The Asclepiad metres are said to be so called after their inventor, of whom however nothing is known. Four varieties of line are used in them.

First Asclepiad, used in 1. 1; 3. 30; 4. 8,

Second Asclepiad, used in 1. 3, 13, 19, 36; 3. 9, 15, 19, 24, 25, 28; 4. 1, 3,

consists of couplets in which a is followed by c:

0515

22-22-11-20--

Third Asclepiad, used in 1. 6, 15, 24, 33; 2. 12; 3. 10, 16; 4. 5, 12,

consists of stanzas in which after c three times

Fourth Asclepiad, used in 1. 5, 14, 21, 23; 3. 7, 13;

4. 13,

consists of stanzas in which c twice is followed by

Fifth Asclepiad, used 1. 11, 18; 4. 10, consists entirely of d.

Exceptional metres are:

1. 7, 28: an ordinary Hexameter (Hexameter dactyli cus catalecticus) followed by a Dactylic Tetrameter Catalectic:

4. 7: an ordinary Hexameter followed by a versus Archilochius minor

1. 4: a versus Archilochius major

followed by a Trimeter Iambic Catalectic.

1. 18 a Trochaic Dimeter Catalectic followed by an Iambic Trimeter Catalectic:

Some make the first line into two so that each stanza consists of four lines.

In all the Odes of Horace with the exception of 4. 8, which is clearly unsound, the number of the lines is a multiple of four, but in some metres the division into stanzas is not otherwise clearly marked.

It may be noted that the first nine Odes of the First Book are all in different metres, as though the poet wished to exhibit his varied skill; in the Second Book the first ten are alternately Alcaics and Sapphics; the Third Book commences with six long Alcaic Odes

Q. HORATII FLACCI

CARMINUM

LIBER PRIMUS.

CARMEN I.

MAECENAS atavis edite regibus, o et praesidium et dulce decus meum, sunt quos curriculo pulverem Olympicum collegisse iuvat metaque fervidis evitata rotis palmaque nobilis terrarum dominos evehit ad deos; hunc, si mobilium turba Quiritium certat tergeminis tollere honoribus ;

illum, si proprio condidit horreo, quidquid de Libycis verritur areis. gaudentem patrios findere sarculo agros Attalicis condicionibus

nunquam dimoveas, ut trabe Cypria Myrtoum pavidus nauta secet mare. luctantem Icariis fluctibus Africum mercator metuens otium et oppidi laudat rura sui; mox reficit rates

135

10

25

30

quassas, indocilis pauperiem pati. est qui nec veteris pocula Massici nec partem solido demere de die

spernit, nunc viridi membra sub arbuto stratus, nunc ad aquae lene caput sacrae. multos castra iuvant et lituo tubae permixtus sonitus bellaque matribus detestata. manet sub love frigido venator tenerae coniugis immemor, seu visa est catulis cerva fidelibus, seu rupit teretes Marsus aper plagas.

me doctarum hederae praemia frontium dis miscent superis, me gelidum nemus nympharumque leves cum Satyris chori secernunt populo, si neque tibias

Euterpe cohibet nec Polyhymnia Lesboum refugit tendere barbiton. quodsi me lyricis vatibus inseres, sublimi feriam sidera vertice.

CARMEN II.

Iam satis terris nivis atque dirae grandinis misit Pater et rubente dextera sacras iaculatus arces terruit Urbem,

terruit gentes, grave ne rediret

saeculum Pyrrhae nova monstra questae,

omne cum Proteus pecus egit altos

visere montes,