Horace the Minstrel: A Study of His Sapphic and Aeolic Lyrics

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In numoriam fralris mei Wilfridi arlium magistri Ozoniensis.

HORACE THE MINSTREL A STUDY OF HIS SAPPHIC AND ALCAIC LYRICS

Bv-

NOEL A. BONAVIA-HUNT,

M.A.

P,mbrOMCoU,1,. Olffor4

"et tmuit nostras numerosus Horatius aures, dum ferit Ausonia carmina -culta lyra." (Ovid, Tristia IV, 10, 49.)

LONDON : MUSICAL OPINION LTD., 26, HA1TON GARDEN, E.C.1. 1954

CONTENTS CHAPTER

I. II.

INTRODUCTORY THE

SAPPHIC

-

7 -

OoE

111. THE ALCAIC

ODE

IV.

ART OF HORACE

V.

THE

A

POETIC

16

- 37 - 57

LESSON

APPENDIX

I.

II.

OF PROPER

(B) UST

OF ABSTRACT

PROPER NOUNS

OP RHYMED

AND UNRHYMED

ANALYSIS

IN THE SAPPHIC

Drrro. Ill.

INDEX

- 74

(A) UST

OF COLLIDING

KEY TO EXERCISES

-

NAMES

ODES

-

SIBII.ANTS

-

- 80 CONCORDS -

81

-

81

AD QUINTUM HORATIUM FLAOOUM "Visam Britannos hospitibus fsros," oblivionis ne metuens quidem sic, Flacce, dixisti perite magna mod is memorare magnis; non ,ratiori pandimus advenae nunc liberates limina, qui novis vulgamus inventis benignas Pacis Amidtiaeque voces totum per orbem. non tua vox tacet, non visit Orcum plurima pars tui quem Fama dilexit superstes carmine nos lepido levantem; quicumque et au.dens Aeolias cupit tentare M usas.,sive f ugacihus prudenter Orpheas per artes divitiis meliora quaerit, seu scandit altum discipulus pede Pindum labanti, versibus e tuis gazas honorandis beatas adsiduo fodiat ligone.

4

PREFACE Qtmrrus HoRAntJSFLAocus predicted that his odes would win for him immortal fame, a prediction fully justified by the verdict of posterity. He a1so claimed to have introduced an original oontribution to the poet's art, notably in his Sapphics and Alcaica. He is a persona grata in classical circles, but his name is for th~ majority of students associated with certain familiar tags and phrases which, while bearing eloquent testimony to a unique and magnetic personality, represent but a tiny selection of precious stones picked from an almost inexhaustible treasure-house. One i., tempted to suggest that a little less time might be devoted in our schools and oollcgc.-3to the composing of V ergilian hexameters and Ovidian elegiacs-essential as this field of Latin versification undoubtedly is as part of the cla&,ical scholar's training-and more opportunities afforded for a study of Horatian lyrics with salutary effect on the cultural development of our university students. As a sixth form schoolboy my own acquaintance with Horace was restricted to a few selected odrs : Sapphic and Alcaic venc as a medium for the individual expression of my budding Muse was forbidden ground : V ergil and Ovid were the order of the day and year to the exclusion of all other Roman poets. This restricted diet could, I now feel, have been supplemented and enriched by the introduction of at least one of Horace's metres--let the form master choose-but the neCC3.ity of adapting the school curriculum to the rigid requirements of university examinations cannot be ignored and it is to the universities that we must presumably look for the required lead. Still too many of our universities-there are commendable exceptions-give insufficient encouragement to the undergraduate desiring to deviate from the prescribed coune, and there is room for an enlarged outlook on the part of those responsible for the syllabus. An examination paper dealing with Latin verse composition might justifiably allow the student to choose his own metrical medium and poetical model (provided that such medium and model are approved). There are many English poems which can best be rendered in Sapphic or Alcaic instead of ·the ubiquitous hexameter or elegiac form : if the choice is left to the examinee, that very choice might constitute a weighty factor in the examiner's marking. 5

Even the erudite scholar may have to confess that he palSC9SCS little more than a superficial acquaintance with the finer and more subtle characteristics of Horace's work, which are only to be discovered and duly appreciated after an intensive study of his technique and the inner structure and contents of his ode,. I am hoping that this little book, in which for the first time (as I believe) the musical as well as the aesthetic aspect, so essential to a true understanding and appreciation of Horace's poetic art, has been presented, may be found useful at least in those circles where Latin versification is cultivated not only for its educative value but as an art to be pursued for its own sake. I wish to express my thanks to Prof~or E. J. Wood of the Clasmcs Department of Leeds University for the wonderful encouragement he has given me and not least for his careful scrutiny of the script prior tt> publication. Any faults that remain are mine alone. I am a1so greatly indebted to a well-known Birmingham barrister friend for valuable suggestions made during the writing of the book, and for his collaboration in the composing of the " student's " as well as the model Sapphic and Alcaic versions of HCJTick's" Gather Ye Rosebuds."

N.A.B.H. Stagsden, Bedf«d. 1954-

6

CHAPTER

I.

-

INTRODUCTORY

Foa the modem reader as well as the composer of Latin Sapphic and Alcaic verse Horace is the undisputed modd; a brief examination, therefore, of Horace's claim to have made an original contribution to Roman poetic literature, and more particularly to the vocal and instrumental expremon of Roman lyrical verse will not be out of place by way of an introduction to the main subject of this book. Quintus Horatius Flaccus was born in 65 B.c. and died on November I 7th, 8 B.c. At the age of twenty he went to Athens as a student at that university. Here he acquired his knowledge of Greek lyrical poetry and became acquainted with the lyrics of Sappho and Alcaeus and p06Sibly with those of other Greek poets (cf. C. IV. ix). He had only been two years at Athens when his studies were interrupted by the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.c. and the subse.quent arrival of Brutus in Athens. Horace joined Brutus' army, which was defeated at Philippi in 42 B.o.. He returned to Rome in 41 s.o. and succeeded in obtaining an appointment as quaestor's clerk. It was then that he found time for verse composition. In 39 s.c. he was introduced to Maecenaa, Octavian's confidential adviser, and he was fortunate in securing a real friend who was also a patron of the arts. It was Maecenaa who gave him the Sabine farm where his best work, and in particular the Odes, was produced. Octavian had become " master of all things " after his defeat of Antony at the battle of Actium in 31 B.c. followed by the capture of Alexandria and the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra. In 27 B.c. the Roman senate conferred upon him the title of Augustus. An atmosphere of peace, order and national unity reigned in which lyrical poetry could well thrive. Horace was indeed fortunate. He lived partly at Rome and partly at his Sabine farm, making occasional visits to other places. He enjoyed the friendship of several highly placed and distinguished men such as Maecenas, Agrippa, M malla and Pollio. The poets V ergil, Varius and Tibullus were also friends of his. In this book we arc concerned only with Horacc's Sapphic and Alcaic odes. The first three boob of the Carmina. were published in 23 s.o. The fourth book was written at the request of Augustus and published circa 13 s.c. The Carmen Saeculare (a Sapphic hymn also specially composed at Augustus' bidding) was written in 17 B.C. 7

1.-In his poems Horace claims to have introduced " novel arts,, to his own native country. In C.I. 26 he refers to "fidca novae " and " Lcsbio plcctro " (" in measures new with Iabian quill "}, and in C.III. 1 he says " carmina non prius audit.a . . . canto ,, (" I sing songs not heard before "). In C.111.30 he claims to be the first to adapt Greek song to Latin sung verse (see footnote, p. ·1 1}- " princeps Aeolium cannen ad ltalos deduxisse modos." He tells Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy, how he is pointed out by the finger of pmers-by as " the minstrel of the Roman lyre" (" Romanae fidiccn lyrae ''). Lastly, in C.IV. 9 he writes: "Non ante vulgatas per artes verba loquor socianda chord.is " (" I utter words to be wedded to strings by arts not hitherto revealed "}, and " socianda chordis " surely means what it says. · How far was Horace justified in asserting this claim? A former Roman poet at once comes to mind as we put the question -Catullus, who was born circa 87 B.c. and died probably about 53 B.O~ This earlier poet had composed odes based on those of the Greek lyrical poets. He wrote Sapphic odes (probably about 60 B.c.), though only two and a fragment have been preserved. One of these, the passionate love-song of three stanZ\S (C. 51) addressed to Lesbia-the false and fickle Clodia who nearly broke his heart and probably shortened his life-is ·part of a poem in the same metre by Sappho herself : me mi par esse deo videtur, ille, si fas est, superare divos, qui scdens adversus identidem te spectat et audit duke ridentem, miscro quod omnis · eripit scnsus mihi ; ~ simul te, Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi [vocis in ore ; ] lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus flamma demanat, sonitu suopte tintinnant aures, gemina teguntur lumina nocte. (" Godlike mr.thinks is he-and more so, if that may be-who sitting face to face with thec--can watch thee smile and hear thee speak; such rapture wrests from me my sanity, wretch that I am. For, Lesbia, no sooner have I seen thee than 8

