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 pacis, Tiberius and Germanicus.
288. May not he (Germ. or Tib.) who has procured this peace for the empire, break it by resuming arms.
289, 290. The poet now ceases to discourse with Janus, and informs the reader of what he had found in the Fasti, namely, that two temples had been consecrated, at different times, on the Kalends of January.
291, 292. A.U.C. 462, in consequence of a plague at Rome, by the direction of the Sybelline books, an embassy was sent to Epidaurus, and one of the serpents sacred to Aesculapius was brought to Rome; a temple was built to the god on the island in the Tiber. See Met. xv. 622—744. Ph. n. Cor. nat. Aesculapius. See Mythology, p. 384.
293, 294. In parte est, is a sharer in the day and place. The temple of Jupiter in the island was dedicated by C. Servilius Duumvir, some time after the second Punic war.
295-310. Being now for the first time about to perform the other part of his promise, namely, to note the risings and settings of the stars, he prefaces it by the praises of the astronomers. See Introd. § 1.
299, 300. As the study of astronomy elevates the mind above the terrestrial abode of men, so it raises, or should raise it, above all mean and groveling pursuits and ideas.
305. They have brought the distant stars to our eyes. Gierig, following one MS. for nostris, reads terris, a reading which Burmann approved, though he did not adopt it.
307, 308. Alluding to the Alodïes, Otus and Ephialtes, Hom. Od. xi. 304-316. Virg. G. I. 280. Hor. Carm. III. 4, 49.
311-314. The cosmic setting of Cancer, on the morning of the 3rd January, the third before the Nones. See Introd. §. 1.
316. The cosmic rising of Lyra, which was usually attended with rain.
317, 318. On the 9th January was celebrated the festival of Jannus, named the Agonia or Agonalia, the origin of which name the poet now proceeds to discuss.
319-322. One etymon was ago, to do, as the popa or officiating minister of the altar cried Agone? Shall I act? before he struck the victim.—Agatne. Four of the best MSS. read Agone; they are followed by Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig.
323, 324. A second from agor, because the victims were led to the altar. Both equally silly.
325. a third; quasi Agnalia from Agna.
327, 328. A fourth from the Greek [Greek: agonia, agoniazein]—In aqua, the vessels of water by the altar in which the knives were placed.
329, 330. A fifth from the Greek [Greek: agones] ludi.
331. A sixth, which the poet approves, from Agonia, an old name for cattle.
333, 334. A ram was the victim offered on this day by the Rex Sacrorum.
335, 336. Two trifling etymoligies. The victima, he intimates, was offered after a victory; the hostia, in time of peace, when there was no enemy, hostibus amotis. Krebs reads a motis: almost all the MSS. a domitis.
337-456. A long digression on the origin and causes of the various sacrifices offered to the gods.
338. The Mola salsa.—Pura because it purifies or keeps from decay.
340. Hospita navis, a foreign ship.
343. Herbis Sabinis. The Savin, called by the Greeks [Greek: brathu]. Duorum generum est, says Pliny, altera tamaraci similis folio, altera cupresso.
344. A loud crackling of the leaves of the bay or laurel in the fire was a good omen.
347. This was in the golden age, before animals were slain in honor of the gods.
349. He now proceeds to explain how the altars came to be stained with the blood of animals. This was caused chiefly by the anger of the gods, on account of the mischief which they did.
357. [Greek: Kaen me phagaes epi rizan, omos eti karpophoraeoo Osson epispeisai soi, trage, Ouomeno], Euenus in Anthol. Gr. T. I. p. 165, Jacobs.
363. Aristaeus, the son