No More Learning

Si, Comini, populi arbitrio tua cana senectus
Spurcata impuris moribus intereat;
Non equidem dubito, quin primum inimica bo
norum
Lingua exsecta avido sit data volturio;
Effossos oculos voret atro gutture corvus, 5
Intestina canes, caetera membra lupi.
CARMEN LXVI.
Ad Lesbiam.
Jucundum, mea vita, mihi proponis amorem
Hunc nostrum inter nos, perpetuumque fore.
Di magni, facite, ut vere promittere possit;
Atque id sincere dicat, et ex animo;
8
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? 90 CATULLUS. LXV1I1.
Ut liceat nobis tota producere vita
JEternum hoc sanctae fcedus amicitiae.
CARMEN LXVII.
Ad Gellium.
Saepe tibi studioso animo venanda requirens
Carmina uti possem mittere Battiadae,
Quis te lenirem nobis, neu conarere
Infestum telis icere, musca, caput;
Hunc video mihi nunc frustra sumtum esse Ia-
borem, &
Gelli, nec nostras hinc valuisse preces.
Contra, nos tela ista tua evitamus amictu:
At, fixus nostris, tu dabi' supplicium.
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? NOTES.
CARMEN 1.
To Cornelius Nepos.
Catullus in these verses dedicates his volume of
poems to Corn. Nepos, on account of the interest
he had shown, in what Catullus modestly calls "his
trifles," and the commendations he had bestowed
upon them, in the midst of his own learned and la-
borious occupations.
1. Q<<oi] i. q. cui.
6. Omne . . . chartis] a general history in three
volumes.
9. patrona Virgo] 'Minerva,' the patroness of
wits. Voss reads patroa, meaning Vesta, to whom
the first fruits were offered. Vide Ovid Fasti, 6,304.
CARMEN U.
To the Sparrow of Lesbia.
Catullus mentions the various endearments a
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? 92 NOTES.
sports with her favorite bird, with which Lesbia was
wont to amuse herself, and soothe the ardor of her
passion; and the delight with which he could in-
dulge the same playful fondness. The lady whom
he so often addresses under the name of Lesbia,
was named Clodia, the sister, it is supposed, of the
infamous Clodius.
7, 8. ] In these verses I have followed the reading
of Voss, who gives this explanation; "credo te 6
passer, nescio quid carum jocari cum meo desiderio
niienti i. e. cum puella mea, et similiter credo te sola-
tiolum esse sui doloris, ut gravis ejus ardor acqui-
escat. " Sillig reads,
Et solatiolum sui doloris
Credo, ut, quum gravis acquiescet ardor
Tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem, Sfc.
making solatiolum and carum quid accusatives de-
pendent on jocari, and introducing the apodosis of
the sentence with ut quum; ut for utinam.
11. puella] Atalanta, vide Ovid Met. Lib. 10.
CARMEN III.
A lament on the death of the Sparrow.
2. quantum . . hominum] conf. Carmen ii. v. 7.
10. pipilabat] i. q. pipiabat.
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? NOTES. 93
CARMEN IV.
The Dedication of the Barque.
The bargue of Catullus which had borne him
safely through the stormy and perilous seas from
Pontus, and was now gratefully consecrated to the
sailor's gods, recounts its own history and its own
praises. The poet points out (quern videtis) the
offering to his friends, as they pass by the Temple
where it is hung.
1. Phaselus] Grace <Pugr,log a bean, a long, slen-
der kind of vessel, distinguished by the form of its
prow, which was long and extended obliquely over
the water, now and for a long time in common use
in the Mediterranean.
3, 4. Neque . . . Nequisse] Two negatives, 'to
have been able. '
13. Amastri] 'Amastris,' now Pamastro, a city of
Paphlagonia. Cytore] Virgil, 2d Georgic, 437.
18. impotentia] without self-control, i. e. ' raging. '
So Carmen 25, v. 12. impotente amore.
22. litoralibus Diis] No particular class of deities
is designated by the epithet Morales. Temples were
erected on many shores, and promontories dedicated
to various divinities, towards which the mariner of-
fered his prayer, and where he paid his vows. Neque
ullavota] Because of the entire security the sailors
felt in the excellence of their vessel. Vows were
made only in the apprehension of extreme danger.
