Fasti

3, 4. A question and answer.

5-8. As Minerva, who, especially in the Roman theology, was a deity, who presided over the arts of peace, engaged also in those of war; so Mars might for a time lay aside his arms, and attend to the song of the poet. —Cuspidis. Several MSS. read cassidis. The general sense is the same.

9. He takes occasion here to sing the most celebrated adventure of the Roman god, Mars. It comes with peculiar propriety in this place, as the month had been named after the god by his son, whose birth it relates. For the difference between the Greek Ares and the Roman Mars, see Mythology, p. 79 and 459.—Romana sacerdos. The affair occurred at Alba, and Rome did not yet exist. Heinsius would read Trojana, another critic proposes regina, as in Virgil, aen. I. 227. There is no need of any change; poets did not always attend to accuracies of this kind.

11. Silvia. One MS. reads Ilia, which reading has been adopted by Heinsius.—Moveri scil, carmen, like the cantuxque movete of Virgil.

12. It was the office of the Vestals to draw water, for the purpose of washing and sprinkling the temple, and cleansing the sacred vessels. Servius on aen. vii. 150, says, Vestae libare non nisi de Numicio flumine licebat.

13. Molli, etc. beautifully expresses the gentle descent to the river.

14. Then, as now, women carried their earthen pitchers on their heads. Speaking of Amymone, our poet says, (Am. I. x. 6,) Cum premeret summi verticis urna comas and Propertius of Tarpeia (iv. 4, 16,) at illi Urguebat medium fictilis urna caput.

16. Restituit, settled. Two MSS. which are followed by Heinsius, read composuit; but as Burmann justly observes this supposes leisure, and the use of a mirror, whereas restituit places before us a girl hastily settling up her hair, as we express it.

17, 18. Compare Virg. Ec. I. 55, and Hor. Epod. II. 26.

21. The descent of Mars, as Addison, I believe, first observed, is to be seen represented on ancient Roman coins.—Cupitam. This is the reading of two of the best MSS. and of Diomedes, the grammarian, who quotes this verse: all the other MSS. read cupita. Heinsius, in his note, shews that potior governed the fourth ease, in the best authors, and Priscian (xviii. 23,) says, Omnes auctores, potior illius et illum et illo.

22. Fefellit, concealed.—Divina ope, i. e. by his own power.

26. Sonos, words. Two MSS. read _preces.

27. Utile, etc. The well-known Roman formula, Quod bonum, felix faustumque sit,—Imagine somni, in a dream.

28. An somno, etc. Was it more than a dream, than a mere [Greek: enupnion]?

29. Ig. II. The perpetual fire of Vesta brought from Troy by aeneas. Virg. aen. II. 296.

30. This circumstance was ominous, as the sacred fillet was taken by the Pontifex off the head of a Vestal condemned for breach of vow. Dionysius, when describing the fate of the Vestal, Oppia, or Opimia, says, [Greek: autaen men taes koryphaes aphelomenoi ta stemmata, kai pompeuontes di' agoras, entos teichous zosan katoruxan].

31. Compare the dream of Astyages, portending the birth of Cyrus. Just. I. 4.—Palmae, emblems of victory. It is probably the meaning of the poet that they sprang from the ground, though inde would appear to refer rather to the fillet.

35. Molitur, i.e. vibrat. Virg. G. iv. 331.

36. Admonitu, scil. deorum, the vision.

37. The woodpecker, as well as the wolf, was sacred to Mars. In the old legend, (see v. 54,) the woodpecker also contributed to nourish the exposed babes.

43, 44. A periphrasis for ten months.—Emeritis. Qui merere desiit, having completed his task or service, was called Emeritus.

45. The poet himself informs us, (VI. 295,) that there was no statue in the temple of Vesta. Gierig supposes that he did not know this at the time he wrote this part of the poem. But it is well known that he kept it a long time by him, altering and revising it. I again repeat, that we are not to look for extreme accuracy in the ancient poets. There were statues of Vesta outside of the temple.

46. See below, VI. 614.

48. The sacred flame drew back as it were, and became nearly extinct. Nothing more terrified the Romans than the extinction of the Vestal flame; it was to them a sign, as Dionysius says, [Greek: tou aphanismou taes poleos].