my lips are speechless, no words will come, my tongue is palsied ; down through each limb there shoots a subtle flame ; my ears tingle with ringing noises, my eyes arc veiled with a two-fold darknes.,.,,) W c cannot imagine Horace writing such impassioned lines to Chloe ! The diction is really more akin to the language of Greece than of Rome. Again, the longer Sapphic ode (Catullus, C. 11) of six stanzas exhibits a crude metrical structure : such lines as the fallowing are unmelodious and lack Horace's rhythmical polish and elegance: "Seu Sagas sagittiferosque Partbos, sive quae septemgeminus colorat" " Gallicum Rhenum homoilesque ultimosque Britannos ,, " pauca nuntiate meac puellac " "nullum am.ans vere, sed identidem omnium ilia rumpens,, {The last example, however, is intentionally rugged with its sobbing rhythm: we find no parallel in Horace). It is in his use of the Greek iambic and phalecian metres that Catullus distinguished himself as a lyric poet: these and his longer Alexandrine poems, inspired by his study of Callimachus in particular, entitle him to high rank, along with .Lucretius, among the Roman poets of the first great period of Latin literature. But we are not concerned here with the art of other than Horace. It is clear that Horace's claim to have been the first to adapt Greek song to Latin verse cannot be sustained in connexion with either the Sapphic metre or the Sapphic ode. Catullus forestalled him. But the claim does hold good in the case of Alcaic verse,~~ and it is to Alcaeus that Horace refers in Epist. 1.19.3!2 where he writes " hunc ego, non alio dictum prius ore, Latinus vulgavi fidicen "-" him I, the Latin minstrel, have made known not voiced by anyone but me before": if it is to the Alcaic ode that he refers in C.IV. g as his original contribution to Roman poetry, and if the other pas.,ages above quoted also refer to Alcaics, he cannot in connexion with this particular field of composition be accused of boastful exaggeration. Apart from the superb artistry that lends so great a distinction to Horace's odes, he can rightly be credited with having lifted the metrical structure of the Sapphic and Alcaic stanzas to a pitch of perfection that entitles them to recognition as new f onns 9

of art. The modifications he introduced into these two metrical forms will be duly explained in the chapters that follow. 11.-But this is not all : there is the musical aspect to be considered. Horace during his student days at Athens had doubtless heard the Greek citharoedists singing the odes of Sappho and Alcaeus with string accompaniment: what more natural than that he should wish' to emulate these pcrf ormanccs in his own native land? When Horace in the Ars Poetica (355) wrote " ut citharoedus ridetur chorda qui sempcr oberrat eadem," he might well have been referring to his own early attempts to master the plectra! technique in his student days at Athens. We possess, unfortunately, little knowledge of Roman music (apart from the contribution made by Greek musicians) owing to the paucity of references in Roman writers and historians. It has even been contended that Latin verse was not sung but recited in the speaking voice; that at most a sing-song or inflected monotone was adopted by the Roman cantor; that the words dicere, can.ere, cantare, modulari are conventional only and all bear the same meaning, that of reciting metrical groupings of words with the requisite accents and rhythm. Yet such evidence as we may elicit from the Roman poets themselves would seem to contradict this assumption. Ovid tells us in his 1lristia, IV. 10. 59. that his elegiacs were sung all over Rome (" totam cantata per urbem ") and we can hardly imagine public performances of this kind to have consisted in nothing more than dramatic recitations of verse in the speaking voice. We know that the old Greek scales and modes were carried into Italy by the Greek slaves who acted aa minstrels to the rich dilettanti of Rome ; that these citharoedists not only sang but accompanied their songs with the lyre, plucking the strings with the plectrum or quill. What the actual form of accompaniment was we do not know : it is permissible to conjecture that the plucked string coincided with the ictus of each foot of the verse in order to draw attention to the rhythmical form. If this was so, it was of little consequence whether the plectral note " doubled " the voice part or struck a note above or below the vocal melody. The cultured Roman would not have been content with a monotonous sing-song after hearing the lyrical pcrf ormanccs of Greek musicians. However low their musical standard may have been as compared with that of Greece, the Romans would now expect something better than the " male cantare " of earlier reciters. We have reason to believe that they were averse to sing-song: Quinn1ian quotes Cacw's gi~ at a cantor who intoned his songs : " Si cantas male cantas ; 10

si lcgis, cantas " (I. 8. 3). There can be little doubt that the man Horace refers to in his Sermones I. 10. 19 was a singer and not a reciter (" nil practcr Calvum et doctus cantare Catullum "). We have evidence that Horace knew something about the Greek musical modes,1-for in Epod. IX. 51 6 he writes : " Sonante mixtum tibiis cannen lyra, hac Dorium, illis barbarum? " and in C. IV. 15. 30 "Lydis remixto carmine tibiis." The stern and martial Dorian mode would indeed have suited the Alcaic ode, and the Hypodorian (or Aeolian) mode would have been even more suitable. The Lydian mode would have been eminently appropriate for the singing of a Sapphic hymn by soprano voices, with or without the tibia or the lyre. Was Horace able to play the lyre? We have his own testimony in C. IV. 3: "already:' he says, "I am ]em attacked by Envy's tooth " (" iam dentc minus mordeor invido "). He continues : "o testudinis aurcac dulcem quae strepitum, Pieri, temperas, o mutis quoque piscibus donatura cycni, si libeat, sonum totum muneris hoe tui est, quod monstror digito praetereuntium Romanac fidicen lyrae : quod spiro et placeo, si placco, tuum est.' (" 0 Pierian Muse that dost modulate the sweet sounds of the golden shell, 0 thou who could'st impart to dumb fishes the song of the swan, did'st thou so desire, this is all thy gift that I am pointed out by the finger of passers-by as the minstrel of the Roman lyre : that I am inspired and give pleasure, if pleasure I do give, is thy gift.") In C. I. 32 Horace sings to his harp : " age die Latinum, barbite, cannen," and again we must quote " verba loquor socianda chordis." He not only wrote his lyrics but also taught his chorus to sing them. W c see him in the capacity of choirmaster instructing " virgines puerique " to watch the snap of his thumb as he conducts the musical performance of a Sapphic hymn (" Lesbium servatc pedem meique pollicis ictum "-C. IV. 6. 35). We know that the Sapphic Carmen Saeculare was sung 1

Horace fre~ently di1tin_gui1hes" modi .. (melodies) from " numeri " (measures): cf. Epiat. I. ill. 12, 13 and II. ii. 14S; C. III. ix. 10; IV. xi. S4. tn C. III. m, " modos " mean, sunf vene, as in GrHea. 11

in the streets of Rome and we are justified in believing that Horace arranged for previously composed Sapphic hymns to be sung by "virgines puerique" under his control and instruction. He would not have been so foo&h as to risk a reprimand from his Emperor-to say nothing of Maecenas and other high Government officials who were present-by experimenting for the first time with a sung Sapphic on so important a State occasion. Moreover, it is evident to a musician who has closely studied the form and verbal structure of Horace's lyrics, especially the Sapphic, Alcaic and Asclepiad metrics, that Horace possessed a critical ear, that he aimed at a euphony of syllable and sound unsurpassed in the whole of the Roman classical age of literature. No wonder Ovid in his days of exile is impelled to bear such eloquent testimony to his experience of Horace's poetic and musical art when he writes in Tristia, IV. 10. 49: "et tenuit nostras numerosus Horatius aures, dum ferit Ausonia cannina culta lyra." Those who would place a figurative interpretation upon these words must bear the onus of proving their case : the statement is that of a rival poet who might very pardonably have envied Horace's more fortunate position. III.-In Horace we see a real Roman artist tempering the subtlety and metrical foffllS of his Greek masters with the more masculine characteristics of his race. He imparted Roman dignity and terseness of diction to his lyrics combined with a rhythmical petfection and verbal finish that perished with him. But Horace the artist lives on in every civilised country of the modem world, for not only has he bequeathed to posterity his imperishable odes but he has a message of permanent value for every succeeding age. His own prophecy has indeed been fulfilled : " non omnis moriar, multaque pars mei vitabit Llbitinam: usque ego postera crescam laude recens " (C. III. 30). It is not known how the musical melodies brought to Rome by Greek slaves were adapted to Roman words in the chanting of Sapphic and Alcaic lines and stanzas. One can only surmise what a musician in those days would do. If, as we have a right to assume, Horace was sufficiently acquainted with Greek music and its association with Greek lyrical verse to be able to adapt it to his modified edition of Sapphics and Alcaics, what process could he have employed for this purpose? The Greeks had the great advantage of their verbal accents (grave, acute and circumflex) which influenced the pitch-changes of the melody. Latin has no pitch-accents and the only resource available for determining or 12

