“Si licet occultos monitus audire deorum
vatibus, ut certe fama licere putat,
cum sis officiis, Gradive, virilibus aptus,
dic mihi, matronae cur tua festa colant.” 170
sic ego. sic posita dixit mihi casside Mavors,
sed tamen in dextra missilis hasta fuit:
“nunc primum studiis pacis, deus utilis armis,
advocor et gressus in nova castra fero,
nec piget incepti; iuvat hac quoque parte morari, 175
hoc solam ne se posse Minerva putet.
disce, Latinorum vates operose dierum,
quod petis, et memori pectore dicta nota.
parva fuit, si prima velis elementa referre,
Roma, sed in parva spes tamen huius erat. 180
moenia iam stabant, populis angusta futuris,
credita sed turbae tum nimis ampla suae.
quae fuerit nostri, si quaeris, regia nati,
aspice de canna straminibusque domum.
in stipula placidi capiebat munera somni, 185
et tamen ex illo venit in astra toro.
iamque loco maius nomen Romanus habebat,
nec coniunx illi nec socer ullus erat.
spernebant generos inopes vicinia dives,
190et male credebar sanguinis auctor ego.
in stabulis habitasse et oves pavisse nocebat
iugeraque inculti pauca tenere soli.
cum pare quaeque suo coeunt volucresque feraeque,
atque aliquam, de qua procreet, anguis habet;
195extremis dantur connubia gentibus: at quae
Romano vellet nubere, nulla fuit.
indolui patriamque dedi tibi, Romule, mentem:
‘tolle preces,’ dixi ‘quod petis arma dabunt.’
festa parat Conso. Consus tibi cetera dicet
200illo facta die, dum sua sacra canes.
intumuere Cures et quos dolor attigit idem:
tum primum generis intulit arma socer.
iamque fere raptae matrum quoque nomen habebant,
tractaque erant longa bella propinqua mora:
205conveniunt nuptae dictam Iunonis in aedem,
quas inter mea sic est nurus ausa loqui:
‘o pariter raptae (quoniam hoc commune tenemus)
non ultra lente possumus esse piae.
stant acies, sed utra di sint pro parte rogandi.
210eligite: hinc coniunx, hinc pater arma tenet.
quaerendum est, viduae fieri malitis an orbae:
consilium vobis forte piumque dabo.’
consilium dederat: parent crinesque resolvunt
maestaque funerea corpora veste tegunt.
iam steterant acies ferro mortique paratae, 215
iam lituus pugnae signa daturus erat:
cum raptae veniunt inter patresque virosque,
inque sinu natos, pignora cara, tenent.
ut medium campi passis tetigere capillis,
in terram posito procubuere genu, 220
et, quasi sentirent, blando clamore nepotes
tendebant ad avos bracchia parva suos:
qui poterat clamabat avum tum denique visum,
et qui vix poterat posse coactus erat.
tela viris animique cadunt, gladiisque remotis 225
dant soceri generis accipiuntque manus,
laudatasque tenent natas, scutoque nepotem
fert avus: hic scuti dulcior usus erat.
inde diem, quae prima, meas celebrare Kalendas
Oebaliae matres non leve munus habent, 230
aut quia committi strictis mucronibus ausae
finierant lacrimis Martia bella suis;
vel quod erat de me feliciter Ilia mater,
rite colunt matres sacra diemque meum.
quid, quod hiems adoperta gelu tunc denique cedit, 235
et pereunt lapsae sole tepente nives,
arboribus redeunt detonsae frigore frondes,
uvidaque in tenero palmite gemma tumet,
quaeque diu latuit, nunc se qua tollat in auras,
fertilis occultas invenit herba vias? 240
nunc fecundus ager, pecoris nunc hora creandi,
nunc avis in ramo tecta laremque parat:
tempora iure colunt Latiae fecunda parentes,
quarum militiam votaque partus habet.
adde quod, excubias ubi rex Romanus agebat, 245
qui nunc Esquilias nomina collis habet,
illic a nuribus Iunoni templa Latinis
hac sunt, si memini, publica facta die.
quid moror et variis onero tua pectora causis?
eminet ante oculos, quod petis, ecce tuos. 250
mater amat nuptas: matrum me turba frequentat:
haec nos praecipue tam pia causa decet.”
ferte deae flores: gaudet florentibus herbis
haec dea: de tenero cingite flore caput:
dicite “tu nobis lucem, Lucina, dedisti”: 255
dicite “tu voto parturientis ades.”
si qua tamen gravida est, resoluto crine precetur,
ut solvat partus molliter illa suos.
