[1] quid tibi visa: “what impression did it make on you?” i.e. “how did you like?”. (s.v. video OLD 20g:= “to give the impression of”). Take with all of the places mentioned in the first two and a half lines. These opening lines are reminiscent of modern letters (or emails) to those vacationing abroad - are the places as wonderful as they are said to be (maiora minorane fama?, line 3).
Chios: The large island (and name of its major city) in the Easter Aegean (only 7 km from the coast of Asia Minor) was prosperous in the Augustan period and would be visited twice by Tiberius. Homer is reputed, by some, to be from Chios.
Bullatius: Should we imagine Bullatius on a mission in Asia Minor or sight-seeing (as a break from some business venture)? His travels take him to many of the major cities and islands of Asia Minor.
notaque Lesbos: North of Chios, Lesbos is famous (nota) because it is the birthplace of Sappho and Alcaeus, poets that Horace mentions (e.g. C. 2.13.25, C. 4.9.7, Ep. 1.19.28, Ep. 2.2.99) and whose metres and subject-matter were models for his odes. For a short summary of their influence on Horace, see Clay 2010 and Hutchinson 2007.
[2] concinna Samos: Samos is the major city on the island of the same name. South of Chios, but likewise extremely close to the coast of Asia Minor. Horace considers it "elegant" (concinna) probably because of the regular plan of its city as well as its impressive harbor and walls.
Croesi regia Sardis: Sardis was the capital (regia) of Lydia, where Croesus had ruled until his defeat at the hands of the Persians in 546 BCE. Croesus was famous for his wealth (“Rich as Croesus”).
[3] Zmyrna: Smyrna (modern Izmir) is an important Ionian city on the coast of Asia Minor, west of Sardis. It was known for myrrh and was also the title of a famous neoteric poem by Cinna. With Ephesus and Pergamum, one of the chief cities of the Roman province of Asia. There may be a general allusion to Catullus 46 and his mention of the "famous cities of Asia" (claras Asiae...urbes, 46.6) in these opening lines. For Catullus, the spring weather makes him hanker to do some sight-seeing in these illustrious cities.
Colophon: An old Ionian city between Smyrna and Ephesus. Unlike the others mentioned Colophon was not nearly as important in Roman times.
maiora minorane fama?: A new question (-ne A&G 335) - take the comparatives as substantives.
fama: abl. of comparison with maiora and minora.
[4] cunctane: Horace wonders if all of these pale in comparison with the wonders of Rome.
prae: “(+abl.) in comparison with” (OLD 4).
Campo: The Campus Martius was the site of numerous building projects in the Late Republic (think of the monumental Theater of Pompey in 55 BCE) and Augustan period, including Agrippa’s original Pantheon, the Mausoleum of Augustus, and the Ara Pacis (to be completed in 9 BCE). It was the fashionable area during this period and offered green spaces as well as new buildings, cf. C. 1.8.4.
Tiberino flumine: The Tiber as a source of pride and equal to the rivers such as Hermus (Sardis) and Meles (Smyrna) that ran through the cities of Asia Minor.
sordent: “to seem mean/unworthy/not good enough” (OLD 2).
[5] venit in votum: A way of expressing affection or desire to do something (in this case supply “to see/visit”); cf. S. 2.6.1: erat in votis.
Attalicis ex urbibus una: Ablative of the Whole with a cardinal number (A&G 346c). The Attalid cities are, especially, Pergamon and Ephesus. These wealthy, luxurious cities in Asia Minor were bequeathed to Rome in 133 BCE by Attalus II at his death.
[6] Lebedum: Lebedus had been one of the original twelve Ionian cities, but at this point was less important than the surrounding cities. Although Horace would seem to imply it is a backwater, coins were minted there until the 2nd C. CE.
odio maris atque viarum: odio is an ablative of cause (A&G 404), i.e. because you hate travel, cf. C. 2.6.7: lasso maris et viarum. That ode features Tibur and Tarentum as ideal places to retire and may be a germane intertext. It is worthwhile to think about how Horace revisits his previous themes and language from the Odes in these Epistles.
[7] quid sit: Subjunctive in an indirect question (A&G 575).
Gabiis desertior atque / Fidenis vicus: Lebedus is compared to cities in Italy whose heydays have long past. Gabii is on the Via Praenestina between Rome and Praeneste and Fidenae, in Latium, was destroyed in the 5th C. BCE. The two cities are mentioned together in V. Aen. 6.773: hi tibi Nomentum et Gabios urbemque Fidenam. Gabii will be mentioned at Ep. 1.15.9 as an unappealing rest stop.
[8] vellem: Imperfect potential subjunctive - one can imagine it as part of present contrary-to-fact with the protasis an implied “if I had to”. Translate “I would be prepared (to)” (OLD 5a). Horace interjects about his own desire to live an Epicurean life, even in a town of limited means.
