Bonum Annum (accusative of exclamation)!

It's been a good year, all. I thank you all, and wish you luck on Thursday :")

The Banquet of Doom

Black birds at a Roman dinner? They only called the Brits, the Gauls, etc., barbarians for wearing pants; there's a nursery rhyme about baking blackbirds in a pie.
All kidding aside, the Romans had some peculiar delectables on their (banquet) tables. I of course detest garum; I don't think I'd be overly keen on anything else at the dinner, though I'd eat the boar if it weren't served with two types of radishes, fish guts, and wine dregs.
I guess you eat what's available.

Cibus Pessimus!!

If anyone can define a "skirwort" for me, I would be immensely grateful!
This feast served some pretty interesting dishes, even by Roman standards (they ate peacocks). I know this is the point of the satire, but I didn't even know what some of this was.
There was, of course, my old friend garum in there. I don' know why, but garum just...ew! Fermened fish guts and small fish...I actually have threatened to feed my cat garum as punishment...because I think it sounds that bad. Ironically, garum may be the ancestor of Worschestire sauce, so I learned in Roman Civ.

 My favorite bird

My least-favorite condiment

Credat Iudaeus Apella...

The notes say that the Romans saw the Jews as very superstitious. That may be true, but if the Romans had met Medieval Brits, they would have changed their minds. We aren't a really superstitious people, especially now, but we have our fair share of interesting superstitions.
Here are some interesting British superstitions:

• Seeing a black cat is good luck; white cats are bad luck. (So, what does this make mine and my brother's cats: gray with white markings?)
• It is unlucky for a girl to wear a ring on her right hand before she gets her engagement ring. My mom says that one was started by cheap fathers.
• It is bad luck to cross on the stairs...especially in medieval castles with the high, narrow, and steep spiral staircases.
• Saying "white rabbit, white rabbit" on the first of the month was started in Britian, but I didn't grow up saying it or hearing my dad say it. I saw that on Wikipedia last night.

That is all.

Translations, Jessica, and My Thoughts on Satire 1.5

So...where's everyone's translations? What's wrong with Jessica?
I like this satire, though I feel sorry for the mule (and the sailor...a little).

1.5 34-42 Translation

Freely we abandon the fields for the praetor Afidius Luscus, the lauging rewards for the insane scribe, and the toga praetexta and the broad purple stripe and the chafting dish of hoar frost. Then we, weary, remain in Mamurrarae, we remain in the house with the eel offering, we remain in the kitchen with the fraud. Afterwards the very graceful night rises; for Plotius and Varius of Sinuessa and Vergil come here, their minds, the nature of which neither brighter the earth brought forth nor any other who may be more bound than me.

Minime!!

I kind of like the basic idea of satire 1.5, but I don't like having to look up the vocab; it's very difficult on a computer. In addition, does anyone know what meter it's in? I want to take a leaf out of K Roache's book.
Gratias vobis ago!
~AngelaCatulli1119

Comments on Translation

Salve, AC1119,


I am glad you are enjoying Horace, despite his difficulties!  My comments on your translation are below, in blue.  


My translation (not the best): "and dark Care [Cura] sits after (behind?)  the member of the equestrian order. One of the great lines of all time... seems to have at least 2 simultaneous ideas.  1, the death motif we are so familiar with-- even if you try to gallop away (eques as horseman), Black Care will be right behind you in the saddle, and 2, no matter how rich you are, you can't escape trouble (fate, death).  You bring out the latter in choosing "member of the equestrian order"
 But if [quodsi] neither the clearer modifies usus, not lapis Phrygian stone [lapis; a type of marble] nor the use [usus] of shellfish [purpurarum; used to make crimson/purple dye, from Tyre] soothes clearer  in the sky [sidere] this means "constellation, star",
but if neither Phrygian marble nor the use of purple (dye), brighter than a star,
(clarior is a displaced epithet (hypallage)-- the color should be brighter than the star, not the use of the dye)
nor the Falernian [Falerna] wine and the Persian [Achaemenium] aromatic plant [costum], why might I labor [moliar, deliberate subjunctive of molior] for the atrium with envy-causing [invidendis] door-posts [postibus] and the new sublime style [ritu; from ritus]? nor Falernian wine and Persian incense soothes one who grieves (dolentem = participle, a grieving one), why should I construct a lofty atrium (take sublime as n. acc. adj. modifying atrium) in the latest style, with envy-causing doorposts?  
 Why might ("Should" works better here for the delib. subjunctive) I exchange [permutem, from permutare] the Sabine valley for the toilsome [operosiores; epic word] riches [divitias]? 

