_subire_ in this sense belongs to military vocabulary: compare Caesar
_BG_ VII 85 'alii tela coniciunt, alii testudine facta _subeunt_' and
Curtius IV 2 23. For instances from military prose of _subire_ with a
direct object see Caesar _BG_ II 27 '_subire_ iniquissimum locum',
Hirtius _BG_ VIII 15, _Bell Alex_ 76 2 '_subierant_ iniquum locum', and
_Bell Hisp_ 24 2.
=22. INGENIO ... LOCI.= 'The nature (i.e. difficulty) of its terrain'. The
same standard phrase at Tac _Ann_ VI 41 'locorumque ingenio', _Hist_ I
51 'diu infructuosam et asperam militiam tolerauerant _ingenio loci_
caelique ['climate']', and from Ovid _Tr_ V x 17-18 'tumulus defenditur
ipse / moenibus exiguis ingenioque loci' and _EP_ II i 52 '[oppida ...]
nec satis _ingenio_ tuta fuisse _loci_'.
=22. NIL OPIS.= The expression is rather prosaic: compare Cic _Fam_ IV i 1
'_aliquid opis_ rei publicae tulissemus'.
=23. DVBIVM= _BMFHIT_ DVBIVM EST _CL_. The same variant in many
manuscripts at _EP_ III i 17-18 (Ovid is addressing Tomis) 'nec tibi
sunt fontes laticis nisi paene marini, / qui potus _dubium_ sistat
alatne sitim'.
=24. NVBIBVS AEQVA.= 'As high as the clouds'. For this use of _aequus_
compare _Aen_ IX 674 'abietibus iuuenes patriis in [_Heyne_: et _codd_;
_cf Il XII 132_ '[Greek: hestasan hôs hote te dryes ouresin
hypsikarênoi]'] montibus aequos', Statius _Ach_ I 173 'aequus uertice
matri', Sen _Ep_ 94 61 'aequum arcibus aggerem ... et muros in miram
altitudinem eductos', and _Aen_ IV 89 '_aequataque_ machina caelo'.
=25. SITHONIO= = _Thracio_.
=25. INTERCEPERAT.= _Intercipere_ 'capture' common in Livy (IX 43 3, XXI 1
5, XXVI 51 12, XXXVI 31 10); compare Ammianus XX 7 17 & XX 10 3 'locis
... recuperatis quae olim barbari intercepta retinebant ut propria'.
=26. EREPTAS VICTOR HABEBAT OPES.= Similar phrasing at _Fast_ III 49-51
'hoc ubi cognouit contemptor Amulius aequi / (nam _raptas_ fratri
_uictor habebat opes_), / amne iubet mergi geminos'.
=27. FLVMINEA ... VNDA.= _Flumineus_ does not occur elsewhere in the
_Tristia_ or _Ex Ponto_; _fluminea ... aqua_ at _Fast_ II 46 & 596.
=27. VITELLIVS.= This Vitellius is presumably one of the four sons of
Publius Vitellius, grandfather of the emperor. Suetonius wrote of the
sons, Aulus, Quintus, Publius, and Lucius, that they were 'quattuor
filios amplissimae dignitatis cognomines ac tantum praenominibus
distinctos' (_Vit_ 2 2). Heinsius suggested Aulus (_cos_ AD 32) was the
one here meant, 'nisi ad L. Vitellium patrem [_sc_ principis] referre
mauis'. 'On the general and reasonable assumption', wrote Syme (_HO_
90), 'this is P. Vitellius'. But Suetonius calls P. Vitellius 'Germanici
comes', and he is heard of in 15 assisting Germanicus in a campaign (Tac
_Ann_ I 70 1): it is perhaps more likely that Publius would have been
with Germanicus at the time of the capture of Aegissos, and that another
of the brothers is meant. Certainty is in any case not attainable.
=29. PROGENIES ALTI FORTISSIMA DONNI.= For the phrasing, compare _EP_ II
ix 1-2 'Regia _progenies_, cui nobilitatis origo / nomen in Eumolpi
peruenit usque ['goes back to'], Coty'.
