus. 820
Hanc cole, qui maculas laesis de vestibus aufers:
Hanc cole velleribus quisquis ahena paras.
Nec quisquam invita faciet bene vincula plantae
Pallade, sit Tychio doctior ille licet;
Et licet antiquo manibus collatus Epeo 825
Sit prior, irata Pallade mancus erit.
Vos quoque, Phoebea morbos qui pellitis arte,
Munera de vestris pauca referte deae.
Nec vos, turba fere censu fraudata, magistri
Spernite; discipulos attrahet illa novos. 830
Quique moves caelum, tabulamque coloribus uris,
Quique facis docta mollia saxa manu.
Mille dea est operum: certe dea carminis illa est.
Si mereor, studiis adsit amica meis.
Coelius ex alto qua mons descendit in aequum, 835
Hic ubi non plana est, sed prope plana via est:
Parva licet videas Captae delubra Minervae,
Quae dea natali coepit habere suo.
Nominis in dubio causa est. _Capitale_ vocamus
Ingenium sollers: ingeniosa dea est. 840
An, quia de capitis fertur sine matre paterni
Vertice cum clypeo prosiluisse suo?
An, quia perdomitis ad nos captiva Faliscis
Venit? et hoc ipsum littera prisca docet.
An, quod habet legem, capitis quae pendere poenas 845
Ex illo jubeat furta reperta loco?
A quacumque trahis ratione vocabula, Pallas,
Pro ducibus nostris aegida semper habe.
Summa dies e quinque tubas lustrare canoras
Admonet, et forti sacrificare deae. 850
Nunc potes ad solem sublato dicere vultu:
Hic here Phrixeae vellera pressit ovis.
Seminibus tostis sceleratae fraude novercae
Sustulerat nullas, ut solet, herba comas.
Mittitur ad tripodas, certa qui sorte reportet, 855
Quam sterili terrae Delphicus edat opem.
Hic quoque corruptus cum semine nuntiat Helles
Et juvenis Phrixi funera sorte peti.
Usque recusantem cives, et tempus, et Ino
Compulerant regem jussa nefanda pati; 860
Et soror, et Phrixus velati tempora vittis
Stant simul ante aras junctaque fata gemunt.
Adspicit hos, ut forte pependerat aethere mater,
Et ferit attonita pectora nuda manu:
Inque draconigenam nimbis comitantibus urbem 865
Desilit, et natos eripit inde suos;
Utque fugam capiant, aries nitidissimus auro
Traditur. Ille vehit per freta longa duos.
Dicitur infirma cornu tenuisse sinistra
Femina, quum de se nomina fecit aquae. 870
Paene simul periit, dum vult succurrere lapsae,
Frater, et extentas porrigit usque manus.
Flebat, ut amissa gemini consorte pericli,
Caeruleo junctam nescius esse deo.
Litoribus tactis aries fit sidus: at hujus 875
Pervenit in Colchas aurea lana domos.
Tres ubi Luciferos veniens praemiserit Eos,
Tempora nocturnis aequa diurna feres.
Inde quater pastor saturos ubi clauserit hoedos,
Canuerint herbae rore recente quater; 880
Janus adorandus, cumque hoc Concordia mitis,
Et Romana Salus, araque Pacis erit.
Luna regit menses. Hujus quoque tempora mensis
Finit Aventino Luna colenda jugo.
NOTES:
1. As the first book began with the praises of Janus, so here the poet
invokes Mars; in the next book we shall find him calling upon Venus.--
_Depositis_, etc. as the poet's occupation is a peaceful one.
3, 4. A question and answer.
5-8. As Minerva, who, especially in the Roman theology, was a deity, who
presided over the arts of peace, engaged also in those of war; so Mars
might for a time lay aside his arms, and attend to the song of the poet.
--_Cuspidis_. Several MSS. read _cassidis_. The general sense is the
same.
9. He takes occasion here to sing the most celebrated adventure of the
Roman god, Mars. It comes with peculiar propriety in this place, as the
month had been named after the god by his son, whose birth it relates.