Ah, What's Poetry without...

I liked the dysfuctional love poem between Horace and Lydia (3.9). Why does Roman love poetry have to feature so much drama? I guess, like it is now, poetry is a great way to vent.

Um...

The poetry this week wasn't too difficult. Good luck tomorrow everyone!

However, I am a little worried about the next few weeks. Those look like doozies.

And now, a parody of 1.38:
Boy, I hate the Persian styles, with the garlands tied with the fiber under the bark of the lime tree, even though I am totally writing you an elaborate love poem!!!

My translation (not the best): "and dark Care [Cura] sits after the member of the equestrian order. But if [quodsi] neither the clearer Phrygian stone [lapis; a type of marble] nor the use [usus] of shellfish [purpurarum; used to make crimson/purple dye, from Tyre] soothes clearer in the sky [sidere], nor the Falernian [Falerna] wine and the Persian [Achaemenium] aromatic plant [costum], why might I labor [moliar, deliberate subjunctive of molior] for the atrium with envy-causing [invidendis] door-posts [postibus] and the new sublime style [ritu; from ritus]? Why might I exchange [permutem, from permutare] the Sabine valley for the toilsome [operosiores; epic word] riches [divitias]?"

I think this poem is about longing for a simpler life, and money, luxuries, etc., isn't everything. I suppose the equestrians, the closest Rome ever got to anything remotely comparable to our middle class, would have been anxious about wealth, rather like some members of the middle class are today. The Romans valued austerity, hard work, frugality and discipline (like Americans traditionally did); this is Horace's way of calling for a move away from the "greed is good" era of Rome. However, Horace's estate was rather nice (though of course he's quick to point out that his was a gift from Maecenas), so how seriously should we take him?

I got the ablative and nominative (atra Cura) confused! The diction and synax wasn't too horrible, like many Horacian poems.

Horace Ode 3.13

We meet again, nemesis! I think I won this time, muah-ha-ha!
All kidding aside, gratias tibi ago Thetis for reassigning this translation.
Well, I must say Ode 3.13 is quite a pleasant poem, aside from the goats killing each other over mates. (It's not worth killing someone over!) I like the nice, pleasant rustic nature of this particular ode. All in all, it was lovely.
I like how Horace uses such a charming setting for his work. It's always nice when an author uses very familiar landscapes AND they aren't the usual settings like home life or anything.

EEK!

I went to an AWESOME book reading by Carole Maso (read her works! They are AWESOME!!) Ms. Maso manages to combine poetry and a great story all in one, and touches on interesting topics.

In much the same way, Horace is able to combine a fascinating story, and occasionally advice, with poetry. I loved, for instance, how Horace was able to create a fine poem about his and Pompeius' friendship and time in the military; I also liked the dialogue between Horace and Lydia in 3.9.

All in all, props to both poets/writers :)

(B)romance in the Ancient World

I liked the poem about Horace's and Pompieus' "bromance" (guy friends who hang out together). I found it amusing that male bonding such as this existed in the ancient world.
In addition, I liked, as K Roache put it in class today, the "blue instead of pink" poem as well. Love is universal and can be expressed in so many ways. I find it interesting that men could express their love (lust?) for men and women in basically the same way.
Incidentally, what was with the Romans and the "If you're male and a Roman citizen you can sleep with whomever you want so long as it's not another man's wife or you're the passive partner" rule? I don't get it. I think it's a preceived manliness issue and a matter of subservience. WE ARE MANLY ROMANS! WE ARE NEVER PASSIVE!!

Still Relevant

I like how Horace's poetry touches on timeless themes like grief and soured love affairs and love and war. I can use these quotes for inspiration today!