The Donnus here referred to is Vestalis' grandfather (_CIL_ V 7817), or
possibly a more distant ancestor. Vestalis' father, Cottius, became a
client of Augustus; at XV 10 7 Ammianus mentions the worship still
accorded Cottius 'quod iusto moderamine rexerat suos, et ascitus in
societatem rei Romanae quietem genti praestitit sempiternam'. At _Nero_
18 Suetonius mentions as one of the few additions to the empire under
Nero the 'regnum ... Alpium defuncto Cottio'. This Cottius would probably
have been Vestalis' older brother; André is therefore right to infer
that Vestalis 'n'était pas l'héritier du trône, ce qu'Ovide n'aurait pas
manqué de signaler'.
=30. IMPETVS.= _Impetus_ + infinitive usually indicates a mad impulse: the
only other exception in Ovid is _Met_ V 287-88 (one of the Muses
speaking) '_impetus ire fuit_; claudit sua tecta Pyreneus / uimque
parat, quam nos sumptis effugimus alis'.
=31. CONSPICVVS LONGE FVLGENTIBVS ARMIS.= Modelled on _Aen_ XI 769
'_insignis longe_ Phrygiis _fulgebat_ in _armis_'.
=32. FORTIA NE POSSINT FACTA LATERE CAVES.= Vestalis would in any case
have fought bravely; so that his deeds would not pass unnoticed, he led
the attack.
=33. INGENTIQVE GRADV.= When Ovid elsewhere use _ingens gradus_ (_passus_)
he gives the phrase a humorous tone: see _Am_ III i 11 'uenit et
_ingenti_ uiolenta Tragoedia _passu_', _AA_ III 303-4 'illa uelut
coniunx Vmbri rubicunda mariti / ambulat _ingentes_ uarica fertque
_gradus'_, and _Met_ XIII 776-77 (of Polyphemus) 'gradiens _ingenti_
litora _passu_ / degrauat'. The straightforwardness of this passage is
of a piece with the rest of the poem.
For an example of the normal epic use of this detail, see _Aen_ X 572
'longe gradientem'.
=33. FERRVM LOCVMQVE= reflects 23 'dubium _positu_ melius defensa
_manune_'.
=34. SAXAQVE ... GRANDINE PLVRA.= The same phrase in the same metrical
position at _Ibis_ 467-68 'aut te deuoueat certis Abdera diebus, /
_saxaque_ deuotum _grandine plura_ petant'.
=35. MISSA SVPER IACVLORVM TVRBA.= 'The crowding missiles hurled from
above' (Wheeler).
=38. FERE.= Heinsius' FERO would involve the repetition of _fero_ in 44;
and _fero uulnere_ would be rather feeble when applied to a shield.
Professor R. J. Tarrant points out to me that Ovid's description of
Vestalis' exploit may have served as a distant model for Lucan's
account of how a centurion named Scaeua rallied Caesar's forces and led
an attack against Pompey's encampment (VI 140-262). Scaeua was made
_primipilaris_ in reward for his bravery (Caesar _BC_ III 53 5).
=40. SED MINOR EST ACRI LAVDIS AMORE DOLOR.= Similar language of a similar
exploit at _Met_ XI 525-28 'ut miles, numero praestantior omni, / cum
saepe adsiluit defensae moenibus urbis, / spe potitur tandem _laudisque
accensus amore_ / inter mille uiros murum tamen occupat unus'. Ovid's
description of Vestalis' exploit is little more than a string of
conventional phrases.
=40. ACRI.= 'Sharp'. Compare ii 36 'immensum gloria _calcar_ habet'.
=41-42. TALIS APVD TROIAM DANAIS PRO NAVIBVS AIAX / DICITVR HECTOREAS
SVSTINVISSE FACES.= Compare _Met_ XIII 7-8 (Ajax speaking of Ulysses) 'at
non Hectoreis dubitauit cedere flammis, / quas ego sustinui, quas hac a
classe fugaui' and _Met_ XIII 384-85 (the death of Ajax) 'Hectora qui
solus, qui ferrum ignesque Iouemque / sustinuit totiens, unam non
sustinet iram'. All three passages are drawn from _Il_ XV 674-746, the
description of how Ajax repulsed Hector's attempt to set the Greek ships
afire, and in particular from 730-31 '[Greek: enth ar' ho g' hestêkei
dedokêmenos, encheï d' aiei / Trôas amyne neôn, hos tis pheroi akamaton
pyr]'.
