[1] metues: takes the complementary infinitive praebere (line 2).
liberrime Lolli: Lollius was also the addressee of Ep. 1.2 (about the use of Homer) and Horace utilizes this letter to show him the proper way to be a friend to those in power. This address, while at first glance a very positive description, will be questioned - what does it mean to be “most independent/frank”?
[2] scurrantis speciem: as in the previous poem with the use of scurror there (line 19) - this is the role of the parasite in Roman comedy and Lollius would not want to present himself in this persona. The scurrus was not a true “friend” but more of a bought acquaintance. See Kilpatrick (1986: 51) for more on scurra in this poem (and in Roman society in general). The use of speciem here will be picked up near the close of the poem with obscuri speciem (95) - one must be careful what sort of impression/facade one shows.
professus amicum: One would expect a te in prose (“having confessed yourself to be a friend”).
[3] ut: “as” introducing a simile. A friend differs from a parasite in the same way a mother differs from a prostitute.
dispar: this adjective takes a dative (A&G 384). The dis- prefix will be repeated three times to highlight the difference.
[4] discolor: while color can indicate “way of life” (OLD 3), the adjective also probably suggests the make-up of the prostitute compared to the natural complexion of the mother.
infido scurrae: parasites will go to the tables of the rich and display no trustworthiness (fides).
[5] huic diversum vitio vitium: diversus-a-um (“unlike, different”) takes the dative (huic vitio). Seneca may recall this at Ep. 13.12: vitio vitium repelle.
prope maius: the “almost greater” fault is to be harsh and curt (line 6).
[6] asperitas: this same sort of “harshness” is a fault to be corrected at Ep. 2.1.129.
[7] se commendat: “seeks to recommend itself” (Mayer ad loc.).
tonsa cute: The outside appearance of the “honest” man with a severe haircut. Ablative of means (by which one might try to recommend oneself), see A&G 409.
dentibus atris: The bad teeth probably indicates that the man doesn’t care about appearances (frank speech embodied by a frank appearance). At Epode 6.15, Horace mentions someone who attacks him with a black tooth.
[8] libertas...mera: “true/unmixed freedom”. McCarter mentions how the mera would evoke wine and how one can find a parallel in Plutarch’s How to tell a Flatterer from a Friend (2015: 206-8).
veraque virtus: an intratextual glance back to Ep. 1.1.17, where Horace styles himself verae virtutis custos.
[9] medium vitiorum et utrimque reductum: Horace’s views of moderation and the “mean” are apparent in medium vitiorum, but at the same time virtus should be distant from fawning flattery or excessive bluntness. This idea derives from Aristotle's Ethics, and Konstan 1995: 338-39 does a good job showing how this ties into Lollius' frankness and penchant for free speech.
[10] alter: the excessive flattery and obedience of the scurra.
plus aequo: “more than right”. With the other mention of an aequus animus in the Epistles (1.11.30), this shows how far away from the ideal the scurra actually is. At the end of this poem, the concept of an aequus animus appears (see note on line 112).
imi...lecti: The “lowest couch” is the seat given to the host family at a Roman dinner party. This diagram shows the positioning and the parasites would flank the host on this couch.
[11] derisor: The mocking tendencies of the scurra like the one found at Ars 432-3: sic / derisor vero plus laudatore movetur.
sic: here and in the following line will set up the result clause in line 13.
nutum divitis: divitis = “the rich man” (i.e. his patron).
[12] voces et verba: A collocation also found at Ep. 1.1.34. Horace is testing his readers to see whether they realize how far the patron’s voces et verba are from those found in that poem.
verba cadentia: “words that fell unregarded”. The scurra repeats and reiterates the patron’s comments, even those that did not make an initial impression on his guests.
