cus in the singular is comparatively rare, and seems to belong to the sermo plebeius. 204. adspirare et adesse: to accompany and support. erat utilis: was used to. Cf. Alebilis for fetus, Odes, i. 24. 9. numerabilis: easily 206. quo: to which, referring to sedilia. counted; a word coined by Horace. The Greek εὐαρίθμητος. 207. frugi verecundus: and so content with simple music. 208. postquam: with the growth of the state and the increase of luxury, the taste for more elaborate music was developed. general. 209. latior: of wider extent. cf. Odes, i. 1. 20; Serm. ii. 8. 3. urbis : vino diurno: a mark of luxury ; · 210. placari Genius: cf. ii. 1. 144. reproach. 211. numerisque modisque: cf. ii. 2. 144. impune: i.e. without 212. saperet: cf. ii. 1. 68; subjunctive in a dubitative question transferred to the past. laborum: for the construction, cf. Odes, iii. 17. 16; see Introd. § 40. b. 213. turpis honesto: the lower classes were not yet separated from the senators and knights. 214. sic: consequently. motumque et luxuriem: 'move ment of limb and splendid dress' (Bryce). 215. vagus: moving about, instead of standing in one place as formerly. traxit vestem: i.e. he was clad in a long flowing robe. 216. voces: notes. New strings were added to the original number. severis: grave; contrasted with the tibia. 217. eloquium: language. The language of the chorus was affected by the change in the music. praeceps: headlong, im petuous. 219. sententia: i.e. its style was wild and obscure, like that of the Delphic oracle; sortilegis is used in a general sense, not literally. 220. qui: i.e. the early tragic actor. The derivation of tragoedia from Tрáyos woń was generally accepted in ancient times, although the name is now believed to have arisen from the dress and appearance of the actors. 221. nudavit: i.e. the chorus laid aside their robes and appeared as satyrs, lightly clad in skins. åsper i.e. rudely. 222. incolumi gravitate: i.e. the dignity of the gods and heroes was not sacrificed; cf. lines 225–233. 223. morandus: kept in his place, interested. 224. functusque sacris: a banquet always accompanied the 226. vertere seria ludo: i.e. to pass from the gravity of tragedy 228. nuper: previously, not necessarily in the immediately pre- 229. tabernas: hovels; the meaning is to represent the lower 230. aut . . captet: i.e. in aiming to avoid commonplace 231. indigna: not deigning. 232. festis. . . diebus: on the Hilaria matrons danced. Cf. 233. paullum pudibunda : for a time only and with proper 234. dominantia: current, common, i.e. not figurative or in any 235. Satyrorum scriptor: i.e. if I write satyr-dramas. 236. differre: for the dative with this verb, cf. Serm. i. 4. 48. . comedy. 238. emuncto: a coarse expression, taken from comedy; cf. Ter. 239. Silenus: an old satyr, the companion of Bacchus ; a common of the slaves. Cf. Virg. Ecl. vi. 31 ff. 240. carmen: a poetic style; cf. Quint. x. 7. 19, cum hanc facili- 242. series: cf. line 46, in verbis serendis. 47-48. iunctura: cf. lines 243. de medio sumptis: cf. Cic. Orat. 49. 163, verba 244. deducti: brought upon the stage. mous with Satyri. Fauni: used as synony. 245. innati triviis . . . forenses: i.e. natives of the city; there seems to be no contrast intended between innati triviis and forenses. 246. teneris: too refined, decadent, contrasted with the coarse vigor of the country. Both extremes are to be avoided. iuvenentur apparently a new coinage of Horace; a translation of the Greek veavieveσ baι, which means 'to act like a youth,' and hence 'to act wilfully or wantonly.' 247. immunda: obscenities. crepent: blurt out. Cf. i. 7. 84. 248. quibus est equus et pater et res: i.e. the knights. Serm. i. 10. 76. 249. fricti ciceris ii. 3. 182. Cf. 250. aequis . . . animis: with favor. donantve corona: award you a crown, as in Greece; here used figuratively. ... 251. syllaba iambus: Horace begins his treatment of the metre with a definition of the iambus. 252. pes citus : cf. Odes, i. 16. 24, celeres iambos. unde : for which reason. trimetris nomen: the name 'trimeter'; triadcrescere: (gradually) metris is attracted to the case of iambeis.. to become attached. iussit: sc. pes. 253. cum: although. senos ictus: six beats. It was called trimeter' as consisting of three dipodies of two feet each. 254. primus ad extremum similis: i.e. all the feet were iambic. non ita pridem: not so very long before, referring not to Horace's own day, but to the time of iussit or to the early days of the iambic trimeter. Kiessling compares Cic. Brut. 10. 41, Themistocles . . . fuit regnante iam Graecia, nostra autem civitate non ita pridem dominatu regio liberata. 256. stabilis: stately, contrasted with the pes citus. paterna : hereditary. 