50. Opes, the kingdom. He here gives the reason why Amulius interfered, not that of his calling him contemptor aequi.

51, 52. He had already related this at length, II. 385, et seq.

53, 54. It was the common tradition, it was in the poem of Ennius, which every one knew, and was probably the subject of some of those old ballads about Romulus, which Dionysius says still existed in his time.

55. Larentia, the wife of the shepherd, Faustulus, and nurse of Romulus and Remus. All the MSS. but two read Laurentia.

56. Vestras, scil. tui et Larentiae,—Opes, house, mode of living, etc.; see II. 413, on the aid rendered to the founders of Rome.

57. 58. The Larentalia were in December. The poet did not live to perform his promise; he probably could not write the Fasti away from Rome.– Acceptus geniis. On account of the Saturnalia, when indulgebant genio. See Virg. G. I. 300.

61, 62. This reminds one of the early proofs of his being born to rule, exhibited by Cyrus. It is by no means improbable, that his legend was transferred to Romulus and Remus. That of Paris (Mythology, p. 438,) is somewhat similar, as also that of Habis. See Justin, xliv. 4.

64. Actos, i. e. abactos, by the robbers.

65. Editus, told. Five MSS. read agnitus.

66. Nomen habere, scil. to have their fame confined to a few cottages. —Paucis, most MSS. read purvis.

70. A euphemism, sparing the fame of Romulus.

71. Pecorum. Three MSS. read pecudum, two nemorum, which Burmann prefers.

72. aeternae urbis. So the Romans loved to call their city.

75. He thus returns to the subject in hand.

78. As he shewed by removing Romulus to heaven, and by giving victory and fame in arms to the Romans.

79. The poet now becomes a grammarian, and argues learnedly.—Priores, the Latins.

80. Hoc scil. the worship of Mars. Several MSS. read haec.

81. Minoia, etc. The Cretans worshiped a goddess named Dictynna, who was regarded as being the same as the Artemis of the other Greeks, and the Diana of the Latins. See Mythology, p. 100.

82. Tellus Hyps. Lemnos. The slaughter of the men of Lemnos by their wives, and the saving of Thoas, by his daughter Hypsipyle, is a well known event. When Valean was flung from Olympus, by Jupiter, he fell in Lemnos. Hom. Il. I. 93.

83. See VI. 47. Hom. Il. iv. 51.

84. Maenalis ora, like Ausonis ora, II. 94.

86. Remque decusque, wealth and fame.

87. Peregrinos, i. e. of other Italian peoples, and you will find that they also had a month called after Mars.

91, 92. The people of Aricia and of Tusculum follow the same rule as the Albans, making March the third month. According to Krebs, the construction is, Inter Ar. et Alb. et Teleg. manu facta moenia celsa constant tempora. It is harsh taken any way.

94. First after three months, that is, the fourth.

95, 96. March was the fourth month also to the Pelignians, and their Sabine ancestors. For the best account of all these peoples of ancient Italy, see Niebuhr's Roman History.

97, 98. In reality he only followed the Alban, or rather general Latin calendar, in which March was the third month.

101, 102. Compare Hor. Epist. II. 1, 156. Virg. aen. vi. 850.—Male forte, same as non forte, imbelle.

103, 104. War was the science of the Romans.—Pugnabat. Three MSS. read pugnarat.

105. The Hyades and Pleiades are always spoken of together by the poets, as being near each other in position.—Pliadas Atlanteas. See IV. 169, [Greek: Plaeiadon Atlageneon epitellomenaon]. Hesiod. See Mythology, p. 52 and 418.

106. The Arctic and Antarctic poles.

107, 108. Cynosure ([Greek: kynos oura]) was a name of the Lesser Bear: Helice ([Greek: helikae]) from its revolving round the pole, a name of the Greater Bear. Omnes qui Peloponnesum incolunt priore utuntur Arcto; Phoenices autem, quam a suo inventore (Thalete) acceperunt, observant Cynosuram; et hanc studiosius perspiciendo diligentius navigare existimantur. Hygin. Poët. Astron. II. 2.

111. Libera, as being unobserved, left to themselves, as it were; subjected to no laws.

112. Constabat, &c. Burmann and Gierig take the meaning to be: they believed the stars to be divinities. May it not be: nevertheless, though ignorant of astronomy, they believed in the gods? A stroke at the learned infidelity of the poet's own days, like Gray's, "No very great wit, he believed in a god."

