The works of Horace : with English notes, critical and ... - Cristo Raul

266 EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK I., ODE IV,
he fear," i. e., what kind of death. Equivalent to quam viam ad Orcum.
—18. Reetis oculis. *' With steady gaze," i. e„ with fearless eye. Most
editions read siccis oculis, which Bentley altered, on conjecture, to reetis
Others prefer^a^is oculis.—19. Et infames scopulos Acroceraunia. "And
the Acroceraunia, ill-famed cliffs." The Ceraunia were a chain of mount.
vxQR along the coast of Northern Epirus, forming part of the boundary between
it and Ulyricum. That portion of the chain which extended beyond
Oricum formed a bold promontory, and was termed Acroceraunia ('A«pa
KEpavvta), from its smnmit [uKpa] being often struck by lightning (Kepavvog).
This coast was much di'eaded by the mariners of antiquity, because
the mountains were supposed to attract storms ; and Augustus narrowly
escaped shipwreck here when returning from Actium. The Acrocerau
nia are now called Monte Chimera.
2i^-39. 22. Dissociabili. "Forbidding all intercourse." Taken in an
active sense.— 24. TranssHiunt. "Bound contemptuously over."—26.
Audaas omnia perpeti. A Greek construction : -^paavg nuvra T2,^vai.
" Boldly daring to encounter every hardship."—25. Per vetiium et Tiefas.
"Through what iff forbidden by all laws both human and divine." The
common text has vetiium Ttefas, which 'ifiitkeff-a disagreeable pleonasm
The reading which we have adopted occurs in two MSS., and is decidedly
preferable. — 27. Atro^ lapeti genus. "The resolute son of lapetus."
Prometheus. We have adopted atrox, the conjecture of Bothe. The
common reading is emdax, but the repetition of this epithet appears extremely
onpoetical. As regards the force of atrox here, compare Od., ii.,
1, 24 : " Prater atrocem animum Catonis."—28. Fraude mala. " By an
unhappy fraud." The stealing of the fire from heaven is called " an unhappy
fraud," in allusion to Pandora and her box of evils, with which Jupiter
punished mankind on account of the theft of Prometheus.— ^29. Post
igTiem eetheria domo suhductum. "After the fire was drawn down by
stealth from its mansion in the skies."—33. Corripuit gradum. " Accelerated
its pace." We have here the remnant of an bid tradition respecting
the longer duration of life in primeval times.—34. Expertus [est].
" Essayed."—36, Perrupit Acheronta Herculeus tabor.' " The toiling Her-
cules burst the baniers of the lower world." Alluding to the descent of
Hercules to the shades. Acheron is here put figuratively for Orcus. The
expression Herculeus labor is a Grsecism, and in imitation ofthe Homeric
form BItj 'HpaKJirjELTj. [Od., xi., COO.) So, also, Kaffropof jffta (Pind.,
Pyth^ xi., 93) ; TuJ^of /?/« {-HEscA., S. C. Tk., 77), &c.—39. Ccelum. Alluding
to the battle of the giants with the gods.
Ode IV. The ode commences with a description of the return of spring.
After alluding to the pleasurable feelings attendant upon that delightful
season of the year, the poet urges his friend Sextius, by a favorite Epicurean
argument, to cherish the fleeting hour, since the night of the grave
would soon close aroond him, and bring all enjoyment to an end.
The transition in this ode, at the 13th line, has been censured by some
as too abrupt. It only wears this appearance, however, to those who are
unacquainted with ancient customs and the associated feelings of the Bomans.
" To one who did not know," observes Mr. Bunlop, " that the mortuary
festivals almost immediately succeeded those of Faunus, the lines