[1] Nil admirari: The infinitive acts as the subject of the clause.
prope res est una...solaque: "[to marvel at nothing] is almost the one and only thing."
Numici: The precise identity of this Numicius is not known. The gens Numicia were an ancient Roman patrician family. The Numicius this poem is addressed to is possibly Publius Numicius Pica Caesianus, who was a cavalry prefect under Augustus and later served as tribunus plebis. For more on the identity of Numicius see Herbert Musurillo 1974.
[2] quae possit: This relative clause of purpose (A&G 531.2).
beatum: accusative singular. In these first two lines Horace is stating that the key to finding happiness and preserving it is ceasing to admire, and therefore want, that which one doesn’t have.
[3] hunc solem = the demonstrative hunc gives it the sense that Horace is pointing at the sun. Direct object of spectent (line 5).
decedentia certis / tempora momentis: tempora here = "seasons", which "yield" (esp. their astrological signs) at specific times. Horace here seems to be referring to the impermanence of all things in general, using natural phenomena in particular as an example (e.g. the sun and stars disappear at night, while the seasons change routinely).
[4] sunt qui: These sorts of people have the right perspective of the natural world. This sets up a relative clause of characteristic with spectent the verb.
formidine nulla / inbuti: formidine nulla is ablative of means with the perfect passive participle. Often inbuere has a negative notion ("to stain"), but it is given a positive valence here. Horace urges the reader to accept these phenomena without fear (which we see stressed as well in Epicurus' Letter to Pythocles). The idea of living nulla formidine is a very Epicurean sentiment, relating to the Greek term ἀταραξία: essentially, living without anxieties.
[5]quid censes: "what do you think..." the first of many questions. The 2nd person singular groups the reader in with Numicius and questions the thought process of both parties.
munera terrae: these "gifts" are precious metals.
[6] quid maris…ditantis : supply censes from previous clause and assume munera as well. The gifts of the sea with ditantis agreeing with maris.
extremos Arabas...Indos: these are the direct objects of ditantis. Arabus et Indos are names of rivers which both emptied into the Indian ocean. Both rivers were found in the ancient region of Gedrosia. Both rivers are mentioned in accounts of Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East. Horace uses these two rivers to paint an image of the multitude of rich trade routes which ran in and around the Indian Ocean.
[7] ludicra possibly hearkening back to Ep. 1.1.10. These "shows" are then further described by the appositive phrase.
plausus: the applause at the show.
amici dona Quiritis: Romans referred to themselves as Quirites (sg. Quiris) when they were not operating in a military capacity. Horace may be using this peacetime term for Roman citizens to reinforce the image he is constructing of an amicable Rome (and audience).
[8] quo modo = ablative of manner (A&G 412).
sensu… et ore = see note above in line four for ablative of means.
Horace is here building on his many repeated quids in the previous lines by expanding his line of questioning beyond simply an individual’s thoughts about an idea (quid meaning “what”) to the fundamental manner in which a person thinks about that idea, and on a larger scale, the world (i.e. the “what” versus the “how"). The contrast of sensu to ore is meant to exemplify this shift by referring to both one’s internal feelings (sensu) and their outward expression of these emotions (ore).
[9] his adversa: adversa taking the dative - the same fear governs both the “haves” and “have-nots”. As Mayer writes, "dread (of the loss of what we idolize) is like desire" (ad loc.).
fere: "almost, nearly".
eodem / quo…pacto: ablative of manner A&G 412.
miratur: calls back to the opening of the poem with the employment of the same verb.
cupiens: this structure highlights the fact that although the types of men being discussed are characterized by different traits (adjectives), they are similar in their preoccupation with the matters before them.
[10] utrobique: an adverb meaning “on both sides, in both cases/instances”.
[11] inprovisa… utrumque: essentially, this is an alternate wording of the latter half of line 10. This repetition of the same idea with different phrasing on Horace’s part reinforces the idea that although the two types of men being discussed appear to be different, they share fundamental similarities.
improvisa: the etymological link with sight in this word (-vis-) ties it into previous moments (spectent, line 5; spectanda, line 8) and the following lines (vidit, oculis, lines 13-14).