even suggesting the pitch-changes would be in the grouping of feel. The iambus (u -), for instance, indicates a rising inflexion at the long syllable; the trochee (- ..,) a fall at the short syllabic; the dactyl (- u o) a fall at the two short syllables and the anapaest (o o -) a corresponding rise. The spondee (- -) is neutral and therefore may offer either a rise or fall or a lcvd pitch with · neither rise nor fall. These pitch-changes ref er to the process of reciting a verse, that is, the up and down inflexions of the speaking voice. It is but a short step from speaking to intoning and from intoning to singing. Horace would only have had to press the metrical feet into the service of melodic composition ; in short, to have harnessed the words to the Dorian or the Lydian mode in accordance with the rise and fall of the succes.,ive feet. He would not have had to conform too rigidly to the pitchchanges indicated by the various feet, but he could reduce to a minimum the discrepancies existing between the beats and the accented syllables, he could make these beats and accents coincide as far as possible. That he did so in the case of his Alcaic metrical system seems borne out by a close examination of the inner texture of the verse elements and stanzas. In the case of h.ia Sapphic metrical system the internal evidence is less conclusive, but it is by no means wanting. Indeed the mating of modal music to Latin words provides a most valuable clue to the method Horace adopted in perfecting his metrical schemes. Surely this is what he means by the reference to ltali modi? The musical settings given in Figs. 1 and !2 and referred to in Chapters II and III may help to indicate to the student the method by which Latin metrical feet can be melodically exprcsscd.1 IV.-A question of 800le importance in connexion with the recitation and musical rendering of Latin verse is the manner in which elided syllables were enunciated. It has been suggested that the elided vowel was not completely ignored in reading but lightly touched. We are justified in believing that elision did not affect the time taken to recite the verse (or need not have done so) ; if it did, why did Horace avoid a hiatus between one verse and the next of a stanza? It is not improbable that only the least wanted vou,el was omitted, the consonants being preserved, thus: (1) faller(e) et effuger(e) est triumphus (2) Fortuna saevo laeta negotio (e)t 1

It is hardly neceuary to point out that the oompoaer of 1~ vene doea not need a muaical ear 10 long a, he pouesaet the faculty of phonetic ducrimination. 13

cum flore, Maeccnas,rosarum(c)t scu rix(a)m et insan.mamorcs nuptiar{u)m expers et adhuc protcrvo dona praescntis cape laetus horac (a)c Antioch(um) (H)annibalemque clirum qucm si pucllar(u)m imereres choro numqu(am) umeris positurusarcum in maius; id(e)m odcrc vires ( 1 1) dcrcpta vidi; vidi ego civium : here the " i " of the second " vidi " would be pronounced as a consonant, " vidyego." " Flagitio additis " (C. III. v. i6) may have demanded a very rapid touch on -o as an en passanl sound in deference to" additis." There arc two exceptional cases in the odes which require special attention. These arc :(a) " hinc omne principium, hue refer exitum " (C. III. vi. 6) and (b) "vos lene consilium et datis et dato" (C. III. iv. 41). "Principium, hue" may have been pronounced either princiJ,:,uc (three syllables) or principi:,uc. "Consilium et datis" seems to require the preservation of the more important final syllable of " eonsilium " and would therefore be pronounced consilyumt. We cannot be sure whether Horace intended the second and third syllables of these two words to be recited as two consecutive shorts, thus dividing the usual " longa " into two " breves " in imitation of the Greek poets, or the second -i to be treated as a consonant, thus lengthening the first -i in accordance with prosodical law. In support of the latter view, held by the majority of scholars, we may quote "Nasidieni" in Sennones II. viii. 1 which cannot be scanned unlam the second -i is treated as a consonant. Horace did not introduce elision into his odes so freely as in his hexameters since the clipping of syllables, so common in Latin colloquial spcech,a. could easily have been a hindrance to the rhythmical effect and flow of chanted vene. If elegiacs were f!Ung on special occasions, we can understand why elision was introduced with due discretion in this metre also. Verse recited in the speaking voice would admit of a far higher percentage of elided syllables, as in Vergil's hexameters. (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

1 In Sermones 11. 2. 28 we find a hexameter ending with u cocto aum adest honor idem?., Was num pronounced or was it elided before adest? It seem1 more probable that the fint letter of adest was clipped off and the two words recited as "numdest." If so, my theory finds 1Upport from this example.

14

PROSODICAL DEFINITIONS A Verse or verse-line is a line of words composed of a certain number of feet. A Foot consists of two or more syllables. A Stanz,a consists of a certain number of verses. M dre is a system or scheme of versification. A Sense-pauseis the end of a sentence marked by strong punctuation such as a full-stop, colon, semicolon or question mark. An End-stop is a full-stop, colon, semicolon or question mark at the end of a verse or a stama. A Breakindicates the place in a metrical sequence of feet where a word ends. It may occur either within or at the end of a foot. A Caesura is the place withirr.a foot where a word ends. Its object is to divide a verse into two elements. Diaeresisoccurs when two or more words in succe&'lloncoincide with the feet instead of cutting across them. A Hiatus.occurs when the last syllable of a verse ends with a vowel or ""ffi and is not allowed to elide before the first word of the f o!}owing verse which begins with a vowel. Synaphea prevents a hiatus by adding an extra {hypennetric) syllable to the last word of a verse so that it may elide with the first word of the following verse (which begins with a vowel) without altering the length of the former as scanned. Another form of Synaphea is that which divides a word between the end of one verse and the beginning of the next.

Note.-All

references to punctuation are based upon the Oxford Edition ( 1947) of Horace's Opera, but in any case punctuation is determined by the seme and its corttct translation.

15

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. -· - - - • ....•. .....L:..,L....--, ,.,._- ,t - .e,.·, -rc- fc:,ffalque campoa" (C. II. 20) vitis Achaemoniumquecoebun" (C. III. 1) " maius Echioniacve Thebac " (C. IV. 4) A variant occun in C. II. 20 : " mittc supervacuoshonores " and C. III. 1 : " cuncta supercilio moventis.,, A further variant .is found in C. III. 5 : " aut Lacedaemonium Tarentum." To sum up: all sequences are permissible except those which introduce a diaeresis with the first two feet (as already stated); but we have seen that Horace showed a distinct preference for certain sequences and it it desirable to employ these with due regt6rd to the need /qr variety. It should also be noted that Horace frequently introduced an enclitic (-que, -ve) at the eighth syllable, e.g. "per titulos memorcsque fastus." There are 62 examplesin the odes.

(5) Hialua between verses should be avoided: a verse ending with a vowel or -m should be followed by one beginning with a consonant. While there are examples of such hiatus in the odes, they either represent Horacc's earlier work or are intentionally introducedto heighten the effect of the sentence. For example, Virtus repulsae nescia sordidae intaminatis fulget honon"bus (C. III. 2) emphasises the incorruptibility of virtue: caudam et rcccdcntis trilingui ore pcdes tctigitquc crura (C. II. 19) ,uggcsts the g_aping jaws of Cerberus closing to lick the feet of Bacchus; rugis et instanti senectae adfcret indomitaequc morti (C. II. 14) depicts the irrevocable march of time. A hiatus is often avoided by employing et as a separator, e.g. sedcsque discrctas pionun et · Acoliis fidibus querentem (C. II. 13) a device natural enough when it is remembered that Horace ends a vcnc with this con junction when there is no hiatus to be prevented, e.g. o quae beatam diva tenes Cypnun et Mcmphin carentem Sithonia nive (C. III. ~6) 31

(6) Synaphea,_by which term is meant the eliding of an hypermetric syllable at the end of one verse before a vowel which begins the next verse, is not common in Alcaic metre : example, are

Sors cxitura et nos in actemum exsilium impositura cumbae (C. II. 3, 27) where the eternity of death's exile is vividly exp~d ; cum pace delabentis Etruscum in mare, nunc lapidcs adesos (C. III. !29,35) depicting the continual gliding of events "cum pace in mare." (7) Elision.is by no means debarred, though it must not be employed to excess. The following statistics relating to C. III and C. IV! will give some idea of the proportion of elisions to the number of stanzas per ode found in Horace's latest work: C. III:

Ou

Numbn of Elisions

I

Numb•r of Stanzas 12

5

2

7

3

12

8 18

4

23

!.10

14

8 9

5

6 17

12

2

21

6

23 26 29

I

4 6 5 3

2 14 89

16 I

18

C. IV: 4

3

19

9

2

5

13 13 8

16

53

6

14 15

--

C. III - 89 elisions : 472 verses C. IV - 16 elisions : 212 verses for nee is not counted. 32

Su,mmar1:

