Sed neque Medorum silvae ditissima terra, Nec pulcher Ganges atque auro turbidus Hermus Laudibus Italiae certent, non Bactra, neque Indi Totaque turiferis Panchaia pinguis harenis.
Haec loca non tauri spirantes naribus ignem 140 Invertere satis immanis dentibus hydri, Nec galeis densisque virum seges horruit hastis; Sed gravidae fruges et Bacchi Ma.s.sicus umor Implevere; tenent oleae armentaque laeta.
Hinc bellator equus campo sese arduus infert; 145 Hinc albi, c.l.i.tumne, greges, et maxima taurus Victima, saepe tuo perfusi flumine sacro, Romanos ad templa deum duxere triumphos.
Hic ver a.s.siduum atque alienis mensibus aestas; Bis gravidae pecudes, bis pomis utilis arbor. 150 At rabidae tigres absunt et saeva leonum Semina, nec miseros fallunt aconita legentes, Nec rapit immensos...o...b..s per humum, neque tanto Squameus in spiram tractu se colligit anguis.
VERGIL, _Georg._ ii, 136-154.
[Linenotes: 136. +silvae ditissima+ = _most rich in forests_. --Sidgwick.
137. +Hermus+, auriferous river of Lydia, cf. the R. Pactolus.
138. +Bactra+, modern Balk, N. of Afghanistan.
139. +Panchaia+, i.e. Arabia, the Eldorado of the Old World.
141. +satis ... hydri+ = _where the enormous dragon"s teeth were sown_. +hydri+ (?d???), lit. _a water-snake_.
143. +Ma.s.sicus umor+ = _Ma.s.sic juice_, i.e. of Mt. Ma.s.sicus in N.W.
Campania, famous for its wine, espec. the Falernian.
144. +implevere+ (sc. +haec loca+) = _fill it all_.
146. +c.l.i.tumne.+ R. of Umbria, famous for its white cattle.[20]
146-148. White cattle were required for the sacrifices of the Triumphs.
149. +alienis mensibus+ = _in months not her own_, i.e. in months properly belonging to winter.
150. +bis gravidae pecudes+ = _twice the cattle give increase_, Conington.
151, 152. +saeva leonum semina+ = _the fierce lion-brood_.
--Mackail.
+aconita+, a deadly poison--_monkshood_.
153, 154. +neque--anguis+ = _nor with so_ +vast+ _a sweep gather himself into a coil_, i.e. the snakes in Italy are not so large as elsewhere.]
+R. c.l.i.tumnus.+ Compare Pliny"s beautiful letter (viii. 8) describing its source.
[Footnote 20: Cf. the Chillingham "Wild Cattle."]
EARLY REPUBLIC, 509-366 B.C.
D8
ETRUSCAN INVASION UNDER PORSENA, 507 B.C. (1)
"_How well Horatius kept the Bridge In the brave days of old._"
A.
Nec non Tarquinium eiectum Porsenna iubebat Accipere, ingentique urbem obsidione premebat; Aeneadae in ferrum pro libertate ruebant.
Illum indignanti similem, similemque minanti Aspiceres, pontem auderet quia vellere Cocles, 650 Et fluvium vinclis innaret Cloelia ruptis.
VERGIL, _Aen._ viii. 646-651.
_Venus brings Aeneas his new armour: he gazes at the shield whereon were wrought scenes of the story of Rome to be._
[Linenotes: 646. +Porsenna.+ "Lars Porsena of Clusium By the nine G.o.ds he swore That the great house of Tarquin Should suffer wrong no more." --Macaulay.
648. +in ferrum ruebant+ = _were flinging themselves on the sword_.
--C.
651. +Cloelia+, a Roman hostage, who escaped by swimming the Tiber.]
B. Pons sublicius iter paene hostibus dedit, ni unus vir fuisset, Horatius Cocles. . . . Qui positus forte in statione pontis, c.u.m captum repentino impetu Ianiculum atque inde citatos decurrere hostes vidisset, {10} trepidamque turbam suorum arma ordinesque relinquere, reprehensans singulos, obsistens obtestansque deum et hominum fidem testabatur nequiquam deserto praesidio eos fugere; si transitum pontem a tergo reliquissent, iam plus hostium in Palatio {15} Capitolioque quam in Ianiculo fore. Itaque monere, praedicere, ut pontem ferro, igni, quacunque vi possint, interrumpant; se impetum hostium, quantum corpore uno posset obsisti, excepturum. Vadit inde in primum aditum pontis, insignisque inter {20} conspecta cedentium pugnae terga, obversis cominus ad ineundum proelium armis, ipso miraculo audaciae obstupefecit hostes.