[13] ut...credas: result clause (A&G 568), that sets up indirect statement as well with puerum the subject accusative of reddere and mimum the subject accusative of tractare (A&G 577).
puerum: the scurra behaves like a child at school under the thumb of a harsh schoolmaster (saevo...magistro). puer is also used of slaves, which would give this a slightly different resonance, but we think we are meant to think of the schoolhouse (cf. Ep. 1.1.55: dictata).
[14] partis mimum tractare secundas: secundas modifies partis and it would appear the second mime actor reinforced the actions and words of the archimimus. tractare = “perform”. Worse than the parasites of the comedic stage, mime shows at this time were subliterary affairs involving much improvisation and bawdy plots. Most mime actors were not citizens, thus this comparison is even more degrading for Lollius than being compared to a child at school!
[15] alter: the other type of client who is too forthcoming about his truthfulness.
de lana...caprina: “about goat ‘wool’” Mayer (ad loc.) clarifies “he comes to blows over unimportant terminology: is a goat covered in wool or hair or fur?”
[16] propugnat nugis armatus: the “trifles” are the sententiae that follow. Take armatus with the ablative nugis (see Cucchiarelli 2019: ad loc.). Although nugae can be used by poets, such as Catullus, as a humble way to refer to their poetry, here such sententiae are used by the client to assault his patron.
ut non / sit: the use of ut + the deliberative subjunctive marks these as indignant questions (A&G 444). The speaker protests that he must follow his fides first and foremost. Self-righteousness existed in the ancient world just as in our own day, and Horace points out how unpleasant it can be.
[17] quod placet: this will act as the object of elatrem in the following line.
[18] elatrem: a neologism of Horace, built from latrare “to bark at”. The reader is probably meant to think of the “bark” of a Cynic philosopher like Diogenes in the previous letter (esp. Ep. 1.17.18 - interesting that it is the same line!).
pretium aetas altera sordet: sordere here = “to not be good enough”. Even if another lifetime were granted as a reward, it would not be worth it not to give one’s real opinion about a matter.
[19] ambigitur quid enim?: the questions at stake are actually rather trifling ones. If one vociferously argues about these issues, what about topics that actually matter?
Castor...Dolichus: We do not know who these individuals are - Mayer suggests actors, gladiators or even grammatici (ad loc.).
sciat...plus: “is more knowledgeable”.
[20] Minuci...via...an Appi: The question of whether the Minucian Way or the Appian Way was a better route to Brundisium. We do not know the exact path of the Minucian Way, but it is possible that it is the road from Brundisium to Beneventum that later became the Via Traiana.
[21] quem damnosa venus...nudat: Horace changes tack and now shows the character of the inferior from the viewpoint of the rich friend (dives amicus, 24). quem is the subordinate in the relationship (supply eum before quem). The love affair both “leaves him unprotected” with the implication that it has “stripped him bare” (i.e. impoverished him) - the root of damnosa is damnum “a loss of money”.
praeceps alea: praeceps “hasty, rash, dangerous” but also denoting the “steep, headlong” fall of the dice. Gambling debts or a penchant for gambling was seen as a vice of the poor (although certain emperors, like Claudius, also loved to gamble). Gambling was pervasive in Roman culture.
[22] gloria: “vainglory” or even “pride” (cf. C. 1.18.15, Ep. 2.1.177).
supra vires: “beyond his strength” (probably indicating wealth here = "beyond his means").
et vestit et unguit: the poser dresses finely and is excessively perfumed. This is a type that Horace (and later moralists) often parody, cf. Hor. Epod. 4.7-8 for the large toga and Sat. 1.4.92 for over-perfumed Rufillus (and Sen. Ep. 86.13 for a response to Horace’s idea).
[23] argenti sitis inportuna famesque: the desire for money (argenti is an objective genitive, see A&G 348) is figured as thirst or hunger elsewhere in Horace (cf. C. 2.214). The parasite in Roman comedy is almost always hungry and thirsty, but here we see these tendencies apply to the greedy man as well.
[24] quem paupertatis pudor et fuga: supply tenet from the previous line.
dives amicus: the subject of this sentence, that began on line 21.
