lengthened where there is a strong ictus upon it, cf. 1. 13. 6, 2. 6. 14, 2. 13. 16, 3. 5. 17, 3. 16. 26, 8. 24. 5. In all these cases the syllable lengthened is the final syllable of the 3rd pers, sing. of a verb.

ODE IV.

'Now winter gives place to the joyous period of spring: now surely is the season for festivity. Life is short, and it is well to enjoy the present; soon in any case will the night of Death be upon us, putting a stop to earthly pleasures.'

Of L. Sestius all we know is that he was appointed consul suffectus by Augustus B.O. 23, although he had been a vigorous partizan of Brutus. Horace too had served as a tribunus militum under Brutus at Philippi, and this may have been the origin of their intimacy.

1. solvitur...] Keen winter relaxes his grasp with welcome change to springtime and the west wind.' solvitur: because winter binds the earth in bands of snow and ice: cf. 1. 10, solutae. For vice cf. 4. 7. 3.

2. machinae] 'windlasses' used to draw down to the sea (trahere) the barks which had been hauled up high and dry (siccas) for the winter.

5. Cytherea] From the island Kúenpa off the S.E. of Laconia, near which the goddess rose from the sea. The second syllable is shortened for convenience in Latin, great liberty being allowed with regard to the quantity of proper names.

7. dum graves...] While glowing Vulcan makes the toilsome smithy of the Cyclopes blaze.' Venus dances and Vulcan toils: everything is alive. The bolts are forged ready for Jupiter's use in the summer when thunder is more frequent.

Some consider that the use of ardens and urit close together is objectionable because of their similarity of meaning, and there is some authority for a reading visit. The word ardens suggests not merely a picture of Vulcan as the fire of the furnace is reflected on his face, but also the idea of 'eagerness,' cf. Virg. Aen. 2. 529, ardens insequitur.

Notice that ardere is intransitive, urere active. Cyclopes (Kúkλwres), one-eyed monsters, sons of Earth and Heaven, who forged the thunderbolts of Jove in Aetna, quite distinct in conception from the Homeric Cyclopes.

9. nitidum caput impedire] 'to entwine the glossy head.' 10. solutae] Cf. 1. 1. In winter frost binds up the soil: in spring Zephyro putris se gleba resolvit (Virg. Georg. 1. 44), the clod unbinds itself and crumbles under the influence of the west wind.

11, 12. immolare agna] 'It is fitting to sacrifice to Faunus whether he ask (us to sacrifice) with a lamb or prefer (us to sacrifice) with a kid.' We should say, 'either with a lamb if he ask it or a kid if he prefer it.'

The ablative after verbs of sacrificing, the victim being represented as the instrument with which the sacrifice is performed, is as common as the direct acc.: cf. facere vitula=to sacrifice with a calf: vino libare, &c.

13, 14. pauperum tabernas regumque turres] 'cottages of the poor and palaces of the great.' Observe the 'reverberating emphasis' (Verrall) of pallida pulsat pede pauperum. pede] because it was customary to kick at a door especially when the visitor was impatient, cf. Plaut. Most. 2. 2. 23.

15. vitae summa brevis...] 'The total of our days is small and forbids us to commence hope for a distant future.'

inchoare]=to commence what will never be completed. 16. fabulaeque Manes] When a man is dead he becomes fabula 'a subject of talk,' 'a mere name,' and so the ghosts are here called 'empty names': that this is the meaning of fabula here is shewn from the imitation of Persius (Sat. 5. 152) cinis et manes et fabula fies. For the very bold apposition fabulae Manes cf. Lucan 1. 813, Marcellusque loquax et nomina vana Catones.

17. exilis] i.e. exigilis (from exago), what is drawn out, thin; here'shadowy,' 'unsubstantial.'

18. regna vini sortiere talis] At feasts a president was chosen by lot (magister, or arbiter bibendi, σvμπoσlaрxos, άρxiTplKλos, St John 2. 9, 'master of the feast'). Tesserae, or 'dice,' were used for this purpose, or tali, 'knuckle-bones': these had four marked sides, and the highest throw was when they all came up differently; it was called jactus Veneris (2. 7. 25), the lowest throw being canis.

ODE V.

'Who is thy lover now, Pyrrha? He little knows that thou art fickle as the sea: all smiles to-day, to-morrow storm. Poor inexperienced youth! I have gone through similar dangers and escaped, thank heaven.'

A slight Ode, but singularly beautiful in expression: it is in Horace's best manner as regards style; it is apparently perfectly simple because it is perfectly finished; summa ars celavit artem. Any one who disagrees would do well to attempt to omit or alter a single word, and see the effect. It is a curious fact that it is translated by Milton (Occasional Poems): it is not well translated, but even the best translation could only serve to bring out by contrast the felicity of expression in the original. 1, 2. multa in rosa urget] 'courts thee amid many a rose.' 3. Pyrrha] from ruppós='the auburn-haired,' cf. Aavam. 5. simplex munditiis] 'simple in thy elegance.' For the adj. mundus see 3. 29. 14 n. The word munditiae applied to a lady's toilette indicates the presence of elegance and taste without ostentation or extravagance. munditiis capimur says Ovid truly A. A. 3. 133. Milton's 'plain in thy neatness' savours rather of the Puritan than the poet.

6, 7. aspera aequora] 'the smooth surface ruffled.'

8. emirabitur insolens] emirabitur is only found here: it is a very strong form of mirabitur. insolens 'unused' i.e. to such fickleness. The line should be read over aloud once or twice placing some stress on the initial spondees: its full force will be at once clear.

