Footnotes Book One
On Sabbaths rest from everything but love.’
This wretched paraphrase is excused by the following very illiberal note,
‘If this version seems to bear a little hard on the ancient Jews, it does not at all wrong the modern.’]
Notes
701 For stripes.—Ver. 16. Statius, in the Thebaid, mentions the strictness of the discipline of Chiron. See the Amores, i. El. xiii. 1. 18.
702 Be ye afar.—Ver. 31. He quotes this and the following line in the Tristia, Book ii. 1. 248, to show that it was not his intention, by his precepts, to inculcate breaches of chastity among the Roman matrons. See the Note to the passage, and to the Fasti, Book ii. 1. 30. The ‘vitta,’ or ‘fillet,’ was worn solely by women of pure character.
703 The tawny Indians.—Ver. 53. Herodotus considers the Æthiopians to be Indians. According to some, the father of Andromeda was king of Ethiopia; but she is more frequently represented as a native of Joppa, on the coast of Syria.
704 As many stars as.—Ver. 59. Heinsius considers this and the next line to be spurious.
705 Wish a riper fair.—Ver. 63. ‘Juvenis,’ applied to a female, would mean something more than a mere girl. ‘Juventus’ was that age in which a person was in his best years, from about twenty to forty.
706 Pompey’s Portico.—Ver. 67. He alludes to the Portico which had been erected by Pompey at Rome, and was shaded by plane trees and refreshed by fountains. The Porticos were walks covered with roofs, supported by columns. They were sometimes attached to other buildings, and sometimes were independent of any other edifice. They were much resorted to by those who wished to take exercise without exposure to the heat of the sun. The Porticos of the temples were originally intended for the resort of persons who took part in the rites performed there. Lawsuits were sometimes conducted in the Porticos of Rome, and goods were sold there.
707 The lion of Hercules.il—Ver. 68. The Nemean lion; which formed the Constellation Leo in the Zodiac.
708 Where the mother.—Ver. 69. He alludes to the Theatre and Portico which Augustus built; the former of which received the name of his nephew Marcellus, the latter of his sister Octavia, the mother of Marcellus. After the death of Marcellus, Octavia added a public library to this Portico at her own expense. Here there were valuable paintings of Minerva, Philip and Alexander, and Hercules on Mount Aeta. Some suppose that the temple of Concord, built by Livia, and mentioned in the Fasti, is here referred to.
709 The Portico of Livia.—Ver. 72. The Portico of Livia was near the street called Suburra. This Portico is also mentioned in the Fasti. We learn from Strabo that it was near the Via Sacra, or Sacred Street.
710 Granddaughters of Belus.—Ver. 73. This was the Portico of the Danaides, in the temple of Apollo. It is referred to in the Second Elegy of the Second Book of the Amores.
711 Bewailed by Venus.—Ver. 75. He alludes to the temple of Venus, at Rome, which, according to Juvenal, was notorious as the scene of intrigues and disgraceful irregularities. It was a custom of the Romans, borrowed from the Assyrians, to lament Adonis in the temple of Venus. See the Tenth Book of the Metamorphoses. This worship of the Assyrians is mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiel, chap. viii. ver. 13, ‘women weeping for Thatnmuz.’
712 [ The Jew of Syria.—Ver. 76. He alludes to the rites performed in the Synagogues of the Jews of Rome, on the Sabbath, to which numbers or females were attracted, probably by the music. There were great numbers of Jews at Rome in the reign of Augustus, who were allowed to follow their own worship, according to the law of Moses. The Roman females visiting the Synagogues, assignations and gross irregularities became the consequence. Tiberius withdrew this privilege from the Jews, and ordered the priests’ vestments and ornaments to be burnt. This line is thus rendered in Dryden’s version:
‘Nor shun the Jewish walk, where the foul drove,
713 Many a woman.—Ver. 78. Io, or Isis, was debauched by Jupiter. Martial and Juvenal speak of the irregularities practised on these occasions.