[25] saepe decem vitiis instructior: the rich friend himself is often vice-addled. Instructus = “furnished, equipped” but here in the comparative with decem vitiis the ablative of degree of difference (A&G 414).
horret: recalling line 11 above and showing the reciprocal behavior/relationship between the two.
[26] regit: the rich man will lord it over his client and have control over him (cf. Ep. 1.7.37).
veluti: “just as”.
pia mater: the over-attentive mother (see Ep. 1.1.21) often smothers her child.
[27] plus quam...priorem: the comparatives (A&G 407) indicate the quasi-competitive relationship between the rich patron and his client. The patron actually wants a client that is smarter and more virtuous than he is (supply eum with sapere) - this would probably make the reader reflect on Horace and Maecenas (or Vergil and Maecenas as well).
[28] prope: qualifies just how true these thoughts are. Clients should not blindly imitate their patrons (as he stated earlier in the poem), but this rich patron also seems to think that he is entitled to his wealth and that poorer clients shouldn’t strive for more.
contendere noli: negative imperative with noli (A&G 450). contendere = “argue”.
[29] stultitiam patiuntur: “allow for foolishness”. Horace would never really endorse stultitia, but the rich patron believes his wealth (meae opes) buys him some leeway.
parvola res: Horace praises parvola at Ep. 1.15.42, but here the patron seems to indicate that the poor man should always be poor.
[30] arta...toga: as opposed to the expansive (and expensive) toga of the rich man.
decet sanum comitem: recalls parvum parva decent at Ep. 1.7.44 and Horace has been trying to define the sensible man often in the collection (e.g. Ep. 1.1.108, 1.7.3). The end of this poem probably gives the clearest sense of what one needs to be sanus.
desine mecum / certare: certare = “contend” in terms of wealth. The rich friend wants to remain wealthier, and would like his friend to continue to be wiser. Is this just a conception of “to each his own” or is there something more sinister about his words?
[31] Eutrapelus: P. Volumnius Eutrapelus was a friend of Mark Antony known for his wit.
cuicumque: supply ei as indirect object of dabat in the following line. nocere takes the dative (hence the form of cuicumque).
[32] vestimenta...pretiosa: Giving fine garments to a poor man would end up making them miserable as they tried to live up to their rich attire. One shouldn't give in to the maxim "you are what you wear".
beatus: used sarcastically, but this also befits the Epistles where the question of what makes one beatus has been raised, cf. Ep. 1.2.10, 1.6.2.
[33] sumet nova consilia et spes: take nova with spes as well. These are shown to lead to the bad habits of the dissolute wealthy of Horace’s day.
[34] dormiet in lucem: sleeping-in not only deprived the clients of the morning salutatio, but also showed a lack of work ethic (and a propensity for late-night partying, cf. Sen. Ep. 122.2-3).
scorto postponet honestum officium: postponere takes an acc. and dat. (“to postpone/ set aside X for Y”). Interestingly, the only other time Horace mentions a scortum (“prostitute”) is in C. 2.11.21, where he encourages Quinctius to put aside political duties and enjoy his later years (replete with perfume & finery). One can see the generic difference in attitude clearly when comparing these two poems.
[35] nummos alienos: He will have to borrow money from another and then “feed” (pascet) it with interest payments. In this poem that is concerned much with the actions and attitudes of another, the adjective alienus-a-um appears 3 times (cf. 39, 77). Seneca alludes to this line at Ep. 87.6: habet domum formosam, sed alienis nummis paratam.
ad imum: “in the end, finally”.
[36] Thraex: a “Thracian” gladiator = he has lost his freedom and sold himself to become a gladiator.
holitoris...mercede: He will become a green grocer at the market. This was the epitome of a low-class living and was often levied as a put down, e.g. “Hey Euripides, your mother was a vegetable seller!” (as Aristophanes jokes).