Quis mihi nunc dicet, quare caelestia Martis
arma ferant Salii Mamuriumque canant? 260
nympha, mone, nemori stagnoque operata Dianae;
nympha, Numae coniunx, ad tua facta veni.
vallis Aricinae silva praecinctus opaca
est lacus, antiqua religione sacer.
hic latet Hippolytus loris direptus equorum, 265
unde nemus nullis illud aditur equis.
licia dependent longas velantia saepes,
et posita est meritae multa tabella deae.
saepe potens voti, frontem redimita coronis,
femina lucentes portat ab Urbe faces. 270
regna tenent fortes manibus pedibusque fugaces,
et perit exemplo postmodo quisque suo.
defluit incerto lapidosus murmure rivus:
saepe, sed exiguis haustibus, inde bibi.
Egeria est, quae praebet aquas, dea grata Camenis: 275
illa Numae coniunx consiliumque fuit.
principio nimium promptos ad bella Quirites
molliri placuit iure deumque metu;
inde datae leges, ne firmior omnia posset,
coeptaque sunt pure tradita sacra coli. 280
exuitur feritas, armisque potentius aequum est,
et cum cive pudet conseruisse manus;
atque aliquis, modo trux, visa iam vertitur ara
vinaque dat tepidis farraque salsa focis.
ecce deum genitor rutilas per nubila flammas 285
spargit, et effusis aethera siccat aquis;
non alias missi cecidere frequentius ignes:
rex pavet et volgi pectora terror habet.
cui dea “ne nimium terrere! piabile fulmen
est,” ait “et saevi flectitur ira Iovis. 290
sed poterunt ritum Picus Faunusque piandi
tradere, Romani numen utrumque soli.
nec sine vi tradent: adhibe tu vincula captis.”
atque ita qua possint edidit arte capi.
lucus Aventino suberat niger ilicis umbra, 295
quo posses viso dicere “numen inest.”
in medio gramen, muscoque adoperta virenti
manabat saxo vena perennis aquae:
inde fere soli Faunus Picusque bibebant.
huc venit et fonti rex Numa mactat ovem, 300
plenaque odorati disponit pocula Bacchi,
cumque suis antro conditus ipse latet.
ad solitos veniunt silvestria numina fontes
et relevant multo pectora sicca mero.
vina quies sequitur; gelido Numa prodit ab antro 305
vinclaque sopitas addit in arta manus.
somnus ut abscessit, pugnando vincula temptant
rumpere: pugnantes fortius illa tenent.
tum Numa: “di nemorum, factis ignoscite nostris,
si scelus ingenio scitis abesse meo; 310
quoque modo possit fulmen, monstrate, piari.”
sic Numa; sic quatiens cornua Faunus ait:
“magna petis nec quae monitu tibi discere nostro
fas sit: habent fines numina nostra suos.
di sumus agrestes et qui dominemur in altis 315
montibus: arbitrium est in sua tela Iovi.
hunc tu non poteris per te deducere caelo,
at poteris nostra forsitan usus ope.”
dixerat haec Faunus; par est sententia Pici:
“deme tamen nobis vincula,” Picus ait: 320
“Iuppiter huc veniet, valida perductus ab arte.
nubila promissi Styx mihi testis erit.”
emissi laqueis quid agant, quae carmina dicant,
quaque trahant superis sedibus arte Iovem,
scire nefas homini: nobis concessa canentur 325
quaeque pio dici vatis ab ore licet.
eliciunt caelo te, Iuppiter; unde minores
nunc quoque te celebrant Eliciumque vocant.
constat Aventinae tremuisse cacumina silvae,
terraque subsedit pondere pressa Iovis. 330
corda micant regis, totoque e corpore sanguis
fugit, et hirsutae deriguere comae.
ut rediit animus, “da certa piamina” dixit
“fulminis, altorum rexque paterque deum,
si tua contigimus manibus donaria puris, 335
hoc quoque, quod petitur, si pia lingua rogat.”
adnuit oranti, sed verum ambage remota
abdidit et dubio terruit ore virum.