113, 114. A play on words as usual. Movere signa coelestia seems rather harsh, but it is not without example. Numeri movent astra, Lucan, I. 640. Carmina quîs ignes movimus aërios, Cinna in Anthol. Lat. T. I. p. 441. Movebant is the reading of seven MSS. six read notabant; all the rest tenebant.—Quae magnum, etc. See Livy, II. 59. One of the best MSS. reads prodere, which Heinsius and Bentley (on Hor. Ep. I. 67,) prefer.

115, 116. A bundle of hay tied on a pole, is said to have been the standard used by the Romans in their early days.—Tuas, of Germanicus.

118. Maniplaris. The soldiers belonging to one company, that is one manipulus, or standard, were called manipulares.

119-122. See Introduction, § 2.

119. Indociles, untaught. This passive sense is not unusual.– Ratione, science scil. astronomy.

120. The Lustres or periods of five years, were smaller by ten months, two for each year, at that time when there were but ten months in the year. Gierig's note is "Lustra quinquennalia tum nondum condebantur a Romanis." This looks as if he did not understand the passage, though Neapolis had briefly, but clearly explained it.

124. See above, I. 33.

126. Spatiis novis, the decades.

127. Pares. This is the reading of the best MSS. and editions; the greater number of the MSS. read patres. It is difficult to ascertain the meaning of the poet here. Scaliger, Lipsius and Dan. Heinsius think he means the members of the senate, who were equals in age or in property, See Livy I. 8 and 17, and, as Niebuhr has shown, it is highly probable that the Roman senate originally consisted of one hundred members divided into ten decuries. On the other hand Neapolis who is followed by Gierig, understands it of the army, as in each legion the soldiers equal in age and strength, were divided into ten centuries, (centum denos orbes) of each of the three ranks, viz. Hastati, Principes and Pilani or Triarii. The passage is exceedingly obscure, and I cannot satisfy myself respecting it; I however rather incline to the opinion of the first named critics, and the circumstance of patres being the reading of so many MSS. proves that it has generally been so understood. In this case we should place a colon after Romulus, and a comma or semicolon after decem.

130. There were three hundred Equites in each legion, each mounted on a horse supported by the state, hence called legitimus. They were divided into ten turmae or troops.

131, 132. The three divisions of the Roman Patricians: the Ramnes were the original Romans, the Titiensis the Sabines; the origin of the Luceres is a mere conjecture. See Niebuhr's Rom. Hist. Vol. 291—293.

134. See above, I. 35.

136. Signa, proofs or arguments. He goes on with farther proofs of March having been the first month of the ancient Roman year.

137—142. The laurels were changed in the month of March, at the houses of the Flamens, and of the Rex Sacrorum, the temple of Vesta, and the Curia Prisca, by which last, Neapolis understands the four ancient Curiae, (See above II. 527,) which still, as Festus tells us, remained in Rome, the singular being employed for the plural.—Vesta quoque, etc. Does he speak of a statue of Vesta? See above on v. 45. The following passages are of importance. Romani initio annum decem mensibus computabant, a Martio auspicantes; adeo ut ejus die prima de (in?) aris Vestalibus ignem accenderent; mutarent viridibus veteres laureas; Senatus et populus Comitia agerent; matronae servis suis caenas ponerent, sicut Saturnalibus domini: illae ut per honores promptius obsequium provocarent, hi quasi gratiam repensarent perfecti laboris. Solinus, c. 3. Eodem quoque ingrediente mense in regia, curiisque atque Flaminum domibus laureae veteres novis laureis mutabantur, Macrobius, Sat. I.12.

142. Il. focis. See above.

143, 144. Hujus etiam mensis prima die ignem novum Vestae aris accendebant ut, incipiente anno, cura denuo servandi novati ignis inciperet. Macrob. ut supra.—Arcana and Dicitur, because none but the Vestals dare enter the temple.

145, 146. A second proof is, the festival of Anna Perenna being in this month. See below, v. 523, et seq.—Fides, proof, ground of belief.