714 Where the erection.—Ver. 81. He refers to the Forum of Cæsar and the temple of Venus, which was built by Julius Cæsar after the battle of Pharsalia.
715 Of Appius.—Ver. 82. He alludes to the aqueduct which had been constructed by the Censor Appius. This passed into the City, through the Latin gate, and discharged itself near the spot where the temple of Venus was built.
716 Shooting stream.—Ver. 82; He alludes to the violence with which the water was discharged by the pipes of the aqueduct into the reservoir.
717 Which is adjoining.—Ver. 87. The temple of Venus was near the Forum.
718 Ravished Sabine fair.—Ver. 102. See the Fasti, Book iii. 1. 199.
719 Neither did curtains.—Ver. 103. The ‘vela,’ here referred to, may mean either the ‘siparia,’ or curtains of the theatres, or the awnings which were hung over them. See the Note on the ‘siparia’ of the theatres, referred to in the Third Book of the Metamorphoses, L 111. The ‘velaria,’ or ‘awnings,’ were stretched over the whole space of the theatres, to protect the spectators from the sun and rain.
720 Marble theatre.—Ver. 103. The Theatres of Pompey and Scaurus were of marble.
721 Nor was the stage.—Ver. 104. The ‘pulpita’ was that part of the stage where the actors stood who spoke. It was elevated above the orchestra, where the Chorus, and dancers and musicians were placed.
722 Upon the maidens.—Ver. 116. Some writers say that only thirty women were carried off. Valerius Antius made the number 427, and Plutarch mentions a statement that it was 600
723 The partition.—Ver. 141. See the Amores, Book iii. El. ii. 1. 19.
724 Let the usual subjects.—Ver. 144. ‘Publica verba’ means the compliments of the day,’ and the ‘topics suited to the occasion.’
725 Statues of ivory.—Ver. 149. For an account of this procession, see the Amores, Book iii. El. ii. 1. 43.
726 Your fingers.—Ver. 150. See 1. 42, of the same Elegy.
727 Dirty ground.—Ver. 154. See 1. 26, of the same Elegy.
728 Knee against it.—Ver. 158. See 1. 24, of the same Elegy.
729 With his ready hand.—Ver. 160. As the seats of the Circus were hard, the women often made use of a cushion to sit upon. Those who were not so fortunate as to get a front seat, and so rest their feet in the railings opposite (see the Second Elegy of the Third Book of the Amores, 1. 64, and the Note), used a footstool, ‘scamnum,’ (which is mentioned here in the 162nd line,) on which they rested their feet.
730 Its sad duties.—Ver. 164. Juvenal tells us that gladiatorial spectacles were sometimes exhibited in the Forum.
731 Himself receives a wound.—Ver. 166. The word ‘habet,’ here used, is borrowed from the usage at the gladiatorial games. When a gladiator was wounded, the people called aloud ‘habet,’ or ‘hoc habet and the one who was vanquished lowered his arms, in token of submission. If the people chose that he should be saved, they pressed down their thumbs; but they turned them up, if they desired that he should be killed.
732 Asking for the racing list.—Ver. 167. The ‘libellus,’ here mentioned, was the list of the horses, with their names and colours, and those of the drivers. It served the same purpose as the race-cards on our courses.
733 Having deposited the stake.—Ver. 168. When a bet was made, the parties betting gave to each other a pledge, ‘pignus,’ in the shape of some trinket, such as a ring. When the bet was completed, they touched hands.
734 When of late.—Ver. 171. He speaks of a ‘Naumachia,’ or mimic sea-fight, which had been lately exhibited at Rome by Augustus, in commemoration of the battle of Actium. As Antony had collected his forces from the East and all parts of Greece, his ships are alluded to as the Persian and Cecropian, or Athenian ships. The term, ‘Naumachia,’ was applied both to the representation of a sea-fight, and to the place where it was given. They were sometimes exhibited in the Circus or Amphitheatre, the water being introduced under-ground, but more generally in spots constructed for the purpose. The first was shown by Julius Cæsar, who caused a lake to be dug for the purpose in a part of the Campus Martius, which Suetonius calls ‘the lesser Codeta.’ This was filled up by Augustus, who dug a lake near the Tiber for the same purpose; to which, probably, reference is here made.