“caede caput” dixit: cui rex “parebimus,” inquit
“caedenda est hortis eruta cepa meis.” 340
addidit hic “hominis”: “sumes” ait ille “capillos.”
postulat hic animam, cui Numa “piscis” ait.
risit et “his” inquit “facito mea tela procures,
o vir conloquio non abigende deum.
sed tibi, protulerit cum totum crastinus orbem 345
Cynthius, imperii pignora certa dabo.”
dixit et ingenti tonitru super aethera motum
fertur, adorantem destituitque Numam.
ille redit laetus memoratque Quiritibus acta:
tarda venit dictis difficilisque fides. 350
“at certe credemur,” ait “si verba sequetur
exitus: en audi crastina, quisquis ades.
protulerit terris cum totum Cynthius orbem,
Iuppiter imperii pignora certa dabit.”
discedunt dubii, promissaque tarda videntur, 355
dependetque fides a veniente die.
mollis erat tellus rorata mane pruina:
ante sui populus limina regis adest.
prodit et in solio medius consedit acerno.
innumeri circa stantque silentque viri. 360
ortus erat summo tantummodo margine Phoebus:
sollicitae mentes speque metuque pavent.
constitit atque caput niveo velatus amictu
iam bene dis notas sustulit ille manus,
atque ita “tempus adest promissi muneris,” inquit 365
“pollicitam dictis, Iuppiter, adde fidem.”
dum loquitur, totum iam sol emoverat orbem,
et gravis aetherio venit ab axe fragor.
ter tonuit sine nube deus, tria fulgura misit.
credite dicenti: mira, sed acta, loquor. 370
a media caelum regione dehiscere coepit;
summisere oculos cum duce turba suo.
ecce levi scutum versatum leniter aura
decidit. a populo clamor ad astra venit.
tollit humo munus caesa prius ille iuvenca, 375
quae dederat nulli colla premenda iugo,
idque ancile vocat, quod ab omni parte recisum est,
quemque notes oculis, angulus omnis abest.
tum, memor imperii sortem consistere in illo,
consilium multae calliditatis init. 380
plura iubet fieri simili caelata figura,
error ut ante oculos insidiantis eat.
Mamurius, morum fabraene exactior artis
difficile est, illud, dicere, clausit opus.
cui Numa munificus “facti pete praemia,” dixit; 385
“si mea nota fides, inrita nulla petes.”
iam dederat Saliis a saltu nomina ducta
armaque et ad certos verba canenda modos.
tum sic Mamurius: “merces mihi gloria detur,
nominaque extremo carmine nostra sonent.” 390
inde sacerdotes operi promissa vetusto
praemia persolvunt Mamuriumque vocant.
nubere siqua voles, quamvis properabitis ambo,
differ; habent parvae commoda magna morae.
arma movent pugnas, pugna est aliena maritis; 395
condita cum fuerint, aptius omen erit.
his etiam coniunx apicati cincta Dialis
lucibus inpexas debet habere comas.