=41. PRO NAVIBVS.= 'In front of the ships'; a reminiscence of _Il_ XV 746
(the final line of the book) '[Greek: dôdeka de proparoithe neôn
autoschedon outa]'.
=43. DEXTERA DEXTRAE.= Ovid used syncope in _dextera_ where metrically
convenient. Elsewhere when he employs the two forms he is usually
describing the joining of hands in pledge or friendship. See _Her_ II 31
'commissaque _dextera dextrae_', _Her_ XII 90 '_dextrae dextera_ iuncta
meae', and _Met_ VI 447-48 '_dextera dextrae_ / iungitur'. For a
different use, see _Met_ III 640-41 '_dextera_ [_uar_ dextra] Naxos
erat: _dextra_ mihi lintea danti / "quid facis, o demens? quis te
furor," inquit "Acoete?"'.
=45-46. DICERE DIFFICILE EST QVID MARS TVVS EGERIT ILLIC, / QVOTQVE NECI
DEDERIS QVOSQVE QVIBVSQVE MODIS.= As Professor E. Fantham points out to
me, this _praeteritio_ takes the place of a full _aristeia_ detailing
Vestalis' exploits.
=46. QVOSQVE QVIBVSQVE MODIS.= Compare _quotque quibusque modis_ in an
erotic context at _Am_ II viii 28, and _Tr_ III xii 33-34 'sedulus
occurram nautae, dictaque salute, / quid ueniat quaeram _quisue quibusue
locis_'.
=47. ENSE TVO FACTOS CALCABAS VICTOR ACERVOS.= Compare _Met_ V 88 (of
Perseus) 'extructos morientum _calcat aceruos_'.
=50. MVLTAQVE FERT MILES VVLNERA, MVLTA FACIT.= A similar conjunction of
verbs at _Fast_ II 233-34 'non moriuntur inulti, / _uulneraque_ alterna
_dantque feruntque_ manu'.
=52. IBAT.= IBIT (_BP_) is printed by all modern editors except André, and
is possibly correct: compare _Am_ II iv 31-32 'ut taceam de me, qui
causa tangor ab omni, / illic Hippolytum pone, Priapus _erit_' for the
future tense used of a mythological character, and _EP_ II xi 21-22
'acer et ad palmae per se cursurus honores, / si tamen horteris, fortius
_ibit_ [_uar_ ibat] equus' for the corruption of future to imperfect.
=53. TEMPVS IN OMNE.= Similar promises of immortality at _Tr_ I vi 36 (to
his wife) 'carminibus uiues _tempus in omne_ meis', _EP_ II vi 33-34 (to
Graecinus) 'crede mihi, nostrum si non mortale futurum est / carmen, in
ore frequens posteritatis eris', and _EP_ III i 93 (to his wife) 'nota
tua est probitas testataque _tempus in omne_'.
Vestalis is known to us only through this poem.
VIII. To Suillius
This poem, nominally addressed to Suillius, husband of Ovid's
stepdaughter, is in fact directed to Germanicus, of whose staff Suillius
was a member (see at 23 [pp 264-65]).
Ovid begins the poem by expressing his pleasure at receiving, at last, a
letter from Suillius, saying he hopes that Suillius does not feel
ashamed of being related to him by marriage (1-20). He then asks him to
address Germanicus on his behalf (21-26). In 27-30 he says how grateful
he will be if Germanicus assists him; at 31 he begins to address
Germanicus directly in a tripartite defence of poetry. The first part
(31-42) builds on 34 'Naso suis opibus, _carmine_, gratus erit': Ovid is
now poor, but can still offer Germanicus his poetry. The second section
(43-66) builds on 43-44 'nec tamen officio uatum per _carmina_ facto /
principibus res est aptior ulla uiris', and explains how verse brings
immortality to great men and their deeds. The third section (67-78)
offers culminating evidence for the value of poetry: Germanicus is
himself a poet. Ovid moves from this to a final plea that Germanicus
help his fellow-poet: once removed from Tomis, he will praise him in
verse (79-88). In the final distich of the poem, he asks Suillius to
assist his prayer.