[9] oblitusque meorum: Verbs of forgetting take the genitive (A&G 350). The -que connects the infinitives, vivere (8) and spectare (11).
obliviscendus et illis: polyptoton of obliviscor. The gerundive takes the dative of agent illis (A&G 374). The general sentiment resembles the Epicurean stricture to “live unnoticed” (λάθε βιώσας).
[10] Neptunum...furentem: Neptune stands for the sea in a common metonymy.
procul e terra spectare: Lebedus is located on the coast and Horace imagines himself gazing at the sea while safely on land. The scene recalls Lucretius 2.1.1-4, another strong connection to Epicureanism in this poem.
[11] Horace responds to his possible lifestyle choice in the previous lines. He stresses that bad travel experiences should not lead to faulty views and the correlative holds as well - do not travel to escape difficulties.
qui Capua Romam petit: Use of the ablative Capua to denote location from which and the accusative Romam for location towards (A&G 427).
imbre lutoque: Take with aspersus in the following line as ablative of means. A nice realistic touch of the difficulties of traveling in the rain in Horace’s day, even along a road such as the Via Appia (which connects Capua to Rome). Kaster 2012 is a delightful narrative about the Appian Way.
[12] volet: Take with neque of previous line and the complementary infinitive vivere. This line corresponds forcefully to line 9 (vivere vellem) above.
caupona: An inn or lodging-house where the traveller would stop, cf. S. 1.5.51 and Ep. 1.17.8. Although the temporary stop for a weary and drenched traveller would be welcome, he will not want to live in the ancient equivalent to a motel.
qui: A new figure.
[13] frigus collegit: “has caught a chill” (probably not a medical “cold”).
furnos: The oven standing for the bakery itself, cf. S. 1.4.37.
balnea: The standard Roman bath had cold (frigidarium), warm (tepidarium), and hot (caldarium) areas. Balnea usually stood for more local bathing complexes vs. the large imperial thermae.
laudat: Responding to line 6 above. Take with nec in previous line. Although one who is cold will enjoy the warmth of the bakery or caldarium, he wouldn’t say it leads to a completely fortunate life and would not want to stay there forever.
[14] ut: with laudo = “to commend as” (OLD 1f).
plene: “completely” take with praestantia.
praestantia: agrees with balnea of previous line and takes fortunatam...vitam as direct object.
[15-16] mixed future condition (A&G 516) - future more vivid protasis and future less vivid apodosis- Horace implies that even if the naval travel is awful, you still should keep your boat!
[15] validus...Auster: Auster is the south wind (i.e. it blows from south to north) and such sirocco blasts were considered particularly strong and deadly by the Romans.
iactaverit: Future perfect to show that this action is considered to have happened before the apodosis.
in alto: “at sea”.
[16] idcirco: “for that reason”. Take adverbially (i.e. “would you sell your boat for that reason”).
trans Aegaeum mare: All of the places mentioned are at the far eastern edge of the Aegaean or near the coast of Asia Minor. If Bullatius met a storm at sea and has sent Horace a letter stating his desire to remain in the East, Horace is chiding him for his short-sighted perspective.
[17] incolumi: “to a sound man” (Dative of Reference, A&G 378). This is key. Although the discomfort may be physical (sea-sickness, cold), what matters is one’s mind. The pleasures of the east are ephemeral and must be judged with reason, cf. S. 2.3.132: incolumi capite es?
Rhodos: The main city of the island of Rhodes, known for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.
Mytilene pulchra: The largest city on Lesbos, Mytilene flourished in Roman times.
facit quod: “does what…” i.e. “does the same thing as….”
[18] paenula solstitio: A paenula is a type of waterproof coat (our modern raincoat). solstitio is Ablative of Time (A&G 423). The first of a series of comparisons revolving around winter/summer - all of these objects are superfluous and unnecessary, like Eastern luxuries to a man of sense.
campestre: supply velamentum: the sort of clothes worn which working out in the Campus Martius (our modern athletic shorts), cf. Ep. 1.7.59. The mention of campestre recalls Campo (line 4).
[19] per brumam: In the winter months the Tiber would not be used for swimming.
Sextili mense: A fireplace is not used in August (cf. Ep. 1.7.2). Remember that the Roman calendar originally began in March, hence our months September, October, November, December. This month was renamed mensis Augusti in 8 BCE (see Feeney 2007: 161)..
[20] dum: + indicative = “as long as” (A&G 555).
voltum...benignum: Fortune is personified. When she shows a kind face, one is blessed (think back to fortunatam vitam in line 14).
