i.e. leviter attingit.
171-174. The reason is here required and given, why the Romans when about to sacrifice to any other of the gods, first made offerings to Janus. The old historian, Fabius Pictor, said it was because Janus first taught to use spelt (far) and wine in sacrifice. Macrobius says because he was the first who erected temples to the gods in Italy. Others give other reasons equally unsatisfactory.
175-182. In our own custom of wishing each other a happy new year, &c. may still be witnessed, the practice of which the poet here asks the reason. The bona verba were used for the sake of omen.—Ulla lingua, any tongue which then utters a prayer.—Caducas, unavailing.
186, 187. The strenae (Fr. étrennes) or New Year's gift—Palma, dates, the fruit of the palm, (caryotae) covered with gold leaf, were a part of the strenae.—Carica the [Greek: ischas] or dried fig.– Cado, some MSS. read favo.
189. Stipis, pieces of money were then as now, a part of the New-year's gift. Augustus himself, as inscriptions shew, did not scruple to receive money as his strenae on the Kalends of January, See Suet. Aug. 91.
191-218. The praises of ancient simplicity, and censure of the vices of his own times,—a common place with Ovid and the other poets.
191. Quam te fallunt, etc. How little you know the character of your own times.
193, 194. Such was hardly the case even in the golden age.
Pris. tem. an. In the years of the olden time.
199. Martigena, Mars-begotten, like terrigena, etc.
201. Angusta aede, either the temple of Jupiter Feretrius, built by Romulus on the Capitol, and which was not quite fifteen feet long, or that built by Numa, or rather any temple of those ancient times.—Vix totus stabat seems to mean that the statue was in a sitting posture, and the roof of the temple so low, that it would not admit of its being placed erect in it.
202. Fictile fulmen. The images of the gods at Rome, in those times, were of baked clay, manufactured in Etruria. Even the four-horse chariot which was placed on the Capitoline temple, when first built, was of baked clay. Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. I. 491.
208. Levis lamina is employed to express more strongly the simplicity of those days, as if the possession of even the smallest quantity of the precious metals was a crime. Fabricius, when censor, A.U.C. 478, put out of the senate Cornel. Rufinus, who had been twice consul and dictator, for having ten pounds weight of wrought silver.
210. Rome would appear to be personified in this place.
212, 213. The union of luxury and avarice, Sallust Cat. 5 and 12. They vie in gaining what they may consume, in regaining, what they have consumed, and these very alternations (of avarice and luxury) are the aliment (or support) of (these) vices.
215, 216. The usual comparison of avarice to the dropsy. See Hor. Carm. II. 2. 13.
217, 218. In pret. pret. a play on words.—Dat census, etc. Hor. Epist. I. 6.
219. cur sit. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig, read si sit.—Quaeris, means you will probably ask, or you wish to know, for the poet had not yet asked the question.—Ausp. utile, a good omen.
220. Aera vestua, the stips or as. was a copper coin. In the old times, the Romans had none but copper money. See Neibuhr, Rom. Hist. I. 449 et seq.
223. Nos, we, the gods, or I, Janus.
226. The manners of each time are suited to it, and should be followed.
227. Munitus, acc. plur. of the substantive. Five MSS. read manitis.
229, 230. The old Roman coin bore on one side the figure of a ship; on the other, a two-headed Janus.
232. The impression on the old coins was, of course, often effaced by time and use.
234. Falcifer Saturn. See Mythology, p. 465, Virg. aen. viii. 315 et seq.
241. The Janiculum on the left, or Tuscan bank of the Tiber. See vv. 245, 246.
242. Aren. Tib. the flavus Tib. of Horace, Carm. I. 3.—Radit, like rodet and mordet, is very appropriately applied to a stream. See Hor. Carm. I. 22, 8.
243. Virg. aen. viii. 314. Propert, iv. 1. Tibul. II. 5, 25. This contrast of the former and the present state of the Seven Hills, was a favorite theme with poets of the Augustan age.—Incaedua uncut, i.e. ancient, denoting in general a wood, which was an object of religious awe and veneration.
245. Arx. The dwelling of the princes of the heroic ages was usually on an eminence, like the castles of the feudal chiefs of the middle ages.
247, 248. In the golden age.
249, 250. See Met. I. 89, et seq. 150. Hesiod [Greek: herga] 195. Mythology, 258-262.
251. Pudor, [Greek: Aidos].
257, 258. The Romans gave the name of Jani to arches, like that of Templebar, in London, under which people passed from one street into another. They were always double, people entering by one and going out the other, every one keeping to the right. Lenz, understands by Jani, in this place, temples of Janus, of which there were three at Rome.– Stas sacratus_ have a statue. For. duob. the fish and the ox-market. This temple was built by Duilius.
260. Oebalii, alluding to the fancied descent of the Sabines, from the Lacedaemmonians, one of whose ancient kings Oebalus is said to have been. Tati—One MS. reads Titi, which Heinsius and Gierig adopted. for this story, see Met. xiv. 771 et seq. and Livy I 11.
261. Levis custos Tarpeia.—levis, light-minded.
264. Arduus clivus, a steep path.
265. Portam, the Palantine gate.—Saturnia, Juno.
267. Tanto numine Scil. Juno.
268. Meae artis, that is, of openings.
269. He caused streams of hot sulphurous water to gush out of the groung.
274. When after the repulse of the Sabines, the hot waters ceased to flow, and the place became as it was before.
275, 276. This earliest temple was exceedingly small, containing nothing but a statue of the god, five feet high. Procopius (de Bell. Goth.) describes it. Strue. The strues—was a kind of cake.
277. The well known circumstance of the temple of Janus being open in time of war, closed in time of peace.
279-281. For what is probably the true reason, see Niebuhr's Roman History, I. 287, or Mythology, p. 467.
283. Diversa tuentes, on account of his two faces.
285, 286. This was A.U.C. 770, when on the vii. Kal. Jun. Germanicus triumphed over the Catti, the Cherusci, and the Angivarii, Tacit. An. II. 4l.—Fam. Rhe. aq. the river, as was usual with the poets, put for the people who dwelt on its banks, to denote that the Germans now obeyed Rome.
287. Face, fac.—Ministros