For the difference between the Greek Ares and the Roman Mars, see
Mythology, p. 79 and 459.--_Romana sacerdos_. The affair occurred at
Alba, and Rome did not yet exist. Heinsius would read _Trojana_, another
critic proposes _regina_, as in Virgil, aen. I. 227. There is no need of
any change; poets did not always attend to accuracies of this kind.
11. _Silvia_. One MS. reads _Ilia_, which reading has been adopted by
Heinsius.--_Moveri_ scil, _carmen_, like the _cantuxque movete_ of
Virgil.
12. It was the office of the Vestals to draw water, for the purpose of
washing and sprinkling the temple, and cleansing the sacred vessels.
Servius on aen. vii. 150, says, _Vestae libare non nisi de Numicio flumine
licebat_.
13. _Molli_, etc. beautifully expresses the gentle descent to the river.
14. Then, as now, women carried their earthen pitchers on their heads.
Speaking of Amymone, our poet says, (Am. I. x. 6,) _Cum premeret summi
verticis urna comas_ and Propertius of Tarpeia (iv. 4, 16,) _at illi
Urguebat medium fictilis urna caput_.
16. _Restituit_, settled. Two MSS. which are followed by Heinsius, read
_composuit_; but as Burmann justly observes this supposes leisure, and
the use of a mirror, whereas _restituit_ places before us a girl hastily
settling up her hair, as we express it.
17, 18. Compare Virg. Ec. I. 55, and Hor. Epod. II. 26.
21. The descent of Mars, as Addison, I believe, first observed, is to be
seen represented on ancient Roman coins.--_Cupitam_. This is the reading
of two of the best MSS. and of Diomedes, the grammarian, who quotes this
verse: all the other MSS. read _cupita_. Heinsius, in his note, shews
that _potior_ governed the fourth ease, in the best authors, and Priscian
(xviii. 23,) says, _Omnes auctores, potior illius et illum et illo_.
22. _Fefellit_, concealed.--_Divina ope_, i. e. by his own power.
26. _Sonos_, words. Two MSS. read _preces.
27. _Utile_, etc. The well-known Roman _formula, Quod bonum, felix
faustumque sit_,--_Imagine somni_, in a dream.
28. _An somno_, etc. Was it more than a dream, than a mere [Greek:
enupnion]?
29. _Ig. II_. The perpetual fire of Vesta brought from Troy by aeneas.
Virg. aen. II. 296.
30. This circumstance was ominous, as the sacred fillet was taken by the
Pontifex off the head of a Vestal condemned for breach of vow. Dionysius,
when describing the fate of the Vestal, Oppia, or Opimia, says, [Greek:
autaen men taes koryphaes aphelomenoi ta stemmata, kai pompeuontes di'
agoras, entos teichous zosan katoruxan].
31. Compare the dream of Astyages, portending the birth of Cyrus. Just.
I. 4.--_Palmae_, emblems of victory. It is probably the meaning of the
poet that they sprang from the ground, though _inde_ would appear to
refer rather to the fillet.
35. _Molitur_, i.e. _vibrat_. Virg. G. iv. 331.
36. _Admonitu_, scil. _deorum_, the vision.
37. The woodpecker, as well as the wolf, was sacred to Mars. In the old
legend, (see v. 54,) the woodpecker also contributed to nourish the
exposed babes.
43, 44. A periphrasis for ten months.--_Emeritis. Qui merere desiit_,
having completed his task or service, was called _Emeritus_.
45. The poet himself informs us, (VI. 295,) that there was no statue in
the temple of Vesta. Gierig supposes that he did not know this at the
time he wrote this part of the poem. But it is well known that he kept it
a long time by him, altering and revising it. I again repeat, that we are
not to look for extreme accuracy in the ancient poets. There were statues
of Vesta outside of the temple.
46. See below, VI. 614.
48. The sacred flame drew back as it were, and became nearly extinct.
Nothing more terrified the Romans than the extinction of the Vestal
flame; it was to them a sign, as Dionysius says, [Greek: tou aphanismou
taes poleos].
50. _Opes_, the kingdom. He here gives the reason why Amulius interfered,
not that of his calling him _contemptor aequi_.
51, 52. He had already related this at length, II. 385, _et seq_.
