730

HORATII FLACCI ARS POETICA.

Vesanum tetigisse timent fugiuntque poëtam
Qui sapiunt; agitant pueri incautique sequuntur.
Hic dum sublimis versus ructatur et errat,
Si veluti merulis intentus decidit auceps
In puteum foveamve, licet "Succurrite" longum
Clamet, "Io cives !" non sit qui tollere curet.
Si curet quis opem ferre et demittere funem,
"Quî scis an prudens huc se projecerit atque
Servari nolit?" dicam, Siculique poëtae

455

460

Narrabo interitum. Deus immortalis haberi

Dum cupit Empedocles, ardentem frigidus Aetnam
Insiluit. Sit jus liceatque perire poëtis :

465

Invitum qui servat idem facit occidenti.

Nec semel hoc fecit, nec si retractus erit jam
Fiet homo et ponet famosae mortis amorem.
Nec satis apparet cur versus factitet, utrum
Minxerit in patrios cineres, an triste bidental
Moverit incestus: certe furit ac velut ursus
Objectos caveae valuit si frangere clathros,
Indoctum doctumque fugat recitator acerbus;
Quem vero arripuit tenet occiditque legendo,
Non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hirudo.

The Greeks called persons supposed to be so affected σεληνιακοί.

455. tetigisse timent] The wise avoid him as if he were infectious; fools run after him like children after a crazy man in the streets.'

459. longum clamet] This is like Homer's μακρὸν ἄϋσε (ll. iii. 81).

[460. non sit qui] Let no man take the pains to help him. See S. ii. 5. 91, and Epp. i. 18. 72.]

464. Deus immortalis haberi] See Epp. i. 12. 20. There are various marvellous stories told of the death of Empedocles, suited to the character he bore in his life. [Diogenes Laertius viii. 51, &c.] "According to the most probable of these discrepant statements, being at last expelled his native city (Agrigentum), he retired to the Peloponnesus, and there brought his marvellous existence to a close. This story is from Timaeus, in whose his tory Empedocles is frequently mentioned. The statement of his death in Aetna can be traced back to Heraclides Ponticus, a very insufficient authority, and who believed in it" (Ritter, Hist. Anc. Phil. i. 492).

470

475

467. Invitum qui servat] See Epp. i. 20. 15 n. This is apparently a proverb. Seneca has the same (Phoen. 100): “occidere est vetare cupientem mori." The construction of idem occidenti' is Greek, ταὐτὸ τῷ ἀποκτείνοντι. Orelli observes that this is the only spondaic hexameter in Horace.

469. Fiet homo] He keeps up the allusion to Empedocles, saying that the frenzied poet is as resolved to rush to his fate (that is, into verse) as the philosopher was, and if you save him he will not drop his pretension to inspiration. [* Homo,” a reasonable man.]

470. Nec satis apparet] The crime for which he has been thus sent mad does not appear; whether it be for fouling his father's grave or setting foot upon polluted ground. Bidental' was a spot struck by lightning, so called from the sacrifice of a sheep (bidens) offered upon it for expiation. I agree with Orelli in taking 'moverit in the sense of violaverit,' as in "Dianae non movenda numina" (Epod. xvii. 3). Some take it to mean the removal of the mark placed on the spot.

NOTE ON SATIRE II. 3. 69,

'Scribe decem a Nerio.'

The reading in the text is 'Scribe decem Nerio,' and if that is the true reading, the explanation in the notes may be as good as any other. But as the reading 'scribe decem a Nerio' has the better authority, we must attempt to explain it. There is no occasion to show here that 'decem' means a sum of money. That is proved clearly in the note on S. ii. 3. 69, and by Krüger in a useful excursus on this passage. The expla nation of Orelli and Ritter that 'decem' means 'decem tabulas' is a mistake which we could hardly expect such excellent commentators to make.

We must next consider what 'scribe a Nerio' means. The preposition 'ab' is thus used in a passage of Cicero (pro Flacco, c. 19, quoted by Krüger), 'Si praetor dedit, ut est scriptum, a quaestore numeravit ; quaestor a mensa publica; mensa aut ex vectigali aut ex tributo:' which means, the praetor paid by an order on the quaestor; the quaestor gave an order on the public bank, and finally the bank paid the money out of the funds which it had in possession. The passage in Livy (24. c. 18, 'a quaestore perscribebatur') may also be compared with this in Horace.