735 Introduced.—Ver. 172. ‘Induxit.’ By the use of this word, it would seem that Augustus Cæsar introduced the ships, probably, from the river Tiber into the lake.
736 See! Cæsar prepares.—Ver. 177. Augustus sent his grandson, Caius, the son of his daughter Julia and Agrippa, to head an expedition against Phraates, the king of the Parthians, the conquerors of Crassus; from this expedition he did not live to return, but perished in battle.
737 Crassi, rejoice.—Ver. 180. See the Fasti, Book v. 1. 583-8, with the Note. Also Book vi. 1. 465
738 Of the Gods.—Ver. 183. In a spirit of adulation, he deifies Caius Cæsar, and his brother Lucius.
739 First of the youths.—Ver. 194. The ‘princeps juvenum’ had the honour of riding first, in the review of the Equestrian ranks by the Emperor. See the Tristia, Book ii. 1. 90. Caius did not live to fulfil this prophecy, as he was slain through the perfidy of the Parthian general.
740 Since thou hast brothers.—Ver. 195. He alludes, probably, to Lucius Cæsar, the other grandson of Augustus, and Marcus Agrippa, the husband of Julia, the daughter of Augustus.
741 Hast a sire.—Ver. 196. He had been adopted by Augustus. *What rivers are borne.—Ver. 220. See the twentieth line of the Second Elegy, Book iv. of the Tristia. * Perfectly well.—Ver. 222. See a similar passage in the Tristia’ Book iv. EL ii. 1. 24.
742 The Euphrates.—Ver. 223. The rivers were generally personified by the ancients as being crowned with reeds.
743 The one whose.—Ver. 224. The young man is supposed to be addressing the damsel in these words.
744 From Danaë.—Ver. 225. He means, that Persia was so called from Perses, the son of Andromeda, by Perseus, the son of Danaë. It is more generally thought to have been so called from a word signifying; a horse.’ Achæmenes was one of the ancient kings of Persia.
745 Still it is fatal.—Ver. 236. ‘Solet,’ ‘is wont,’ is certainly a pre-narrative reading here to ‘nocet.’
746 Deceiving lamp.—Ver. 245. This is as much as to remind him of the adage that women and linen look best by candle-light.
747 Why mention Baiæ.—Ver. 255. Baiæ was a town on the sea-shore, near Naples, famous for its hot baths. It was delightfully situate, and here Pompey, Caesar, and many of the wealthy Romans, had country seats: Seneca and Propertius refer to it as famous for its debaucheries, and it was much frequented by persons of loose character. It was the custom at Baiæ, in the summer-time, for both sexes to cruise about the shore in boats of various colours, both in the day-time and at night, with sumptuous feasts and bands of music on board.
748 Hostile hand.—Ver. 260. See the Fasti, Book iii. 1. 263. He means that the Arician grove was much resorted to by those engaged in courtship tad intrigues.
749 Borne upon unequal wheels.—Ver. 264. He alludes to Thalia, the Muse who inspires him, preferring the unequal or Hexameter and Pentameter measure of Elegiac verse.
750 By the lark.—Ver. 286. See the Metamorphoses, Book x.
751 Of Cydon.’—Ver. 293. This was a city of Crete.
752 Untruthful as it is.—Ver. 298. The Cretans were universally noted in ancient times for their disregard for truth. St. Paul, in his Epistle to Titus, ch. i. ver, 12, says, quoting from the Cretan poet Epimenides “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, ‘The Cretans are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.’ This witness is true.”
