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

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382 EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK IV., ODE VIII.
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lower world." Horace does not follow here the common legend. Accord*
ing to this last, JEsculapius, at the request of Biana, did restore Hippoly
taa to life, and he was placed under the protection of the nymph 'Eigeria,
at Aricia, in Latium, where he was also worshipped. Compare Virg.,
^n., vii., 761. Letheea vincula. "The fetters of Lethe," i. e., of death.
The reference is to Lethe, the stream of ohlivion in the lower wor.d, and
which is here taken for the state of death itself.
ObE VIII. Supposed to have been written at the time ofthe Satamaliftt
at which period of the year, as well as on other stated festivals, it was
customary among' the Romans for friends to send presents to one another.
The ode before ns constitates the poet's gift to Censorinusi and, in order
to enhance its value, he descants on the praises of his favorite art. There
were two distinguished individuals at Kome of the name of Gensorinus,
the father and son. The latter, G. Marcius Gensorinus, is most probahly
the one who is here addressed^ as in point of years he was the more fit of
the two to be the companion of Horace, and as Yelleias Patercolos (ii.,
lOS) styles him, virum demercndis hominibus genitum. He was consul
along with C. Asinius Gallus, A.U.C. 746.
1-11. 1. Donarcm pat&ras, &c, " Liberal to my iHends, Gensorinus, I
would bestow upon them caps and pleasing vessels of bronze," i. e,, 1
would liberally bestow on my friends cups and vessels of beauteous
bronze. The poet alludes to the taste for collecting antiques, which then
prevailed among his countrymen.—3. Tripodas. The ancients made veiy
frequent use of the tripod for domestic purposes, to set their lamps upon,
and also in religious ceremonies. Perhaps the most frequent application
of all others was to serve water out in their common habitations. In these
instances, the upper part was so disposed as to receive a vase.—4. Neque
tu pessima muTierum'ferres, " Nor shouldst thou bear away as thine own
the meanest of gifts." A litotes, lor tu optima et rarissima muneraferres.
— 5. Divite me scilicet artium, &c. " Were I rich in the works of art^
which either a Farrhasius or a Scopas produced ; the latter in marble,
the former by the aid of liquid colors, skillful in representing at one time
a human being, at another a god." Sailers ponere. A Grsecism for sailers
in ponendOf or sailers poriendi. The artists here mentioned are taken
by the poet as the respective representatives of painting and statuary
Parrkasius, one of the most celebrated Greek painters, was a native of
Ephesus, but practiced his art chiefly at Athens. He flourished about
B.C. 400. He was noted for true proportion and for the accuracy of his
outlines. Scapas, a statuary of Paros, flourished shortly before Pan-hasius.
His statue of Apollo was preserved in the Palatine library at Home.
9. Sed nan Jusc'mihi vis, &c. "But I possess no store of these things,
nor hast thou a fortune or inclination that needs such curiosities." In
other words, I am too poor to own suoh valuables, while thou art too rich
and hast too many of them to need or desire any more.—11. Gaudes car-
Tninibus, &c. *' Thy delight is in verses : verses w^e can bestow, and can
fix a value on the gift." The train of ideas is as follows : Thou carest far
less for the things that hare just been mentioned, than for the producliona
of the Muse. Here we can bestow a present, and can explain, moreover,
the true value of the gift. Cups, and vases, and tripods are estimated in ac*
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