N.B.-Neque

There is only one example of an elided vowel before the tenth syllable of the first or second verse, namely in C. II. 3, 1 o : "umbram hospitalem consociare am.ant," which is intentionally expressive. A word ending with a long syllable should not be elided before a short vowel, e.g. "perdit(o) amore," and an iambic word should not be elided before any vowel short or long, e.g." nondum de{o) immiti.',

(8) Words beginning with sc, sp, squ, or st must not be preceded by a vowel-ended word, e.g. "nulla spes," "triste scclus," "dignamque stirpem." There is a divergence of opinion among scholars as to whether a vowel followed by these double consonants which is short by nature may be scanned as short when occurring at the fall of a foot. It is contended by some that such a concurrence should never be allowed, while others cite examples from Vergil, Lucretius, Propertius and Catullus in which a vowel so placed is short at the fall of a foot. There are two cases in Horace's Satires, but none in the odes. Such a concurrence is far from euphonious and for this reason alone should be avoided. Continuity or Enjambment of Stanzas. The Alcaic ode fundamentally differs from the Sapphic in the relationship the stanzas bear to one another. In no case should an ode consist of a succession of end-stopped quatrains separated by a full-stop at the fourth verse : in other words, a sentence begun in one stanza and carried on to a stop at some point in the succeeding stanza {or stanzas) is a characteristic feature of Alcaic construction. A beautiful example, among many, may be seen in C. I. 29. The number of coupled stanzas depends, of course, on the length of the ode and its subject matter : it would be a mistake to f onnulate a definite rule of percentages. Horace's third book of Carmina, for instance, opens with six successive Alcaic odes. The first has twelve stanzas and five of these are endstopped-the final one ending with a question mark is not included. The second' ode has eight stanzas and four are endstopped. The third has eighteen stanzas and nine are endstopped. The fourth has twenty stanzas and twelve are endstopped. The fifth has fourteen stanzas with six end-stops. The sixth has twelve stanzas and seven end-stops. C. I. 26, 29 and 34 arc examples of short odes with all stanzas enjambcd: C. III. 26, with its three stanzas, has a stop at the end of its second stanza, the first being continuous with it. It will be noticed that the II.

33

shortest Alcaic ode contains not less than three stanzu, prcsum• ably the minimum permissible. The modem composer of Alcaics will do well to bear this characteristic feature of distributed sense-pauses in mind, since the poem as a whole should present a continuous stream of thought with its successive clauses and sentences ending at appropriate stages in the line to line progreaion. This is the ideal to be aimed at even if it is not always easy of attainment. Pauses arc best introduced in the first or second verse or near the end of the third verse. In the fourth verse Horace has fourteen cases of a stop at the thi.rd syllable. III. Internal and external rhyming of elements in the staor,a appears not infrequently in the odes and due attention should be paid to this feature. 1 The fallowing selected examples speakfor themselvc, : (a) Internal rhyming:

vino et luccmis Medus acinaces immane quantum discrcpat : impium lenite clamorcm, sodales~ et cubito rcmancte prcsso

(C. I. i7)

o Diva, gratwn quae regis Antium pracsens vel imo tollerc de gradu mortalc corpus vcl supcrbos vertcre funcribus triumphos

(C. I. 35)

insignc maestir praesidium rcis et consulenti, Pollio, curiae, cui laurus aetemos honorcs Dclmatico pepcrit triumpho

(C. II. 1)

quamquam chorcis aptior et iocis ludoque dictus non sat idoncu.r

(C. II. 19)

(b) E%ternal rhyme-endings: Augustus acliectis Britannis

impcriogravi1>usque Penis o magna Carthago, probrosis altior Italiac ruinir!

(C. III. 5)

(C. III. 5, 40)

l Jan) not concerned with the question whether rhyming waa intentionally or accidentally or even inevitably introduced. 34

curas et arcanum iocoso {C.III. 21) consilium retegis Lyaeo si tu.re placaris et homa (C. III. 23) frugc Lares avidaque porca omitte mirari beatae fumum et opes strepitumque Romae (C. III. 29} videre Raeti bc11asub Alpibw Drusum gerentem Vindelici-quibw lateque victrices catcrvae ooncn1iis iuverus rcvictae

(C. IV. 4)

In the following example from C. iv: 15 both internal and external rhyming occur : nosquc et prof estis lucibus et sacris inter iocosi muncra Libcri cum prole matronisquc nostns rite deos prius apprecati There arc no lc,s than forty examples of end-rhyming concords between third and fourth verses, to say nothing of unrhymed concords. It is never ammfor an Alcaic composer to introduce at least one rhyming verse or couplet in an ode.

IV. Horace's aversion to colliding sibilants is characteristic of all his work : if introduced they should be separated by a scnacpausc or a caesura} break, though they arc permissible when a special effect is intended such as the hissing of serpents or of flames or winds or of disapproval. The number of colliding sibilants occurring in the first six odes of C. III is eight in a total of eighty-£our stanzas and 336 verses. C. III. 2 has none. The total number of instances occurring in the whole of the Alcaic odC9is thirty-eight. V. An Alcaic ode in which there is a complete absence of proper names would not have deserved Horacc's blcuing. Without them it is impos.,ible to introduce that concrete imagery which as much as anything else differentiates the best Latin poetry from the best prose. A list of names used by Horace will be found in the Appendix in the hope that it may be of use to the student : it is not exhaustive. A list of abstract nouns personified by Horace is also given. 35

NOTES TO COMPOSERS 1.

2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7.

8.

9.

OF ALCAICS.

A relatively high percentage of enjambed stanzas (in pro~ portion to the total number), with sense-pauses introduced within the verse•lines, lends distinction to an Alcaic ode. Variety of syllabic distribution to prevent rhythmic monotony should be home in mind. The first element of a verse must not consist of words coinciding with the metrical feet. Metrical word sequences rarely used by Horace are be3t avoided in a sh~rt ode, and even in a long one should not be introduced without good reason. Sequences never found-in Horace should be duly noted and avoided. Hiatus between the verses of a stan:r.ashould be avoided. The sentences should be coupled by Horatian conjunctiom (see Chapter Ill). A very nice di,crimination is needed on the composer's part to decide whether to couple or not : a " choppy " effect must be avoided and the lines should flow on smoothly. Uncoupled clauses arc be3t introduced as a series of questions or commands or in epanalepsis. The idea or theme should be expressed by a chain of sentences with no snapping of the connecting thread till the last word is reached. Opportunities for introducing internal concords should not be neglected, though not at the expense of poetic expression and construction. Every line should run smoothly on oiled wheels : when recited the words should produce a sensation of melodic euphony. Words favoured by Horace (especially in his ode.,) claim prior importance in the selection of vocabulary ;. but words only once found in the odes or the epodes yet recognised as classical and bearing Augustan authority (e.g. employed by V ergil and Ovid) are also permmible. One is also justified in using a Vergilian or Ovidian word not found in Horace where a Horatian equivalent is not available. At the same time, a word bearing the authority of any Augustan poet should not be adversely criticised if its appearance in a Horatian ode is artistically justified. 36

CHAPTERIV.

THE

POETIC

ART

OF HORACE.

"Ego apis M atinae more modoque ... operosaparvw cmmina fingo ''-(C. IV. 2). THE art of verse composition can only be acquired after long and assiduous practice. This is true even if the artist pcaesses a natural gift. Very few classical scholars are capable of composing a Latin poem completely immune from adverse criticism : even the great Augustan poets, Vergil, Ovid and Horace have their critics. Yet posterity has awarded them their rightful place in the hierarchy of art, since each in his own peculiar field succeeded in combining metrical perfection with that magic touch which characterises the workmanship of all masters of poetic expression. It is not sufficient to be able to write impeccable Latin or to avoid prosodical erron; nor should the scholar be content to ape the pedestrian who ambles along the main road ever keeping the kcrbstone in view and afraid to venture into the byways in search of new and unsuspcctcd scenery. A living, pulsing spirit must pervade the composition and this is not captured by fine phrases or the mere choice of words but by the manner in which the total effect of a sentence, verse or stanza is produced. The flavour of the finished poem and the impression it leaves on the reader's mind is what matters. The Romans were naturally proud of the legendary history of their race, and the influence of mythical beliefs was still strong in the Augustan era. It was this atmosphere which Horace breathed as he wrote his lyrics in the rural peace of his Sabine farm. The twentieth century Englishman may find it difficult to catch this same spirit, but if his mind is immersed in the historical environment of a past age he can at least introduce 101.11e of its atmosphere into his work. Horace was fortunate in living long enough to see the Roman Empire at the height of its glory under Augustus and receiving the encouragement of that great patron of the arts. Complete freedom of speech was allowed so long as it was not treasonable or unduly libellous, and Horace is seen at his best in his denunciations of avarice and selfish ambition rather than in his laudatory references to the emperor. Almost the whole gamut of emotion is covered in the odes, but they may be classified broadly into those which were written to S7

charm or amuse and those designed to stir the national conscience.