Makeup Blog

Sorry. Skipped Thursday's blog. Nothing new to translate.
Well, this week's translations weren't too horrible. Some of the diction was a bit...but it wasn't too bad. I don't really remember them. However, I didn't think they were too bad.
Horace is a great poet. His poems are a bit difficult (I was really tired; I had to look up "villa"), but generally speaking good. I like how he uses various themes, ranging from mourning to erotic to insulting to just liking nature. I MISSED SO MANY WORDS ON THE SIGHT TRANSLATION:( The word order and diction Horace uses is really nice. He's not too difficult, and his hyperbaton isn't too extreme. All in all, I like him :)

Erm...

I liked the poetry so far. It's nice. Good luck tomorrow guys!

I made a link on the Lepidus Blogellus site to an excellent BBC show on Roman Satire that may answer some of your questions about how Satire 1.9 operates-- check it out if you have 42 minutes to spare for the podcast:  "Roman Satire".  As for the Odes, I'm glad you don't hate Horace; he grows on one over the years because he is so incredibly, meticulously clever-- you note the importance, for example, of the name Chloe as part of the overall imagery.  Similarly, the name Pyrrha (fiery) is important for 1.5, as it is the trigger for latent fire imagery conveyed by color words (she has flavam comam, she is in a bed of roses, she is aurea) that contrasts with the metaphorical sea imagery that culminates with the image of Horace as a naked survivor of the shipwreck of his Love Boat (you are too young to have seen this dreadful TV show, but you can google it) hanging up his dripping clothing-- all conveyed without anything as obvious as a simile!

Ode to the Odes (and Satire 1.9)

I am a little confused about this week's satire. For anyone who's seen English satire-the writings of Jonathan Swift and  South Park are but two examples-the goal of satire is to exaggerate a problem to prove a point. Good old Trimalchio is another fine example. Is Satire 1.9 an exaggeration of legal proceedings and social customs? Just wanted to check.
I like the odes. They're pretty. There are a few difficulties, but not too horrible. I like the images of nature in a lot of them. I particulaly like the one about Chloe. The imagery in there is quite nice. Horace was clever, using wordplay in his poem (Chloe = green bud; images of spring). I think I'll like Horace a bit.

Hmm...

I must say, this week's translation is interesting. I like the odes. They're so...well, the word order isn't too horrible most of the time, so translating the odes aren't too bad. I like the imagery in the odes and relating them to love/erotic love (I don't really remember any references to fire in the first ode). All in all, I kind of like Horace (once you figure out the satires, of course).

Great Gadsby!

The translation for Thursday (is it due tomorrow?) was really messed up. I mean, I'm sure Horace had received his proper rhetorical training, but come on. This was the patronus system, right? It's still messed up a little...and the guy was obnoxious.

My Translations-Problem Areas in Bold

Catullus 101: AFinal Offering at a Distant Grave (Catullus at his brother’s grave at Troy)
Through many racesand through many seas I sailed I had come [advenio], to these wretched rites[inferias], so that I could honor you [donarem] with the final [postremo] giftof the dead and I could address [alloquerer] vainly [nequiquam] to your ashhaving been changed, since [quandonquidem] my fortune carried [abstulit; fromaufero] itself away with you, alas wretched unworthy brother, visit [adempte]me.
Now nonethelessmeanwhile these, which are handed down from the old custom of our parents for[ad = purpose] the rituals of with a sad gift, dripping, accept the brotherlytear greatly, and into eternity, brother, hail and farewell.