[21] Romae: locative (A&G 427). Horace hopes Bullatius will return to Rome and praise these locales from afar (absens).
laudetur: Recalling laudas (6) and laudat (13). Hortatory subjunctive (A&G 439), but possibly with a dismissive sense (Mayer 1994 ad loc. translates “may be politely rejected”, cf. Verg. G. 2.412: laudato ingentia rura: exiguum colito). The places have all been mentioned previously in the poem, thus wrapping up this section.
[22] tu: strong direct address to Bullatius that (re)focuses the message.
quamcumque...horam: Hour for time more generally, but stressing that such fluctuations could happen within the span of mere hours.
fortunaverit: The verb (“to bless/make fortunate”) recalls Fortuna (20) and fortunatam (14), and is especially used in religious contexts, cf. Cic. Fam. 2.2, 15.7, Pers. 2.45: da fortunare Penates!. It is a perfect subjunctive in an indirect question (A&G 574).
[23] grata… manu: Ablative of Means (A&G 409). Enjoying one’s time gratefully is also a common theme in his odes, cf. C. 1.11.8, 3.8.27, 3.29.29-32, and 2.16.25-6: laetus in praesens animus quod ultra est / oderit curare.
neu dulcia differ: dulcia is the direct object of the imperative. Neu/neve is used to connect a negative command (i.e. not nec), see A&G 450.note 5).
in annum: This phrase (“until next year”) unites three of his Epistles with similar protreptic messages of prompt action/enjoyment, cf. Ep. 1.2.39: differs curandi tempus in annum?, 1.18.109-10.
[24] ut: introduces a purpose clause (A&G 531) with dicas the subjunctive verb (line 25).
quocumque loco fueris: it does not matter where one is, thus tying this section to the main body of the letter. fueris is perfect subjunctive in an indirect question (paralleling line 22).
vixisse libenter: libenter = both “willingly” and “gladly” and it strikes an Epicurean chord and the use of vixisse would recall both S. 1.1.117: qui se vixisse beatum dicat and C. 3.29.43.
[25] te: the subject of vixisse.
nam si: A new way of expressing the message of the point. It is the mind that dispels cares, not a beautiful city or sunny beach. si = “supposing/seeing that” (OLD 1a).
ratio et prudentia curas: supply auferunt to mirror aufert in the next line. ratio is central to Stoic thought (S. 1.3.115, 2.3. 225), and Horace often writes about the prudens man, e.g. Ep. 1.16.32, S. 1.10.88, C. 4.9.35. (although this is his only use of prudentia).
[26] locus...aufert: Supply curas from the previous line. “a place overlooking a stretch of wide sea does not take away cares”. The use of arbiter for the locus itself strongly personifies the place as being like an observer (and recalls the description above, lines 9-10).
[27] caelum, non animum, mutant: caelum can indicate both “weather” (OLD 6) as well “climate” (OLD 7) more generally, in addition to its base meaning as “sky”. Their spirit is unchanged (i.e. if you are a curmudgeon in Rome, you’ll be a curmudgeon in Rhodes).
qui trans mare currunt: The subject of mutant. Travelers to places such as those mentioned earlier in the poem. mare picks up on maris in the previous line (26). A famous line that Seneca will discuss in Ep. 28.
[28] strenua...inertia: An oxymoronic “busy idleness” is what consumes most people, especially those who travel for the sake of traveling. Horace was accused of inertia by Maecenas at Epod. 14.1 and it looks back to the iners of Ep. 1.1.38, who would try to alleviate his topor.
nos exercet: nos in the sense of “all of us”, not the “royal we” of Horace himself. Horace recognizes that this is common in many people. exerceo =“worry/harass/trouble” (OLD 2b).
navibus: i.e. “by sea”. Technically an Ablative of Means (A&G 409).
[29] quadrigis: i.e. “by land”. Horace varies the common expression with the implements of travel, as befits the major concern of the letter. The quadriga is a 4-horse chariot, which signals ostentation and wealth.
bene vivere: A major concern of the Epistles and recalling vixisse libenter and fortunatam vitam above. For the expression in Horace, cf. C. 2.16.13, S. 1.4.67, Ep. 1.6.56, Ep. 1.15.45.
hic est: “It is here”, i.e. at home, no matter where you live.
[30] Ulubris: Another near-deserted town (like Gabii and Fidenae), this time near the Pontine marshes, off the Via Appia.
animus...aequus: The key to the appreciation of locale (and life) is a “well-balanced mind”. While a common expression, Horace revivifies it by the connections with animum in line 27. The phrase also concludes Ep. 1.18 and shows Horace’s attempts to encourage such a mindset in his addressees (and the reader of the collection). For another philosophical application of the phrase see S. 2.3.16 in contrast to Horace’s “grumpy” (haud aequo animo) reaction in S. 1.5.8.
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