The
effeminate
among the Romans were very fond
of having their hair in curls.
of having their hair in curls.
Ovid - Art of Love
1.
263.
He means that the Arician grove was much resorted to by those engaged in
courtship tad intrigues. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 750: By the lark. --Ver. 286. See the Metamorphoses, Book x. ]
[Footnote 751: Of Cydon. '--Ver. 293. This was a city of Crete. ]
[Footnote 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. "]
[Footnote 753: By a bull! --Ver. 302. See this story explained in the
Translation of the Metamorphoses, p. 70. ]
[Footnote 754: The sire. --Ver. 326. This was the Minotaur. See the
Metamorphoses, Book viii]
[Footnote 755: If the Cretan dame. --Ver. 327. This was AErope, the wife
of Atreus, who slew the children of his brother Thyestes, and set them
on table before their father. ]
[Footnote 756: Who spoiled. ---Ver. 331. He falls into his usual mistake
of confounding Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, with the daughter of
Phorcys. ]
[Footnote 757: The flames. --Ver. 335. See the Metamorphoses, Book vii.
1. 391, and the Epistle of Medea to Jason. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 760: What is one's own. --Ver. 348. 'Suis' seems preferable
here to suos. ']
[Footnote 761: The crop. --Ver. 349. These lines are referred to by
Juvenal in the Fourteenth Satire, 1. 143. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 765: Her birthday. --Ver. 405. See the Amores, Book i. El.
viii. 1. 94. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 768: Pleiades prevail. --Ver. 409. This is said figuratively. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ']
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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). ']
[Footnote 775: Birth day cake. --Ver. 429. See the Amores, Book i. El.
viii. 1. 94. ]
[Footnote 776: The jewel. --Ver. 432. For an account of the earrings of
the ancients, see the Notes to the Metamorphoses, Book x. 1. 116. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 778: Upon an apple. --Ver. 457: See the twentieth and
twenty-first Epistles in the present volume. ]
[Footnote 779: Extend their hands. --Ver. 462. This figure is taken from
the gladiatorial games, where the conquered extended their hands in
token of submission. ]
[Footnote 780: Ring of iron. --Ver. 473. The rings worn by the lower
classes were of iron. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 782: Actor is dancing. --Ver. 501. See the Tristia, Book ii. i.
497. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 785: Bid those do this. --Ver. 507'. He alludes to the Galli,
the eunuch priests of Cybele. ]
[Footnote 786: Hippolytus. --Ver. 511. Phaedra, in her Epistle, alludes to
his neglect of dress, as one of the merits of Hippolytus. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 790: Awaking from her sleep. --Ver. 529. See the Epistle of
Ariadne to Theseus. ]
[Footnote 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. ']
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 793: Cretan Diadem. --Ver. 558. See the Fasti. Book iii. 1.
516. ]
[Footnote 794: Evie, Evoe! --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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 796: From the side. --Ver. 576. See the Amores, Book i. EL iv.
1. 32. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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 'vittae' and the 'instita,' the badges of
chastity. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 801: Eurytion. --Ver. 593. At the nuptials of Pirithous and
Hippoda-mia. See the Metamorphoses, Book xii. 1. 220, where he is called
Eurytus. ]
[Footnote 802: Stealing up. --Ver. 605. This piece of impudence he
professes to practise in the Amores, Book i. El iv. l. 56. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 806: Phoebe suffered--Ver. 679. See the story of the rape of
Phoebe, by Castor and Pollux, in the Fasti, Book v. 1. 699. ]
[Footnote 807: Work-baskets. --Ver. 693. See the Note to the
seventy-third line of the Ninth Epistle. ]
[Footnote 808: Heroines of olden times. --Ver. 713. Such as Danae, Europa
Seraele, Alcmena, Io, Calisto, Antiope, Maia, Electra, and others. ]
[Footnote 809: Chaplet of Pallas. --Ver. 727. A crown of olive was
presented to the victors in the athletic exercises at the Olympic
games. ]
[Footnote 810: Love for Lyrice. --Ver. 731. If Lyrice here is a female
name, it is not known who she was. ]
[Footnote 811: Daphnis. --Ver. 732. He was a Sicilian, the son of
Mercury; and the inventor of Bucolic poetry. ]
[Footnote 812: Pylades. --Ver. 745: Hermione was the wife of Orestes,
the friend of Pylades. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
FOOTNOTES BOOK TWO
[Footnote 901: Sing, 'Io Pean. '--Ver. 1. This was the usual cry of the
hunters, who thus addressed Apollo, the God of the chase, when the prey
had been captured iu the toils. See the Metamorphoses, Book iv. 1. 513. ]
[Footnote 902: Amyclae. --Ver. 5. A town of Laconia. See the
Metamorphoses, Book x. 1. 219, and the Note. ]
[Footnote 903: Erato. --Ver. 16. He addresses himself to this Muse, as
her name was derived from the Greek 'love. ' It has been suggested that
he had another reason for addressing her, as she was thought to take
pleasure in warfare, a state which sometimes, by way of variety, exists
between lovers. ]
[Footnote 904: A bold path. --Ver. 22. This story is again related in the
Eighth Book of the Metamorphoses. ]
[Footnote 905: Like oars. --Ver. 45. He aptly compares the arrangement of
the main feathers of a wing to a row of oars. ]
[Footnote 906: Orion. '--Ver. 56. So in the Metamorphoses, Book v.
1. 206, he says to his son Icarus, 'Fly between both: and I bid thee
neither to look at Bootes, nor Helice, nor the drawn sword of Orion. ']
[Footnote 907: Is angling. --Ver. 77. There is a similar passage in the
Metamorphoses, 1. 216.