167 “If bards may list to secret promptings of the gods, as surely rumour thinks they may, tell me, thou Marching God (Gradivus), why matrons keep thy feast, whereas thou art apter to receive service from men.” Thus I inquired, and thus did Mars answer me, laying aside his helmet, though in his right hand he kept his throwing spear: “Now for the first time in the year am I, a god of war, invoked to promote the pursuits of peace, and I march into new camps, nor does it irk me so to do; upon this function also do I love to dwell, lest Minerva should fancy that such power is hers alone. Thy answer take, laborious singer of the Latin days, and write my words on memory’s tablets. If you would trace it back to its beginning, Rome was but little, nevertheless in that little town was hope of this great city. The walls were already standing, boundaries too cramped for future peoples, but then deemed too large for their inhabitants. If you ask what my son’s palace was, behold yon house of reeds and straw.1 There on the litter did he take the boon of peaceful sleep, and yet from that same bed he passed among the stars. Already the Roman had a name that reached beyond his city, but neither wife nor wife’s father had he. Wealthy neighbours scorned to take poor men for their sons-in-law; hardly did they believe that I myself was the author of the breed. It told against the Romans that they dwelt in cattle-stalls, and fed sheep, and owned a few acres of waste land. Birds and beasts mate each with its kind, and a snake has some female of which to breed. The right of intermarriage is granted to peoples far away; yet was there no people that would wed with Romans. I chafed and bestowed on thee, Romulus, thy father’s temper. ‘truce to prayers!’ I said, ‘What thou seekest, arms will give.’ Romulus prepared a feast for Consus.2 The rest that happened on that day Consus will tell thee, when thou shalt come to sing of his rites. Cures and all who suffered the same wrong were furious: then for the first time did a father wage war upon his daughters’ husbands.3 And now the ravished brides could claim the style of mothers also, and yet the war between the kindred folks kept lingering on, when the wives assembled by appointment in the temple of Juno. Among them my son’s4 wife thus made bold to speak: ‘Ο wives ravished alike for that is a trait we have in common no longer may we dawdle in our duties to our kin. The battle is set in array, but choose for which side ye will pray the gods to intervene: on one side stand your husbands in arms and on the other side your sires: the question is whether ye prefer to be widows or orphans. I will give you a piece of advice both bold and dutiful.’ She gave the advice: they obeyed, and unbound their hair, and clad their bodies in the sad weeds of mourners. Already the armies were drawn up in array, alert for carnage; already the bugle was about to give the signal for battle, when the ravished wives interposed between their fathers and husbands, bearing at their bosoms the dear pledges of love, their babes. When with their streaming hair they reached the middle of the plain, they knelt down on the ground, and the grandchildren stretched out their little arms to their grandfathers with winsome cries, as if they understood. Such as could cried ‘Grandfather!’ to him whom then they saw for the first time; such as could hardly do it were forced to try. The weapons and the passions of the warriors fall, and laying their swords aside fathers-in-law and sons-in-law grasp each other’s hands. They praise and embrace their daughters, and the grandsire carries his grandchild on his shield; that was a sweeter use to which to put the shield. Hence the duty, no light one, of celebrating the first day, my Kalends, is incumbent on Oebalian5 mothers, either because, boldly thrusting themselves on the bare blades, they by their tears did end these martial wars; or else mothers duly observe the rites on my day, because Ilia was happily made a mother by me. Moreover, frosty winter then at last retires, and the snows perish, melted by the warm sun; the leaves, shorn by the cold, return to the trees, and moist within the tender shoot the bud doth swell; now too the rank grass, long hidden, discovers secret paths whereby to lift its head in air. Now is the field fruitful, now is the hour for breeding cattle, now doth the bird upon the bough construct a nest and home; ’tis right that Latin mothers should observe the fruitful season, for in their travail they both fight and pray. Add to this that where the Roman king kept watch, on the hill which now bears the name of Esquiline,6 a temple was founded, if I remember aright, on this very day by the Latin matrons in honour of Juno. But why should I spin out the time and burden your memory with various reasons? The answer that you seek stands out plainly before your eyes. My mother loves brides; a crowd of mothers throngs my temple; so pious a reason is above all becoming to her and me.”7 Bring ye flowers to the goddess; this goddess delights in flowering plants; with fresh flowers wreathe your heads. Say ye, “Thou, Lucina, hast bestowed on us the light (lucem) of life”; say ye, “Thou dost hear the prayer of women in travail.” But let her who is with child unbind her hair before she prays, in order that the goddess may gently unbind her teeming womb.
