Introduction | Fastorum Liber Quintus: Maius
V.1-110, Ovid seeks the etymology of 'Maius,' but the Muses disagree about its origins.
Quaeritis, unde putem Maio data nomina mensi?
non satis est liquido cognita causa mihi.
ut stat et incertus qua sit sibi nescit eundum,
cum videt ex omni parte viator iter:
sic, quia posse datur diversas reddere causas, 5
qua ferar, ignoro, copiaque ipsa nocet.
dicite, quae fontes Aganippidos Hippocrenes
grata Medusaei signa tenetis equi.
dissensere deae. quarum Polyhymnia coepit
prima; silent aliae dictaque mente notant. 10
“post chaos ut primum data sunt tria corpora mundo,
inque novas species omne recessit opus,
pondere terra suo subsedit et aequora traxit,
at caelum levitas in loca summa tulit;
sol quoque cum stellis nulla gravitate retentus 15
et vos, lunares, exsiluistis, equi.
sed neque Terra diu Caelo, nec cetera Phoebo
sidera cedebant; par erat omnis honor.
saepe aliquis solio, quod tu, Saturne, tenebas,
ausus de media plebe sedere deus, 20
nec latus Oceano quisquam deus advena iunxit,1
et Themis extremo saepe recepta loco est,
donec Honor placidoque decens Reverentia voltu
corpora legitimis imposuere toris.2
hinc sata Maiestas, hos est dea censa parentes, 25
quaque die partu est edita, magna fuit.
nec mora, consedit medio sublimis Olympo
aurea purpureo conspicienda sinu.
consedere simul Pudor et Metus: omne videres
numen ad hanc voltus composuisse suos. 30
protinus intravit mentes suspectus honorum:
fit pretium dignis, nec sibi quisque placet.
hic status in caelo multos permansit in annos,
dum senior fatis excidit arce deus.
Terra feros partus, immania monstra, Gigantas 35
edidit ausuros in Iovis ire domum;
mille manus illis dedit et pro cruribus angues.
atque ait ‘in magnos arma movete deos.’
exstruere hi montes ad sidera summa parabant
et magnum bello sollicitare Iovem; 40
fulmina de caeli iaculatus Iuppiter arce
vertit in auctores pondera vasta suos.
his bene Maiestas armis defensa deorum
restat et ex illo tempore culta manet;
assidet inde Iovi, Iovis est fidissima custos 45
et praestat sine vi sceptra tenenda Iovi.
venit et in terras: coluerunt Romulus illam
et Numa, mox alii, tempore quisque suo.
illa patres in honore pio matresque tuetur,
illa comes pueris viriginibusque venit, 50
illa datos fasces commendat eburque curule,
illa coronatis alta triumphat equis.”
finierat voces Polyhymnia: dicta probarunt
Clioque et curvae scita Thalia lyrae.
excipit Uranie: fecere silentia cunctae, 55
et vox audiri nulla nisi illa potest.
“magna fuit quondam capitis reverentia cani,
inque suo pretio ruga senilis erat.
Martis opus iuvenes animosaque bella gerebant
et pro dis aderant in statione suis: 60
viribus illa minor nec habendis utilis armis
consilio patriae saepe ferebat opem.
nec nisi post annos patuit tum curia seros,
nomen et aetatis mite senatus habet.
iura dabat populo senior, finitaque certis 65
legibus est aetas, unde petatur honor;
et medius iuvenum, non indignantibus ipsis,
ibat et interior, si comes unus erat.
verba quis auderet coram sene digna rubore
dicere? censuram longa senecta dabat. 70
Romulus hoc vidit selectaque pectora patres
dixit: ad hos urbis summa relata novae.
hinc sua maiores tribuisse vocabula Maio
auguror: aetati consuluere suae.
et Numitor dixisse potest ‘da, Romule, mensem 75
hunc senibus’ nec avum sustinuisse nepos.
nec leve propositi pignus successor honoris
Iunius, a iuvenum nomine dictus, habet.”
tunc sic, neglectos hedera redimita capillos,
prima sui coepit Calliopea chori: 80
“duxerat Oceanus quondam Titanida Tethyn,
qui terram liquidis, qua patet, ambit aquis.
hinc sata Pleïone cum caelifero Atlante
iungitur, ut fama est, Pleïadasque parit.
quarum Maia suas forma superasse sorores 85
traditur et summo concubuisse Iovi.
haec enixa iugo cupressiferae Cyllenes,
aetherium volucri qui pede carpit iter.