753 By a bull!—Ver. 302. See this story explained in the Translation of the Metamorphoses, p. 70.
754 The sire.—Ver. 326. This was the Minotaur. See the Metamorphoses, Book viii
755 If the Cretan dame.—Ver. 327. This was Ærope, the wife of Atreus, who slew the children of his brother Thyestes, and set them on table before their father.
756 Who spoiled.—-Ver. 331. He falls into his usual mistake of confounding Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, with the daughter of Phorcys.
757 The flames.—Ver. 335. See the Metamorphoses, Book vii. 1. 391, and the Epistle of Medea to Jason.
758 The son of Amyntor.—Ver. 337. Phoenix, the son of Amyntor, according to Homer, became blind in his latter years. See the Note to the 307th line of the Eighth Book of the Metamorphoses.
759 Of thy guiltless sons.—Ver. 339. Phineus was a king of Arcadia, or, according to some, of Thrace or Paphlagonia. His wife, Cleopatra, being dead or divorced, he married a Scythian, named Harpalice, at whose suggestion he put out the eyes of his sons by Cleopatra. He was persecuted by the Harpies, as a punishment.
760 What is one’s own.—Ver. 348. ‘Suis’ seems preferable here to suos.’
761 The crop.—Ver. 349. These lines are referred to by Juvenal in the Fourteenth Satire, 1.143.
762 Your access easy.—Ver. 352. See his address to Nape, in the Amores, Book i. El. ii. Cypassis seems to have been a choice specimen of this class. See the Amores, Book ii. El. viii.
763 Pay him in return.’—Ver. 370. This seems to mean, ‘I do not think you can make sufficient return for his ardent affection,’ referring to the lover. Some of the Commentators think that it signifies a hint from the servant, that as her mistress’s husband has offended her by his infidelities, she ought to repay him in his own coin.
764 Is of use.—Ver. 375. This abominable notion seems to have been acted upon by the Poet himself. See the Amores, Book ii. El. viii.
765 Her birthday.—Ver. 405. See the Amores, Book i. El. viii. 1. 94.
766 Whether the Calends.—Ver. 405. The Matronalia were celebrated on the first day of the Calends of March. It was usual on that day, for husbands to make presents to their wives, and lovers to the objects of their affection. The Calends of March preceded April, which month was sacred to Venus. See the Fasti, Book iii. 1. 170.
767 The wealth of kings.—Ver. 408. It was the custom to bring the spoils of the enemy, or the most curious portions of it, to Rome, where it was exposed to view in the Circus and the Theatres. Ovid tells his readers that they must not think that the ladies can give them any of their leisure on such occasions, as, being so much engaged with the sights, they will have no time for love-making.
768 Pleiades prevail.—Ver. 409. This is said figuratively.
769 Tearful Allia.—Ver. 413. The 16th of July, the day on which the Romans were defeated by the Gauls at the Allia, was deemed unlucky, and no business was transacted on it.
770 A day not suited for.—Ver. 415. The Jews are here alluded to. and he refers to their Sabbath. How some Commentators can have dreamed that the feast of the Saturnalia is referred to, it is hard to say.
771 Great must be.—Ver. 417. The meaning is, ‘Be careful not to make your first advances on the birthday of your mistress, as that is the time for making presents, and you will certainly be out of pocket.’ See the Amores, Book i. El. viii. 1. 94, and the Note.
772 The loosely-clad pedlar.—Ver. 421. Institor’ was properly a person who sold wares, and kept a ‘taberna’ or ‘shop’ on account of another. Sometimes free persons, but more frequently slaves, were ‘institores.’
773 A promissory note.—Ver. 428. ‘Syngraphus/ or ‘syngrapha,’ was a ‘bill’ ‘bond,’ or ‘promissory note,’ which was most probably the kind of writing that the pedlar would here require. It may possibly mean a cheque upon his bankers, the ‘argentarii’ of Rome.