I. When we examine the form, structure and contents of thCR lyria we find a neatness and finish which almcm induces a feeling of despair in the heart of the would-be imitator. It is at times difficult to render an English original into Latin verse in such a way that these qualities are preserved, but the student is not thereby prevented from endeavouring to write Sapphics or Alcaics in Horace's grand manner : at least he may try to capt~ the magic of Horace's characteristic modes of thought, the secret behind his own literary approach to what often amounts to quite a simple proposition when it is boiled down. He cannot hope to tread in the shoes of one wh~ poetry is inimitable, nor indeed is slavish imitation true art ; but at least he can try to impart into his own work the personification of abstract ideas, the concrete imagery, the geographical similes and tropes, the occa'Sional philosophical observations, the allusions to Greek or Roman history and mythology, all of which pervade the odes and create in the reader a definite portrait of Horace the man and the

artut. For example, the ninth stanza of C. II. 16 (Sapphic) could be rendered, without upsetting the sense, thus : Multa sunt anncnta tibi pecusquc plurimum; nee detst tibi vis cquarum pulchra; vmiri bene sumptuoso dives amictu, Grosphe, tu gaudes. But how. infinitely superior with its precise, specific, concrete detail is Horace's tc greges centum Siculaeque circum mugiunt vaccae, tibi tollit hinnitum apta quadrigis cqua, te bis Afro murice tinctac

vcs.tiunt Janae. II. Whm confronted with the task of turning an English poem into Horatian verse the student may find it helpful to convert it first of all into English prose, making sure that the English version is correctly interpreted. He has then to choose the most appropriate Latin metre and in doing so he must exercise due discrimination. If the theme of the ode is light and simple, 38

especially if addressed to a person, such as a love lyric or a song of praise or a prayer to a deity, the Sapphic metre is a safe choice, the Alcaic ode being more suited to weightier themes. The line of demarcation, however, is not always so simply defined, since Horace himse1f did not hentate to employ the Sapphic form for themes which might equally well have been expressed in the Alcaic, while the latter measure was sometimes adopted by him for the expression of lighter themes. A certain degree of elasticity is pardonable in the selection of metre, but there is a limit that should be omerved. The fundamental difference between Sapphic and Alcaic lies in the treatment given to the stanzas. The Sapphic ode may consist of a series of endstopped stanzas while the Alcaic cannot. This treatment of. stanzas does not, of course, preclude clauses and sentences of varying length within the verse-lines of the !lf:an:zain either case, but sentences should not be allowed to stop at the end of every stanza of the Alcaic ode, nor should sentences be concluded at the last word of every verse-line but should be made to run on to the next verse if not to the next stanza. The student who is accustomed to constructing elegiac couplets will find· himself on strange ground, though if he has had some experience of hexameter verse composition he will the better appreciate the need for distributing his sentences within the lines at various stages. The continuity of construction that characterises Horace's work, especially in his Alcaic odes, should be carefully studied : it is not the logical continuity that one admires in Ciceronian prose, since the connecting thread of the theme is often extremely slender, yet is not broken. One is conscious of a thin stretch of fine elastic rubber which cannot be made to snap however far it is pulled out, and Horace, in Ep. II. i. 224, writes : " lamentamur non apparere labores nostros et tenui deducta poemata filo/' The prose version of an English poem to be finally rendered into Latin lyrical verse should next be converted. into four line stanzas in the metrical form chosen. The rough early version should always precede the more polished product : many alternative settings of verse-lines, phrases, stanzas will probably demand due consideration before finality--or what the composer hopes may be the final rendering-is reached. It is a fascinating pastime and inspiration often comes unexpectedly after the brain has been given a rest. But the student must cultivate the faculty of self-criticism. Great care should be taken in joining sentences together as the •ubject of the ode is being developed from stanza to stanza : 39

.

sometimes the only connecting link between two sentences is that which is supplied by the sense : at other times they arc connected by a conjunction, but it must be the right kind of conjunction, the lighter the better. Conjunctions such as nam, namquc, enim, quod, quia, quoniam, quippe should not be introduced without adequate justification : Horace uses them very sparingly. Nam occurs six times only in the whole of the odes, namque three times, enim four times. The conjunctions favoured by Horace are et, -que, vel, -ve, aut, nee, neque, sed, at (not ast), tamen, ne, neu, si, nisi,1 cum, dum, ubi, ut, and the relative pronouns. Non is often used for nee. It is of interest to note that no Sapphic or Alcaic stanza begins with" et," though this conjunction not infrequently occurs as the second word in this first verse of the stanza. We must not expect to see balanced periods or logical sequences in lyrics lending themselves to musical expression : the coupling of sentences, in short, should be poetical and not prosaic. As already pointed out, much of the charm of Horace's verse is the direct result of a series of graphic pictures: in which he introduces variegated scenery and pulsing imagery. Often and again, in a few words or phrases magically chosen,. he succeeds in capturing an atm~phere which would cost a prosy historian a page or more of verbiage. III. There is no surer way of acquiring the necessary technique of lyrical composition than by scrutinising the original model : then with the mind responding to its influence the student can set to work on the task in hand. With this object in view, let us look at some of Horace's work and take careful note of the various points which a student should not fail to appreciate in his reading. Since space is limited, only one complete Sapphic ode and one complete Alcaic ode can be examined, but these two examples should suffice for our purpose, since excerpts from a number of other odes will be given later with renderings into English and such notes as are deemed desirable. The Sapphic ode chosen for examination is C. I. xxii. Integer vitae scelerisque purus non eget Mauris iaculis neque arcu nee venenatis gravida sagittis, Fusee, pharetra, 1

ni occurs once only in C. IV. 6, 21 (Sapphic) : " ni tuis victw . . _

adnui.aet."

40

sive per Syrtcs iter aestuosaa sive facturus per inhospitalcm Caucasum vel quae loca fabulosus lambit Hydupes. namque me silva lupus in Sabina, dum meam canto Lalagen et ultra tenninum curls vagor expeditis, fugit inermcm ; quale portentum neque militaria Daunias latis alit acsculetis nee Iubae tellus gcnerat, leonum arida nutrix. pone me pigris ubi nulla campis arbor ar.stiva rccrcatur aura, quod latus mundi nebulae malusque Jupiter urgct; pone sub curru nimium propinqui solis-interra domibus ncgata: dulcc ridcntcm Lalagen amabo, dulce loquentem. Note the following points :(c) Prosod1: the only elision is "ne.que arcu." The verses open with beautifully varied syllabic distribution. There is no case of colliding sibilants. ( b) Internal concMds: there are eight and all arc rhymed except that in stanza 2, line 1. (c) Voeabular,: aestuosas, inhospitalcm, fabulosus, lambit, curls expeditis, portentum, militaris, aesculctis, malus lupiter, nimium propinqui. (tl) Epanale;sis:nequc . . . nee : sive . . . sivc : pone . . . pone : dulcc . . . dulce. {e) A.Uusive imagery: Mauris, Syrtes, Caucasus, Hydaspcs, Daunias, Iuba, curru solis, terra domibus ncgata. (J) Enjambment: stanzas I and 2. The translation follows :Whoso is upright and guilt-free in his manner of life needs not Moorish darts nor bow nor quiver loaded with poisoned arrows, Fuscus, whether he makes his way through the sunbaked Syrtes (NortlaA.frican coast)or the inhospitable Caucasus or the regions fl

watered (lambit) by Hydaspes of mythical fame (nou the epithets). For (n.amque essential,here) while I was singing of my Lalagc and wandering beyond the confines of my estate (the Sabine farm) in the Sabine woods with not a care in the world (lit. with caresdismissed) and unarmed, there fled from me a woH -a monster (this word" p,:,rtenlum" also bears a mystic significance) the like of which neither martial Daunias (i.e. Apulia, a province of lower Italy) rears in her spacious oak-forests, nor the parched land of Juba (Numidian king), nurse of lions, breeds. Place me (a challenge to the world) on the arid plains where no tree is revived by the summer breeze, that part of the world which mists and a lowering sky (Jupiter) oppress: place me beneath the chariot of the sun where it rides (concrete imagery) too close to a land for any to inhabit (lit. a land denied for howes). Sweetly laughing Lalage will I love, sweetly prattling Lalage ! (He will not cease his songs to Lalage, come what may). Note that the first two stanzas state a philosophic truth : the four that follow (introduced by " namque ") describe the poet's own penonal experience of it, beginning and ending with his devotion to Lalagc. This is Horace at his best. The next ode to be examined is the Alcaic C. II. xiv. Ehcu fugaces, Postumc, Postume, labuntur anni, nee pietas moram rugis et instanti senectac adferet indomitaeque morti; 5 non, si treccnis, quotquot cunt dies, amice, places illacrimabilem Plutona tauris, qui ter amplum Gcryonem Tityonquc tristi compescit unda, scilicct omnibus, 10 quicumque terrae munere vClcimur, enaviganda, sivc regcs sive inopes erimus coloni : frustra cruento Marte carebimus fractisque rauci ftuctibus Hadriae, 15 frustra per autumnos nocentem corporibus metuemus Austrum ; viscndus ater flumine languido Cocytos errans et Danai genus infamc damnatusque longi 20 Sisyphus Acolides laboris. 1

42

linqucnda tellus et domus et placcm uxor ; ncquc harum, quas col.is,arborum te praetcr invisas cupressm ulla brcvem dominum sequetur : 25

absumet heres Caecuba dignior servata ccntum clavibus et mero tinguet pavimcntum superbo pontificum potiore cenis.