147, 148. A third argument; previous to the second Punic war, the magistrates, that is, the consuls, as it would appear, used to enter on their offices in March. The poet is not quite correct in this assertion: the Regifugium (see above, II. 685,) was at the end of February; hence, of course, the first consuls entered on their office in March; but A.U.C. 291, the day was the Kal. Sext. A.U.C. 304, the Ides of May, and from A.U.C. 600, the time of the Hannibalian war, the Kal. Jan. It is probable that the poet, knowing that this last change was made A.U.C. 600, inferred from the Regifugium, that previously the consuls had begun to exercise their magistracy in March. There is no proof that he studied the Annals with a critical eye.—Perfide Poene. Hannibal, with the usual Roman calumny of the greatest man of antiquity.

149. A fourth and incontrovertible argument.

151. Oliviferis. The Sabine land was famous for olives. Columella, v. 8, 5. Mutusca, in that country, is called by Virgil (aen. vii. 711,) olivifera.—Deductus, the proper term to denote his being brought with pomp and ceremony to Rome. One MS. reads devectus.

153. Samio, Pythagoras, who was erroneously supposed to have been the instructor of Numa.—Qui posse, etc. a periphrasis of the Metempsychosis, which doctrine he taught. See Met. xv. 157.

154. Egeria. See below, v. 261, et seq.

155. In consequence of the imperfect nature of the Roman year, and the arbitrary manner in which the Pontifices, for party and political purposes, made the intercalations, it had fallen into such sad confusion, that the festivals fell at the wrong parts of the year. Accordingly, Julius Caesar, as Pontifex Maximus, with the aid of M. Flavius and of Sosigenes, made it correspond with the course of the sun, after the manner of the Egyptian year. For this purpose, he had to add no less than sixty-seven days to the year 708. These he inserted between November and December, and, as the intercalary month also fell in this year, it consisted of fifteen months.

157-160. Caesar was not yet a god, but the poet could not let pass an occasion of displaying his wit, and flattering the imperial family.

161. Moras Solis. The time the son spends in the signs of the Zodiac.

162. Exactis, certain.

163-166. The Julian year of 365 days 6 hours; the day, which the hours of four years made, being added at the end of the lustre.—Junxit. Two MSS. read auxit.—Quarta. Many MSS. read quinta.—Consummatur, to complete, to make up of parts. Some MSS. have consumatur, which Heinsius preferred.

167. The poet now begins to inquire of the god why the Matronalia, a festival on which the matrons sacrificed to Juno, and sent presents to each other, and received them from their husbands, should be on the Kalends of the month sacred to the god of war. The deity assigns five causes.

168. Witness Homer's invocations to the Muses.

169. "Cum a viris soleas coli," Gierig. When you preside over manly occupations, is the interpretation of Lenz. May it not be, Since thine occupations are all of a manly character?

173, 174. I, a god whose chief value is in arms, am now, for the first time, called to the pursuits of peace. By the poet or by the matrons? Gressus, etc. alluding, perhaps, to his name Gradivus, v. 169.

177. See above, I. 101.

179. First cause, the rape of the Sabines.

180. Hujus, scil. Romae. Some MSS. read urbis.

184. The straw-roofed cottage, said to have been the abode of Romulus, was still standing on the Palatine, in the time of the poet.

195, 196. They (the neighbouring peoples) have the connubium, or intermarry with nations at ever so great a distance, but their women all looked down on the Romans.

197. Patriam, like thy father's, to take by force what was refused to entreaty.

198. Tolle preces, away with entreaties. Thus, tolle moras, Met. xiii. 556. Tolle querelas, Hor. Ep. I. 12. 3.

199. 200. Consus, etc. In this parenthesis the god addresses the poet. The readings of the MSS. differ very much here. Most have Illo festa die dum s. s. facis, making it a part of the advice of the god to his son. Heinsius followed those which read, Ipso festa die d. s. s. canes. Illo or illa—festa or facta—canes, canas, coles, facis, are the readings of various MSS. The present reading, with canet instead of canas, was proposed by Gronovius, and adopted by Gierig. The Consualia were on the XV. Kal. Sept. It is a pity that the poem does not go so far, as Ovid might have given us some additional information respecting Consus. See Mythology, p. 473.

201. Scil. the Caeninenses, the Crustumini, and the Antemnates. See the story in Livy, I.

202. It is not at all unlikely that, as Donza supposes, he glances here at the war between Julius Caesar, and his son-in-law, Pompey.