[12]gaudeat...cupiat: deliberative subjunctives, (A&G 443)
quid ad rem: ad rem is a legal phrase meaning “to the point” or “without digression;” quid ad rem means something akin to “what is the relevance?”
[13]melius peiusve: irregular comparative forms of bonus, -a, -um and malus, -a, -um, here neuter accusative singular with quidquid. Again, Horace provides the characteristics of two types of men, and then describes the similarity of their reactions to the same event.
sua spe: ablative of comparison with preceding comparatives (A&G 406).
[14] defixis oculis: can mean “to stare at” but with a sense here of being astounded or frozen at (with eyes, body, and mind).
torpet: it serves as a physical manifestation of the idea that the mind and body are frozen with shock and fear.
[15]insani sapiens nomen ferat: the apodosis of a future less vivid conditional (A&G 516) that is continued into line 16. The conditional focus on the quest for virtue and how the seeker can drive himself too far and get to a point where he comes off as insane.
aequus iniqui: parallel with sapiens and insani, the word choice reflects the opposite characteristics.
[16] quam: its antecedent is virtus.
satis est: ringing a common theme in Horace's poetry (C. 3.16.44, Sat. 1.1.120, Ep. 1.2.46).
si petat: protasis of the future less vivid conditional that began in line 15.
[17] i nunc: “go now”, i is the imperative singular of eo.
argentum...artes:
all are the direct objects of suspice in the following line. Horace orders the reader to admire the various works of art and architecture.
[18] mirare: singular present active imperative of the deponent verb miror, an obvious recollection of the opening of the poem.
Tyrios...colores: Tyre, a city on the eastern edge of the mediterranean on the middle eastern coast in what is modern day Lebanon. This city was a trade center and was known especially for its role in the murex trade. A purple cloth studded with gems would be very expensive.
[19] quod: "at the fact that".
te...loquentem: Horace is telling Numicius to essentially enjoy the spotlight when he is speaking in front of a large crowd.
[20] navus-a-um = “energetic, busy”. Take adverbially (supply pete with first half of the sentence too). Horace describes the behavior of those who are impelled by shame to "busybody" behavior.
Forum: the Roman Forum as the center of business and judicial life.
tectum: roof standing for home; an example of synecdoche.
[21] ne...emetat: implied fear clause. Mutus (the subject of emetat) may “to mow down” more grain and derive more profit from his farm than "you" do from the Forum. Mutus' fields were given to him as part of the dowry (dotalibus) his wife brought to the marriage (i.e. not ancestral, he married into $$).
[22] Mutus probably not a real person, but the adjective means "dumb, silent" would be a contrast to the loud speaker in the Forum. Horace sardonically claims that it is a travesty (indignum), that someone born worse off than the addressee could become richer than him.
quod: “because” here with the subjunctive (sit), A&G 540.
[23] Mutus becomes a figure of admiration (mirabilis) to you rather than you appearing marvelous to him. Once again recalling the opening of the poem.
hic: referring to Mutus (supply mirabilis).
[24] Time will bring out objects of wealth, but also covers them up again (line 25). This thought is then expanded in the following lines to apply to rich people as well (who will be covered by the earth in death).
quidquid sub terra: this is the object of proferet, “under the earth”.
apricum: literally means “sunlight”, here functioning as “being discovered/exposed”.
proferet: future tense “bring forward”.
aetas: can also have the sense of “lifetime”. Horace used aetas instead of tempus here because aetas transcends the meaning of tempus.
Emphasis on time’s destructive power. Time is a recurrent element in literature and philosophy in ancient Rome. The Roman perception of time fundamentally shapes how the Romans understand the world.
[25] cum concessive clause with conspexerit (26)the subjunctive verb (A&G 549) with tamen (27) answering it.
bene notum: modifying te
[26]porticus Agrippae: Agrippa here refers to Marcus Agrippa(64/63-12BC), son-in-law and friend of Octavian/Augustus. Horace flatters his porticus by mentioning it with the famous Via Appia.
via...Appi: The Appian Way from Rome to Capua and Brindisi was built by Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 BC, and is one of the earliest and most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. Kaster 2012 is a great little book about the Appian Way.
[27] We all have to die, even Numa did! quo: “where”.
