323, 324. A second from agor, because the victims were led to the altar. Both equally silly.

325. a third; quasi Agnalia from Agna.

327, 328. A fourth from the Greek [Greek: agonia, agoniazein]—In aqua, the vessels of water by the altar in which the knives were placed.

329, 330. A fifth from the Greek [Greek: agones] ludi.

331. A sixth, which the poet approves, from Agonia, an old name for cattle.

333, 334. A ram was the victim offered on this day by the Rex Sacrorum.

335, 336. Two trifling etymoligies. The victima, he intimates, was offered after a victory; the hostia, in time of peace, when there was no enemy, hostibus amotis. Krebs reads a motis: almost all the MSS. a domitis.

337-456. A long digression on the origin and causes of the various sacrifices offered to the gods.

338. The Mola salsa.—Pura because it purifies or keeps from decay.

340. Hospita navis, a foreign ship.

343. Herbis Sabinis. The Savin, called by the Greeks [Greek: brathu]. Duorum generum est, says Pliny, altera tamaraci similis folio, altera cupresso.

344. A loud crackling of the leaves of the bay or laurel in the fire was a good omen.

347. This was in the golden age, before animals were slain in honor of the gods.

349. He now proceeds to explain how the altars came to be stained with the blood of animals. This was caused chiefly by the anger of the gods, on account of the mischief which they did.

357. [Greek: Kaen me phagaes epi rizan, omos eti karpophoraeoo Osson epispeisai soi, trage, Ouomeno], Euenus in Anthol. Gr. T. I. p. 165, Jacobs.

363. Aristaeus, the son of Apollo, by the nymph Cyrene. See Virg. G. iv. 281-558. Mythology, p. 294-296. This tale, after all, gives not the reason why the ox was offered in sacrifice.

381. Some popular legend probably assigned this silly cause.—Verbena, herbs gathered in a sacred place.

385. Persis, Persia.—Hyperiona, the Persian Mithras, the presiding deity of the Sun, identified by the Greeks with their god Helius, also called Hyperion.

387. Quod, because; given by Heinsius from the best MSS. others read _quaae.—Trip. Dianae, identifying her with Hecate. See above, v. 41.– Virgine, Iphigenia.

389. Sapaeos, a people of Thrace. Herod, vii. 110. Most MSS. have Sabaeos, or Saphaeos, but incorrectly.—Vidi. When Ovid was going into exile, at Tomi, A.U.C. 763, he passed through Thrace.

391. Custodi ruris, Priapus. This god who was chiefly worshiped at Lampsacus, was said to be the offspring of Bacchus and Venus. See Mythology, p. 205.

393. Festa, etc. the Trieterides, celebrated once in every three years.—Corymbiferi, Bacchus was frequently represented crowned with bunches of ivy-berries. Some MSS. read racemiferi.—Celebrabat, Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig, read celebrabas, on the authority of two MSS.

395. Di cultores Lycaei. Scil. the Pans and Satyrs, the gods of Arcadia. Gierig, on the authority of some of the best MSS. reads Lyaei. For Pan, etc. see Mythology, p. 198-205.

398. The Naïdes and other nymphs.

400. Priapus.

403. Parce is to be joined with miscendas.

407. That is, succincta.

410. Vincula nulla, they were barefoot. It is to be recollected that in the heroic ages, after which the poets modelled the life of the gods, the attendants at meals were females.

412. Pan.

414. Nequitia, lust.

420. She evinces her haughty contempt of him by her looks.

423. Ultima, the most remote.

425. Animam, his breath.

426. Digitis scil pedis, his toes. A beautiful description of one stealing on tip-toe.

436. Omne nemus, all the gods in the grove.

440. Hellesp. Deo. Priapus, the god of Lampsacus, on the Hellespont.

445. Linguae crimen. Still ascribing a revengeful character to the gods, he supposes them to be pleased with the sacrifice of the birds, who revealed their intentions to mankind.

447. Dis ut proxima. Flying high towards heaven. "Ye birds, That singing up to heaven gate ascend."—Milton.

448. Penna, the Praepetes; ore, the oscines, as they were styled in language of augury.

453. See Liv. v. 47, for this well-known story.

454. Inachi lauta. Isis the Egyptian deity, supposed to be the same with Io, the daughter of the river-god, Inachus. See Met. I. 747, et seq. Mythology, 367.—Lauta, dainty, as lautioribus cibis utens, such as the livers of geese. Isis was much worshiped at Rome at this time.

455. Deae Nocti. A cock was sacrificed to Night, as being odious to her.—Ales, like the Greek [Greek: ornis], the bird [Greek: kat exochaen].