He means that the Arician grove was much resorted to by those engaged in
courtship tad intrigues. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 750: By the lark. --Ver. 286. See the Metamorphoses, Book x. ]
[Footnote 751: Of Cydon. '--Ver. 293. This was a city of Crete. ]
[Footnote 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. "]
[Footnote 753: By a bull! --Ver. 302. See this story explained in the
Translation of the Metamorphoses, p. 70. ]
[Footnote 754: The sire. --Ver. 326. This was the Minotaur. See the
Metamorphoses, Book viii]
[Footnote 755: If the Cretan dame. --Ver. 327. This was AErope, the wife
of Atreus, who slew the children of his brother Thyestes, and set them
on table before their father. ]
[Footnote 756: Who spoiled. ---Ver. 331. He falls into his usual mistake
of confounding Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, with the daughter of
Phorcys. ]
[Footnote 757: The flames. --Ver. 335. See the Metamorphoses, Book vii.
1. 391, and the Epistle of Medea to Jason. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 760: What is one's own. --Ver. 348. 'Suis' seems preferable
here to suos. ']
[Footnote 761: The crop. --Ver. 349. These lines are referred to by
Juvenal in the Fourteenth Satire, 1. 143. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 765: Her birthday. --Ver. 405. See the Amores, Book i. El.
viii. 1. 94. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 768: Pleiades prevail. --Ver. 409. This is said figuratively. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ']
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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). ']
[Footnote 775: Birth day cake. --Ver. 429. See the Amores, Book i. El.
viii. 1. 94. ]
[Footnote 776: The jewel. --Ver. 432. For an account of the earrings of
the ancients, see the Notes to the Metamorphoses, Book x. 1. 116. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 778: Upon an apple. --Ver. 457: See the twentieth and
twenty-first Epistles in the present volume. ]
[Footnote 779: Extend their hands. --Ver. 462. This figure is taken from
the gladiatorial games, where the conquered extended their hands in
token of submission. ]
[Footnote 780: Ring of iron. --Ver. 473. The rings worn by the lower
classes were of iron. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 782: Actor is dancing. --Ver. 501. See the Tristia, Book ii. i.
497. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 785: Bid those do this. --Ver. 507'. He alludes to the Galli,
the eunuch priests of Cybele. ]
[Footnote 786: Hippolytus. --Ver. 511. Phaedra, in her Epistle, alludes to
his neglect of dress, as one of the merits of Hippolytus. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 790: Awaking from her sleep. --Ver. 529. See the Epistle of
Ariadne to Theseus. ]
[Footnote 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. ']
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 793: Cretan Diadem. --Ver. 558. See the Fasti. Book iii. 1.
516. ]
[Footnote 794: Evie, Evoe! --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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 796: From the side. --Ver. 576. See the Amores, Book i. EL iv.
1. 32. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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 'vittae' and the 'instita,' the badges of
chastity. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 801: Eurytion. --Ver. 593. At the nuptials of Pirithous and
Hippoda-mia. See the Metamorphoses, Book xii. 1. 220, where he is called
Eurytus. ]
[Footnote 802: Stealing up. --Ver. 605. This piece of impudence he
professes to practise in the Amores, Book i. El iv. l. 56. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
[Footnote 806: Phoebe suffered--Ver. 679. See the story of the rape of
Phoebe, by Castor and Pollux, in the Fasti, Book v. 1. 699. ]
[Footnote 807: Work-baskets. --Ver. 693. See the Note to the
seventy-third line of the Ninth Epistle. ]
[Footnote 808: Heroines of olden times. --Ver. 713. Such as Danae, Europa
Seraele, Alcmena, Io, Calisto, Antiope, Maia, Electra, and others. ]
[Footnote 809: Chaplet of Pallas. --Ver. 727. A crown of olive was
presented to the victors in the athletic exercises at the Olympic
games. ]
[Footnote 810: Love for Lyrice. --Ver. 731. If Lyrice here is a female
name, it is not known who she was. ]
[Footnote 811: Daphnis. --Ver. 732. He was a Sicilian, the son of
Mercury; and the inventor of Bucolic poetry. ]
[Footnote 812: Pylades. --Ver. 745: Hermione was the wife of Orestes,
the friend of Pylades. ]
[Footnote 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. ]
FOOTNOTES BOOK TWO
[Footnote 901: Sing, 'Io Pean. '--Ver. 1. This was the usual cry of the
hunters, who thus addressed Apollo, the God of the chase, when the prey
had been captured iu the toils. See the Metamorphoses, Book iv. 1. 513. ]
[Footnote 902: Amyclae. --Ver. 5. A town of Laconia. See the
Metamorphoses, Book x. 1. 219, and the Note. ]
[Footnote 903: Erato. --Ver. 16. He addresses himself to this Muse, as
her name was derived from the Greek 'love. ' It has been suggested that
he had another reason for addressing her, as she was thought to take
pleasure in warfare, a state which sometimes, by way of variety, exists
between lovers. ]
[Footnote 904: A bold path. --Ver. 22. This story is again related in the
Eighth Book of the Metamorphoses. ]
[Footnote 905: Like oars. --Ver. 45. He aptly compares the arrangement of
the main feathers of a wing to a row of oars. ]
[Footnote 906: Orion. '--Ver. 56. So in the Metamorphoses, Book v.
1. 206, he says to his son Icarus, 'Fly between both: and I bid thee
neither to look at Bootes, nor Helice, nor the drawn sword of Orion. ']
[Footnote 907: Is angling. --Ver. 77. There is a similar passage in the
Metamorphoses, 1. 216.