(a) Metrical points: note the sequential variants in the latter haH of venes I and 2 of each stanza, the absence of hiatus, the third verse variant in second and third stanzas, the fourth verse variants ; the absence of colliding sibilants ; the only two elisions at lines 12 and 22, the latter not really an example since the word neque could be nee.

(b) Rhyming: this feature is not introduced here, except in .line 22-" harum ... arborum " and the curious concord placing in the second and third stanzas-" trecenis . . . tauris " and "unda ... cnaviganda "-where the break at the fifth syllabic of verse 3 occurs aftcr " tauris " and " enaviganda " respectively : " mcro " rhymes with " superbo " in the last stan'Za, but the rhyme is probably accidental.

(c) Epanalep.sis: Note "sive . . . sive " and " frustra . . . frustra."

(d) Enjambment:

This is a short ode of seven stanzas, only two of which are enjambed, but the connecting thread is never snapped. Here Horace evidently pref erred to keep the vcncs intact except for internal comma stopping in order to enhanr-.e the total effect of withering scorn which he pours upon the devoted head of one Postumus. Further notes on the ode will accompany the translation (intentionally free) which now follows. Alas, Postumus, Postumus, swiftly the years fly past and piety will not retard wrinkles, advancing age and invincible death : (note "rugae" conDrete for abstract): even three hecatombs of bulls a day offered to Pluto (name) the merciless (epithet) will not appease him, my friend (sarcastic vocative), who imprisom Geryon of triple fame and Tityos (more names) by the gloomy river which we, too, whom Mother Earth nourishes, cannot escape (note the sarcastic comptJrison of animals with human beings), whether we arc kings or poor farmers (a favourite theme with Horace the humble farmer). In vain shall we escape from 4S

bloody Mars and the violent breakers of the roaring Adriatic (nameand IAJnthet): in vain (jrusl.ra . .. frustra) shall we fear the perilous Auster (south wind) : the sight of Cocytos (river of the underworld) dark and slug-like (vivi~ picture..:painting)awaits us (he tries to make Postumtiir shudder at the prospect of a dismal, semi-conscious existence below), also of the infamous daughters of Danaus (who murdered their hwbands) and of ceaseles toiling Sisyphus (mythical allurions familiar to every Roman boy and girl: no Elysium for poor Postumus!). We must quit our earth, our home, our wife so dear : the trees you now tend will not accompany you their short-lived lord (" brevem dominum "--a sarcastic reference to the longevity of the tree), but only the hateful cypress (which will be used at Postumtd' fuweral). Your Caecuban (a uer, special vintage of wine) guarded so jealously by a hundred keys (in the cellars and bins Postu.musprizes so muck) will be consumed (" absumet" a strong word here) by a worthier heir who will bathe (tinguet) your marble floor with choices. wine excelling even that at pontiffs' f casts. A lurid picture, this, of a rich and self-centred fool's fate, painted with pungent flashes of biting sarcasm : even the phrases and words expressing pity are so many barbed shafts. The poem bears striking testimony to the superb technique of a master hand.

IV. We now fallow with extracts from the odes which will repay study. The translation in each case (sometimes a free one) should suffice to give the student the necessary pointers with an occasional note where deemed desirable. (1) From q. I. ix. st. 6: The gleeful lau,h that nunc et latentis proditor intumo betrays the lass hiding in gratus puellae risus ab angulo furthest comer and the pignusque dereptum lacertis forfeit snatched from arm or finger feigning to aut digito male pcrtinaci. protest. xvi. st. 6, 7 : compescc mentem : me quoque pectoris temptavit in dulci iuventa fcrvor et in celeres iambos misit furentem ; nunc ego mitibus mutarc quaero tristia, dum mihi 6as recantatis amica opprobriis animumque reddas. ff

Curb that spirit ! I, too, in impassioned -youth'• sweet day rushed madly into impetuow verse and would change bitter for sweet if only you would come back to me who have recanted those angry words of mine.

xxxi. st. 5:

fru.i paratis et valido rnihi, Latoe, doncs et, precor, intcgra cum mentc nee turpcm scnectam degerc nee cithara carentcm.

xxxii. st.

2,

Let me, Apollo, I pray. be content with what I have, and sound of body and mind, pus an old age lacking neither honour nor the lyre.

3:

Lcsbio primum modulate civi, quifcrox bello tamen inter anna, SlVC iactatam religarat udo litore navim, Li"bcrumet Musas Venercmque et illi SClllperhaeren~em puerum canebat, et Lycum nigris oculis nigroquc crinc decorum.

(0 lyre), fint tuned by the Lab1an citizen wbot fierce in war, yet, wnether armed or with tolling boat moored to the wavebeaten shore, sang of Bacchus and the Mwes and Vcnua and the boy that clings to her and Lyau with hia lovely black eyes and black treuel.

xxxiv. st. 2-4 : ... namquc Diespiter, igni corusco nubila dividens plerumque, per purum tonantt.S egit equos volucremque currum ; quo bruta tellus et vaga ftumina quo Styx et invisi horrida Taenari scdcs Atlanteusque finis concutitur. valet ima summis mutare et insignem attenuat dcus, obscura promens; hinc apiccm rapax Fortuna cum stridore acuto sustulit, hie posuissegaudet.

For Jove, who ii wont to cleave the cloud1 with lightning ftath, did (indeed) drive through a cloudless uy his thundering 1tecdl and winged chariot with which the 10lid earth and meandering stream, and Taenanu' hated seat and Afric' s fartheat shore are aha.ken. (Truly) Jove has power : he can change the lowest and the highest : he put& down the mighty and eults the lowly. Portune swifty snatches the ctOWD from one with shrilly whutling wing and hand, it to another with a glad smile.

(Note.-The epithets bruta ... vaga ... Atlantcus ..• rapax, and the masterly structure of these three stanzas. 45

xnv. st. 3-5: regumque matres barbarorum et purpurei metuunt tyranni, iniuri~ ne pedy. The keys will be found in Appendix Ill.

SAPPHIC I.

EXERCISES.

labium nunc promere, Agrippa, vinum tempus est : nunc trade deo dolorem.

sed Fidcs rara est pretiosior quam dona quae nobis tnl>uunt iniquae optima Parcac. 3·

o iubar caelcste ! redire Virtus audeat neglecta, et Amor Fidcsque omnia vincant.

cur tuo me turbat, amice, qucstu quod rclinquat te mmcrum Neaera?

5.

artc mira dux aciem in fcroces cFuigitParthos, et acuta spemunt pila cohortcs.

6.

sol cadit cursum peragcns diurnum et prcmit metam Hesperiam, nee umbras sidera tollunt. me stupct desiderium Megillae dulce caneotis.

8.

ncmpc non tu semper a~ mavis cum tuae sortis pueri pucllas carmine mulcent?

9·

•

1 o.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

.

.

• lC>COSJS

cantibus curac minuentur atrae : mox pcrituris gaudiisfaustam capiamus horam, dum licct.

fit labor noctuquc dicque : nullum barbari scrvis tribuunt onustis pracmium. 71

11.

non minas Caesar tumidas timcbit nee parabit consiJia improbanda nee dabit quaesita suis libenter munera amicis.

12.

non nihil pravum sedet ac malignum rebus hwnanis penitus, quod ultra dignior grata vice solvet aevi vita futuri.

ALCAIC

EXERCISES.

1.

te iudiccm non dulcc ridcns, duke loquens Lalage domabit.

2.

vcstigiis terram caterva honisonis premit indecora

3.

innupta quid sponsum retardaa? pone moras posito pudorc.

4.

quis non laborantcm senectam praetereuntibus horret annis?

5.

cur pectus arguto exanimaa mcum flctu? tibi nunc gaudia Caecubum donent: qucrcllaa infidclis Lesbia fundat ! iniqua fata

6.

illumque non centum pcricla impavidum quaticnt; nee unquam ccdct tyranno.

7.

et ccrva fonnidans scqucntcs ocius ad sua tccta currit

8.

fonnidolosos non metuet greges boum minaci fronte ruentium de colic ; sed cemcns draconem tecta fuga citiorc quacret.