203. The war lasted to the third year.

205. Dictam, appointed.

206. Nurus, Hersilia, the wife of Romulus.

219. The construction is, ut (feminae quae erant) passis capillis tetigere, etc.

223. Seen for the first time.

224. Taubner thinks that by pinching the babes, they made them cry Ah! vae! which sounded like ave! Much as Ovid loved to play on words, I can hardly suspect him of this.

230. Oebalides. See I. 260.

231-234. Second cause. Was this the real cause, or is it because Ilia was a mother by me, that the matrons hold their feast on the Kalends of my month?

235-244. Third cause. It was fit that in the season of fecundity the matrons should pray to Juno for offspring. Compare this description of the spring with that in I. 151, et seq. See also Hor. Car. iv. 7.– Hiems. adop. gel. the glacialis hiems of Virgil.—Victae. Several MSS. read lapsae; one maestae. Heinsius proposes ictae, but as Burmann justly observes, why alter so excellent a reading as victae?– Detonsae, some of the older MSS. read excussae.—Virida. This is the reading of the best and oldest MSS. and was adopted by Heinsius. Burmann and Gierig follow those which read uvida; some have humida.– Tenero. Some MSS. read gravido, which is, perhaps, the true reading. See above, I. 152. One MS. reads in tumido.—Occultas vias, the caeca spiramenta of Virgil, G. I. 89.—Hora, season, like the Greek [Greek: horae].

244. Taubner, who is followed by some translators, explains this line thus: "quarum proles vel militis officio fungatur, vel sacerdotio s. votis oportet." Its plain meaning is, as given by Gierig: whose service and vows is childbirth. Et rudis ad partus et nova miles eram, says our poet (Her. xi. 48,) in the person of Canace. See above, II. 9.

245-248. The fourth cause, because the temple of Juno Lucina, on the Esquiline hill, was first opened for worship on the Kalends of March.

245. Ubi rex, etc. Ten MSS. read ibi rex R. two regi R. which reading is adopted by Heinsius, and retained by Gierig. The excubiae were held by Romulus on the Esquiline, at the time that he suspected Titus Tatius of bad faith.—Agebat. Several of the best MSS. have habebat.

246. Esquilias alii scripserunt ab excubiis regis dictas. Varro, iv. 8. Ovid seems to follow the same etymology: the true one is from esculus. —Qui. This is the reading of all the MSS. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig read qua.

251. The fifth cause. Juno, the mother of Mars, loves married women, who, in return, honor me. The Grecian Hera, by the way, was the mother of Ares; but the same was not the case with the Italian Juno and Mars. See Mythology.—Matrum. Heinsius adopts matris on conjecture, which reading is received by Burmann and Gierig. Some MSS. have matres.

254. Cingite caput, of the statue of the goddess, says Gierig, perhaps of the worshipper.

259. As the Salii bore the sacred ancilia through the city on the Kalends of March, the poet now proceeds to enquire into the origin of this institution. See Livy, I. 20.

261. Nympha, scil. Egeria.—Nemori, etc. See v. 263—275.– Operata. Seven MSS. read adoperta.

262. Facta. Some MSS. read festa, others sacra.

263. Met. xv. 479, et seq. Virg. aen. vii. 761, et seq. This account of the grove of Aricia is a complete digression in this place. Aricia, and its grove, lay at the foot of the Mons Albanus.

265. An Indiges, named Virbius, was worshiped here, who was identified with Hippolytus.

267, 268. This practice may be witnessed at the present day, in every country where the Roman Catholic religion prevails.—Longas sepes. The wall, says Neapolis, surrounding the sacred grove.

269, 270. It was the custom for women, whose prayers to this goddess had been heard, to carry lighted torches from the city to the grove of Aricia. See Propert, II. 23, 39.

271, 272. The priest of Diana, in this grove, called Rex Nemorensis, was always a runaway slave, who had slain his predecessor in office. He always went armed, to protect himself from aspirants to his dignity. Strabo calls this a barbarous and Scythian custom, and it led to the idea of the Arician Diana, being one with the Tauric Artemis.

273—275. See Juvenal's account of this fountain. Sat. III.

274. Bibi. The other editions, following some MSS. read bibes.

277-284. See Livy, Dionysius and Plutarch.

