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

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EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK IV., ODE V. 377
aoatheast wind over the Sicilian waters." By dirua 'Afer Hannibal i*
mea&t.
iS. Laboribus. Equivalent here to ^«Km.—iLTumultu. Consult
note on Ode iii., 14, 14.—48. Deos habuere rectos. " Had their goda
again erect." Alluding to a general renewing of sacred rites, which had
been interrupted by the disasters of war.—SO. Qenii. " Like stags."
51. Qvos opimua fallere. Sue. " Whom to elude by flight is a glorious
triumph." The expression/aWere et ^ugere may be compared with the
Greek idiom Xoffdiraf ^eiiyeiv, of which it is probably an imitation.
53. Qua cremato fmiis, &o. " Which bravely bore from Ilium, reduced
to ashes."—57. Tonsa. "Shorn of its branches." SB. Nigraferacifrondis,
&c. " On Algidus, abounding with thick foliage." Consult note on
Ode i., 21, 6.-62. Vinci dolentem. " Apprehensive of being overcome."
—63. Colchi. Alluding to the dragon that guarded the golden fleece.
64. Echioniave Tkebae. " Or Echionian Thebes." Echion was one of
the number of those that sprung from the teeth of the dragon when sown
by Cadmus, and one of the five that snrvived the conflict. Having aided
Cadmus in building Thebes, he received from that prince his daughter
Agane.
65-74. 65. Pulchrior evenit. "It comes forth more glorious than be-
fore." Orelli adopts exiet, given by Meinecke from Valart, as more in accordance
with the futures proruet and ger^, which follow. But there is
no good classical authority for such a form. We meet with it only in
Tertullian [adv. Jud., 13), and so rediea in Apuleius (Met,, p. 419). In Tibullus
(i., 4, 27) we must change iratisiet to transiit.~^G6. Integrum.
"Hitherto firm in strength."—68. Conjugibus loquenda. " To be made a
theme of lamentation by widowed wives." Literally, " to be talked of by
wives." Some prefer conjngibus as a dative. The meaning will then
be, " to be related by the victors to their wives," i. e., after they have returned
from the war.—70. Occidit, occidit, &c. " Fallen, fallen is all our
hope."—'73. Nil Claudia non perficient manus. " There is nothing now
which the prowess of the Clandian line will not effect," i. e., Home may
now hope for every thing from the prowess of the Claudii. Wo can not
but admire the singular felicity that marks the concluding stanza of this
beautiful ode. The future glories of the Claudian house are predicted by
the bitterest enemy of Borne, and our attention is thus recalled to the
young Neros, and the martial exploits which had already distinguished
their career.—74. Quas et benigna nwmi-ne. &c. "Since Jove defends
them by his benign protection, and sagacity and prudence conduct them
safely through the dangers of war."
Ode v. Addressed to Augustus, long absent from his capital, and in-
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voking his return.
1-S4. 1. Diois arte bonis. " Sprung from propitious deities." Alluding
to the divine origin of the Julian line, for Augustus had been adopted
by Julius Caesar, and this latter traiied hitf descent from Venus through
lulus and iGneas.—2. Abes jam nimium diu. " Already too long art thou
absent from us." Augustus remained absent from bis capital for the space
of nearly three years, being occupied with settling the affaurs of Gaul (from
A.tJ.C. 738 to 741).— 5. Lucem redde iua, Sco. " Anspicions prince, restbre
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