9.

audirc somno iam videor mco voces amoenas carmina, quae ttbi finxi, Chloe dulcis, cancntum: o eadem canerct Cupido !

72

l 0.

1 1•

iam IUllt petendi- De tibi sit pudordcsiderantcs te facilem proci : taedae parcntur nuptiales ! dcliciis capiaa maritum. dum tc trcmcntem dira Pl"OIClpina ridet cachinnis, pro patria virum It dedcrc illustri volentcm

12.

plaudit, amansquc parat coronam scribcna cundo progreditur stilus, tum sai.pta linquit ; non lacrimae tuac nee millc ddcbunt preces nee juua notam minimam papyri.

73

APPENDIX A-LisT

I

op PaoPER.NA.Mas

Achaemenea : grandfather of Cyrus; extremely rich Persian. Acheron : river of the underworld. Acbivi: Greeb. Acroceraunia: dangerous rocky promontory. Aeacus : judge of the underworld. Aeolius : Greek (adj.). Africus : stormy south west wind.

Agyieus : Apollo. Alcaeus : Lesbian poet and citharoedist. Alcidea : Hercules. Alfius : a usurer. Anacreon: Greek poet of Teos. Antilochus : Greek hero. Apollinaris : belonging to Apollo. Apollo: god of poetry, music, art and healing. Aprilis : April. Aquilo : winter wind and weather Archytas : Greek philosopher.

Arctos : the North. Asterie : maiden. Attalicus: immemely rich. Attalus : weal~y king of Pergamos. Aufidus : swift and noisy river near Horace's birthplace. Ausonius: Italian.

&ttbae:

votaries of Bacchus.

Bacchus : god of wine, wine. Baiae : Campanian watering.place. Barine : maiden.

Bassareus : Bacchus. Bellerophon : hero who vanquished the Chimaera. Berecyntia(tibia) : curved Phrygian flute. Boreas: North wind. Britanni: Britons. Caecubum : rare wine. Caesar: Emperor, Sultan, king, monarch. 74

Calenum : wine. CalJiope: chief of the Muses. Carnena : Muse.

Oarnillus: hero. Oanicula : lesser dogstar. Canicn)a } . Canis : the worst throw of the dice. Canidia : a 10rceress. Oastalia : sacred spring of Parnaaus (Muses). Castor: Greek hero (hone riding). Cato: Roman hero celebrated for his virtue and patriotism. Oeaopius : Athenian. c.erberus: hound of the underworld. Ceres: goddess of agriculture (crops, corn). Charon : ferryman of the underworld. Charybdis: dangerous whirlpool

Chium:

• wme.

Chimaera: mythical monster vomiting fire Bellerophon. Chloria: goddm of flowers (see Flora). Chloe : maiden's name. Circe : an enchantress. Clio: Muse of history. Cocytos: river of the underworld. Cressa : maiden. Cupido : Cupid. Ourius: proverbial for frugality and integrity. Cynthia : Diana. Oynthius : Apollo. Cyrus : Persian king. Cytherea : Venua.

and

slain

by

Daedalus : Athenian architect and builder of the Cretan labyrinth. Daedaleus : architectural DarnaJis : maiden. Danai : Greeks. Delius : Apollo. Diana : goddess of childbirth, field sport,, also moon-goddess. Diespiter : Jupiter. Dircaeus: Theban. Enceladus : a giant. Eous: dawn. 75

Erycina : Venus. Euhias : a female reveller.

Euhiua : Bacchus. Enroenidea : the Furies (driving men mad). Euterpe : Muse of music, vocal and instrumental. Fabricius: Roman hero famous for his frugality. Falemum : wine. Faunua : god of agriculture, sylvan deity (Pan). Favoniua : vernal west wind. Flora : goddess of flowers. Furiae: the Furies {Eumenidae). maiden. Genius : guardian spirit. Geryones : monster. Glyee:ra: maiden {Horace's mistrea). Grai : Greeks. Gratiae: the three Graces (sisters of great beauty and gentleness). Gyas: monster (centimanus, hundred-handed).

Galatea:

Haemonia: snow-clad Thessaly. Hercules : Greek hero (bravery, great strength). Herculeus: Herculean (hard labour). Hesperia: Italy. Hesperiua : western. Hippolytus : Greek hero.

Homerus : Homer. Hyperboreus : exbeme northern. Iapyx : North west wind. Ilithyia: goddess of childbirth. Ilion : Troy. I nachia : maiden.

Italia : Italy. Juno: wife of Jupiter; godde.u of matrimony. Jupiter: king of heaven and the universe; the sky; the climate. Laestrygonius : Campanian; wine-jar. Lalage : maiden. Lares : household deities; home. Latium: district around Rome. Latous : Apollo. Lenaeum : wine. Lesbia : maiden. Lesbium : wine. 76

Labius . Leabous} : lync.

Leuconoe~ maiden. Liber : wine, &uctification. Li'bitina : goddess of corpses. Liburna: fast sailing vessel. Licymnia : wife of king of Lydia.

Lucina : goddess of child-birth. Lyaeum : wine. Lyce : maiden. Lycoris: maiden: Lyde : maiden. Lynceus : sharp-sighted. Maecenas : Horace's patron and friend. Maeonim. Homeric : Manes : ghosts, departed spirits. Mareoticum : wine. Marica : nymph.

:=.n }

:god of war; war. Megilla : maiden. Melpomene: Muse of tragedy; Horace's special Muse. Mercurialis: under Mercury's aegis; commercial, poetical. Mercurius : god of culture, wit, eloquence, trade, roads and conductor to the underworld. Minerva: goddess of spinning and learning (Pallas). Minos: a judge of the underworld.

:::e}:

the Muses; inspiration; poetry; the fine arts.

Myrtale: a freedwoman, friend of Horace. Naiades:

water nymphs. Neaera : a mistress of Horace. Neobule : maiden. Neptunus : sea-god. Nereus : sea-god. Nestor: king of Pylus, famed for long life and wisdom. Nireus: Greek hero, famed for his good looks. Notus : south wind, rain wind. Nymphae : minor deities of streams, trees, mountains and seas.

Oceanus: the ocean. Olympus : mountain sacred to Jupiter and the gods; heaven; the

sky. 77

Orcus : the underworld. Orpheus: mythical citharoedist, the great charmer. Parcae : the Fates (see Sorores). Parrhasius: Greek painter. Pater : Jupiter. Pelides : Achilles. Penates : household deities, home. Penelope: wife of Ulysses faithful to him, rejecting all suitors. . . th e un derworId. Perithous 1n Pirithous } :unrescu ed prooner Persicus : Persian.

Persae : Persians. Phaeax : a lucky man. Phidyle : maiden. Phoebe : the moon. Phoebus: Apollo; the sun. Pholoe : a coy maiden. Phryne: maiden. Phyllis: maiden. Pierides: Muses. Pierius : musical, lyrical. Pimpleis } Pipleis : a Muse. Pindarus : Pindar, Greek lyric poet. Pindus: abode of the Muses on Mt. Parnassus. Pluto: ruler of the underworld. Pollux : Castor's brother, boxing hero. Polyhymnia : a Muse. Porphyrion: a giant (with threatening mien). Postumus : Roman surname. Priapus : god of horticulture. Proserpina: goddess of the underworld. Proteus : a sea-god; fickle person. Pyrrha: maiden. Pythagoras : Greek philosopher. Pythius : Apollo. Rhode : maiden. Rhoetus: a giant. Roma: Rome. Romanus : Roman. Sabinus: rural, agricultural. Sappho : Greek poetess, composer of love lyrics. 78

6

Satumus : god of the Golden Age of Rome. Satyri : rustic deities, satyn. Scopas : Greek painter. Siculus : Sicilian. Silvanus: forest god. Sisyphus : mythical convict in the underworld; represents fruitless toil. Sithonia : Thracian; wintry conditions. Socraticus : . belonging to Socrates the philosopher. Sorores: the three Sisten-Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos; the

Fates. Stesichorus : Greek poet. Styx: river of the underworld. Taenarus: the underworld. Tantalus : mythical sufferer; " so near and yet so far."

i=

}:

the underworld.

Tartareus : of the underworld. Telephus: inconstant lover. Tempe: beautiful valley in Thessaly. Tenninalia: the feast of boundaries. Thalia : Muse of comedy. Thetis : sea nymph. Thraci .I Thressa Thraessa : an gir · Thyiades : Bacchic revellen. Thyoneus : Bacchic. Titan : the sun. Tydides : Greek hero (Diomedes). Tyndaridae : Castor and Pollux. Tyndaris : maiden. Typhoeus : a giant struck by lightning by Jupiter under Mt. Aetna.

and buried

Venus : goddess of love; love grace, charm; the highest throw of the dice (see Canicula and Canis). Venusia: Horace's birthplace. Vesperus : evening star, evening. Vesta : household goddess. Virgines Vestales : Vestal virgins. Vulcanus: fire god. Zephyrus : the west wind. 79

B--L1sT

Amor:

op ABSTRACT PROPER NoUNs.