259 who win now tell me why the Salii8 bear the heavenly weapons of Mars and sing of Mamurius? Inform me, thou nymph who on Diana’s grove and lake dost wait; thou nymph, wife of Numa, come tell of thine own deeds. In the Arician vale there is a lake begirt by shady woods and hallowed by religion from of old.9 Here Hippolytus10 lies hid, who by the reins of his steeds was rent in pieces: hence no horses enter that grove. The long fence is draped with hanging threads, and many a tablet there attests the merit of the goddess. Often doth a woman, whose prayer has been answered, carry from the City burning torches, while garlands wreathe her brows. The strong of hand and fleet of foot do there reign kings,11 and each is slain thereafter even as himself had slain. A pebbly brook flows down with fitful murmur; oft have I drunk of it, but in little sips. Egeria it is who doth supply the water, goddess dear to the Camenae12; she was wife and councillor to Numa. At first the Quirites were too prone to fly to arms; Numa resolved to soften their fierce temper by force of law and fear of gods. Hence laws were made, that the stronger might not in all things have his way, and rites, handed down from the fathers, began to be piously observed. Men put off savagery, justice was more puissant than arms, citizen thought shame to fight with citizen, and he who but now had shown himself truculent would at the sight of an altar be transformed and offer wine and salted spelt on the warm hearths.
285 Lo, through the clouds the father of the gods scatters red lightnings, then clears the sky after the torrent rain: never before or since did hurtling fires fall thicker. The king quaked, and terror filled the hearts of common folk. To the king the goddess spake: “Fear not over much. It is possible to expiate the thunderbolt, and the wrath of angry Jove can be averted. But Picus and Faunus, each of them a deity native to Roman soil, will be able to teach the ritual of expiation.13 They will teach it only upon compulsion. Catch them and clap them in bonds.” And she revealed the ruse by which they could be caught. Under the Aventine there lay a grove black with the shade of holm-oaks; at sight of it you could say, “There is a spirit here.” A sward was in the midst, and, veiled by green moss, there trickled from a rock a rill of never-failing water. At it Faunus and Picus were wont to drink alone. Hither King Numa came, and sacrified a sheep to the spring, and set out bowls full of fragrant wine. Then with his folk he hid him close within a cave. To their accustomed springs the woodland spirits came, and slaked their thirst with copious draughts of wine. Sleep followed the debauch; from the chill cave Numa came forth and thrust the sleeper’s hands into tight shackles. When slumber left them, they tried and strained to burst the shackles, but the more they strained the stronger held the shackles. Then Numa spake: “Gods of the groves, forgive my deed, if that ye know my mind harbours no ill intent, and show me in what way a thunderbolt can be expiated.” Thus Numa spake, and thus, shaking his horns, Faunus replied: “Thou askest great things, such as it is not lawful for thee to learn by our disclosure: divinities like ours have their appointed bounds. Rustic deities are we, who have dominion in the mountains high: Jove has the mastery over his own weapons. Him thou couldst never of thyself draw down from heaven, but haply thou mayest yet be able, if only thou wilt make use of our help.” So Faunus said. Picus was of the like opinion: “But take our shackles off,” quoth he; “Jupiter will come hither, drawn by powerful art. Witness my promise, cloudy Styx.” What they did when they were let out of the trap, what spells they spoke, and by what art they dragged Jupiter from his home above, ’twere sin for man to know. My song shall deal with lawful things, such as the lips of pious bard may speak. They drew (eliciunt) thee from the sky, Ο Jupiter, whence later generations to this day celebrate thee by the name of Elicius. Sure it is the tops of the Aventine trees did quiver, and the earth sank down under the weight of Jupiter. The king’s heart throbbed, the blood shrank from his whole body, and his bristling hair stood stiff. When he came to himself, “King and father of the high gods,” he said, “vouchsafe expiations sure for thunderbolts, if with pure hands we have touched thine offerings, and if for that which now we ask a pious tongue doth pray.” The god granted his prayer, but hid the truth in sayings dark and tortuous, and alarmed the man by an ambiguous utterance. “Cut off the head,” said he.14 The king answered him, “We will obey. We’ll cut an onion, dug up in my garden.” The god added, “A man’s.” “Thou shalt get,” said the other, “his hair.” The god demanded a life, and Numa answered him, “A fish’s life.” The god laughed and said, “See to it that by these things thou dost expiate my bolts, Ο man whom none may keep from converse with the gods! But when to-morrow’s sun shall have put forth his full orb, I will give thee pure pledges of empire.” He spake, and in a loud peal of thunder was wafted above the riven sky, leaving Numa worshipping. The king returned joyful and told the Quirites of what had passed. They were slow and loth to believe his saying. “But surely,” said he, “we shall be believed if the event follow my words. Behold, all ye here present, hearken to what to-morrow shall bring forth. When the sun shall have lifted his full orb above the earth, Jupiter will give sure pledges of empire.” They separated full of doubt, and thought it long to await the promised sign; their belief hung on the coming day. Soft was the earth with hoar frost spread like dew at morn, when the people gathered at the threshold of their king. Forth he came and sat him down in their midst upon a throne of maple wood; unnumbered men stood round him silent.