456. Tepidum diem, the dawn, warm after the chill of the night.– Provocat, calls forth.

457. The cosmic rising of the Dolphin, on the ninth of January.

459. Postera lux, the tenth of January, which, according to the poet, was the bruma, or middle of winter. Columella and Ptolemy place it on the 4th January, the day before the Nones; Pliny, xviii. 5, makes it the viii. Kal. Jan. or 25th December.

461. Aurora. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig read nupta, on the authority of seven MSS.

462. The Carmentalia, on the 10th, or III. Id. of January.—Arcad. deae. Carmenta, the mother of Evander; her altar was at the Carmental gate, at the foot of the Capitol.

463. Turni soror, Juturna. See Virg. aen. xii. 134, et seq.

464. The temple of Juturna stood in the Campus Martius, by the Aqua Virgo, which Agrippa had brought thither on account of its excellence.

467. Quae nomen, etc. Scil. Carmenta.

496, 470. Orta, etc. The Arcadians called themselves [Greek: proselaenous] as having existed before the Moon.—Tellus, scil. gens.—Areade, Arcas, the son of Jupiter and Callisto. See Met. II. 401, et seq. Mythology, p. 387.

471. Evander was the son of Mercury and Carmenta. According to Servius, on the aeneis, his father was Echemus, and I am inclined to think that Ovid followed this last genealogy.

473. aetherios ignes, the inspiration of the god.

474. Plena may be joined either with carmina, or with the nominative to dabat.

475. Motus, civil discord.

475. Time verified her predictions.

478. Parrhasium, for Arcadian, part for the whole. Evander dwelt at Pallantium.

490. See Met. III. init. Mythology, 291.

491. Iason is always a trisyllable. For Tydeus and Jason, see Mythology under their names.

493. [Greek: Apas men aaer aieto perasimos, Apasa de chthon andri gennaio patris]. Eurip. frag. Comp. Hor. Carm. II. 9.

494. Vacuo, etc. the air.

495. Hor. Carm. II. 10. 15.

498. Hesperiam tenet. He reaches Italy, not, as Gierig understands it, he held his course for Italy.

500. Sailed up against the stream,—Tuscis, as flowing by Etruria.

501. There was a place in the Campus Martius, named Terentum, where was an altar of Dis and Proserpine, at which secular games were celebrated. I rather incline to think with Gierig, that the vada Terenti was a part of the river near the Terentum.

502. The abodes of the Aborigines.

503-508. The furor divinus comes over her; her hair is disheveled; her countenance becomes stern; by signs she directs the steersman to turn the ship to the land; she is hardly restrained from jumping out of the vessel.

510. Romulus and the Caesars—the flattery of the poet.

511. Hospita, stranger.

515-518. The future greatness of Rome.

519. The fleet of Aeneas. All the following events occur in the last six books of the Aeneis.

520. Femina, Lavinia.

521. Pallas, the son of Evander, slain by Turnus, and avenged by Aeneas.

523, 524. The future conquest of Greece by the Romans. Virg. aen. I. 283.

525. Troy was walled by Neptune. Eight MSS. read moenia for Pergama.

526. Num, etc. Are those ashes (of Troy) nevertheless not higher than the whole world? i.e. Will not Rome spring from them?

527. A tradition, followed by Cato, Strabo, Dio Cassius, and others, related that Anchises came to Italy. Perhaps Ovid followed the same tradition.

528. According to Dionysius. (I. 67,) the temple of the Penates, whom Aeneas brought from Troy, was near that of Vesta. Others (Tacit. An. xv. 41) thought that they were in the temple of that goddess.

529. Julius Caesar who was Pontifex Maximus, and was deified after his death. Some think it is Augustus who is meant.

531. Augustos seems to be equivalent to Caesares.

532. Hanc domum, scil: the Caesarian.

533. Tiberius, by adoption the son of Augustus, and grandson of Julius Caesar, both of whom were deified. His affected reluctance to accept the imperial dignity is well known. Tac. An. I. init.

534. Pondera, the weight of empire.

536. Augusta Julia. Livia, the wife of Augustus, adopted by his testament into the Julian family. This prediction of the poet was accomplished by the emperor Claudius, who placed Livia among the gods.

539. Exsul, Evander.

540. The poet had probably his own miserable place of exile in view.

542. Arcade, Evander.

543. Hercules, when driving the oxen of Geryon from the isle of Erythea. See Mythology, p. 320.

545. For this adventure with Cacus, see Virg. aen. viii. 190, _et. seq. Liv. I. 7.—Tegeaea, Arcadian.

553. Pro corpore, suited to his body.

559. Servata male, having ill kept, i.e. lost.

560. Furta, the stolen oxen.

564. Opus. The Greeks used their [Greek: ergon] in the same sense. Homer says that twenty-two waggons (juga) would not have moved the rock with which Polyphemus closed the mouth of his cave.