Love.

Copia : Abundance. Cura : Anxiety.

Decor: Youthful ~uty. Fama : Fame, Rumour. Faustitas : Fertility of the soil. Fides : Faith. Fors : Chance, Fate. Fortuna : Fortune, Fate. Gratia : Grace. Gloria: Glory, Renown.

Honas } Honor : Honour. locus: Jest, Sport. Iustitia: Justice. luventa } Iuventus : Youth. luventas

Libertas: Liberty. Licentia : Wantonness. Minae : Threats, Danger. Mon: Death. Necessitas: Fate. Nox: Night. Pauperies: Poverty. Pax: Peace. Pietas : Piety, Patriotism, Duty. Poena : Punishment. Pudor : Decency, Modesty (sense of shame). Sors : Fate, Destiny. Spes: Hope.

~== }:

Timor : Veritas: Vesper: Virtus :

Earth. Fear. Truth. Eventide. Virtue, Valour. 80

APPENDIX

II

Rhymed and Unrhymed Concords in the first three verses of the Sapphic Stanza as found in Horace's Odes. Colliding Sibilants in the Sapphic Odes. No.of

C. I.:

Ode

Stanzas

2 10 12 20 22

13

25 30

32 C. II.:

38 2 4

6

8 10 16 C. III.:

8 11 14

18 20

3 1 3 1

5

15 3

6

1

5 2 4

4

5

0 4 2

Sibilants

1 0 0 0 0

1

7 1 0

0

0

1

2

0

6 6 6 6 6

1

1 2

0 1 0 0

2 0 3 1

10 7 13 7

2 3 1

3

4

2

4 2

4 1

27 2

19

6

11

3 2 4

11

9

2

19 205

8 56

22 C. IV.:

Concords Unrhymed Rhymed

15

1 2 0

1 1 2 5 4 3 3 2 3 3 2 3

2 (ono) 1

0 0

1 1 0 0

1

1 (ono) 0

3 (1 ono) 1 0 0

Carmen Saeculare

Total:

26

=

2 59

3 17 (-4 ono)

Note.-" Ono ,. onomatopoeic. . The number of rhymed Adonic concords is 27, that of unrhymed concords (including such examples as pronos ... men,es) is 29.

81

APPENDIX KEv

TO

III

PRosooICALEu.oas

Sapphic Exercises. Ex. 1. line 1; elided last syllable of third foot after weak caesura, " nunc promere " not allowed : the caesura! stop after " nunc " in both lines should be avoided. 2. The fint line ends with monosyllable preceded by a word of more than two syllables : this is not found in the Sapphic Odes. Aho hiatus between the last two lines is bad.

3. Sense-pause at weak caesura, and hiatus between the last two lines not allowed. +. "me turbat," the break here not good. Monosyllable followed by trisyllable opening very ugly in line 2.

5. Diaeretic opening of line 1 forbidden : final syllable of "acuta" is normally long before "spernunt," therefore does not scan. 6. The middle line has no caesura. 7. Absence of caesura only permissible if meant to copy CatullUI.

8. line 1 : C.IV.11.29 is the only example of this sequence. 9. Pause at end of third line of stanza not found in Horace: Adonius should not be made part of next stanza.

10. Pause at end of fourth foot of line 1 not in Horace. 11. line 2 : trisyllabic second word forces a caesura at end of second foot followed by forbidden dactyl : this elision in Adonius not in Horace.

12. Prosodically correct. Alcaic &ercises.

(v.

= verse of Alcaic stanza.)

Ex. 1. v. 3, monosyllable + trisyllable start very ugly. 2. v. 3, quadrisyllabic start not good. 3. Sense-pause at v. 3 should be avoided. 4. Six-syllable word opens v. 4: not allowed.

82

5. Diaeretic opening feet of v. 2; sense-pause at lint foot rare in Horace, and sense-pause at fifth syllable of v. 4 forbidden.

6. Sense-pause at seventh syllable of v. 4; hiatus between v. 3 and+. 7. Diaeretic dactyls opening v. 4 are forbidden: "ad sua," (preposition is treated as a proclitic). 8. Prosodically correct. " Bown,'' iambic start, allowed as an occasionalvariation. 9. Diaeretic opening, end-pause and hiatus at final word of v. 3, all forbidden. 10. Stanza too square-cut : v. 3 ends with quadrisyllable and pause. 11. This v. 4 sequence occun once only in Horace (C.I.26.12), and " amansque " is ill-sounding. 12. Monosyllable ending third verse occun but once in Horace, viz. C.II.7.19.

INDEX Abstract noum, 35, 80 Accent, 10, 12, 13, 17, 25 Adonius, 16, 20, 21, 24, 60, 65 Aeolian 10ng, 11 Alcaeus, 7, 9, 10, 26 Alcaic metre, 13, 25, 39 Ambiguous construction, 55 Anacrusis, 25, 26 Anapaest, 13, 25 Antibacchic, 17L 18 Antony, Mark, 7 Alclepiad metre, 12 Atque, Horace'• we of, 56 Augustus, 7, 37 Beats, 13, 17 Bonavia-Hunt, Wilfrid, 25 Break, metrical, 15, 29 Caesar, Julius, 7, 10 Caesar, Augustus Octavianua, 7, 37 Caesura, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 58 Callimechua (poet), 8 83

Cantor, 10, 17, 20, 23, 25 Carmen Saeculare, 7, 11, 16, 19, 20, 21 Catullw (poet), 8, 9, 11, 17, 33 Cicero, 39 Citharoedista (Greek), 10 Cleopatra, 7 Concords, 22, 23, 24, 30, 35, 36, 41, 58, 62, 81 Conjunctions, use of, 36, 40, 49, 58 Corvinus, Meuala, 50

Dactyl, 13, 18 Diaeresis, metrical, 15, 18, 29, 31, 58 Dorian Mode, 11, 13 Ele~ac verse, 10, 14, 22 39 Eliuon, 13, 14, 17, 18, ~O, 21, 27, 29, 32. 33, 43 . End-stop, 15, 21, 391 58 Enjambment, 21, 3:,, 34, 36, 39, 41, 43, 48, 49, 58, 62

Epanalepai1, 28, 29, 36, 41, 43, 54,

55

Epithets, Horatian, 52-54 , separation of, 23 55, 58 Euphony, verbal, 12, 33, S6,62

Pitch-changes, 12, 13 Plectrum, 10, 25, 48 Proper nouns, 35, 59, 62, 74-79 Propertiua (poet), SS Punctuation, 15

Foot, metrical, 10, 13, 15, 18, •t

Quatrain, 16, 18, 23, 25, 33 Quintilian, 10

G~k modes, 10, 11, 12, 17

Repetition of words (concurrent), 55 Repetition of words (inartistic), 55 Rhyming, 22, 23, 24, 30, 34, 35, 43, 58 Rhythm, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 22

pa.trim

Hexameter vene, 14 39 Hiatus, 15, 20, 21, 24,31, 36, 43, 58, 61 Hypermixolydian mode, 17 Hypodorian mode, 11, 17 lam, Horace', use of, 56, 59 Iambus, 13, 25 lctuJ, 10 Length (of Sapphic Ode~ 22 ,, (of Alcaic Ode), ;,4 Lucretius (poet), 9..,33 Ludi Tarentini, lo Lydian mode, 11, 13 Lyre, 10, 11, 52 Maecenul. 7, 12 Mesaala , Metre, 9, 15, 23, 26, 38, 39 Muaic, Roman, 10, 17 ,, Greek, 10, 11, 12, 17, 26 Names, proper, 35, 59, 62, 74 Noun,, abstract (penonified), SS, 80 Ovid {poet), 10, 12, 36, 37 Oxford Edition (of Horace), 15 Parenthesis, 22, 67 Pitch-accents, 12, 13, I 7

Sabine Farm, Horace's, 71 37, 4-2 Sappho (Greek poete11), 7 Sapphic metre, 13, 16, 17, 18-24-, 39 Sense-pause, 151 21, 29, 34, 39, 62 Sibilants, colliding, 35, 43, 49, 59, 60, 61, 81 Sophocles, 26 Spondee, 13, 17, 18, 25, 26 Stanza, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 sq., et passim

Syllabic distribution, 24 36, 43 Synaphea, 15, 21, 24, 27, 28, 32 Synizesis, 27 Tibia, 11 Tibullus (poet} 7 Trochee, 13, 17,18, 25 Varius (poet), 7 Vergil (poet), 7, 14, 33, 36, 37 Vene, verse-line, 13, 15, 16-24, •t

J>assim

Vocabulary (choice of), 36, 41 Wilkin10n, L. P., 56