8*
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? 94
NOTES.
24. Novissimo] 'farthest,' in compliance with a
notion of the early Greeks, who supposed Colchis to
be the eastern limit of the world. Vide Ovid Trist.
3, 13,27 ; so Carm. 38, v. 4. casu novissimo,' the last
(farthest) extremity of distress;' novissimum agmen,
'the rear. ' Livy, Lib. 21, 35. lacum] The Ben-
acus, near which was Sirmio, the residence of Ca-
tullus. Vide notes to Carm. 23.
CARMEN V.
To Lesbia.
A graceful expression of a genuine Anacreontic
sentiment, persuading her to indulge the delights
of mutual affection, by urging the shortness of life,
and the everlasting sleep which follows.
11. ne sciamus] That we may begin a new series.
13. cum sciat] He fears the fascination of some
looker on. But no witness could harm them, un-
less he knew the name or the number of the thing
to become the subject of his enchantments.
CARMEN VI.
To Lesbia.
A reply to Lesbia's question, how many kisses
would satisfy his love.
4. Laserpiciferis] 'producing' benzoin, a plant
much used for medicinal purposes. The best was
produced in Cyrenaica. Pliny, Nat, Hist. xix. 15.
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? NOTES. 95
5. astuosi] from the great heat of the surround-
ing region; or perhaps from a spring there of a pe-
culiar and changeable temperature. --Arrian Exped.
Alex. Lib. 3, Sec. 4.
6. Batti] The first of that name, who emigrated
from Therae, and founded the royal family of the
Battiadae. Herodotus, Lib. 4, Sec. 150--159.
9. basia basiare] The verb beside its direct object
takes the accusative of a word of the same mean-
ing. This. construction is more common among
the Greeks, whom Catullus affects.
CARMEN VII.
To Verannius, on his return from Spain. Com-
pare Horace, Carm. Lib. 1, 36.
2. mihi] dativus commodi, 'in worth to me,' ' in
my estimation. '
CARMEN VIII.
The Mistress of Varrus.
Varrus, a friend of Catullus, finding him one day
sauntering in the forum, invited him to visit his
mistress. Among various topics of conversation,
they spoke of Bithynia, where Catullus had recently
served under Memmius. The natural inquiry being
started, how far he had enriched himself there, he
answered evasively, blaming the avarice of the
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? 96 NOTES.
pretors who governed the province; yet unwilling
to appear to the lady entirely unsuccessful, he tells
her that he had brought home half a dozen litter
bearers.
The wanton desires to borrow them,
when the poet is compelled to get off with a lame
and confused apology.
1. Farri] Vulpius, Turnebus and some others read
Varus, and suppose the person here mentioned, to
be Alphenus Varus, one of the most subtle and
distinguished lawyers of his times--the same to
whom Carm. xxii. was addressed. Vide Horace
Sat. 3. Lib. 3. v. 130.
2. ad s. a. visum] the same as visum suos amores.
Thus Terence Hecyra, Act 1. Scene 2. v. 189, has a
similar construction, "nostra (domina) it visere ad
earn. " So Plautus Bacch. Act 3. Sc. 5. "lbo et
visam hue ad eum. "
4. JVbn illepidum] i not ungenteel. '
10. prcstoribus] The same province was some-
times occupied by more than one prator at once;
or the reference may be to successive prators.
12. irrumator] < avaricious. '
13. nee faceret pili] 'valued not a hair. ' Conf.
Carm. xii. v. 17.
14. illic natum] 'what is said to have originated
there. ' Cicero in Verrem, says "Nam ut mos fuit
Bithyniae regibus lectica octophoro ferebatur.
Verses 21, 22 and 23, are to be understood as a
parenthesis, introduced to inform those to whom he
V
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? NOTES. 97
is relating the adventure. "Conversus ad lectores. "
Vulp.
22. grabati] 'a small bed carried from place to
place. ' From the Greek xQu? ? arov, derived ac-
cording to Voss, from tni to xgoita Sairtir, quasi
xaga? uTov.
26. ad Serapin] The temple of Serapis was with-
out the city, and was frequented for licentious pur-
poses, and also for obtaining dream3 there, which it
was thought would aid in the recovery of health.