774 Not to have learned.—Ver. 428. The reading here seems to be non didicisse juvat.’ 4 It is not to your advantage that you have learned (to write).’ The other reading, ‘ne didicisse juvet,’ may be rendered, ‘(perhaps) it may be no advantage that you have learned (to write).’
775 Birth day cake.—Ver. 429. See the Amores, Book i. El. viii. 1. 94.
776 The jewel.—Ver. 432. For an account of the earrings of the ancients, see the Notes to the Metamorphoses, Book x. 1. 116.
777 Should you give her.—Ver. 447. The meaning of this and the following line is very obscure; so much so that Burmann is in doubt on the subject. It, however, seems to be, that it is not discreet, on first acquaintance, to give presents, as the damsel may then have a reason for peremptoily giving you up; she carries off your gift, and gives no favour in return.
778 Upon an apple.—Ver. 457: See the twentieth and twenty-first Epistles in the present volume.
779 Extend their hands.—Ver. 462. This figure is taken from the gladiatorial games, where the conquered extended their hands in token of submission.
780 Ring of iron.—Ver. 473. The rings worn by the lower classes were of iron.
781 Under some of the columns.1—Ver. 490. The learned Heinsius absolutely thinks that ‘columnas’ here means ‘mile-stones’! It is pretty clear that Ovid alludes to the columns of the Portico; and he seems to say, that the attentive lover, when he sees the damsel at some distance before him, is not to hesitate to escape the crowd by going into the open space outside of the columns, and then running on, for the purpose of overtaking her. See the Tristia, Book iii. El. iii, where he makes mention of the columns in the Portico of the Danaides.
782 Actor is dancing.—Ver. 501. See the Tristia, Book ii. i. 497.
783 With the irons.’—Ver. 505. See the Amores, Book i. El. xiv 1 25, and the Note. The effeminate among the Romans were very fond of having their hair in curls.
784 With the rough pumice.—Ver. 506. Pliny the Elder mentions pumice stone as ‘a substance used by women in washing their bodies, and now by men as well.’ Persius, in his Fourth Satire, inveighs against this effeminate practice.
785 Bid those do this.—Ver. 507’. He alludes to the Galli, the eunuch priests of Cybele.
786 Hippolytus.—Ver. 511. Phædra, in her Epistle, alludes to his neglect of dress, as one of the merits of Hippolytus.
787 Plain of Mars.—Ver. 513. The Roman youth practised wrestling, and other athletic exercises, on the Campus Martius Being often stripped naked, or nearly so, the oil, combined with t he heat, would tend to bronze the skin.
788 Not be clammy.—Ver. 515. Probably this is the meaning of ‘lingua ne rigeat,’ although Nisard’s French translation has it, ‘let your tongue have no roughness.’ Dryden’s translation is, of course, of no assistance, as it carefully avoids all the difficult passages.
789 The father of the flock.—Ver. 522. He alludes to the rank smell to the arm-pits, which the Romans called by the name ‘hircus,’ ‘a goat,’ from a supposed similarity to the strong smell of that animal.
790 Awaking from her sleep.—Ver. 529. See the Epistle of Ariadne to Theseus.
791 Mimallonian females.—Ver. 541. It is a matter of doubt why the Bacchanalian women were called Mimallonides. According to some, they are so called from Mimas, a mountain of Asia Minor, where the rites of Bacchus were celebrated. Suidas says that they are so called, from ‘imitation,’ because they imitated the actions of men. Bochart thinks that the word is of Hebrew origin, and that they receive their name from ‘memelleran,’ ‘garrulous’ or ‘noisy’; or else from mamal,’ a ‘wine-press.’
792 Drunken old man.—Ver. 543. See the adventure of Silenus, in the beginning of Book xi. of the Metamorphoses; and in the Fasti, Book iii. 1. 742. He seems to have been always getting into trouble.