The conclusion is that 'scribe decem a Nerio' expresses a payment of money made by the banker Nerius to some borrower, and made pursuant to the order of some lender, who may be Perillius (v. 74, Perilli dictantis quod tu numquam rescribere possis'). The entry in the books of Nerius of the loan made on the order of Perillius would be evidence against the borrower, for the entry would be made with his knowledge and consent. As scribere' here expresses the lending of the money, so 'rescribere ' expresses the repayment; for the evidence of the repayment would be an entry in the books which would have the effect of annulling the entry of the debt.

If it should be asked to whom is the word 'scribe' addressed, to the lender or the borrower, the answer is that it is not necessary to suppose the word to be addressed to either. It means no more than 'suppose Nerius to advance a sum of money to a borrower upon the order of a lender.' Further, 'suppose a hundred written securities besides, such securities as wily Cicuta employs.' All these words in the second person, 'scribe,' 'adde,' 'rapies,' 'tu rescribere possis' must be interpreted generally: 'suppose the money lent;' 'suppose the additional written securities;' 'suppose the debtor brought into court;' and lastly, in 'tu nunquam rescribere possis,' 'tu' is Damasippus or any man who borrows and does not repay.

A like use of adde' occurs in S. ii. 3. 321, 'adde poemata nunc.'

The passage, though it is difficult and has given the commentators much trouble, is perfectly plain, if we look at it in the right way. Krüger's is the only true explanation that I have seen. G. L.

INDEX

I. CARMINUM LYRICORUM.

Aeli vetusto nobilis ab Lamo, C. III. xvii.
Aequam memento rebus in arduis, C. II. iii.
Albi, ne doleas plus nimio memor, C. I. xxxiii.
Altera jam teritur bellis civilibus aetas, Epod. xvi.
Angustam amice pauperiem pati, C. III. ii.
At, o deorum quidquid in caelo regit, Epod. v.
Audivere, Lyce, di mea vota, di, Č. IV. xiii.
Bacchum in remotis carmina rupibus, C. II. xix.
Beatus ille, qui procul negotiis, Epod. ii.
Caelo supinas si tuleris manus, C. III. xxiii.
Caelo Tonantem credidimus Jovem, C. III. v.
Cum tu, Lydia, Telephi, C. I. xiii.

Cur me querelis exanimas tuis, C. II. xvii.
Delicta majorum immeritus lues, C. III. vi.
Descende caelo et dic age tibia, C. III. iv.
Dianam tenerae dicite virgines, C. I. xxi.

Diffugere nives, redeunt jam gramina campis, C. IV. vii.
Dive, quem proles Niobea magnae, C. IV. vi.

Divis orte bonis, optime Romulae, C. IV. v.

Donarem pateras grataque commodus, C. IV. viii.

Donec gratus eram tibi, C. III. ix.

Eheu fugaces, Postume, Postume, C. II. xiv.

Est mihi nonum superantis annum, C. IV. xi.

Et ture et fidibus juvat, C. I. xxxvi.

Exegi monumentum aere perennius, C. III. xxx.

Extremum Tanain si biberes, Lyce, C. III. x.

Faune Nympharum fugientum amator, C. III. xviii.

Festo quid potius die, C. III. xxviii.

Herculis ritu modo dictus, o plebs, C. III. xiv.

Horrida tempestas caelum contraxit et imbres, Epod. xiii.

Ibis Liburnis inter alta navium, Epod. i.

Icci, beatis nunc Arabum invides, C. I. xxix.

Ille et nefasto te posuit die, C. II. xiii.

Impios parrae recinentis omen, C. III. xxvii.
Inclusam Danaën turris aënea, C. III. xvi.
Intactis opulentior, C. III. xxiv.

Integer vitae scelerisque purus, C. I. xxii.
Intermissa, Venus, diu, C. IV. i.

Jam jam efficaci do manus scientiae, Epod. xvii.

Jam pauca aratro jugera regiae, C. II. xv.

Jam satis terris nivis atque dirae, C. I. ii.

Jam veris comites, quae mare temperant, C. IV. xii.

Justum et tenacem propositi virum, C. III. iii.

Laudabunt alii claram Rhodon aut Mitylenen, C. I. vii.

Lupis et agnis quanta sortito obtigit, Epod. iv.

