CARMEN SAECULARE. Phoebe silvarumque potens Diana, quo Sibyllini monuere versus alme Sol, curru nitido diem qui rite maturos aperire partus lenis, Ilithyia, tuere matres, sive tu Lucina probas vocari seu Genitalis. 5 ΙΟ 15 diva, producas subolem patrumque certus undenos decies per annos orbis ut cantus referatque ludos ter die claro totiesque grata nocte frequentes. vosque veraces cecinisse, Parcae, quod semel dictum est stabilisque rerum terminus servat, bona iam peractis iungite fata. fertilis frugum pecorisque tellus spicea donet Cererem corona; nutriant fetus et aquae salubres et Iovis aurae. condito mitis placidusque telo supplices audi pueros, Apollo; siderum regina bicornis, audi, Luna, puellas: Roma si vestrum est opus, Iliaeque litus Etruscum tenuere turmae, iussa pars mutare Lares et urbem sospite cursu, cui per ardentem sine fraude Troiam castus Aeneas patriae superstes liberum munivit iter, daturus plura relictis; di, probos mores docili iuventae, quaeque vos bobus veneratur albis clarus Anchisae Venerisque sanguis, impetret, bellante prior, iacentem lenis in hostem! iam mari terraque manus potentes iam fides et pax et honos pudorque audet, apparetque beata pleno copia cornu. augur et fulgente decorus arcu Phoebus acceptusque novem Camenis, qui salutari levat arte fessos corporis artus, 45 50 55 60 65 70 si Palatinas videt aequus arces, remque Romanam Latiumque felix alterum in lustrum meliusque semper proroget aevum. quaeque Aventinum tenet Algidumque, haec Iovem sentire deosque cunctos dicere laudes. NOTES. The Fourth Book of the Odes is separated from the preceding three by a considerable period of time. In the concluding Ode of the Third Book Horace distinctly speaks of his labours as a lyric poet as concluded: the first word of the present book calls marked attention to the interval which has elapsed, and the Ode generally suggests that the poet resumes his task somewhat against the grain. The reason for his doing so at all is definitely assigned by Suetonius to the direct command of Augustus: Scripta ejus usque adeo probavit (Augustus) mansuraque perpetuo opinatus est ut non modo saeculare carmen componendum injunxerit, sed et Vindelicam victoriam Tiberii Drusique privignorum suorum, eumque coegerit propter hoc tribus carminum libris ex longo intervallo quartum addere. Indeed it is sufficiently clear even on a cursory examination that the rest of the book is only published to afford a plausible pretext for the publication of Odes 4, 5, 14 and 15: the other Odes, which are of a purely lyric character, serve to mask the distinctly political purpose of these four, which bear on every line the stamp of the official utterance of a Poet-Laureate, |