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.