Fasti. Ovid

sublime in this.

      646. Dux, Tiberius.

      647. Libasti, You have offered.

      648. Quam colis ipse, by your love of peace.

      649. Haec. scil. templa. This place is very obscure. Some MSS. read hanc.—Rebus, the commentators say, by the harmony in which she lived with Augustus.—Ara, by an altar, which they suppose she placed in the temple of Concord.

      650. Magni Jovis, Augustus, the vicegerent of Jove on earth.

      651. The passage of the sun into Aquarius, the xvi. Kal. Feb.—Haec. scil. tempora. The first editions, and two MSS. read transieris. Two other MSS. read transierit, which I should incline to prefer, and make haec refer to dies or to lux, v. 637. Heinsius would read Nox, or Lux ubi transierit.

      653, 654. On the 10th Kal. Feb. Lyra sets heliacally.—Oriens, scil. Sol.

      655, 656. The following day (Jan. 24,) Regulus, the bright star in the breast of the Lion, sets cosmically. The poet is mistaken here; according to Colunnella, he sets on the 27th of January.

      657, 658. The Romans (see Macrob. Sat. I.) had two kinds of festivals, the Stativae and the Conceptivaae. The former were fixed to certain days, and were marked in the Fasti; such were the Agonalia, Carmentalia, Lupercalia, etc.: the latter were annually given out, (indicebantur) for certain, or even uncertain days, by the magistrates or priests; such were the Feriae Latinae, the Paganalia, Sementinae, Compitalia, etc. Seven MSS. read Sementinae; seven read Sementiva; twelve Sementita. Sementinae (seu vae) feriae: dies is appellatus a Sementi, quod Sationis causa susceptae. Varro. L. LV.

      661. The time was well known, but not the exact day.

      669. Pagus. Servius Tullius divided the Roman territory into Pagi. In each Pagus was an altar, on which a common sacrifice was offered every year by the Pagani, or people of the Pagus. This festival was called the Paganalia. The origin of our word Pagan, is curious. As the country people held out longest against Christianity, Pagan became equivalent to heathen, and we find it at last applied to Mohammedans!—Lustrate, by leading the victims round it. See Virg. G. I. 339, et seq. Ovid here follows Tibullus, Eleg. II. 1.

      670. Liba, [Greek: pelanoi], cakes brought by the different families of the pagus.

      675. Consortes operum, Ceres and Tellus.

      693. The ancients parched the far before they ground it. It was afterwards baked.

      701. Tuae scil. Germanici.—Religata, etc. Virg. aen. I. 291. et seq.

      707. A.U.C. 769. Tiberius built a temple to Castor and Pollux, which he inscribed with his own name, and that of his brother Drusus.—Gente Deorum, the Caesarian family.

      709, 710. The Romans erected no altar to Peace until A.U.C. 741. Sacrifices were offered on it on the 30th of January and of March.

      711. Actiacis. Because the battle of Actium gave peace to the world. There is an allusion to Apollo Actius, and the laurel.

      717. Primus, the near.

      721. Domus, the Caesarian family.

      LIBER II

      Janus habet finem: cum carmine crescit et annus.

        Alter ut hinc mensis, sic liber alter eat.

      Nunc primum velis, elegi, majoribus itis:

        Exiguum, memini, nuper eratis opus.

      Ipse ego vos habui faciles in amore ministros, 5

        Quum lusit numeris prima juventa suis.

      Idem sacra cano, signataque tempora fastis.

        Ecquis ad haec illuc crederet esse viam?

      Haec mea militia est: ferimus, quae possumus, arma,

        Dextraque non omni munere nostra vacat. 10

      Si mihi non valido torquentur pila lacerto,

        Nec bellatoris terga premuntur equi,

      Nec galea tegimur, nec acuto cingimur ense:

        —His habilis telis quilibet esse potest—

      At tua prosequimur studioso pectore, Caesar, 15

        Nomina, per titulos ingredimurque tuos.

      Ergo ades, et placido paulum mea munera vultu

        Respice, pacando si quid ab hoste vacas.

      Februa Romani dixere piamina patres:

        Nunc quoque dant verbo plurima signa fidem. 20

      Pontifices ab Rege petunt et Flamine lanas,

        Quîs veteri lingua Februa nomen erat;

      Quaeque capit lictor domibus purgamina certis,

        Torrida cum mica farra, vocantur idem.

      Nomen idem ramo, qui caesus ab arbore pura 25

        Casta sacerdotum tempora fronde tegit.

      Ipse ego Flaminicam poscentem februa vidi:

        Februa poscenti pinea virga data est.

      Denique quodcumque est, quo pectora nostra pientur,

        Hoc apud intonsos nomen habebat avos. 30

      Mensis ab his dictus, secta quia pelle Luperci

        Omne solum lustrant, idque piamen habent;

      Aut quia placatis sunt tempora pura sepulcris,

        Tunc quum ferales praeteriere dies,

      Omne nefas omnemque mali purgamina causam 35

        Credebant nostri tollere posse senes.

      Graecia principium moris fuit. Illa nocentes

        Impia lustratos ponere facta putat.

      Actoriden Peleus, ipsum quoque Pelea Phoci

        Caede per Haemonias solvit Acastus aquas. 40

      Vectam frenatis per inane draconibus aegeus

        Credulus immerita Phasida juvit ope.

      Amphiaraïdes Naupactoo Acheloo,

        Solve nefas, dixit. Solvit et ille nefas.

      Ah nimium faciles, qui tristia crimina caedis 45

        Fluminea tolli posse putetis aqua!

      Sed tamen—antiqui ne nescius ordinis erres—

        Primus, ut est, Jani mensis et ante fuit.

      Qui sequitur Janum, veteris fuit ultimus anni;

        Tu quoque sacrorum, Termine, finis eras. 50

      Primus enim Jani mensis, quia janua prima est;

        Qui sacer est imis Manibus, imus erat.

      Postmodo creduntur spatio distantia longo

        Tempora bis quini continuasse Viri.

      Principio mensis Phrygiae contermina Matri 55

        Sospita delubris dicitur aucta novis.

      Nunc ubi sint illis, quaeris, sacrata Kalendis

        Templa deae: longo procubuere die.

      Cetera ne simili caderent labefacta ruina,

        Cavit sacrati provida cura ducis, 60

      Sub quo delubris sentitur nulla senectus.

        Nec satis est homines, obligat ille deos.

      Templorum positor, templorum sancte repostor,

        Sit superis, opto, mutua cura tui.

      Dent tibi coelestes, quos tu coelestibus, annos, 65

        Proque tua maneant in statione domo.

      Tum