283. Vertitur, is changed.

285. This legend was related in the same manner by the historian Valerius Antias, from whom Ovid probably took it. As Livy, I. 20, relates the matter differently, it probably was not in the Annals of Ennius. It was evidently founded on the adventure of Menelaus with Proteus. Hom. Od. iv. See also Virg. G. iv. 387, et seq.

291. Picus Faunusque. Old Italian deities. See Heyne Excursus, V. to aen. vii. Mythology, p. 477.

292. Prodere. Many MSS. read edere, others tradere.—Romani, etc. Each a god of Roman ground, i.e. a Roman rural deity.

296. Dark shady groves were, from a very natural feeling, regarded with awe as the abode of deities. See Seneca. Epist. 41.

300. Fonti. To the deity or spirit of the fount.

301. Dis ponit. This is the conjecture of Heinsius; the MSS. read disponit.

312. Quatiens cornua. To indicate the difficulty of the matter.

313. Monitu. This word is used to indicate information divinely given.

314. Numina, divine power.

317. Deducere, a magic term, the [Greek: katagein] of the Greeks. Lunam deducere tentas Tibullus, [Greek: Ai pharmakides katagousi taen selaenaen]. Interp. Apollonii.

321. Sum. ded. ab arce. The reading of the best MSS. is Valida perductus ab arce: some of the best have val. veniet ded. ab arce or arte; some nostra perd. ab arte.

322. Nubila, etc. He mixes, according to custom, the Greek and Italian mythologies: the oath, by Styx, was peculiar to the former. See Hom. Od. v. l85—Nubila, as the Styx, was supposed to exhale a dense vapour.

323. Carmina, magic verses.

325. Scire nefas homini. Is not for man to know. Quid crastina volveret aetas Scire nefas homini. Stat. Theb. III. 562. See Hor. Car. I. 11. 1.

327-330. Some modern writers suppose that the ancient Etruscans possessed the art of conducting the lightning which Franklin discovered, or, according to them, re-discovered, and that it is exhibited in this poetic narrative. Their conjecture is, they think, confirmed by the fate of Tullus Hostilius, which they attribute to his ignorance of the proper mode of conducting the electric fluid.—Minores, posterity.

337. Ambage remota. As this seems not by any means to accord with what follows, Gierig renders ambage circumlocution, as opposed to the brevity with which the god speaks. One MS. reads remissa. The dialogue of Jupiter and Numa will be easily understood.

342. Piscis. According to Plutarch, the maena. See above, II. 578, note.

346. Pignora certa, the ancile. Celestial gifts of this kind, on which the safety of the state were supposed to depend, were common in antiquity.

347. Aethera, motum. Vidisti motu sonitus procurrere caelo. Profert, II. 16.

352. Crastina, scil. crastinas res, what will happen to-morrow.

357. Virg. Ec. viii. l4.—Rorataque. Many MSS. read rorata.

359. Acerno. Five MSS. read eburno, but see Met. iv. 486. Virg. aen. viii. 178.

363. It was the custom of the Romans to cover their heads when praying, or performing any other religious rite, lest any thing of ill omen should present itself to their view. See Virg. aen. iii. 405.

367 Evolverat. This is the reading of five of the best MSS. two read emerserat, which Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig have received, and which I should prefer. See v. 517. Most read emoverat; one commoverat, another ostenderat.

369. Sine nube. It was therefore supernatural. Compare Hor. Car. I. 34. 6. Virg. aen. vii. 141.

371. Two of the best MSS. read, A media subito coelum discedere visum est, which Heinsius prefers. Virgil (aen. ix. 20,) has medium video discedere coelum, and if this last be, as I am inclined to think it is, the true reading, it is not unlikely that Ovid imitated this line of the aeneis: if it is not, the line is the work of some grammarian, and formed from the Virgilian verse.

372. Submisere. One MS. has surrexere manus, which Burmann prefers. For this sense of sub, see Virg. Ec. vi. 38. x. 74, submittere cornua. Petron. 126, 18, 3. Submissas tendunt alta ad Capitolia dextras. Silius, xii. 640.