Arcades hunc Ladonque rapax et Maenalus ingens
rite colunt, luna credita terra prior. 90
exul ab Arcadia Latios Euander in agros
venerat, impositos attuleratque deos.
hic, ubi nunc Roma est, orbis caput, arbor et herbae
et paucae pecudes et casa rara fuit.
quo postquam ventum est, ‘consistite!’ praescia mater 95
‘nam locus imperii rus erit istud’ ait.
et matri et vati paret Nonacrius heros
inque peregrina constitit hospes humo,
sacraque multa quidem sed Fauni prima bicornis
has docuit gentes alipedisque dei. 100
semicaper, coleris cinctutis, Faune, Lupercis,
cum lustrant celebres vellera secta vias.
at tu materno donasti nomine mensem,
inventor curvae, furibus apte, fidis.
nec pietas haec prima tua est: septena putaris, 105
Pleïadum numerum, fila dedisse lyrae.”
haec quoque desierat: laudata est voce sororum.
quid faciam? turbae pars valet omnis idem.
gratia Pieridum nobis aequaliter adsit,
nullaque laudetur plusve minusve mihi. 110
1 You ask whence I suppose the name of the month of May to be derived. The reason is not quite clearly known to me. As a wayfarer stands in doubt, and knows not which way to go, when he sees roads in all directions, so, because it is possible to assign different reasons, I know not where to turn; the very abundance of choice is an embarrassment. Declare to me, ye who haunt the springs of Aganippian Hippocrene, those dear traces of the Medusaean steed.3 The goddesses disagreed; of them Polyhymnia began the first; the others were silent, and noted her sayings in their mind. “After chaos, as soon as the three elements were given to the world, and the whole creation resolved itself into new species, the earth subsided by its own weight, and drew the seas after it, but the sky was borne to the highest regions by its own lightness; the sun, too, not checked by gravity, and the stars, and you, ye horses of the moon, ye bounded high. But for a long time neither did Earth yield pride of place to Sky, nor did the other heavenly bodies to Phoebus; their honours were all equal. Often someone of the common sort of gods would dare to sit upon the throne which thou, Saturn, didst own; not one of the upstart deities took the outer side of Ocean,4 and Themis was often relegated to the lowest place, until Honour and comely Reverence with her calm look united in lawful wedlock. From them sprang Majesty, them the goddess reckons her parents, she who became great on the very day she was born. Without delay she took her seat high in the midst of Olympus, a golden figure far seen in purple vest. With her sat Modesty and Fear. You might see every divinity modelling his aspect upon hers. Straightway respect for dignities made its way into their minds; the worthy got their due, and nobody thought much of himself. This state of things in heaven lasted for many a year, till fate banished the elder god from heaven’s citadel. Earth brought forth the Giants,5 a fierce brood, enormous monsters, who durst assault Jove’s mansion; she gave them a thousand hands, and snakes for legs, and said, ‘Take arms against the great gods.’ They set themselves to pile up the mountains to the topmost stars and to harass great Jupiter in war. From heaven’s citadel Jupiter hurled thunderbolts and turned the ponderous weights upon their movers. These weapons of the gods protected Majesty well; she survived and has been worshipped ever since. Hence she sits beside Jupiter, she is Jupiter’s most faithful guardian; she assures to him his sceptre’s peaceful tenure. She came also to earth. Romulus and Numa worshipped her, and others after them, each in his time. She keeps fathers and mothers in honour due; she bears boys and maidens company; she enhances the lictor’s rods and the ivory chair of office; she rides aloft in triumph on the festooned steeds.”