Lydia, dic, per omnes, C. I. viii.

Maecenas atavis edite regibus, C. I. i.

Mala soluta navis exit alite, Epod. x.

Martiis caelebs quid agam Kalendis, C. III. viii.

Mater saeva Cupidinum, C. I. xix.

Mercuri, facunde nepos Atlantis, C. I. x.

Mercuri,-nam te docilis magistro, C. III. xi.

Miserarum est neque amori dare ludum neque dulci, C. III. xii.
Mollis inertia cur tantam diffuderit imis, Epod. xiv.

Montium custos nemorumque, Virgo, C. III. xxii.
Motum ex Metello consule civicum, C. II. i.
Musis amicus tristitiam et metus, C. I. xxvi.
Ne forte credas interitura quae, C. IV. ix.
Natis in usum laetitiae scyphis, C. I. xxvii.
Ne sit ancillae tibi amor pudori, C. II. iv.
Nolis longa ferae bella Numantiae, C. II. xii.
Nondum subacta ferre jugum valet, C. II. v.
Non ebur neque aureum, C. II. xviii.

Non semper imbres nubibus hispidos, C. II. ix.
Non usitata nec tenui ferar, C. II. xx.

Non vides quanto moveas periclo, C. III. xx.

Nox erat et caelo fulgebat Luna sereno, Epod. xv.

Nullam, Vare, sacra vite prius severis arborem, C. I. xviii.

Nullus argento color est avaris, C. II. ii.

Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero, C. I. xxxvii.

O crudelis adhuc et Veneris muneribus potens, C. IV. x.

O diva, gratum quae regis Antium, C. I. xxxv.

O fons Bandusiae, splendidior vitro, C. III. xiii.

O matre pulchra filia pulchrior, C. I. xvi.

O nata mecum consule Manlio, C. III. xxi.

O navis, referent in mare te novi, C. I. xiv.
O saepe mecum tempus in ultimum, C. II. vii.
O Venus, regina Cnidi Paphique, C. I. xxx.
Odi profanum vulgus et arceo, C. III. i.
Otium divos rogat in patente, C. II. xvi.
Parcius junctas quatiunt fenestras, C. I. xxv.
Parcus deorum cultor et infrequens, C. I. xxxiv.
Parentis olim si quis impia manu, Epod. iii.
Pastor cum traheret per freta navibus, C. I. xv.
Persicos odi, puer, apparatus, C. I. xxxviii.
Petti, nihil me sicut antea juvat, Epod. xi.
Phoebe silvarumque potens Diana, Carm. Sec.
Phoebus volentem proelia me loqui, C. IV. xv.
Pindarum quisquis studet aemulari, C. IV. ii.
Poscimur. Si quid vacui sub umbra, C. I. xxxii.
Quae cura patrum quaeve Quiritium, C. IV. xiv.
Qualem ministrum fulminis alitem, C. IV. iv.
Quando repostum Caccubui ad festas dapes, Epod. ix.
Quantum distet ab Inacho, C. III. xix.

Quem tu, Melpomene, semel, C. IV. iii.
Quem virum aut heroa lyra vel acri, C. I. xii.
Quid bellicosus Cantaber et Scythes, C. II. xi.
Quid dedicatum poscit Apollinem, C. I. xxxi.
Quid fles, Asterie, quem tibi candidi, C. III. vii.
Quid immerentes hospites vexas canis, Epod. vi.

Quid tibi vis, mulier nigris dignissima barris, Epod. xii.
Quis desiderio sit pudor aut modus, C. I. xxiv.

Quis multa gracilis te puer in rosa, C. I. v.

Quo me, Bacche, rapis tui, C. III. xxv.

Quo, quo scelesti ruitis? aut cur dexteris, Epod. vii.
Rectius vives, Licini, neque altum, C. II. x.

Rogare longo putidam te saeculo, Epod. viii.
Scriberis Vario fortis et hostium, C. I. vi.

Septimi, Gades aditure mecum et, C. II. vi.

Sic te diva potens Cypri, C. I. iii.

Solvitur acris hiems grata vice veris et Favoni, C. I. iv.
Te maris et terrae numeroque carentis arenae, C. I. xxviii.
Tu ne quaesieris, scire nefas, quem mihi, quem tibi, C. I. xi.
Tyrrhena regum progenies, tibi, C. III. xxix.