=

9. credulus aurea] Notice the juxtaposition. 'Who now too fond (or trusting) enjoys the golden hours of thy love.' Aureus golden, at its best, in perfection, cf. aurea aetas 'the golden age.' Schiller has 'der ersten Liebe gold'ne Zeit' and Shak. Cymbeline 4. 2, 'Golden lads and girls all must | Like chimney-sweepers come to dust.'

11, 12. nescius aurae fallacis] The metaphor from the sea is still kept up. 'Ignorant how treacherous is the breeze.' The breeze of course is her fickle favour. Cf. 3. 2. 20. popularis aura = the breeze of popular favour.

13. intentata nites] To inexperience her bright smiles are as alluring as the smiles of a summer sea. The brilliant phrase of Lucr. 2. 559, placidi pellacia ponti, is a close parallel. me tabula] 'me the temple wall with votive picture declares to have hung up...'

Sailors who had escaped shipwreck were accustomed to dedicate their garments to Neptune, sometimes probably with a

picture of the event, though perhaps tabula only means tablet.' See too 3. 26, Int.

15. potenti] with maris, cf. 1. 6. 10 n.

ODE VI.

'Your exploits, Agrippa, would be a worthy theme for Varius: his poetry is Homeric. I am not capable of treating a subject such as that of the Iliad or Odyssey: one of my poor odes would but detract from your fame. Love and levity alone befit my inconstant muse.'

M. Vipsanius Agrippa was the great minister of Augustus in war, as Maecenas was in peace: Horace had probably been urged to address an ode to him, and finding the task uncongenial substitutes this dexterous apology.

1, 2. scriberis Vario...alite] 'You shall be written about by Varius as valiant and victorious (by Varius) a bird of Homeric song.'

These lines present a distinct case of the use of the abl. of the personal agent without ab. Cf. 3. 3. 67, meis excisus Argivis, Epist. 1. 19. 2, quae scribuntur aquae potoribus, 'which are written by water-drinkers,' Virg. Aen. 1. 512, uno graditur comitatus Achate and Juv. 13. 124, curentur dubii medicis majoribus aegri. On the other hand Hor. Sat. 2. 1. 84, judice laudatus Caesare, may be explained (with Munro, see Mayor, Juv. 1. 13 n.) as judicio Caesaris, and so too Od. 8. 5. 24, Marte...populata, presents no difficulty, Marte being=bello.

Orelli and others try to avoid this by saying that Vario alite is an abl. absolute: 'you shall be written of, Varius being a bird of Homeric song.' But, seeing that it is certain that Horace means to tell Agrippa that he shall be written about by Varius,' it is incredible that he should say to him 'you shall be written about'-by whom Agrippa is left to guess-and then add parenthetically Varius being a great poet,' and insert moreover into the middle of the parenthesis a description of Agrippa as 'valiant and victorious.' Such a style of expression is, so far as I know, peculiar to Mr Jingle. Wickham, who adopts this view of the construction, translates: 'It shall be told, but by Varius, thy bravery and victories, for he is a bird of Maeonian song.' It will be observed however

that, notwithstanding the violence which he does to the English language, he is obliged after all to say 'by Varius.'

Others read aliti, an obvious correction, which only makes matters worse, for this use of the dative, though common with the perfect passive e. g. scriptum est mihi (the est of course smoothing the way for it), is otherwise inadmissible.

1. scriberis] A peculiarly Horatian use of the future. 'You shall be written of,' i. e. if you will take my advice. So 1. 7. 1, laudabunt alii-others shall praise, i. e. if they wish; 1. 20. 1, vile potabis-you shall drink, i.e. if you will accept my invitation.

Vario] L. Varius (see 1. 3, Introduction) was an epic writer. Cf. Sat. 1. 10. 43, forte epos acer, ut nemo, Varius ducit. He is best known as with Plotius Tucca having been commissioned by Augustus to edit the Aeneid after the death of Virgil.

2. Maeonii] i.e. Homeric, see 4. 9. 5 n.

3. quam rem cunque] This tmesis with quicunque is common with Horace, e.g. 1. 27. 14. See 1. 32. 15 n. navibus] e.g. the defeat of Sex. Pompeius B.C. 36.

5, 6. gravem Pelidae stomachum]

Μήνιν ἄειδε θεά, Πηληϊάδεω Αχιλήος

οὐλομένην.

Hom. II. 1. 1.

By rendering unvis 'wrath' as stomachus 'bile,' and woλúTроrоs as duplex cunning,' it is clear that Horace intends humorously to depreciate the epic style which he refuses to ittempt.

7. cursus duplicis Ulixei]

Hom. Od. 1. 1.

"Ανδρα μοι έννεπε Μοῦσα πολύτροπον ός μάλα πολλὰ πλάγχθη. Ulixei] The gen. is from the hybrid form Ulixeus, which is declined as if it were of the 2nd declension. Cf. too Achillei,

1. 15. 34, Penthei, 2. 19. 14, Alyattei, 3. 16. 41.

8. Pelopis domum] The disasters of the house of Pelops were the stock subject for tragedies, numbers of which dealt with the crimes or misfortunes of Pelops, Atreus, Thyestes, Agamemnon, Aegisthus, Clytemnestra, Orestes, Electra, &c.

verse.

9. tenues grandia] 'too vast a theme for our slender Tenues is of course in agreement with the nom, to conamur, and grandia in apposition with the accusatives