[37] arcanum...illius: the rich friend (in Lollius’ case it could be Tiberius) may reveal secrets to the poor client, but these should not be probed too much.
tu: Lollius in particular, but the reader more generally as well.
[38] conmissum: a secret that has been entrusted to the friend. Substantive use of the adjective.
et vino tortus et ira: the friend, even when angered or drunk, needs to be able to keep the secret under wraps. These sort of faithful friends are the preferred dinner companions of Ep. 1.5.24-25.
The previous letter to Lollius, Ep. 1.2, deals often with ira, so one wonders if Lollius may have had some anger issues.
[39] nec...aut...nec: “neither...nor...nor”. One should talk too much about one’s own interests to the detriment of the interests of the rich friend.
[40] venari: hunting was especially prized by the rich in ancient Rome. In one of his letters, Pliny notes that he writes poems during the hunt -take that Horace (Ep. 1.6)!
poemata panges: Horace has the same alliterative phrase at Ars 416: ego mira poemata pango. There may also be an allusion to one of Lucretius’ programmatic passages where he writes: lucida pango / carmina (1.933-34, 4.8-9).
[41] The story of Amphion and Zethus was famously told in Euripides’ Antiope and Pacuvius wrote a Latin version. Amphion was a great musician and Zethus was his brother, the political leader of Thebes. The agon of Euripides’ play was the locus classicus for the dispute between a life of contemplation (Amphion) vs. a life of action (Zethus). Amphion cedes to Zethus’ idea that a life of responsible social action is better than dedication to solitary artistic pursuit, and he builds the walls of Thebes with his music. McCarter 2015: 215-17 provides further context/interpretation.
gratia: “goodwill”, expected among twin brothers.
[42] suspecta severo...lyra: Amphion’s lyre is “looked askance at by his severe [brother]”. severo is dative of agent with the perfect passive participle (A&G 375).
[43] fraternis cessisse...moribus: cedere takes the dative (A&G 366). Amphion is convinced that he should take part in the life of the city.
[44] tu cede: will take lenibus imperiis in the following line. The powerful friend will not have particular difficult demands. One wonders if Vergil’s Aen. lurks behind this call (tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito, Aen. 6.95).
[45] quotiensque: “as often as”. The hunting example is taken up again from line 40.
[46] Aetolis onerata plagis iumenta: Aetolis...plagis is ablative of means with onerata...iumenta. Interlocking word-order adds to the hustle and bustle of the scene. iumentum = “mule”. Aetolis makes this mock-heroic and refers to the Calydonian Boar Hunt, which took place in Aetolia.
[47] inhumane senium...Camenae: senium here = “gloom, melancholy” and seems to be removed from its root of “old age” for the young Lollius. The idea that the Muse of poetry is inhumanae stems from the solitary nature of writing poetry (Ep. 2.2.77). For Camena, see the note on Ep. 1.1.1.
[48] cenes ut: the ut is postpositive after cenes in this purpose clause (A&G 563).
pulmenta laboribus empta: pulmentum = “appetizer, small dish”. The camaraderie of the hunt leads to a shared meal that all the participants worked to create.
[49] sollemne...opus: hunting as a “traditional task” for Roman men. Supply the verb “to be”.
utile: the adjective modifies opus and takes the dative (A&G 384) - in this case famae, vitae, membris - moving from the more abstract to concrete.
[50] praesertim: “especially”.
cum valeas...possis: cum clause, temporal or causal (A&G 549). If it is causal, there is some flattery for Lollius; temporal would make it more applicable for the general reader.
[51] cursu superare canem: to outrun the hounds or defeat a boar in strength makes Lollius seem very heroic. If Aetolis is meant to make us think of the Calydonian Boar Hunt, then the speed and strength of Lollius would make him a virtual Atalanta.
[52] adde...quod: Buttering Lollius up “add the fact that”.
speciosius: take with tractet, comparative adverb “more gracefully/impressively.”
