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

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EXPLANATOUY NOTES, BOOK IV., ODE XIV. 38&
Compare Tadt., Ann., i., 9.—7. Quem legis a^mrtes Latinee, &o. "Whom
tlie Vindelioi, free before from Roman sway, lately learned what thon
couldat do in war." Or, more freely and intelligibly, " Whose power in
war the Vindelioi, &o., lately experienced." We have here an imitation of
awell-known Greek idiom.—8. Vindelioi. Consult note on Ode iv., 4, 18.
—10. Gmaunos, impladdum genus, Breunosque veloees. The poet here
substitates for the Kisti and Vindelici of the foarth ode, the Genauni and
Breoni, Alpine nations, dwelling in their vicinity and allied to them in
war. This is done apparently with the view of ampli^ng the victories
of the yoQDg Neros, by increasing the nnmber of the conquered nations.
The Genauni and Breuni occupied the Val d'Agno and Vol Braunia, to
the east and northeast of the Lago Maggiore (Lacas Verbanus).—13. Dojecit
acer plus vice simvUei. "Bravely overthrew with more than an
equal return." li. Major Neronum. " The elder of the Keros." AUpding
to Tiberius, the future emperor. IS. Immanesque Rectos auspicUs, &c.
" And, under thy favoring auspices, drove back the ferocious Kseti." In
the time of the republic, when the consul performed anything in person,
he was said to do it by his own conduct and auspices [duetu, vsl imperio,
ei auspicio suo) ; but if bis lieutenant, or any other person, did it by his
c^mand, it was said to be done, arispicio consulis, ductu legati, under
the auspices of the consul and the conduct of the legatus. In this manner
the emperors were said to do every thing by their own auspices, although
they remained at Kome. By the Bieti in the text are meant the united
forces of the Keeti, Vindelici, and their allies. The first of these constituted,
in fact, the smallest part, as their strength had already been broken
by Smsus. Compare Introductory Remarks to the fourth ode of this book.
17-33. 17. Spectandus in eertamine Martio, &c. " Giving an illustrious
proof in the martial conflict, with what destruction he coald overwhelm
those bosoms that were devoted to death in the cause of freedom." The
poet here alludes to the custom prevEdent among these, and other barbarous
nations, especially such as were of Garmanic or Celtic origin, of devoting
themselves to death in defence of their country's freedom.—21. Exereet.
"Tosses." Pleiadum choro sHndente nubes, &c. "When the
dance of the Pleiades is severing the clouds." A beautiful mode of expressing
the rising of these stars. The Pleiades are seven stars in the
neck of the bull. They are fabled to tave been seven of the daughters of
Atlas, whence they are also called Atlantides. {Virg., Georg., l, 221.)
They rise with the sun on the tenth day before the calends of May (22d
of April), according to Columella. The Latin writers generally call them
Vergilia, from their rising about the vernal equinox. The appellation
ol Pleiades is supposed to come from n2,io, "to sail," because their rising
marked the season when the storms of winter had departed, and every
thing favored the renewal of navigation. Some, however^ derive the
name from irAc/ovEf, because they appear in a cluster, and thus we find
Manilins callingthem "sidus glomerabile."— Zi. Medios perignes. Soma
commentators regard this as a proverbial expression, alluding to an aSaii
full of imminent danger, and compare it with the Greek St& wpog iiOi,eU>.
The scholiast, on the other hand, explains it as equivalent to "per medium
pugntefervo^em." . We rather think with Gesner, however, that the ref
erence is to some historical event which has not come down to us.—35. Bio
'auriformis volvitur Aufidui. " With the same fury is the bnU-fomied