Note the similar thought in C. 4.7.14-16: nos ubi decidimus / quo pius Aeneas, quo Tullus dives et Ancus, / pulvis et umbra sumus.
Numa: Numa Pompilius, the lengendary second king of Rome (715-673BC), to whom many of Rome’s most important religious and political institutions are attributed. Husband of nymph Egeria.
Ancus: Ancus Marcius (678-616BC), the fourth king of Rome (reign 642-617BC). Waged war successfully against the Latins (the Latin League).
[28] renes: “kidneys” [think “renal failure”].
morbo...acuto: “caused by severe sickness”, ablative of cause (A&G 404).
[29] quaere: imperative “strive for” or "seek".
fugam morbi: "an escape from your pain" with morbi an objective genitive.
recte vivere: a common theme of the Epistles, e.g. 1.2.41.
quis non: “who does not?”
[30] Horace begins to posit various methods for "living rightly" although his own perspective (illuminated at the start of poem) seems to be based primarily on the perspective on the individual.
virtus...una: for virtue alone as the method, see Stoic thought especially.
fortis: nominative, translate adverbially "bravely/strongly". It looks back to Horace's own Stoic modus vivendi at Ep. 1.1.16-17.
omissis...deliciis: ablative absolute (A&G 419).
[31] hoc age = this sort of call for action common in the Epistles.
virtutem verba putas: This is an opposing point of view that believes virtue to be mere words. Supply esse to make verba into the predicate of virtutem.
[32] lucum ligna: paratactic construction lacking conjunction or verb. Reader should take putas from previous line and supply esse: “[do you consider a] sacred grove [to be] gathered wood.”
cave ne…occupet: Standard construction of a prohibition in indirect discourse: second person singular imperative verb + ne plus subjunctive verb (see A&G 588).
portus: Literally “harbor” or “warehouse,” taken here metonymically to refer to business dealings that the man may miss out on if he does not work diligently. In Roman trade, the first ship that made it to harbor could get higher prices for its goods.
[33]Cibyratica: Cibyra, an ancient city in Lycia, modern Anatolia. According to Mayer, an area rich in iron (ad loc.).
Bithyna: Bithynia, region northwest of Asia Minor bordering the Black Sea and the Marmara sea and accessible to Rome via the Hellespont. Notably rich in timber, fruit, grain, and marble.
ne … negotia perdas: “Lest you squander your affairs.” As before, Horace claims such a man risks losing business in these resource-rich areas if he does not act quickly and decisively.
[34] Horace continues to give a vision of the man who believes wealth leads to vivere recte. The picture is much like Scrooge McDuck diving through piles of gold coins at the beginning of DuckTales.
talenta: "Talents", an ancient unit of weight used to measure, and therefore value, sums of precious metal. 1,000 talents equates to 25,860 kg by the attic standard, a substantial amount of wealth.
rotundentur: Literally “let them be rounded off,” referring here to the rich man measuring and setting aside his wealth.
[35] quae: its antecedent is pars, both feminine nominative singular.
quadret: literally “may square off,” taken here as “make an even pile” of 4,000 talents. Equating to 103,440 kg of precious metal, this is an incredible amount of wealth. This subjunctive is part of a relative clause of purpose (A&G 531).
[36] scilicet: “obviously,” taken here ironically. Money can “buy” lovers and friends, but relationships based on wealth are never genuine and will likely vanish once the money runs out.
dote: ablative of accompaniment with cum, modifying uxorem (see A&G 413). Echoes dotalibus above (line 21).
uxorem…fidemque... amicos: all direct objects of donat, supplied in next line.
[37] genus et formam: furthers the ironical reading of scilicet. Nobility and beauty cannot be bought, but the allure of wealth softens any deficiencies.
regina Pecunia: “Queen money,” subject of donat. Echoes Hesiod, Works and Days, vv. 73, “πότνια Πειθὼ” or “queen Persuasion” (see vv. 39n). Likely intended to bear the same irony as scilicet.
[38] bene nummatum: is a colloquial expression among the high-falutin’ quasi-divine figures of Suadela and Venus. In using this phrase, Horace appears to again undercut the value of material wealth and advise Numicius to seek that which money cannot buy.
decorat: singular verb despite having two subjects. Clause should be read as two actions: “Suadela beautifies, as does Venus.”