[53] non est qui tractet: “there’s nobody who wields” relative clause of characteristic (A&G 534). The use of tractare earlier (14) of mime acting might throw some shade on such prowess.
quo clamore coronae: “by what a shout for the crown/prize” introduces an indirect question (A&G 574). The crowd goes wild when Lollius competes.
[54] proelia...campestria: games on the Campus Martius. This sort of military practice or sham warfare is further elaborated by his little naumachia in the following lines. See Lucretius 2.40-44 for the spectacle of such military exercises.
[55] puer: As he had been deemed at Ep. 1.2.68.
Cantabrica bella: Lollius had been part of one of Augustus’ campaigns against the Cantabri and Astures (in Spain) in 25 BCE.
[56] sub duce: Augustus as dux (and this is the antecedent of qui). Reminds us of te duce at C. 1.2.52 about Augustus, which will be recollected at line 62 below.
templis Parthorum signa refigit: refers to the practice of dedicating spoils to the gods in temples. Here those spoils are the standards (signa) that the Parthians had stolen from Crassus in 53 BCE and given back to Augustus in 20 BCE, as shown in the Prima Porta Augustus.
[57] si quid: remember after si, nisi, num, and ne all the ali-s drop away!
Italis...armis: dative with abest. One gets the sense of Augustus casting his eye over the world to see if any nook or cranny still needs to be under Roman control. The sense of manifest destiny is palpable.
adiudicat: as Greenough notes (ad loc.): “The action is spoken of as a decision of a judge who maintains the right of the Romans to universal empire and gives them possession of their domain.”
[58] ne te retrahas: “lest you pull back” almost “reject” (sc. “hunting” or, more generally, doing the bidding of your patron).
inexcusabilis: Horace coined this word, “without an excuse”.
[59] quamvis...curas: quamvis “although, however” usually takes the subjunctive in a concessive clause, but can be found with the indicative in poetry (A&G 527). If this would be the sort of excuse Lollius would give - “I don’t have time for such nonsense” - it is quickly shown to be false because of the naumachia he puts on (so don’t disagree with your patron’s desire to hunt!).
extra numerum modumque: a musical metaphor - see Ep. 2.2.144: verae numerosque modosque ediscere vitae. Lollius’ excuse that such actions do not follow the proper “rhythm” of his life. One might also think about the poetic applications of it (if Lollius is a poet) with modus also indicating "meter".
[60] nugaris: Lollius’ play on his rural estate is known to Horace (and would thus be known to his patron as well). Such play as a means of relaxation can be found also at Sat. 2.1.73 (of Scipio Aemelianus). Recalls nugis in line 16.
rure paterno: his family’s country estate. The difference between proper actions in the city vs. the countryside is marked here and features throughout the Epistles.
[61] partitur lintres exercitus: “the army apportions skiffs”. The “army” is made up of Lollius, his brother, and their slaves who man the “fleet” of a mock Battle of Actium. The real battle was fought between Augustus and Mark Antony in 31 BCE for control of Rome and the Mediterranean. Again, there’s a performative quality here that brings to mind the theatricality of the recent epistles.
[62] te duce: Although he doesn’t name Lollius as Augustus, the intertextual reference to C. 1.2.52 would seem to imply he gets to play Augustus in this battle.
per pueros: “by your slaves”. These commands of a magister to his pueri might recall line 13 above.
hostili more: ablative of manner (A&G 412) instead of the more usual mos + genitive.
[63] adversarius est frater: Antony is not named. Although we are probably not meant to see anything sinister in this naumachia, the fact that these two brothers are engaging in mock civil war is a significant indictment on how ingrained the concept of civil war is in the Roman subconscious (e.g. Romulus and Remus).
lacus Hadria: supply est. Hadria is poetic for Hadriaticum mare. The little pond or lake of their country estate acts as the Adriatic Sea.
donec: with the subjunctive (coronet) implies expectancy (A&G 553).