361 Scarcely had Phoebus shown a rim above the horizon: their anxious minds with hope and fear did quake. The king took his stand, and, his head veiled in a snow-white hood, lifted up his hands, hands which the gods already knew so well. And thus he spoke: “The time has come to receive the promised boon; fulfil thy promise, Jupiter.” Even while he spoke, the sun had already lifted his full orb above the horizon, and a loud crash rang out from heaven’s vault. Thrice did the god thunder from a cloudless sky, thrice did he hurl his bolts. Take my word for it: what I say is wonderful but true. At the zenith the sky began to yawn; the multitude and their leader lifted up their eyes. Lo, swaying gently in the light breeze, a shield fell down. The people sent up a shout that reached the stars. The king lifted from the ground the gift, but not till he had sacrificed a heifer, which had never submitted her neck to the burden of the yoke, and he called the shield ancile,15 because it was cut away (recisum) on all sides, and there was no angle that you could mark. Then, remembering that the fate of empire was bound up with it, he formed a very shrewd design. He ordered that many shields should be made, wrought after the same pattern, in order to deceive a traitor’s eyes. That task was finished by Mamurius; whether he was more perfect in character or in smithcraft would be a difficult question to decide. Bountiful Numa said to him, “Ask a reward for your service. If I have a reputation for honesty, you shall not ask in vain.” He had already named the Salii from their dancing (saltus), and had given them arms and a song to be sung to a certain tune. Then Mamurius made answer thus: “Give me glory for my reward, and let my name be chanted at the end of the song.” Hence the priests pay the reward that was promised for the work of old, and they invoke Mamurius.16
393 If, damsel, thou wouldst wed, put off the wedding, however great the haste ye both may be in; short delay hath great advantage. Weapons excite to battle, and battle ill assorts with married folk; when the weapons shall have been stored away, the omens will be more favourable. On these days, too, the robed wife of the Flamen Dialis with peaked cap17 must keep her hair uncombed.
The Casa Romuli on the Palatine; see i. 199.
There are two festivals of Consus (Consualia), on August 21 and December 15. When he comes to these the poet will tell of the Rape of the Sabines. In the last battle, the wives threw themselves between the combatants, and persuaded them to make peace. Livy i. 13.
A covert allusion to the Civil Wars: Pompey’s wife Julia was Caesar’s daughter.
Romulus, for Mars is speaking.
Sabine. See i. 260 note.
He derives the name from excubiae. It may come from aesculus, “beech.” Romulus had a post here set to watch Titus Tatius on the neighbouring hill.
The Matronalia, in honour of Juno Lucina.
Dancing priests. They carried a spear and one of the ancilia or sacred shields. See 377 note, below, and Appendix, p. 399 (i.e. in the section “Mars.”)
Lacus Nemorensis, now Nemi. See Appendix, p. 403 (i.e. “Nemi.”)
Hippolytus, after being torn to pieces by his horses near Troezen, was restored to life by Aesculapius and transported by Diana to the woods of Aricia, where he took the name of Virbius.
A runaway slave reigns there as Rex Nemorensis, until a stronger runaway slave dispossesses him. This is the theme of the Golden Bough. See Appendix, p. 403 (i.e. “Nemi.”)
Egeria was one of the Camenae, water-nymphs whose spring flowed in a sacred grove outside the Porta Capena; but these came to be identified with the Muses.
Faunus, or Faunus Fatuus, son of Picus, the woodpecker. The Greeks told a like story of Silenus.
The onion, human hair, and fish, are prescribed as expiation for a thunderstroke. No one knows why, but Ovid suggests that they are a substitute for human sacrifice.
As though from ancisus (in Varro ambecisus).
Probably an Oscan name of Mars.
He wore a cap with an “apex, a point or peak.”