565. When he supported the heavens for Atlas. See Mythology, p. 324.

575. Occupat, attacks him. Jussit quatuor admoveri, canes, qui celeriter occupavere feram. Curtius, ix.—Clava trinodis, his knotty club. It was of the wood of the oleaster ([Greek: kotinos]) or wild olive.—Trinodis, a definite for an indefinite.

581, 582. The Ara Maxima of Hercules was in the Forum Boarium. According to Virgil, it was built by Evander.

583, 584. The apotheosis of Hercules.

587, 588. The usual sacrifice to Jupiter on the Ides, was a lamb, (see above, v. 57,) here it is a wether.

589. On the Ides of January, A.U.C. 727, Octavianus, after a speech full of hypocritical moderation, restored to the Senate and People such of the provinces as were in a state of tranquillity, retaining those which were still disturbed.—The Senate, on account of this, decreed him the title of Augustus.

591. Generosa atria, the halls of the different noble families at Rome.—Ceras, the waxen images of their ancestors, under which were inscribed their titles and actions.

593. Africa etc. P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus.—Isauruas. P. Servilius Isauricus.

594. Cretum. Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus.

595. Numidae. another Q. Caecilius Metellus, the predecessor of Marius, in the war against Jugurtha.—Messana. Claudius Caudex was sent to the aid of the Mamertines in Messana. He relieved the town, but derived no title from it. His statue and deeds, however, stood in the Atrium of the Claudii.

596. Numantina. Scipio aemilianus.

597. Druso. Drusus, the brother of Tiberius, and father of Germanicus, to whom the poem is dedicated, died in consequence of a broken leg, caused by his horse falling on him in the summer-camp on the Rhine, A.U.C. 745. The senate decreed the title of Germanicus to him and his children.

598. Quam brevis. How shortlived! Paterculus speaks in high terms of the virtues of Drusus. See also Hor. Car. iv. 4.

599. Caesar. C. Julius Caesar.

601. T. Manlius Torquatus. Liv. viii. 10.

602. M. Valerius Corvinus. Liv. vii. 26.

603. Magne. Cn. Pompeius Magnus.

604. C. Julius Caesar.

605, 606. When Fabius (A.U.C. 449.) divided the lower class of people into the four tribes named the Urbanas he was given the title of Maximus, which adhered to his family.—Nec gradus ullus, of comparison, playing on the magne of v. 603.

608. Hic. Augustus.

609. The Greeks rendered Augustus by [Greek: sebastus], from [Greek: sebo], to venerate. This name was considered beyond any human title.

610. Sacerd. manu. The Pontifex, when dedicating a temple, held one of the door-posts.

611. I do not think, with Gierig, that the poet derives augurium from augustus. It appears to me that he deduces them both from augeo. Loca quoque religiosa et in quibus augurato quid consecratur augusta dicantur ab auctu vel ab avium gestu gustuve. Suet. Aug. 7.

614. An oak-leaf garland, the symbol of protection, hung over the door of the Palatium; a laurel, the emblem of victory, stood on each side.

615. Tiberius, who bore the name of Augustus.

617-636. The Carmentalia were repeated on the 18th Kal. Feb. or the 15th of the month.

617. Actas, scil. exactas, past.

619. Matres. scil. Matronae.—Carpenta, the carpentum, was a covered two-wheel carriage. The etymon given by the poet is unworthy of attention.

629. Scortea, things made of skin or leather.

631. Precanti, by any one who is praying.

633. Porrima. This goddess is so named only in this place, and by Servius, on aen. viii. 336. Macrobius (Sat. I. 7.) calls her Antevorta. Varro, apud. A. Gellius (N. A. xvi. 6.) speaking of women who had a difficult labour, says, hujus periculi deprecandi causa arae statutae sunt Romae duabus Carmentibus; quarum altera Postverta nominata est, Prosa (alii Prorsa) altera; a recti perversique partus et potestate et nomine. We have here the true meaning of this feast of the Carmentalia, about which our poet has been puzzling.

634. Nympha, scil. Carmenta. Virg. aen. viii. 336. Thus Homer, (II. in. 130,) calls Helen a nymph. See Mythology, p. 206, note. For nympha, in this place, eight MSS. read diva.

635. Porro, usually denotes the future; in this place, it evidently denotes the past. Burmann knows no other instance of its occurrence in this sense.

637. On the following day, the xvii. Kal. Feb. the most ancient of the five temples of Concord at Rome, had been vowed, A.U.C. 386, by L. Furius Camillus. It was repaired and dedicated anew by Tiberius, A.U.C. 762. The temple of Juno Moneta (Warner) stood on the site of the house of Manlius on the Capitol; a flight of 100 steps led from the temple of Concord up to it.—Candida lux, auspicious day, as being that on which the temple of Concord was dedicated.—Niveo, as being built of marble.