377. Ancile. Ancile vocatum quia ex utroque latere erat recisum, ut summum infimumque latus pateret, Festus. Ancilia dicta ab ancisu, quod ea arma, ab utraque parte, ut peltae Thracum, incisa. Ancisia Saturnio in carmine. Varro, L. L. iv. Ovid evidently follows the same etymology. According to Juba, whom Plutarch copies, it is derived from [Greek: ankylon] curved, and should be spelt ancyle. It is, however, certainly an old Latin word, and is by all Latin writers properly spelt with an i. It is well known that y is no Latin letter, yet we constantly meet Sylla for Sulla. From Plutarch's description of the ancile, we may collect that it was of an oval form.

381. Caelata, i.e. sculpta, or simply, made.

383. His morals were as perfect as his skill.

384. Clausit opus, simply, completed the work.—Ulli, some MSS. read illi; one illud, which Heinsius and Gierig have adopted.

387. The Salii, clad in brazen armour, and striking the ancilia with their daggers as they sang the old verses ascribed to Numa, went through the city dancing to the sound of pipes.

393. It was not considered lucky to marry on the Kalends of March, as the ancilia were carried on that day. This day was also considered inauspicious for commencing a journey. Suet. Otho. 8. Livy, xxxvii. 33.

396. Condita, laid up in the temple.

397, 398. The Flamen Dialis wore a peculiar kind of white hat, called apex, without which he never went out; his wife wore a flame-coloured robe, named venenatum, and a peculiar kind of band about her head, called rica. (See Gellius, N. A. x. 15,) hence the poet says, cincta. Cincta Flaminica veste velata Festus. Some MSS. have sancta; others capitis distincta, one apicatis cura. It was enjoined by law on the Flaminia, not to cut her nails, comb her hair, etc. on certain days.

399-402. One of the Fishes set acronychally on the 3d March, the V. Non.

403. Rorare genis. Five MSS. read rutilare; two comis.

405. The poet commits an error here. Arctophylax rises acronychally, instead of setting on the 5th March.

407. Vindemitor, [Greek: protrygaetaer], a star in the right shoulder of the Virgin, which now rises acronychally.

409. The story of Ampelos is told differently by Nonnus, in his Dionysiacs. See Mythology, p. l74.—Intonsum, denotes youth and beauty; it is therefore an epithet of Apollo, [Greek: akersekomaes].—Satyris, to denote the lewdness of the Nymph, says Burmann. It may, however, mean merely one of the Satyrs. Some MSS. read Satyro.

411, 412. These two lines were suspected by Heinsius. They are certainly very indifferent, but without them the narrative seems imperfect. Ovid would hardly have omitted an allusion to the name of Ampelos.

414. Vehit. This is the reading of five of the best MSS. all the rest have tulit.

415-428. On the 6th of the month, Prid. Non. A.U.C. 741. Augustus was made Pontifex Maximus. The P.M. presided over the Vestals.

417. Quisquis ades etc. The Vestals, as it would appear, who alone could enter the temple.—Canae. This is the reading of two of the best MSS.; the rest have castae, one gratae. See Virg. aen. ix. 259.

422. Vides. All the older MSS. have videt or vident; one Vesta videt.—Pignora juncta, the pledges of empire, in the temple of Vesta, were the Eternal Fire, and the Palladium (Livy, v. 52, xxvi. 27,) to these now was joined.—Augustus. The force of flattery could no farther go.

423. This is the reading of three of the best MSS. and adopted by Heinsius, and the succeeding editors: the other MSS. have Di v. T. d. p. ferenti.—Dignissima praeda, Vesta.

424. Gravis, i. e. gravatus, laden. See Virg. aen. II. 296. Three MSS. read pius.

425. The Julian house into which Augustus had been adopted, derived their lineage from aeneas. I do not, however, see the relationship to Vesta, unless it be through Kronus, (Saturn) who was her father, and whose grand-daughter Venus, was the mother of aeneas.

428. Dux, Augustus. This was probably written before the poet left Rome, and he did not alter it.

429-448. An account of Vejovis, whose temple was dedicated by Romulus, on the Nones of March.

429. The reading of the older MSS. was Una nota est Marti: Nonis sacra.—Una nota, the Nones of March were distinguished by one mark in the Fasti, one event had taken place on them.

430. The space between the Arx and the Capitol, in which the Asylum and the temple of Vejovis were, was called Inter duos lucos. Livy, 1.8, [Greek: to methorion duoin drumon]. Dionysius, II. 15.