53 Polyhymnia ended. Clio and Thalia, mistress of the curved lyre, approved her words. Urania took up the tale; all kept silence, and not a voice but hers could be heard. “Great was of old the reverence for the hoary head, and wrinkled eld was valued at its true worth. Martial exploits and doughty wars were work for youths, who in defence of their own gods kept watch and ward. In strength unequal, and for arms unfit, age often stood the country in good stead by its advice. The senate-house was then open only to men of mature years, and the very name of senate signifies a ripe old age. The elders legislated for the people, and certain laws defined the age at which office might be sought.6 An elder man used to walk between younger men, at which they did not repine, and if he had only one companion, the elder walked on the inner side. Who would dare to talk bawdy in the presence of an old man? Old age conferred a right of censorship. This Romulus perceived, and on the men of his choice he bestowed the title of Fathers: on them the government of the new city was conferred. Hence I incline to think7 that the elders (maiores) gave their own name to the month of May: they considered the interests of their own class. And Numitor may have said, ‘Romulus, grant this month to the old men,’ and the grandson may not have been able to resist his grandsire. No slight proof of the proposed honour is furnished by the next month, the month of June, which is named after young men (iuvenes).” Then Calliope, her unkempt hair bound up with ivy, thus began, first of her choir: “Tethys, the Titaness, was wedded of old by Ocean, who encompasses the earth, far as it stretches, with his flowing waters. Their daughter Pleione, as report has it, was united to Atlas, who upholds the sky, and she gave birth to the Pleiads.8 Of them Maia is said to have surpassed her sisters in beauty and to have lain with sovran Jove. She on the ridge of Mount Cyllene, wooded with cypresses, gave birth to him who speeds through the air on winged foot. Him the Arcadians, and hurrying Ladon, and huge Maenalus—that land accounted older than the moon9—worship with honours due. An exile from Arcadia, Evander came to the Latin fields and brought his gods on shipboard. On the spot where now stands Rome, the capital of the world, there were trees, and grass, and a few sheep, and here and there a cottage. When they had come hither, ‘Halt ye,’ said his prophetic mother, ‘for that rural scene will be place of empire.’ The Nonacrian10 hero obeyed the prophetess his mother, and halted as a stranger in a foreign land. He taught the natives many sacred rites, but first of all the rites of two-horned Faunus and of the wing-footed god.11 Faunus, thou half-goat god, thou art worshipped by the Luperci in their loin-cloths what time the severed hides purify the crowded streets.12 But thou didst bestow thy mother’s name upon the month, O thou inventor of the curved lyre, patron of thieves.13 Nor was this the first proof that thou didst give of thine affection: thou art supposed to have given to the lyre seven strings, the number of the Pleiads.” Calliopea ended in her turn, and was praised by the voices of her sisters. What am I to do? Each side has the same number of votes. May the favour of all the Muses alike attend me, and let me never praise anyone of them more or less than the rest.
nec latus Oceano quisquam deus advena iunxit. This is the reading of almost all the MSS., except that A has lacus for latus, and that many of them (including UX) read et for nec.
The best manuscript (A) ends with this line. Henceforward the principal manuscript is U (codex Ursinianus).
Aganippe and Hippocrene, two springs associated with the Muses, on Mount Helicon. Hippocrene (not A.) was supposed to have gushed from the rock where the hoof of Pegasus struck the ground. Here the two are identified. For Medusa see iii. 450.
For latus claudere or tegere, to take the left hand in walking together (i.e. to be exterior); originally to defend the unshielded side, then a mode of honour (cf. 68 below). Ocean and Themis were among the primaeval deities.
The first such law was passed in 180 B.C. by L. Villius.
Accepting the conjecture and interpretation of Josef Delz (Mus. Helv. 28 [1971] 57): the MSS have tangor et…consuluisse.
Nonacris, a city of Arcadia.
Mercury (Hermes).
See above, ii. 267, and Appendix, p. 390 (Lupercalia).
Mercury (Hermes).