257. non ut: not, however, to the extent that. secunda.. aut quarta: the iambus also retained its place in the last foot. 258. socialiter: in full partnership, a word coined by Horace. hic: i.e. iambus. 259. nobilibus: well-known, familiar. 260. Note the metre of the line, which imitates the peculiarity which it describes. 262. premit sc. iambus, which, through its absence, brings the charge. For the meaning of premit, cf. Liv. iii. 13. 1, premebat reum praeter volgatam invidiam crimen unum. 263. non quivis . . . iudex: not every one is competent to judge good poetry, hence the early Roman audiences were tolerant. Cicero, however, says of a later time, de Orat. iii. 50. 196, at in his (numeris et modis), si paulum modo offensum est, theatra tota reclamant. On the metre, see Introd. § 56. 264. indigna: unworthy of them, i.e. which they ought not to have needed. poetis: dative; but it may be taken with indigna as well, άτÒ коLVоû; see Introd. § 42. 265. idcirco: therefore, because indulgence has been given to others. vager: roam unrestrained; cf. vaga, Serm. ii. 7. 74. an: or rather. omnis visuros: shall I think that every one will see my faults, and therefore avoid criticism? 266. intra spem veniae: i.e. not going so far as to be beyond pardon. 267. vitavi denique culpam: in that case I have only avoided blame, not deserved praise; i.e. such self-restraint is no more than ought to be expected. ... 269. nocturna diurna: i.e. read them night and day. Cf. i. 19. 11, and the note. 270. Plautinos . . . numeros: cf. ii. 1. 170 ff. 271. nimium patienter: with too much indulgence. 273. inurbanum: coarse. lepido: witty. 274. digitis: the fingers were used for counting the feet; cf. Quint. ix. 4. 51, tempora etiam animo metiuntur et pedum et digitorum ictu intervalla signant quibusdam modis. 276. plaustris: Horace appears to have confused the beginnings of comedy and those of tragedy; for while Thespis was the inventor of tragedy, the rest of the description is appropriate only to comedy. 277. peruncti faecibus ora: this practice, which was confined to comedy, seems to have had the same purpose as the mask,-to disguise the actor. 278. repertor: Aeschylus was credited with the invention of many theatrical properties, some of which were doubtless in use before his time. honestae: decorative, beautiful; cf. honor, line 243 above. 279. pulpita: a stage, which was at first temporary and of moderate size (modicis tignis). 280. magnum loqui: to adopt a lofty style. Magnum is accusa tive of the inner object. 281. successit: although the origin of comedy seems to have been as early as that of tragedy, its development was slower, and the statement of the poet is true of the old comedy. his: i.e. Thespis and Aeschylus. 282. libertas: freedom of speech; cf. Serm. i. 4. 1 ff. excidit: descended. 283. est accepta: sc. a comoedia. 284. turpiter: with obticuit; the disgrace consisted in the fact that it had been necessary to restrain them by law. 285. nil intemptatum: i.e. the Roman poets tried their hand at all the branches of Greek drama. 287. domestica facta: i.e. episodes in their national history and life. 288. praetextas: tragedies based on Roman myth and history, in which many of the characters were clad in the toga praetexta. We should expect the term praetextatae, corresponding to togatae, but praetextae is the usual form. togatas: comedies representing scenes from Roman daily life, in which the principal personages wore the toga. 290. unum quemque : some critics believe that in this tmesis Horace is illustrating the carelessness which he censures, but cf. ii. 2. 188. 291. limae labor: cf. Serm. i. 10. 65. 292. Pompilius sanguis: the Calpurnii, the gens of the Pisones, claimed descent from Numa, through his son Calpus. native instead of the vocative, cf. Odes, i. 2. 43. For the nomi coer 293. multa dies: long time; note the gender of dies. cuit: pruned; cf. Cic. de Sen. 15. 52, quam (vitem) serpentem multiplici lapsu et erratico ferro amputans coercet ars agricolarum. 294. perfectum: to perfection, agreeing with quod. castigavit ad unguem: a figure drawn from the sculptor's art; see note on Serm. i. 5. 32. 295. ingenium: talent, natural ability. because of the mechanical labor it involves. misera: pitiful, 296. excludit sanos. . . poetas: cf. Cic. de Div. i. 37. 80, negat sine furore Democritus quemquam poetam magnum esse posse. 297. bona pars: i.e. most poets; cf. Odes, iv. 2. 46; Serm. i. 1. 61. unguis ponere: .e. they affect negligence in their personal appearance; there is perhaps a reference to ad unguem in line 294. 299. nanciscetur: the subject is one,' implied in bona pars. 300. tribus Anticyris: see note on Serm. ii. 3. 83; although |