Horace Satire1.9.1-34
I was going bychance on the Via Sacra, just as is my custom, meditating [meditans] something[nescio quid] of trifles [nugarum] totally in it. Someone [quidam] known to beonly [tantum] by name hurried up to me and with my hand having been seized[arrepta], he asked “What are you doing, sweetest of things?” “Pleasantly[suaviter], as it now is,” I said, “And I desire everything, which you see[vis].” When he followed closely [adsectaretur] he asked “You don’t see, do you[numquid]?” I take the lead [occupo], but he says “You knew [noris; syncopatednoveris] us. We were taught by you.” To this I said, “You will be about this[hoc; ablative of cause] of much from me.” Seeking wretchedly [misere] hediscovered [discedere; historical infinity], he went [ire] in that way quicker[ocius], again he set down [consistere] I speak to the boy into some ear, whenthe sweat [sudor] spreads to the bottom of my ankle-bones [talos]. “Oh Bolanus[Roman cognomen; identity unknown], you luck of anger,” I was saying [aiebam]silent, since he who chatters [garriet] whatever [quidlibet], he could praisethe villages [vicos], he could pray the city. As I was replying nothing to him:“Wretchedly you desire,” he says, “to go away; now I will have seen [video +dudum = future perfect] some time ago [dudum[LC1] ].But you will do nothing; continuously [usque] I will persist [tenebo]. I willclosely follow [persequar] this, from which the journey is for you.” “I leadaround now work for you: I wish that something is not known to you; across theTiber far off [longe] he lies down [cubat] near the gardens of Caesar.” “I havenothing, which I make[LC2] ,and I am not lazy: I will follow you continuously.” I deign to listen to [demittoauriculas] to him, as the young ass [asellus] of an unfavorable [iniquae], he underwent [subiit] the heavy burden [onus] on his back. He said, “If I knew mewell, you will not regard [facies] Viscus [name of literary brothers, friendsof Horace and his patron Maecenas] as a friend of more value [pluris; genitiveof value], you[LC3] will not consider Varius a friend of more value: for who is able to write moreverse or more swiftly[LC4] than me? Who is able [possit understood] to move softer limbs? Hermogenes mayenvy [invideat; potential subjunctive] what and I sing.” He spoke this for the sake of interrupting [interpellandi]: “It isyour mother, to be related [cognati], the work of whom [quis = quibus] with yousafe[LC5]  [salvo]?” “Not [haud] is anything for me,I arranged [composui] everything.” “Joys! Now I remain [resto]. Kill [confice]!For the sad fate for me stands, which the Sabine old woman [anus] sang[cecinit] for a boy when her divine urn was turned[LC6] : neither [neque] the dire poisons[venena], neither the hostile sword kills [auferet] nor the grief of neitherthe lungs [laterum] nor the cough [tussis], nor the late gout [podagra]: thetalkative [garrulus] destroys [consumet] this one at some time[LC7]  [quandocumque]. The age, if he is wise[sapiat; ironic] he shuns [vitet], at the same time and the age will have grownup [adoleverit] the talkative [loquaces].

About That Hair

Well, yes-- why hair??  In part, Catullus is doing what he says he's doing in 65, translating some Callimachus as he is mourning the loss of his brother.  This may seem like a peculiar form of therapy, but it is not entirely illogical.  There are thematic similarities among the poems.  The Lock is mourning its eternal separation from Berenice, and Berenice has sacrificed the Lock because she is mourning the absence of her "brother"/husband. 

Also, the sacrifice of a lock of hair is a ritual of adulthood, so it may be that Catullus is thinking of the adult life his brother never lived to enjoy.  And we have seen the theme of cutting/castration in the Attis poem and in the simile of the flower cut down by the passing plow. 

Yes, we bid a sad farewell to Catullus with the most beautiful (short) poem in Latin-- Catullus' farewell to his brother is astounding.  There are almost no personal details, but he gives such a strong impression of his shock at his brother's death, his travels (and it was not easy to travel in 1st century BCE Rome) to reach his brother's grave, his guilt at not being there at the death, his determination to carry out the proper rites...amazing! 

A Fitting Tribute

It is fitting tha we ended our analysis of Catullus's poery with such a sad poem about saying goodbye to a brother. We're saying goodbye to a poet whom I, at least, must admire.
I like the Horace so far, even though it is a bit complex. I feel so sorry for Horace; who wants to be stalked? Poets, gladiators, and some actors were the big stars of their days, so I find it funny that we haven't been able to evolve that much over the years. Modern celebrities can't walk down the street in peace either.
Enjoy your week all!!