53, 54. It was the common tradition, it was in the poem of Ennius, which
every one knew, and was probably the subject of some of those old ballads
about Romulus, which Dionysius says still existed in his time.
55. _Larentia_, the wife of the shepherd, Faustulus, and nurse of Romulus
and Remus. All the MSS. but two read _Laurentia_.
56. _Vestras_, scil. _tui et Larentiae_,--_Opes_, house, mode of living,
etc.; see II. 413, on the aid rendered to the founders of Rome.
57. 58. The Larentalia were in December. The poet did not live to perform
his promise; he probably could not write the Fasti away from Rome.--
_Acceptus geniis_. On account of the Saturnalia, when _indulgebant
genio_. See Virg. G. I. 300.
61, 62. This reminds one of the early proofs of his being born to rule,
exhibited by Cyrus. It is by no means improbable, that his legend was
transferred to Romulus and Remus. That of Paris (Mythology, p. 438,) is
somewhat similar, as also that of Habis. See Justin, xliv. 4.
64. _Actos_, i. e. _abactos_, by the robbers.
65. _Editus_, told. Five MSS. read _agnitus_.
66. _Nomen habere_, scil. to have their fame confined to a few cottages.
--_Paucis_, most MSS. read _purvis_.
70. A euphemism, sparing the fame of Romulus.
71. _Pecorum_. Three MSS. read _pecudum_, two _nemorum_, which Burmann
prefers.
72. _aeternae urbis_. So the Romans loved to call their city.
75. He thus returns to the subject in hand.
78. As he shewed by removing Romulus to heaven, and by giving victory and
fame in arms to the Romans.
79. The poet now becomes a grammarian, and argues learnedly.--_Priores_,
the Latins.
80. _Hoc_ scil. the worship of Mars. Several MSS. read _haec_.
81. _Minoia_, etc. The Cretans worshiped a goddess named Dictynna, who
was regarded as being the same as the Artemis of the other Greeks, and
the Diana of the Latins. See Mythology, p. 100.
82. _Tellus Hyps_. Lemnos. The slaughter of the men of Lemnos by their
wives, and the saving of Thoas, by his daughter Hypsipyle, is a well
known event. When Valean was flung from Olympus, by Jupiter, he fell in
Lemnos. Hom. Il. I. 93.
83. See VI. 47. Hom. Il. iv. 51.
84. _Maenalis ora_, like _Ausonis ora_, II. 94.
86. _Remque decusque_, wealth and fame.
87. _Peregrinos_, i. e. of other Italian peoples, and you will find that
they also had a month called after Mars.
91, 92. The people of Aricia and of Tusculum follow the same rule as the
Albans, making March the third month. According to Krebs, the
construction is, _Inter Ar. et Alb. et Teleg. manu facta moenia celsa
constant tempora_. It is harsh taken any way.
94. First after three months, that is, the fourth.
95, 96. March was the fourth month also to the Pelignians, and their
Sabine ancestors. For the best account of all these peoples of ancient
Italy, see Niebuhr's Roman History.
97, 98. In reality he only followed the Alban, or rather general Latin
calendar, in which March was the third month.
101, 102. Compare Hor. Epist. II. 1, 156. Virg. aen. vi. 850.--_Male
forte_, same as _non forte_, _imbelle_.
103, 104. War was the science of the Romans.--_Pugnabat_. Three MSS. read
_pugnarat_.
105. The Hyades and Pleiades are always spoken of together by the poets,
as being near each other in position.--_Pliadas Atlanteas_. See IV. 169,
[Greek: Plaeiadon Atlageneon epitellomenaon]. Hesiod. See Mythology, p.
52 and 418.
106. The Arctic and Antarctic poles.
107, 108. Cynosure ([Greek: kynos oura]) was a name of the Lesser Bear:
Helice ([Greek: helikae]) from its revolving round the pole, a name of
the Greater Bear. _Omnes qui Peloponnesum incolunt priore utuntur Arcto;
Phoenices autem, quam a suo inventore_ (Thalete) _acceperunt, observant
Cynosuram; et hanc studiosius perspiciendo diligentius navigare
existimantur_. Hygin. Poët. Astron. II. 2.