793 Cretan Diadem.—Ver. 558. See the Fasti. Book iii. 1. 516.
794 Evie, Evoë!—Ver. 563. In the combat with the Giants, Jupiter is said, when one of them was slain by Bacchus, to have exclaimed ‘Well done, son:’ whence the exclamation ‘Evie!’ was said to have originated. See the Metamorchoses, Book iv. 1. 11 and 15, and the Note.
795 On the table.’—Ver. 572. See the Epistle of Paris to Helen; and the Amores, Book i. El. iv. 1. 20, and Book ii. El. v. 1. 17, and the Notes.
796 From the side.—Ver. 576. See the Amores, Book i. EL iv. 1. 32.
797 Touched with her fingers.—Ver. 577. The ancients are supposed not to have used at meals any implement such as a knife or fork, but merely to have used the fingers only, except in eating soups or other liquids, or jellies, when they employed spoons, which were denoted by the names ‘cochlear’ and ‘ligula.’ At meals the Greeks wiped their fingers on pieces of bread; the Romans washed them with water, and dried them on napkins handed round by the slaves.
798 Are drinking by lot.—Ver. 581. The ‘modimperator,’ or ‘master of the banquet,’ was often chosen by lot by the guests, and it was his province to prescribe how much each person should drink. Lots were also thrown, by means of the dice, to show in what order each person was to drink. This passage will show the falsity of his plea in the Second Book of the Tristia, addressed to Augustus, where he says that it was not his intention to address the married women of Rome, but only those who did not wear the ‘vittæ’ and the ‘instita,’ the badges of chastity.
799 Agent attends even too much.—Ver. 587. His meaning seems to be, that in the same way as the agent does more than attend to the injunctions of his principal, and puts himself in a position to profit by his office, so is the inamorato, through the confidence of the husband reposed in him, to make a profit that has never been anticipated.
801 Eurytion.—Ver. 593. At the nuptials of Pirithous and Hippoda-mia. See the Metamorphoses, Book xii. 1. 220, where he is called Eurytus.
802 Stealing up.—Ver. 605. This piece of impudence he professes to practise in the Amores, Book i. El iv. l. 56.
803 Bird of Juno.—Ver. 627. This fact, in natural history, was probably known only to Ovid, or the peacocks of the present day may be less vain than the Roman ones. See the Metamorphoses, Book i. 1. 723.
804 That there should be Gods.—Ver. 637. This was the avowed opinion of some of the philosophers and atheists of antiquity. We learn from Tertullian that Diogenes, being asked if the Gods exist, answered that he did not know anything about it, but that they ought to exist. The doctrine of the Epicureans was, that the Gods lived a happy and easy life, were not susceptible of anger, and did not trouble themselves about men.
805 Went to Busiris.—Ver. 649. See the Tristia, Book iii. El. xi. 1. 39, where the story of Phalaris is also referred to. Thrasius was the brother of Pygmalion, and was justly punished by Busiris for his cruel suggestion.
806 Phoebe suffered—Ver. 679. See the story of the rape of Phoebe, by Castor and Pollux, in the Fasti, Book v. 1. 699.
807 Work-baskets.—Ver. 693. See the Note to the seventy-third line of the Ninth Epistle.
808 Heroines of olden times.—Ver. 713. Such as Danaë, Europa Seraele, Alcmena, Io, Calisto, Antiope, Maia, Electra, and others.
809 Chaplet of Pallas.—Ver. 727. A crown of olive was presented to the victors in the athletic exercises at the Olympic games.
810 Love for Lyrice.—Ver. 731. If Lyrice here is a female name, it is not known who she was.
811 Daphnis.—Ver. 732. He was a Sicilian, the son of Mercury; and the inventor of Bucolic poetry.
812 Pylades.—Ver. 745: Hermione was the wife of Orestes, the friend of Pylades.
813 With a dart.—Ver. 763. It appears by this, that it was the custom to take fish by striking them with a javelin Salmon ere foretimes caught in a similar manner at the present day.