27--30. ] These verses contain a strongly marked
anacoluthon, the hesitating and broken confession
of one detected in falsehood. The passage may be
thus constructed, Cuius Cinna est meus sodalis; is
sibi paravit istud quod modo dixeram me habere,
fugit me ratio, f. m. r. 'I forgot myself. '
34. negligentemj scil. of his words.
CARMEN IX.
To Asinius.
Catullus sends this poem to Marrucinus Asinius,
who in the freedom and carelessness of " mirth and
wine," had secreted some foreign napkins, which
he valued highly as memorials of absent friends;
and threatens a poet's vengeance.
3. ] Thefts of this kind were not infrequent.
Conf. Carm. xix. v. 6. Martial Ep. 59. Lib. 8.
"
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? Q8 NOTES.
12. astimatione] 'value. '
14. Setaba] Setabis was a town of Spain, on the
river Sucro, famous for its very fine linen.
CARMEN X.
To Fabullus.
Our poet in his poverty does not forget, or the
less relish the delights of social and festive enjoy-
ment, and alleging the leanness of his larder, in-
vites Fabullus to bring with him the means and
accompaniments of his own supper; offering only his
own affection, or if they should be preferred, odors
which the goddess of Love had bestowed on his
mistress.
CARMEN XI.
To Ldcinius Calvus.
A jocose rebuke to his friend Licinius, who on
the Saturnalia, had sent him a vile poem, which he
had received from one of his clients.
2. munere isto] 'for that present. '
3. odio Vatiniano] 'with the hatred of Vatinius. *
Calvus had incurred the bitter enmity of Vatinius, by
urging with great eloquence an accusation against
him, of bribery. But see Lempriere's Class. Dict.
8. reptrtum] 'far-fetched,' or with Docring,
"composed with much labor, in a new style. "
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? Notes. 99
ft Sulla] The individual here mentioned is sup-
posed to hare been a pedantic grammarian, the
freedman of . Sylla, who, as was often the case,
took the name of his master.
11. labores] professional' labors'in behalf of^Sulla.
17. si illuxerit] 'when day shall have dawned. '
18. Cissios, Aquinios] sorry poets.
19. Suffenum] a conceited verse maker. Conf.
Carro. xvr.
CARMEN XII.
Catullus seems to have taken a violent dislike to
a fellow townsman, whose jealousy was not so
easily excited as his own, and whose complacent
or heedless allowance of the sports and caprices of
his wife, was intolerable to the hasty temper of the
poet. He addresses the colony, offering his good
wishes in the matter of a new bridge, which the
residents very much desired, and asking in return,
that the fellow who could so neglect his own inter-
ests, might be flung from it into the deepest and
blackest mud beneath.
1. Colonia] Scaliger and Voss suppose that the
place here mentioned was Novum Comum, a col-
ony recently planted by Julius Caesar, ludere]
Certain contests, as boxing, were sometimes exhib-
ited on bridges.
3. asculis] i. q. assicidis, 'slender beams. '
'y
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? 100 NOTES.
6. ] 'On which (so good that) their sacred rites
may be performed by the morris dancers. '
10. ut] i. q. ubi.
14. cum] i. q. etsi. Jlore] the greenness of her
youth, as liable to errors; and also contrasted with
the advanced age of her husband.
17. uni] for unius, as sometimes toti for totius,
alii modi for alius modi.
18. alnus . . . suppernata] 'the alder hewn be-
neath,' i. e. a boat, suppernata is commonly written
subpernata.
19. Liguri] 'of a Ligurian. ' Liguria was noted
for ship and boat timber.
20. Tantumdem] 'Just as much. '
22. Nunc] Sillig reads hunc. "Hie is est, quern
nolo. " Better, for the notion of time is impertinent
here, and nunc is never used, I believe, to denote
sequence. Hunc eum is analagous to the common
hie ille.
CARMEN XIII.
The dedication of a grove to Priapus, composed,
probably during the poet's residence in Bitliynia.
1. dedico] 'I devote. ' consecroque] "I dedicate
with solemn rites. " "Consecrare has a more reli-
gious cast than dedicare. " Dumesnil.
2. Lampsaci] Priapus was born at Lampsacus.
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? NOTES. 101
4. ostreosior] So Virgil George, 1.