111. _Libera_, as being unobserved, left to themselves, as it were;
subjected to no laws.
112. _Constabat_, &c. Burmann and Gierig take the meaning to be: they
believed the stars to be divinities. May it not be: nevertheless, though
ignorant of astronomy, they believed in the gods? A stroke at the learned
infidelity of the poet's own days, like Gray's, "No very great wit, he
believed in a god."
113, 114. A play on words as usual. _Movere signa coelestia_ seems rather
harsh, but it is not without example. _Numeri movent astra_, Lucan, I.
640. _Carmina quîs ignes movimus aërios_, Cinna in Anthol. Lat. T. I. p.
441. _Movebant_ is the reading of seven MSS. six read _notabant_; all the
rest _tenebant_.--_Quae magnum_, etc. See Livy, II. 59. One of the best
MSS. reads _prodere_, which Heinsius and Bentley (on Hor. Ep. I. 67,)
prefer.
115, 116. A bundle of hay tied on a pole, is said to have been the
standard used by the Romans in their early days.--_Tuas_, of Germanicus.
118. _Maniplaris_. The soldiers belonging to one company, that is one
_manipulus_, or standard, were called _manipulares_.
119-122. See Introduction, § 2.
119. _Indociles_, untaught. This passive sense is not unusual.--
_Ratione_, science scil. astronomy.
120. The Lustres or periods of five years, were smaller by ten months,
two for each year, at that time when there were but ten months in the
year. Gierig's note is _"Lustra quinquennalia tum nondum condebantur a
Romanis."_ This looks as if he did not understand the passage, though
Neapolis had briefly, but clearly explained it.
124. See above, I. 33.
126. _Spatiis novis_, the decades.
127. _Pares_. This is the reading of the best MSS. and editions; the
greater number of the MSS. read _patres_. It is difficult to ascertain
the meaning of the poet here. Scaliger, Lipsius and Dan. Heinsius think
he means the members of the senate, who were equals in age or in
property, See Livy I. 8 and 17, and, as Niebuhr has shown, it is highly
probable that the Roman senate originally consisted of one hundred
members divided into ten decuries. On the other hand Neapolis who is
followed by Gierig, understands it of the army, as in each legion the
soldiers equal in age and strength, were divided into ten centuries,
(_centum denos orbes_) of each of the three ranks, viz. Hastati,
Principes and Pilani or Triarii. The passage is exceedingly obscure, and
I cannot satisfy myself respecting it; I however rather incline to the
opinion of the first named critics, and the circumstance of _patres_
being the reading of so many MSS. proves that it has generally been so
understood. In this case we should place a colon after _Romulus_, and a
comma or semicolon after _decem_.
130. There were three hundred Equites in each legion, each mounted on a
horse supported by the state, hence called _legitimus_. They were divided
into ten _turmae_ or troops.
131, 132. The three divisions of the Roman Patricians: the Ramnes were
the original Romans, the Titiensis the Sabines; the origin of the Luceres
is a mere conjecture. See Niebuhr's Rom. Hist. Vol. 291--293.
134. See above, I. 35.
136. _Signa_, proofs or arguments. He goes on with farther proofs of
March having been the first month of the ancient Roman year.
137--142. The laurels were changed in the month of March, at the houses
of the Flamens, and of the Rex Sacrorum, the temple of Vesta, and the
_Curia Prisca_, by which last, Neapolis understands the four ancient
_Curiae_, (See above II. 527,) which still, as Festus tells us, remained
in Rome, the singular being employed for the plural.--_Vesta quoque_,
etc. Does he speak of a statue of Vesta? See above on v. 45. The
following passages are of importance. _Romani initio annum decem mensibus
computabant, a Martio auspicantes; adeo ut ejus die prima de_ (_in?_)
_aris Vestalibus ignem accenderent; mutarent viridibus veteres laureas;
Senatus et populus Comitia agerent; matronae servis suis caenas ponerent,
sicut Saturnalibus domini: illae ut per honores promptius obsequium
provocarent, hi quasi gratiam repensarent perfecti laboris_. Solinus, c.