That Hair

I find it interesting that everything is from the point of view of a lock of hair. Not only is everything is told from the point of view of a lock of hair, the hair is afraid of other constellations!
I wonder why Telemachus chose to write the constellations as still having human traits (in the case of Leo, lionish rates) such as resentment, the ability to become attached to people and have families, and oratory skills. A lock of hair certainly is not a conventional narrator; why use one? If anyon can come up with any ideas (besides creating humor through metaphor and personification), please let m know!!

Love

Well...this week's translation is interesting...
A lock of hair...that's a new one.
This is an interesting poem, of course, but it's still odd. Who knows, maybe the real Bernice vowed her hair and broke the vow and Conon covered for her by saying her hair had become a constellation?
Interesting fact: Roman men were not supposed to love their wives, or they'd be seen as homosexuals; however, Roman wives were supposed to be super-dutiful and chaste. Bernice is portrayed as an active lover (rixae) and as a woman very much in love. Does this suggest subtle challenges of social norms, or is this normal for Roman poetry? In the Aeneid, for instance, Dido's obviously a queen in her own right, left her kingdom after Pygmalion ruined everything and founded a new one, and is at least Aeneas' equal in initiating in their affair (which of course was arranged via a backroom deal between Venus and Juno; sounds like the bailout, huh?).

Religious Ecstasy
Today's translation was...well...it was interesting.
I admire people who are willing to suffer for the right thing; I respect those who die for their faith so long as they do not circumcision or even here. I do not even want to know what it was like to castrate yourself in general, let alone with a sharp flint before modern medicine.
I think ecstatic worship, especially ritualistic dancing, adds something to the worship service. For instance, you're actively awake during said service, which can be a key to enlightenment. Besides, music and dancing adds to the fun and excitement and aura of the ritual in question.
However, religious ecstasy does have its drawbacks, at least in Greco-Roman mythology (which could have been written from anti-mystery cult propaganda or to portray real events or enforce piety). For instance, Bacchus had his own cousin's mother rip his head off because Pentheus didn't honor him.
Here's a link on religious ecstasy in case you're interested.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_ecstasy

Ah, mystery cults...you either love them or are emotionally traumatized by them. I can understand why the Romans were so against the Galli: Emasculated men in our manly society? Perish the thought! Then again the Romans were against anyone who didn't follow their way of life. For instance, the Bacchanates were too wild for the "sober" Romans; the cult of Cybele was clearly too against sexuality for the sex-crazed Romans; and Christians (they considered Christianity a mystery cult) were too peaceful and strange for the war-loving Romans. However, the cult of Isis seems to have been more or less acceptable; maybe it's because the worshippers of Isis weren't too crazy and out there for the average Roman's palate? Anyway, mystery cults involved rites of initiation that ranged from what we, at least would see as normal (the rite of baptism, for example, or maybe head-shaving in the cult of Isis (Golden Ass)) to the pretty bizarre, at least to us (self-castration for the cult of Cybele). What's the significance of the inductee (I believe Attis is doing this to himself) castrating himself? is this a show of extreme devotion to the Great Mother? On a personal note, I found this translation very strange, but kind of interesting.
Here's a link for more on castration if you're interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castration.

Why did the Greeks see the left as blessed? I think a lot of cultures traditionally see, or at least have a tradition of seeing, the left as bad. For instance, it wasn't until a few decades ago that most Americans (Westerners?) stopped seeing left-handedness as a sign of evil. Maybe the Greeks were more open-minded, or maybe other cultures were trying to propagate their way of life and their powerand the other side as wrong (I'm referring to the Da Vinci Code, where it's explained that the left-hand side was associated with the feminine and the right with the masculine. When the masculine-worshippers took over-I'm just paraphrasing what the book said-they turned the left into the side of evil, cf. the Latin "sinister" becoming the English "sinister") and the Greeks hadn't adopted that view. Of course, Roman women had far more rights than Greek women who were expected to stay at home, weave, cook and clean, and reproduce. Anyone got any ideas? Gratias.
Feliciter on the test tomorrow!

