May 1 | Fastorum Liber Quintus: Maius
A • K • MAI • NP LVDI | Kalends Maii | V.111-158, the she-goat constellation rises in the sky.
Ab Iove surgat opus. prima mihi nocte videnda
stella est in cunas officiosa Iovis:
nascitur Oleniae signum pluviale Capellae;
illa dati caelum praemia lactis habet.
Naïs Amalthea, Cretaea nobilis Ida, 115
dicitur in silvis occuluisse Iovem.
huic fuit haedorum mater formosa duorum,
inter Dictaeos conspicienda greges,
cornibus aeriis atque in sua terga recurvis,
ubere, quod nutrix posset habere Iovis. 120
lac dabat illa deo. sed fregit in arbore cornu
truncaque dimidia parte decoris erat.
sustulit hoc nymphe cinxitque recentibus herbis
et plenum pomis ad Iovis ora tulit.
ille ubi res caeli tenuit solioque paterno 125
sedit, et invicto nil Iove maius erat,
sidera nutricem, nutricis fertile cornu
fecit, quod dominae nunc quoque nomen habet.
praestitibus Maiae Laribus videre Kalendae
aram constitui parvaque signa deum: 130
voverat illa quidem Curius: sed multa1 vetustas
destruit, et saxo longa senecta nocet.
causa tamen positi fuerat cognominis illis,
quod praestant oculis omnia tuta suis.
stant quoque pro nobis et praesunt moenibus Urbis 135
et sunt praesentes auxiliumque ferunt.
at canis ante pedes saxo fabricatus eodem
stabat: quae standi cum Lare causa fuit?
servat uterque domum, domino quoque fidus uterque:
compita grata deo, compita grata cani. 140
exagitant et Lar et turba Diania fures:
pervigilantque Lares pervigilantque canes.
bina gemellorum quaerebam signa deorum
viribus annosae facta caduca morae:
mille Lares Geniumque ducis, qui tradidit illos. 145
Urbs habet, et vici numina trina colunt.
quo feror? Augustus mensis mihi carminis huius
ius habet: interea Diva canenda Bona est.
est moles nativa loco, res nomina fecit:
appellant Saxum; pars bona montis ea est. 150
huic Remus institerat frustra, quo tempore fratri
prima Palatinae signa dedistis aves.
templa Patres illic oculos exosa viriles
leniter acclini constituere iugo.
dedicat haec veteris Clausorum nominis heres, 155
virgineo nullum corpore passa virum:
Livia restituit, ne non imitata maritum
esset et ex omni parte secuta suum.
111 Begin the work with Jupiter. On the first night is visible the star that tended the cradle of Jupiter2; the rainy sign of the Olenian3 She-goat rises. She has her place in the sky as a reward for the milk she gave the babe. The Naiad Amalthea, famous on the Cretan Mount Ida, is said to have hidden Jupiter in the woods. She owned a she-goat, conspicuous among the Dictaean flocks, the fair dam of two kids; her airy horns bent over on her back; her udder was such as the nurse of Jove might have. She suckled the god. But she broke a horn on a tree, and was shorn of half her charm. The nymph picked it up, wrapped it in fresh herbs, and carried it, full of fruit, to the lips of Jove. He, when he had gained the kingdom of heaven and sat on his father’s throne, and there was nothing greater than unconquered Jove, made his nurse and her horn of plenty into stars: the horn still keeps its mistress’ name.4
129 The Kalends of May witnessed the foundation of an altar to the Guardian Lares, together with small images of the gods. Curius indeed had vowed them, but length of time destroys many things, and age prolonged wears out a stone. The reason for the epithet5 applied to them is that they guard all things by their eyes. They also stand for us, and preside over the City walls, and they are present and bring us aid. But a dog, carved out of the same stone, used to stand before their feet. What was the reason for its standing with the Lar? Both guard the house: both are faithful to their master: cross-roads are dear to the god,6 crossroads are dear to dogs: the Lar and Diana’s pack give chase to thieves; and wakeful are the Lares, and wakeful too are dogs. I sought for the images of the twin gods, but by the force of yearlong time they had decayed. In the City there are a thousand Lares, and the Genius of the chief, who handed them over to the public; the parishes worship the three divinities.7
147 Whither do I stray? The month of August has a rightful claim to that subject of my verse: meantime the Good Goddess8 must be the theme of my song. There is a natural knoll, which gives its name to the place; they call it the Rock9; it forms a good part of the hill. On it Remus took his stand in vain, what time, birds of the Palatine, ye did vouchsafe the first omens to his brother. There, on the gentle slope of the ridge, the Senate founded a temple which abhors the eyes of males. It was dedicated by an heiress of the ancient name of the Clausi, who in her virgin body had never known a man:10 Livia restored it, that she might imitate her husband and follow him in everything.
voverat Um1: struxerat one ϛ (cited by Heinsius): ara erat Xm2 and many ϛ: vota erat one ϛ: arserat H. Peter (following M. Haupt and H. Jordan): ars erat Merκel3. | curius Um1: curibus Xm2: laribus ϛ: | multa Xm1 and some ϛ: longa Um2 and most MSS.
Apparent morning rising of Capella was on April 7.
Perhaps from Olene in Achaea.
The horn of Amalthea, or cornucopiae, “Horn of Plenty,” which was supposed to produce for its possessor whatever he wished.
Praestites, “guardians,” because they “stand before” and so guard.
Lares Compitales.
Augustus made 265 vici in Rome, and each had a shrine of the Lares Compitales. The Lares were two: and the figure of Augustus was set up with them.
The Good Goddess was formerly an Earth-goddess. Men were not allowed to enter her temple. See Appendix, p. 423 (The Good Goddess).
The peak of the Aventine.