The structure of the poem is similar to that of _Tr_ V ii. In that poem
Ovid addresses his wife for the first thirty-eight lines, telling her
of his misery and asking her to approach Augustus on his behalf. In the
six lines that follow, he asks himself what he will do if she fails him;
he answers that he will make his own direct approach to Augustus. The
final thirty-four lines are his prayer to Augustus, in which he
describes the hardships he endures at Tomis and begs for a mitigation of
his punishment. It is remarkable that in both poems direct addresses to
members of the imperial family should be disguised in this way: it seems
probable that _Tr_ II, Ovid's long defence of his conduct, had been
received by Augustus with hostility, and that he was thenceforth more
circumspect.
=1-2. SERA QVIDEM ... GRATA TAMEN.= _Tamen_ goes with _grata_, balancing
_quidem_. For instances of the separate _serus tamen_ idiom ('it is late
in happening, but it does in fact happen') see Nisbet and Hubbard at Hor
_Carm_ I xv 19.
=1. SERA QVIDEM.= It seems that in spite of his being a close relative of
Ovid, Suillius, like Sextus Pompeius (see the introduction to i), had
been reluctant to be openly associated with him.
=1. STVDIIS EXCVLTE.= 'Refined'. _Studiis_ adds little to the force of
_exculte_: the same idiom at Quintilian XII ii 1 'mores ante omnia
oratori _studiis_ erunt _excolendi_' and Cic _Tusc_ I 4 'ergo in Graecia
musici floruerunt, discebantque id omnes, nec qui nesciebat satis
_excultus doctrina_ putabatur'.
=1. SVILLI.= P. Suillius Rufus (_PW_ IV A,l 719-22; _PIR1_ S 700) is
otherwise chiefly known to us from three passages of Tacitus: Suillius
is presented as 'strong, savage, and unbridled' (Syme _Tacitus_ 332). At
_Ann_ IV 31, Tacitus describes how, in 24, Tiberius insisted that
Suillius, convicted of accepting a bribe, be relegated to an island
rather than merely be exiled from Italy; what seemed cruelty at the time
later seemed wisdom in view of his later behaviour as a favourite of
Claudius. At _Ann_ XI 1-7 Tacitus describes how Suillius' excesses
resulted in a proposal in the Senate to revive the _lex Cincia_ of 204
BC, by which advocates had been forbidden remuneration: the proposal was
modified by Claudius at the instance of Suillius and others affected so
as to establish a maximum fee of ten thousand sesterces. At _Ann_ XIII
42-43 (AD 58) Tacitus tells how Suillius, 'imperitante Claudio
terribilis ac uenalis', was charged with extortion as proconsul of Asia
and with laying malicious charges under Claudius. Banished to the
Balearic islands, he led a luxurious existence, remaining unrepentant.
=3-4. PIA SI POSSIT SVPEROS LENIRE ROGANDO / GRATIA.= Compare 21 'si quid
agi sperabis posse _precando_'.
=5-6. ANIMI SVM FACTVS AMICI / DEBITOR.= 'Your friendly purpose has placed
me in your debt' (Wheeler). The genitive similarly used for the cause of
indebtedness at i 2 _'debitor_ est _uitae_ qui tibi, Sexte, suae' and
_Tr_ I v 10 'perpetuusque _animae debitor huius_ ero'.
=6. MERITVM VELLE IVVARE VOCO.= 'I call the desire to help a favour
already given'. Otto _uelle_ 2 cites _EP_ III iv 79 'ut desint uires,
_tamen est laudanda uoluntas_', Prop II x 5-6 'quod si deficient uires,
audacia certe / laus erit: in magnis _et uoluisse sat est_', _Pan Mess_
3-7, _Laus Pisonis_ 214; the same proverb at Sen _Ben_ V 2 2 'uoluntas
ipsa rectum petens laudanda est'.
=7. IMPETVS ISTE TVVS LONGVM MODO DVRET IN AEVVM.= Similar phrasing at
_EP_ II vi 35-36 (Graecinus has been rendering Ovid assistance) 'fac
modo permaneas lasso, Graecine, fidelis, / _duret et in longas impetus
iste moras_'.
=9. IVS ALIQVOD.= 'A certain claim on each other'. The same phrase for a
similar situation at _EP_ I vii 60 (to Messalinus, elder brother of
Cotta Maximus) '_ius aliquod_ tecum fratris amicus habet'.