3. _Eodem quoque ingrediente mense in regia, curiisque atque Flaminum
domibus laureae veteres novis laureis mutabantur_, Macrobius, Sat. I.12.
142. _Il. focis_. See above.
143, 144. _Hujus etiam mensis prima die ignem novum Vestae aris
accendebant ut, incipiente anno, cura denuo servandi novati ignis
inciperet_. Macrob. _ut supra_.--_Arcana_ and _Dicitur_, because none but
the Vestals dare enter the temple.
145, 146. A second proof is, the festival of Anna Perenna being in this
month. See below, v. 523, _et seq_.--_Fides_, proof, ground of belief.
147, 148. A third argument; previous to the second Punic war, the
magistrates, that is, the consuls, as it would appear, used to enter on
their offices in March. The poet is not quite correct in this assertion:
the Regifugium (see above, II. 685,) was at the end of February; hence,
of course, the first consuls entered on their office in March; but A.U.C.
291, the day was the Kal. Sext. A.U.C. 304, the Ides of May, and from
A.U.C. 600, the time of the Hannibalian war, the Kal. Jan. It is probable
that the poet, knowing that this last change was made A.U.C. 600,
inferred from the Regifugium, that previously the consuls had begun to
exercise their magistracy in March. There is no proof that he studied the
Annals with a critical eye.--_Perfide Poene_. Hannibal, with the usual
Roman calumny of the greatest man of antiquity.
149. A fourth and incontrovertible argument.
151. _Oliviferis_. The Sabine land was famous for olives. Columella, v.
8, 5. Mutusca, in that country, is called by Virgil (aen. vii. 711,)
_olivifera_.--_Deductus_, the proper term to denote his being brought
with pomp and ceremony to Rome. One MS. reads _devectus_.
153. _Samio_, Pythagoras, who was erroneously supposed to have been the
instructor of Numa.--_Qui posse_, etc. a periphrasis of the
Metempsychosis, which doctrine he taught. See Met. xv. 157.
154. _Egeria_. See below, v. 261, _et seq_.
155. In consequence of the imperfect nature of the Roman year, and the
arbitrary manner in which the Pontifices, for party and political
purposes, made the intercalations, it had fallen into such sad confusion,
that the festivals fell at the wrong parts of the year. Accordingly,
Julius Caesar, as Pontifex Maximus, with the aid of M. Flavius and of
Sosigenes, made it correspond with the course of the sun, after the
manner of the Egyptian year. For this purpose, he had to add no less than
sixty-seven days to the year 708. These he inserted between November and
December, and, as the intercalary month also fell in this year, it
consisted of fifteen months.
157-160. Caesar was not yet a god, but the poet could not let pass an
occasion of displaying his wit, and flattering the imperial family.
161. _Moras Solis_. The time the son spends in the signs of the Zodiac.
162. _Exactis_, certain.
163-166. The Julian year of 365 days 6 hours; the day, which the hours of
four years made, being added at the end of the lustre.--_Junxit_. Two
MSS. read _auxit_.--_Quarta_. Many MSS. read _quinta_.--_Consummatur_,
to complete, to make up of parts. Some MSS. have _consumatur_, which
Heinsius preferred.
167. The poet now begins to inquire of the god why the Matronalia, a
festival on which the matrons sacrificed to Juno, and sent presents to
each other, and received them from their husbands, should be on the
Kalends of the month sacred to the god of war. The deity assigns five
causes.
168. Witness Homer's invocations to the Muses.
169. "Cum a viris soleas coli," Gierig. When you preside over manly
occupations, is the interpretation of Lenz. May it not be, Since thine
occupations are all of a manly character?
173, 174. I, a god whose chief value is in arms, am now, for the first
time, called to the pursuits of peace. By the poet or by the matrons?
_Gressus_, etc. alluding, perhaps, to his name Gradivus, v. 169.
177. See above, I. 101.
179. First cause, the rape of the Sabines.
180. _Hujus_, scil. _Romae_. Some MSS. read _urbis_.
184. The straw-roofed cottage, said to have been the abode of Romulus,
was still standing on the Palatine, in the time of the poet.
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