Every ninth day the country people came into Rome to attend the market. By the Hortensian law, these days were made fasti in order that their rustic disputes might be settled.
55. On all the Kalends the Pontifex Minor and the Regina Sacrorum sacrificed to Juno who was by some regarded as the moon. For the name Juno see my Mythology, p. 461.—Junonis, Heinsius would read Junonia.
56. A sacrifice of a lamb was offered on the Capitol to Jupiter on the Ides of each month.
57. The Nones were not under the care of any deity.
57-60. The days following the Kalends, Nones and Ides were termed Atri, black or unlucky, as on these days, the Romans had met with their most memorable defeats at the Cremera, the Allia, and elsewhere. A public calamity on any particular day of any one month rendered ater, that day in every other month.
61, 62. I say it once for all.
63. For the mythology of Janus, see Mythology, p. 466, et seq.
65. An. tac lab. denotes the noiseless pace of time.—Origo as the year began with January.
66. See his figure. Mythology, Plate xii. 4.
67. Ducibus, perhaps Tib. and Germ, after the victory gained by the latter over the Catti and Cherusci, and other German tribes, A.U.C. 770; it may, however, include Augustus and other generals.
68. Terra ferax, the [Greek: zeidoros arera] of Homer.
69. Tuis, Burmann would read tui as it seems awkward to say the Patres Jani and the Populus Quirini. Quirinus was a name of Janus (Janum Quirinum ter clusit Suet. Aug. 22.) and Gierig thinks the true reading might have been Quirine. After all it was perhaps the constraint of the metre that made the poet express himself thus.
70. Candida templa, either as being built of marble, or on account of those who frequented them on festival days, being clad in white. Gierig inclines to the latter, I should prefer the former sense.
71. Lin. anim. fav. [Greek: euphaemeite] by using no words of ill omen and by admitting no thoughts but what were good.
75. Odor. ig. with the frankincense, cinnamon, saffron, &c. which were burnt on the altars.
76. Spica Cilissa, the saffron from Mount Corycus in Cilicia.– Spica, the chives or filaments of the saffron.—Sonet, when the saffron was good it crackled in the fire.
77. Aurum, the gilded roof of the temple.
79, 80. Vest, intact. with new or white garments, the Roman toga was white.—Concolor, a festal or happy day was metaphorically termed white.—Tarp. Arces, the Capitol. It was the practice ever since A.U.C. 601 for the consuls elect, followed by the people, to go in procession to the Capitol and offer a sacrifice to Jupiter.
81, 82. The consuls entered on their office on this day.—Purpura, the toga praetexta or trabea, worn by magistrates.—Ebur, the curule chair.
83. Rudis operum, that had never been worked.
84. Herba Fal. &c., the land of Falerii in Etruria, whence the animals for sacrifice were chiefly brought, the water of the Clitumnus, in Umbria, was supposed to make them white, Virg. G. II. 146.
85. Arce, either the Capitol, or the dome of Heaven, see Met. I. 163. Virg aen. I. 223.
88. Pop. rer. pol. the Romanos rerum dominos of Virgil.
89. The poet here commences his enquiry into the mythology of Janus.
90. There was no deity worshipped in Greece whose attributes were the same as those of Janus. A curious similarity has been traced out between him and the Ganesa of India.
93. Tabellis, his writing-tables.
94. A usual sign of the presence of a Deity.
100. Ore priore, his front face. See his image.
101. Vat. oper. dier. Poet engaged on the days.
103. First opinion, Janus was the World.
105-110. Compare Met. I. init.
113, 114. His back and front figure were the same, a memorial of the time when the world was in a chaotic state of confusion, all its parts being alike. This is a very silly explanation.
115. Second opinion, see below v. 135-140.
116. His office of door-keeper (Janitor) of heaven and earth.
120. The cardines of heaven, if they are meant, are the cardinal points, where according to the poetic creed of the Augustan age there were doors for the gods to go in and out of heaven. Stat. Theb. i. 158, vii. 35. x. 1. See Mythology, p. 39.
121. He represents Peace and War as persons in the custody of Janus.– Placidis as being the abode of Peace.
122. Perpetuas, long.
125. See Hom. II. v. 749, et seq. Mythology p. 150.
127. Janus à janua.
127, 128. Cereale libum, the Janual, a kind of cake offered to Janus. Festus sub. voc.—Imponit on the altar.—Far mix. sal. the Mola salsa.
129, 130. Patulcius (à pateo) the Opener, Clusius (à claudo) the Shutter; sacrifical names of Janus.
133. Vis i.e. officium.
134. From what I have said you already in part perceive it.
137. Primi tecti, the first part of the house, i.e. the entrance.
141, 142. The three-faced Hecate, (see her figure Mythology, Plate III. 2.) was placed at the triviae, or the point where a road branched off (like the Greek capital Y) so that a face looked down each road.
149, 150. The poet naturally asks why the year began in the middle of winter and not in the spring. This gives him an opportunity of introducing the following lovely description with which compare, Virg. G. II. 324, et seq. Lucret I. 5, et seq. and below III. 236 et seq. IV. 87 et seq.
153. Oper. frond. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig on the authority of nine MSS. read amicitur vitibus; four MSS. have amicitur frondibus which I should feel disposed to prefer.
154. Seminis herba appears to be the corn which had been sown and was now coming up; one MS. reads graminis.
157. Ignota, the stranger, as the swallow returns in spring.
158. Lut. fing. opus. her clay-built nest: Fingere is the proper term when speaking of pottery any work in clay.
163. Bruma, the winter solstice after which the days begin to lenghten.
165-170. It was usual with all classes of the people to practice a little at their respective trades, or occupations on the Kalends of January by way of omen and not for payment. Thus the shoe-maker or the fuller did some little job or another, the peasant some rural work, pleaders