LIVY, ii. 10.
[Linenotes: 7. +Pons sublicius+ = _the pile-bridge_, built by Ancus Marcius to connect Rome proper with the Janiculum-hill, or ridge.
8. +Cocles+ = _the one-eyed_, from loss of an eye in battle.
10. +citatos+ = _at full speed_. Adj. use of participle; cf. _citato equo_.
11. +trepidamque turbam+ = _panic-stricken and in disorder_.
12. +reprehensans+ = _seizing them by the arm one after another_.
14-15. +si transitum ... reliquissent+ = _if they left the bridge free for the enemy to cross by_. +transitum+ = noun, in appos. to +pontem+.
21-22. +obversis armis+ = _as he faced about_.]
D9
ETRUSCAN INVASION UNDER PORSENA, 507 B.C. (2)
"_How well Horatius kept the Bridge In the brave days of old._"
Duos tamen c.u.m eo pudor tenuit, Sp. Larcium ac T. Herminium, ambos claros genere factisque. c.u.m his primam periculi procellam et quod tumultuosissimum pugnae erat, parumper sustinuit; deinde eos quoque ipsos, exigua parte pontis relicta, revocantibus, {5} qui rescindebant, cedere in tutum coegit. Circ.u.mferens inde truces minaciter oculos ad proceres Etruscorum nunc singulos provocare, nunc increpare omnes: servitia regum superborum, suae libertatis immemores alienam oppugnatum venire. {10} Cunctati aliquamdiu sunt, dum alius alium, ut proelium incipiant, circ.u.mspectant. Pudor deinde commovit aciem, et clamore sublato undique in unum hostem tela coniciunt. Quae c.u.m in obiecto cuncta scuto haesissent, neque ille minus obstinatus ingenti {15} pontem obtineret gradu, iam impetu conabantur detrudere virum, c.u.m simul fragor rupti pontis, simul clamor Romanorum alacritate perfecti operis sublatus, pavore subito impetum sustinuit. Tum Cocles "Tiberine pater,"
inquit, "te sancte precor, haec arma {20} et hunc militem propitio flumine accipias." Ita sic armatus in Tiberim desiluit, multisque superincidentibus telis incolumis ad suos tranavit, rem ausus plus famae habituram ad posteros quam fidei.
LIVY, ii. 10.
[Linenotes: 7. +ad proceres+ = _on the chiefs_. For _procer_ cf. _procerus_ = tall.
8-9. +provocare ... increpare.+ Historic Infinitives = Indic.
9. +servitia+ = _the slaves_ = _servos_. Abstract for concrete, freq. in Livy. Cf. Hor. _Od._ ii. 8. 18. (_servitus = servi._) 14. +obiecto+ = _presented_, i.e. to the enemy.
15-16. +ingenti gradu+ = _with mighty (heroic) stand_. Cf. "firm as a rock."
18. +alacritate perfecti operis+ = _from joy at the completion of the work_.
24. +plus famae ... fidei+ = _destined to win more fame than credit with posterity_.
"Oh Tiber! father Tiber!
To whom the Romans pray, A Roman"s life, a Roman"s arms, Take thou in charge this day!"
So he spake, and speaking sheathed The good sword by his side, And with his harness on his back, Plunged headlong in the tide. --Macaulay.]
D10
ETRUSCAN INVASION UNDER PORSENA, 507 B.C. (3)
_How C. Mucius lost his Hand, but won a Name._
A. Obsidio erat nihilo minus et frumenti c.u.m summa caritate inopia, sedendoque expugnaturum se urbem spem Porsena habebat, c.u.m C. Mucius, adulescens n.o.bilis, ... primo sua sponte penetrare in hostium castra const.i.tuit; dein metuens, ne, si consulum {5} iniussu et ignaris omnibus iret, forte deprehensus a custodibus Romanis retraheretur ut transfuga, fortuna tum urbis crimen affirmante, senatum adit. "Transire Tiberim,"
inquit, "patres, et intrare, si possim, castra hostium volo, non praedo nec populationum {10} in vicem ultor; maius, si di iuvant, in animo est facinus." Approbant patres; abdito intra vestem ferro proficiscitur. Ubi eo venit, in confertissima turba prope regium tribunal const.i.tit.
LIVY, ii. 12.