=9. ADFINIA.= The _adfinis_ was a relative by marriage, commonly, as here,
a son-in-law; a relative by common descent was a _cognatus_.
=9. ADFINIA VINCVLA.= _Vinculum_ used of family relationships at _Met_ IX
550 (Byblis wishes to marry her brother) 'expetit ... _uinclo_ tecum
propiore ligari' and Cic _Planc_ 27 'cum illo maximis _uinclis_ et
propinquitatis et _adfinitatis_ coniunctus'.
=10. INLABEFACTA.= The word elsewhere in Latin only at xii 29-30 'haec
... concordia ... uenit ad albentes _inlabefacta_ comas'. Ovid is fond of
using negative participles of this type.
=11-12. NAM TIBI QVAE CONIVNX, EADEM MIHI FILIA PAENE EST, / ET QVAE TE
GENERVM, ME VOCAT ILLA VIRVM.= The same type of circumlocution at _Her_
III 45-48 (Briseis to Achilles) "diruta Marte tuo Lyrnesia moenia uidi;
... uidi ... tres cecidisse _quibus_ [_Bentley_: tribus _codd_] _quae
mihi, mater erat_'.
=11. EADEM MIHI FILIA PAENE EST.= This is presumably Perilla, the
recipient of _Tr_ III vii, whom Ovid there speaks of in terms
appropriate to a stepfather.
=13-14. EI MIHI, SI LECTIS VVLTVM TV VERSIBVS ISTIS / DVCIS, ET ADFINEM
TE PVDET ESSE MEVM.= A similar lament at _EP_ II ii 5-6 '_ei mihi, si
lecto uultus_ tibi nomine non est / qui fuit, et dubitas cetera
perlegere!'; both passages are followed by defences of Ovid's character.
For _uultum ... ducis_ see at i 5 _trahis uultus_ (p 149).
=15. NIHIL= _BCMFHLT_ NIL _I_. Copyists were more prone to alter _nil_ to
_nihil_ than the inverse; but in 1919 Housman demonstrated that _nihil_
was Ovid's invariable form for the latter half of the first foot by
pointing out that in all of the twenty-odd passages where the
manuscripts offer _nihil_ or _nil_ at that position the following word
invariably begins with a vowel (_Collected Papers_ 1000-1003). There
would be no reason for such an avoidance of consonants if Ovid had
allowed _nil_ in this position; he must therefore have used _nihil_
alone.
=16. FORTVNAM, QVAE MIHI CAECA FVIT.= The image of Fortune being blind to
a single individual seems very strange. Professor R. J. Tarrant suggests
that _caeca_ could mean 'unforeseeing', and by _fortunam_ Ovid could be
referring to his own previous circumstances; alternatively, _caeca_
might be a corruption induced by the familiar image of the blind
goddess, replacing an original SAEVA (Riese) or LAEVA, for which compare
Silius III 93-94 'si promissum uertat _Fortuna_ fauorem, / _laeuaque sit
coeptis_'.
=17-18. SEV GENVS EXCVTIAS, EQVITES AB ORIGINE PRIMA / VSQVE PER
INNVMEROS INVENIEMVR AVOS.= A similar claim at _Tr_ IV x 7-8 'usque a
proauis uetus ordinis heres, / non modo fortunae munere factus eques'.
The status of _eques_ was not hereditary except in the case of a
senator's son. The Paeligni did not receive the citizenship until after
the Social War; to be born to equestrian status, and to assume that he
could have had a senatorial career (_Tr_ IV x 35), Ovid must have
belonged to one of the dominant families of the region.
=17. EXCVTIAS.= 'Examine'. Ovid plays on the primary meaning of the word,
'shake out', at _Am_ I viii 45-46 'has quoque quae frontis rugas in
uertice portant [_Burman_: quas ... portas _codd_] / _excute_; de rugis
crimina multa cadent'. The transferred meaning had lost any sense of
metaphor by Ovid's time, however; see especially _Tr_ II 224
'_excutiasque_ oculis otia nostra ['the product of my leisure
hours'--Wheeler] tuis'.