639. The temple being on the side of the Capitol over the Forum.

640. Sacratae manus of Tiberius. Every thing belonging to the emperor was sacratum and sanctum.

641. Antiquum, scil. templum? Neapolis, I think is wrong, in taking antiquum to be used adverbially for olim, and joining it with pop. sup. Etr. Burmann, as he enclosed it in brackets, also understood it adverbially. Antiquum, which is unquestionably the right reading, is that of only three MSS. The others read antiquam or antiquus, or antiqui or antiquo.—Populi, etc. merely a designation of Furius, and has nothing to do with the occasion of the vow,—Ante, olim.

643. On the occasion of the Licinian rogations. Niebuhr, on this subject, prefers the authority of Ovid to that of Livy, who says, Prope ad secessionem.—venit.

644. Opes, the Plebeians.

645. A compliment to Tiberius. The first temple was built in consequence of civil discord; the second, in consequence of victories gained over the most formidable foes of Rome.—Passos, etc. Germany (i.e. the Germans) holds forth her dishevelled locks, vanquished by the Roman arms, under thine auspices. Jam tibi captivos mittet Germania crines; Culta triumphatae munere gentis eris, says our poet (Am. I. 14,) to a lady, as the false hair used at Rome mostly came from Germany. Nations, when conquered, were said porrigere, to surrender, those things for which they were distinguished. Thus he says, (Trist. II. 227,) Nunc porrigit arcus Parthus eques timida captaque manu, see below, V. 593. It is therefore supposed, that a condition of the peace was the delivery of a large quantity of hair for the use of the Roman wig-makers. There is nothing very sublime in this.

646. Dux, Tiberius.

647. Libasti, You have offered.

648. Quam colis ipse, by your love of peace.

649. Haec. scil. templa. This place is very obscure. Some MSS. read hanc.—Rebus, the commentators say, by the harmony in which she lived with Augustus.—Ara, by an altar, which they suppose she placed in the temple of Concord.

650. Magni Jovis, Augustus, the vicegerent of Jove on earth.

651. The passage of the sun into Aquarius, the xvi. Kal. Feb.—Haec. scil. tempora. The first editions, and two MSS. read transieris. Two other MSS. read transierit, which I should incline to prefer, and make haec refer to dies or to lux, v. 637. Heinsius would read Nox, or Lux ubi transierit.

653, 654. On the 10th Kal. Feb. Lyra sets heliacally.—Oriens, scil. Sol.

655, 656. The following day (Jan. 24,) Regulus, the bright star in the breast of the Lion, sets cosmically. The poet is mistaken here; according to Colunnella, he sets on the 27th of January.

657, 658. The Romans (see Macrob. Sat. I.) had two kinds of festivals, the Stativae and the Conceptivaae. The former were fixed to certain days, and were marked in the Fasti; such were the Agonalia, Carmentalia, Lupercalia, etc.: the latter were annually given out, (indicebantur) for certain, or even uncertain days, by the magistrates or priests; such were the Feriae Latinae, the Paganalia, Sementinae, Compitalia, etc. Seven MSS. read Sementinae; seven read Sementiva; twelve Sementita. Sementinae (seu vae) feriae: dies is appellatus a Sementi, quod Sationis causa susceptae. Varro. L. LV.

661. The time was well known, but not the exact day.

669. Pagus. Servius Tullius divided the Roman territory into Pagi. In each Pagus was an altar, on which a common sacrifice was offered every year by the Pagani, or people of the Pagus. This festival was called the Paganalia. The origin of our word Pagan, is curious. As the country people held out longest against Christianity, Pagan became equivalent to heathen, and we find it at last applied to Mohammedans!—Lustrate, by leading the victims round it. See Virg. G. I. 339, et seq. Ovid here follows Tibullus, Eleg. II. 1.

670. Liba, [Greek: pelanoi], cakes brought by the different families of the pagus.

675. Consortes operum, Ceres and Tellus.

693. The ancients parched the far before they ground it. It was afterwards baked.

701. Tuae scil. Germanici.—Religata, etc. Virg. aen. I. 291. et seq.

707. A.U.C. 769. Tiberius built a temple to Castor and Pollux, which he inscribed with his own name, and that of his brother Drusus.—Gente Deorum, the Caesarian family.

709, 710. The Romans erected no altar to Peace until A.U.C. 741. Sacrifices were offered on it on the 30th of January and of March.

711. Actiacis. Because the battle of Actium gave peace to the world. There is an allusion to Apollo Actius, and the laurel.

717. Primus, the near.

721. Domus, the Caesarian family.