Suadela Venusque: The Roman goddesses of persuasion and beauty, respectively. Echoes Hesiod, Works and Days vv. 63-76, which lists the contributions of the Gods during the creation of Pandora. Aphrodite “pour[s] grace round the maiden’s head, / and stinging desire and limb-gnawing passion” (vv. 66-67), while “queenly Persuasion / [gives] her golden necklaces to wear” (vv. 74-75)4. Horace thus evokes the first instance of a woman receiving material wealth and the desire for more. One might also think of all the troubles that have hounded mankind since the opening of Pandora's Box.
[39]mancipiis locuples: Ablative of means, modifying nominative locuples (see A&G 409.a).
eget aeris: A Verb of want, egere can take either the genitive or the ablative. However, poetic convention dictates that Horace use the genitive aeris (see A&G 356 Note).
Cappadocum rex: Horace again makes reference to Asia Minor. Cappadocia was Roman territory in modern northeast Turkey, located between the Black Sea and Cilicia. The king in question is likely Archelaus (reign 36 BCE-17 CE), who ruled at the time of the Epistles’ composition.
[40] ne fueris: prohibition indicated by ne + perfect subjunctive verb (see A&G 450).
Lucullus: Lucius Licinius Lucullus, a Roman aristocrat and consul in 74 BCE. Lucullus was a very rich man (known in part for his gardens and fishponds) might have been the sort of patron that playwrights would turn to for help. Staging opulent theater spectacles was on the rise during the 1st century BCE and the architectural expression of such luxury would be the Theater of Pompey (finished in 55 BCE).
ut aiunt: “As they say,” idiomatic introduction to an anecdote.
[41] si posset: indirect question built off rogatus ("having been asked if...").
centum: goes with chlamydes (a type of cape frequently used in the military).
[42]
qui possum: "how am I able..." supply praebere.
ait: here it is a third person perfect active indicative.
et… et: conjunction meaning “both… and… ” (A&G 224).
quaeram, habebo, mittam(43): all future active indicative first person singular.
[43] post paulo: "after a little while" with paulo an ablative of degree of difference (A&G 414).
sibi: dative of possession with the verb “to be”.
[44] domi: locative “at home” (A&G 427). He has so many capes, it doesn’t really matter if they need all or just some of them.
uel: conjunction meaning “or” connecting partem and omnis (which is accusative plural).
tolleret = indirect command with the subject being the person who had asked for all the capes. (A&G 588).
[45] exilis: in the sense of “poor”. Again, this is highly ironic and is not really what Horace thinks. This would be the mindset of the uber-rich Romans.
[46] dominum fallunt: multa is the subject. The master of the house doesn’t know how much he owns, this is a boon to thieves (prosunt furibus).
[47] res = $$. The relationship between wealth and happiness is important throughout the Epistles. beatum: beatus in its own right can mean “wealthy” or “prosperous”. This restates line 2. Horace is testing his readers to see if they have made any progress. Diaphora is the trope where you repeat a word and its definition has changed (cf. Taylor 2020).
[48] Be the first to take on this work and the last to leave it off. Horace would imply elsewhere in the Epistles that what one needs to do is devote oneself to philosophy to become beatus.
[49] species et gratia: another possible way to make one “fortunate”. This “reputation” and “prestige” would come from being a power-player in Roman politics.
si...praestat: “is responsible for”. Simple present conditional protasis (A&G 514).
[50] mercemur: the subjunctive here indicating a polite command.
qui dictet nomina: these sorts of nomenclatores are known from other works as well, like Cicero’s letters (cf. Ep. ad Att. 4.1.5). This is a relative clause of purpose (A&G 531).
[51] fodicet: foedicare is “to poke, nudge”. Another relative clause of purpose.
trans pondera = “across the stepping-stones”. Those who have visited Pompeii have noted the large stones that allow one to cross the street. If one is canvassing for votes, one has to press the flesh. The fact that the slave is now compelling the free man into action shows that the candidate no longer has true “freedom”. As Epictetus says, "If you want to be sonsul, you have to stay up at night, rush this way and that, kiss men's hands, rot away at other men's doors, say and do much that is not suitable for a free man, send presents to many men...and what is the result of all this? Twelve bundles of rods..." (Arr. Epict. diss. 4.10.20-1).