=19-20. SIVE VELIS QVI SINT MORES INQVIRERE NOSTRI, / ERROREM MISERO
DETRAHE, LABE CARENT.= A similar claim of no fault beyond his _error_ at
_EP_ II ii 15-16 'est mea culpa grauis, sed quae me perdere solum / ausa
sit, et _nullum maius adorta nefas_'.
=20. ERROREM ... DETRAHE.= At _Met_ II 38-39 the same phrase with a
different meaning: (Phaethon to his father) 'pignora da, genitor, per
quae tu uera propago / credar, et hunc animis _errorem_ ['doubt']
_detrahe_ nostris*.
=20. LABE CARENT.= The same sense of _labes_ at _Tr_ I ix 43 'uitae _labe
carentis_' and Prop IV xi 41-42 'neque ulla _labe_ mea nostros erubuisse
focos'; compare as well the phrase _sine labe_ at _Tr_ II 110 (_domus_),
_Tr_ IV viii 33 (_decem lustris ... peractis_), _EP_ I ii 143
(_praeteriti anni_), _EP_ II vii 49 (_uita prior_), _Her_ XVII 14
(_tenor uitae_), and _Her_ XVII 69 (_fama_).
=22. QVOS COLIS ... DEOS.= A similar definition of the imperial family at
_EP_ II ii 123 '_quos colis ad superos_ haec fer mandata sacerdos'.
=23. DI TIBI SVNT CAESAR IVVENIS.= _BCFM2ul_ read SINT; but the indicative
seems to be required by the preceding 'quos _colis_ ... deos' and the
following '_tua numina_ placa' and 'hac certe nulla est notior _ara_
tibi'.
=23. CAESAR IVVENIS.= Germanicus; he would have acquired the cognomen
_Caesar_ on his adoption by Tiberius in AD 4. _Iuuenis_ probably refers
to Germanicus' title of _princeps iuuentutis_, which _EP_ II v 41-42
indicates he must have held: 'te _iuuenum princeps_, cui dat Germania
nomen, / participem studii Caesar habere solet'. Germanicus' holding of
the title is not elsewhere attested.
At _Ann_ IV 31 5, Tacitus identifies Suillius as 'quaestorem quondam
Germanici'; at _Ann_ XIII 42 4, he represents Suillius as saying of
himself and Seneca 'se quaestorem Germanici, illum domus eius adulterum
fuisse'. His service under Germanicus was clearly a principal fact of
his life.
=25-26. ANTISTITIS ... PRECES.= Here _antistes_ is virtually equivalent to
_cultor_, as at _Tr_ III xiv 1 '_Cultor et antistes_ doctorum sancte
uirorum'; compare as well _Met_ XIII 632-33 'Anius, quo ... _antistite_
Phoebus / rite _colebatur_'.
=27-28. QVAMLIBET EXIGVA SI NOS EA IVVERIT AVRA, / OBRVTA DE MEDIIS CVMBA
RESVRGET AQVIS.= Ovid here mixes two nautical metaphors: if a ship is
overwhelmed by high seas, a favouring breeze will not be of great
assistance.
=28. OBRVTA DE MEDIIS CVMBA RESVRGET AQVIS.= Similar wording at [Sen]
_Oct_ 345-48 '[cumba ...] _obruta_ ... ruit in pelagus rursumque salo /
pressa _resurgit_'.
=29. TVNC EGO TVRA FERAM RAPIDIS SOLLEMNIA FLAMMIS.= Perhaps a verbal
reminiscence of _Aen_ IX 625-26 'Iuppiter omnipotens, audacibus adnue
coeptis. / ipse tibi ad tua templa _feram sollemnia_ dona'.
=29. TVRA ... SOLLEMNIA.= The phrase does not occur elsewhere in Ovid; but
compare the passage from _Aen_ IX quoted above, as well as the
conjunction of words at _Tr_ III xiii 16 'micaque _sollemni turis_ in
igne sonet'.
=29. RAPIDIS= is here used as a standard epithet; its full force
('destructive') at _Met_ II 122-23 'tum pater ora sui sacro medicamine
nati / contigit et _rapidae_ fecit patientia _flammae_', _Met_ XII
274-75 'correpti _rapida_, ueluti seges arida, _flamma_ / arserunt
crines', and _EP_ III iii 60 (to Amor) 'sic numquam _rapido_ lampades
_igne_ uacent'.
