March 19th | Fastorum Liber Tertius: Martius
F • QVIN • NP | XIII Kal. | III.809-848, Ovid praises Minerva on her holiday, the Quinquatrus.
Una dies media est, et fiunt sacra Minervae,
nomina quae iunctis quinque diebus habent. 810
sanguine prima vacat, nec fas concurrere ferro:
causa, quod est illa nata Minerva die.
altera tresque super strata celebrantur harena:
ensibus exsertis bellica laeta dea est.
Pallada nunc pueri teneraeque orate puellae: 815
qui bene placarit Pallada, doctus erit.
Pallade placata lanam mollire puellae
discant et plenas exonerare colos.
illa etiam stantis radio percurrere telas
erudit et rarum pectine denset opus. 820
hanc cole, qui maculas laesis de vestibus aufers,
hanc cole, velleribus quisquis aena paras;
nec quisquam invita faciet bene vincula plantae
Pallade, sit Tychio doctior ille licet;
et licet antiquo manibus collatus Epeo 825
sit prior, irata Pallade mancus erit.
vos quoque, Phoebea morbos qui pellitis arte,
munera de vestris pauca referte deae:
nec vos, turba fere censu fraudata, magistri,
spernite; discipulos attrahit illa novos: 830
quique moves caelum, tabulamque coloribus uris,
quique facis docta mollia saxa manu.
mille dea est operum: certe dea carminis illa est;
si mereor, studiis adsit amica meis.
Caelius ex alto qua mons descendit in aequum, 835
hic, ubi non plana est, sed prope plana via,
parva licet videas Captae delubra Minervae,
quae dea natali coepit habere suo.
nominis in dubio causa est. capitale vocamus
ingenium sollers: ingeniosa dea est. 840
an quia de capitis fertur sine matre paterni
vertice cum clipeo prosiluisse suo?
an quia perdomitis ad nos captiva Faliscis
venit? et hoc ipsum littera prisca docet.
an quod habet legem, capitis quae pendere poenas 845
ex illo iubeat furta recepta loco?
a quacumque trahis ratione vocabula, Pallas,
pro ducibus nostris aegida semper habe.
809 After an interval of one day rites are performed in honour of Minerva, which get their name from a group of five days.1 The first day is bloodless, and it is unlawful to combat with the sword, because Minerva was born on that day. The second day and three besides are celebrated by the spreading of sand2: the warlike goddess delights in drawn swords. Ye boys and tender girls, pray now to Pallas; he who shall have won the favour of Pallas will be learned. When once they have won the favour of Pallas, let girls learn to card the wool and to unload the full distaffs. She also teaches how to traverse the upright warp with the shuttle, and she drives home the loose threads with the comb. Worship her, thou who dost remove stains from damaged garments; worship her, thou who dost make ready the brazen caldrons for the fleeces. If Pallas frown, no man shall make shoes well, though he were more skilful than Tychius3; and though he were more adroit with his hands than Epeus4 of old, yet shall he be helpless, if Pallas be angry with him. Ye too, who banish sicknesses by Phoebus’ art, bring from your earnings a few gifts to the goddess5 And spurn her not, ye schoolmasters, ye tribe too often cheated of your income,6 she attracts new pupils; and spurn her not, thou who dost ply the graving tool and paint pictures in encaustic colours, and thou who dost mould the stone with deft hand. She is the goddess of a thousand works: certainly she is the goddess of song; may she be friendly to my pursuits, if I deserve it.
835 Where the Caelian Mount descends from the height into the plain, at the point where the street is not level but nearly level, you may see the small shrine of Minerva Capta, which the goddess owned for the first time upon her birthday. The origin of the name Capta is doubtful. We call ingenuity “capital”; the goddess herself is ingenious.7 Did she get the name of Capta because she is said to have leaped forth motherless with her shield from the crown of her father’s head (caput)? Or because she came to us as a captive at the conquest of Falerii8? This very fact is attested by an ancient inscription. Or was it because she has a law which ordains capital punishment for receiving objects stolen from that place? From whatsoever source thou dost derive the title, Ο Pallas, do thou hold thine aegis ever before our leaders.
Quinquatrus, QVIN in the calendar, properly the name of one day, the fifth after the Ides; but it was commonly taken to mean a period of five days.
For gladiatorial shows.
Tychius is said to have invented shoe-making. Homer calls him the best of leather-cutters, Il. vii. 219–223.
Who made the Wooden Horse.
Minerva Medica.
The Quinquatrus was a holiday: the master on that day collected pennies from his boys, which it appears he had to hand over to Minerva. Ovid suggests that the boys might defraud their schoolmasters (or, reading fraudante, exhorts the masters not to cheat the goddess of her little earnings).
He suggests that capta comes from caput, and adds that Minerva is capitalis, “tiptop.”
This is probably the right reason.