Ah-- Egnatius!  An elite Roman reader would absolutely have perceived this method of oral hygiene as gross.  One of the self-assigned duties of the invective poet (invective meaning the poet who attacks his enemies) is to "stain" his enemy with his verse.  This "staining" is very often done through accusations of various kinds of impurity.  Sexual impurity is always popular! but so are accusations that the person has an inappropriate mouth.  So, accusations that a person can't speak properly, or eats inappropriate food, or uses his mouth for inappropriate purposes (back to the sexual impurity trope), or has strange dental work, or has lost teeth, or does something like brushing his teeth with urine are all available to an 'attack poet' to use.  Your observation that it would be unpleasant for Lesbia to kiss someone who brushed his teeth with urine gets at the real point of the poem-- Catullus is "staining" Lesbia by revealing the worst about the men she prefers to him. 

ODI COLORES LATINOS!!!!
Why are the Roman colors so inconsistent, like "gray" (caesius) means "green" and "purpureo" means "rosy" in poem 45? Don't get me wrong; I try not to be a cultural chauvanist. However, it's just confusing...but managable. Gratias for the words in the back of the book, Magistra.
Colores, o Colores, quid feci tibi? Linguam Latinam amo, et linguae Latinae studeo.

Also, just curious, is "attuleris" future perfect or just future? Gratias mille!

Among the more colorful characters in Roman literature and mythology, Egnatius the Spaniard takes the proverbial cake. Maybe Egnatius would have been better off brushing his teeth with cake, since it at least tastes better than urine. (Why Lesbia agreed to kiss Egnatius is anyone's guess; I wouldn't kiss a guy who brushed his teeth with urine.)
Real ancient Romans and Greeks added crushed oyster shells and bones to toothpaste and perfected it. In the Islamic world, there was a good toothpaste recipe, though the ingredients are lost to time (Wikipedia, "Toothpaste").
I wonder why Egnatius is described as brushing his teeth with urine. That is so gross. I know the Romans used to clean their wool with urine (Wikipedia, "Urine"), but brushing your teeth with it? Not even a Roman, who considered it perfectly fine to watch people be killed for sport, would do that. Maybe Catullus was mad at Egnatius for stealing Lesbia (apparently, Egnatius was either Lesbia's most surprising "moechor" or her favorite "moecher," since the other two hundred ninety-nine aren't mentioned by name) and this is an exaggeration; maybe Catullus is venting about how he lost Lesbia to, among others, a mere foreigner (note, in poem 39, Egnatius is described as "unurbane," meaning not Roman and therefore inferior. Also, were beards fashionable for Roman men in Catullus' day? I don't think they were).
So, should we take this literally? I am struggling to find references to Egnatius outside of Catullus' Carmina, so I'm not sure. However, I think we should all take this cum grano salis and remember: Romans were wonderful exaggerators.

On Silphium and some grammatical details

AC1119, your thoughts on silphium are exactly on target, and thanks for the illustration.  It was believed to be a contraceptive, and was a very sought-after commodity in antiquity.  From a Greek or Roman point of view, to be in a love affair with a woman who can't bear you any legitimate children (for whatever reason-- she may be a slave or non-citizen or married to someone else) is to be in a sterile relationship--hence the emphasis on the sands of the desert and the heat in Egypt and Libya.  Torrid affair = sterility, yet it is still exotic and attractive.  Lots of conflicting emotions in Catullus.

As for poem 9, yes, your translation after 'ut mos est tuus"  is correct.

N.B.:  henDECAsyllabics. 

My Hendosyllabic Poem and Other Stuff

Salvete omnes!!
Here's my poem (gratias Magistra!):

I dance not beautifully though I do aspire to

Dance with grace therefore I permit disaster.

I preferred Poem # 9 ("Welcome  Home, Veranius!") because it was the simplest of the lot. It was very straightforward. After "ut mos est tuus," is it "leaning on your neck I will kiss your joyful mouth and eyes?" Gratias.


This is silphium (poem 7) on a silver coin (Wikipedia). As the notes says, silphium juice was thought to be an effective contraceptive. I think that's why Catullus mentioned this in the love poem: wives were for reproduction, mistressess/girlfriends/boyfriends/prostitutes were for pleasure.

Interesting section.