[52] Fabia and Velina are two of the original 35 tribes of Rome.
multum: take adverbially with valet = "has a lot of influence".
[53] cui libet: “to whomever it pleases (him to give)”
fascis: accusative here (long -is) and is a traditional attribution of power. curule...ebur: the Curule Chair, which had ivory inlays.
[54] importunus = “rude” - take adverbially. The political “big man” can bestow or take away power from the candidate.
frater, pater: Addressing individuals as “brother” or “father” as terms of affections may help the candidate curry favor.
[55] such an “adoption” only increases the size of your “family”.
facetus: again it should be taken adverbially. “With graceful courtesy” (Greenough ad loc.).
[56] The next idea of living well = eating well.
lucet : “when day breaks”.
eamus: hortatory subjunctive (A&G 439).
[57] quo: “where”.
gula: "gullet".
piscemur: while certain fish were a delicacy in Rome and the rich were known for their fish-ponds, usually fishing is thought to be a “low” skill. This informative article by Marzano 2018 puts fishing in its social context.
venemur: hunting is a much better attested occupation (especially of the rich).
ut olim: “as, once upon a time…” introducing a story about such a gourmand.
[58] Gargilius: An individual not known otherwise, but Horace has a similarly named, and foul-smelling, Gargonius in his Satires (1.2.27, 1.4.92). The catalogue of gear is what would be expected from a hunting party (venabulum = hunting spear). For more on Roman hunting see Green 1996. There are numerous mosaics showing Romans hunting - see the Getty’s slideshow.
[59] differtum: “crowded”. He calls attention to his hunting party, but doesn’t actually catch anything.
[60] unus…mulus: one of the mules (from a great number of the entourage) brings back his quarry (only one boar).
populo spectante: the conspicuous nature of this "show" belies its pathetic results.
[61] emptum...aprum: the boar was bought from a local hunter instead of caught with his own skill.
crudi tumidique: after eating, crudus = “raw, undigested” and comes to mean “suffering from indigestion”.
[62] quid deceat...obliti: forgetful of what is right/wrong. The indirect question takes the subjunctive, A&G 574. Decorum doesn’t matter to these gluttons, even the general idea that you don’t go to the baths after eating a big meal (think of your parents telling you to wait 20 minutes to swim after eating).
Caerite cera: the wax tablets that indicate who can vote in Roman elections. The citizens of Caere did not have the vote so these gluttons should not be considered citizens.
[63] remigium vitiosum: Odysseus’ crew who ate the Cattle of the Sun. To be fair, they were starving on the island -not everyone can have the self-control of Odysseus! This whole group is in apposition to the "we" who are the subject of lavemur in line 61 above.
Ulixei: an archaic genitive.
[64] patria: ablative of comparison with potior (A&G 406).
interdicta voluptas: the crew had been forbidden to eat the Cattle of the Sun. While voluptas might be a little strong for satisfying one’s hunger, the word is a good transition to the final group, who believe living a good life is equivalent to being in love.
[65] Mimnermus: a famous archaic Greek poet, who was often revered by contemporary Latin Love Elegists. Horace is paraphrasing the famous fragment “What is life, what is pleasure without golden Aphrodite? Let me perish, when these things no longer matter to me.”
sine amore iocisque: This is repeated in the following line and the sounds of that line also reply, note vivas in amore...The repetition would seem to imply that there is something monotonous and reductive in such a lifestyle.
[66] vivas: stressing once again the idea of how to live at the heart of this poem. It also may be a reply to the “let me perish” of Mimnermus’ fragment (as Cucchiarelli ad loc. suggests).
[67] vale: echoes the normal close of a letter, but now it has been given a slightly different valence.
siquid: = si aliquid, which is modified by rectius. quid is the direct object of inperti in the following line.
istis: ablative of comparison (A&G 406).
[68]candidus: take adverbially = “frankly, candidly”.
imperti: imperative of impertire “impart, communicate”.
utere: utor takes the ablative (his). See A&G 410.
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