=31-32. NEC TIBI DE PARIO STATVAM, GERMANICE, TEMPLVM / MARMORE.=
Professor R. J. Tarrant points out to me the reference to Virgil _G_ III
13-16 'et uiridi in campo _templum de marmore_ ponam ... in medio mihi
Caesar erit templumque tenebit'; _Parii lapides_ are mentioned at III
34. Here Ovid makes the temple literal, and conducts his _recusatio_ in
the terms used by love-poets.
=32. CARPSIT OPES ... MEAS.= 'Has destroyed my wealth'. This is not
strictly true, since Ovid at v 38 says that Pompeius give him gifts
(Ovid's letter speaking) 'ne proprias attenuaret opes'.
The same use of _carpere_ at ix 121-22 'fortuna est impar animo, talique
libenter / exiguas _carpo_ munere pauper opes' and _Am_ I viii 91 'et
soror et mater, nutrix quoque _carpat_ amantem'.
=34. NASO SVIS OPIBVS, CARMINE, GRATVS ERIT.= Compare _Am_ II xvii 27
'sunt mihi pro magno felicia carmina censu' and _Am_ I iii entire.
=37. QVAM POTVIT ... MAXIMA.= For the idiom compare Cic _Fam_ XIII vi 5
'_quam maximas_ ... gratias agat' and _ND_ II 129 'gallinae ['hens']
... cubilia sibi nidosque construunt eosque _quam possunt mollissime_
substernunt'.
=37. GRATVS ABVNDE EST.= Apparently the only instance in classical poetry
of _abunde_ modifying an adjective. The prose authors cited by the
lexica are Sallust, Livy, Valerius Maximus, Curtius, the elder Pliny,
and Quintilian. _Abunde_ elsewhere in Ovid only at _Met_ XV 759 'humano
generi, superi, fauistis abunde!' and _Tr_ I vii 31 'laudatus abunde'.
=38. FINEM PIETAS CONTIGIT ILLA SVVM.= 'That act of piety has reached its
objective', that is, has made the giver _gratus_.
=39-42.= For the sentiment compare _EP_ III iv 81-82 'haec [_sc_ laudanda
uoluntas] facit ut ueniat pauper quoque gratus ad aras, / et placeat
caeso non minus agna boue'.
=41-42. GRAMINE PASTA FALISCO / VICTIMA TARPEIOS INFICIT ICTA FOCOS.=
Compare iv 29-32 'templaque Tarpeiae primum tibi sedis adiri ... colla
boues niueos certae praebere securi, / quos aluit campis _herba Falisca_
suis'.
=42. INFICIT.= 'Stain'. _Inficere_ in the context of a sacrifice also at
_Met_ XV 134-35 '[uictima ...] percussa ... sanguine cultros / inficit'
and Hor _Carm_ III xiii 6.
=44. PRINCIPIBVS ... VIRIS.= A fixed colloquial idiom: _OLD princeps1_ 5
cites Plautus _Amphitruo_ 204 'delegit _uiros_ primorum _principes_' and
Hor _Ep_ I xvii 35 '_principibus_ placuisse _uiris_ non ultima laus
est'. There was a parallel expression _principes feminae_: see Pliny
_NH_ VIII 119 and Tac _Ann_ XIII 42 (Suillius compares himself to
Seneca) 'an grauius aestimandum sponte litigatoris praemium honestae
operae adsequi quam corrumpere cubicula principum feminarum?'.
=45. CARMINA VESTRARVM PERAGVNT PRAECONIA LAVDVM.= _Praeconia_ in a
similar context at _Tr_ II 65 'inuenies uestri _praeconia_ nominis illic
[in the _Metamorphoses_]'; used with _peragere_ at _Tr_ V i 9 'ut
cecidi, subiti _perago praeconia_ casus'.
=45. LAVDVM.= 'Deeds meriting praise'; compare 87 'tuas ... laudes
... recentes'. The meaning is found even in prose: see Caesar _BC_ II 39
4 'haec tamen ab ipsis inflatius commemorabantur, ut de suis homines
_laudibus_ libenter praedicant' and the other passages cited at _OLD_
_laus1_ 3b.
=46. ACTORVM.= AVCTORVM (_BCHL_) is possible enough; but _actorum_ accords
better with the preceding _laudum_.