[64] alterautrum: Makes it sound as if the outcome was in doubt and either side could win in this “battle”.
velox victoria: Representations of Victory were often depicted winged, including the famous Nike of Samothrace and this nice example from the Cleveland Museum of Art with cornucopia (cf. Ep. 1.12.29).
[65] consentire suis studiis: consentire takes the dative “to consent to, agree with”. Take note that the studia in this case are those of the powerful patron (NB the use earlier at 39 to refer to Lollius’ own pursuits). There’s a quid pro quo element underlying all of these interactions.
crediderit: future perfect, setting up indirect statement with subject accusative (te) and the infinitive.
[66] utroque...pollice: The movement of a thumb to show approval was common at the gladiatorial games (whether it was a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” is still unclear). This expression and the use of both thumbs indicates strong approval (“he will give your play two thumbs up” would be a modern colloquial translation).
tuum...ludum: This sham Actium is now described with an important word for the Epistles as a whole (cf. Ep. 1.1.3 and the words of McCarter, “whereas in 1.1 is was the populus who would decide the fate of the gladiatorial Horace, here it is the patron alone with whose approval or disapproval Lollius’s ludus might meet. This places an important condition on Lollius’s compliance” (2015: 219).
[67] protinus ut moneam: Horace returns to the various “rules” the good client must follow.
quid: “at all”.
montitoris eges: egeo + genitive of want (A&G 356). Horace carefully implies that Lollius may not need his advice (but he’ll give it anyway).
[68] quid: “what” introducing an indirect question with dicas the subjunctive verb (A&G 574).
videto: future imperative (like fugito in the following line) “watch out, take care”.
[69] percontatorem: “busy body, inquisitive man”.
[70] patulae...aures: such “open” ears seem to also spill secrets as well.
commissa fideliter: secrets thought to be “handed over” faithfully. Cf. emissum in the next line.
[71] volat irrevocabile verbum: reminiscent of Vergil’s Fama which flies quickly through the air (Aen. 4.173ff.) as well as the proverbial sentiment of AP 300: nescit vox missa reverti.
[72] iecur ulceret: The liver as a seat of emotion, in this case passion (cf. C. 1.25.15: iecur ulcerosum). One should not fall for the servants of your patron. ulceret is optative subjunctive.
[73] marmoreum venerandi limen amici: interlocking word order. The rich friend has an opulent marble decoration in his house.
[74-75] ne...beet...angat: negative purpose clause (A&G 563).
pueri pulchri caraeve puellae: either the object of dominus or the “material” of the little gift (munere...parvo), A&G 344. Such an object of affection will prove to be a small gift (i.e. it will not last long) and may actually cause the rich benefactor to be angered by such an ask (because he also engages in sexual liaisons with such slaves and servants?). The idea of giving a person as a gift, of course, is rather disturbing.
[76] qualem: “the kind of man”.
etiam atque etiam: “again and again”.
ne... incutiant: the ne here introduces a clause of fearing (A&G 564) which takes the subjunctive (incutiant).
Beginning in this line Horace begins to offer advice to Lollius on recommending others and the risks that can accompany doing so.
[77] aliena… peccata: “the sins of another (i.e. the friend you introduced)”.
incutiant: “produce, instill”.
Horace warns Lollius to not give out praise lightly, but to hold off until you can be sure that the actions of he whom you praise will not come back around to shame you.
[78] fallimur: with tradimus, these 1st person plurals open up the possibility that Horace is giving this advice from his own experience, rather than just spouting empty warnings.
quondam: “at times”.
non dignum: substantive, “someone unworthy”.
[79] quem… premet: relative clause (A&G 279), supply eum as antecedent of quem.
deceptus: nominative perfect passive participle of decipio, decipere (sc. si).
tueri: complementary infinitive with omitte.
[80] ut: introduces a purpose clause (A&G 563) with serves and tuteris in the subjunctive.
si...temptent: potential subjunctive (like the protasis of a future less vivid condition here), takes crimina as the subject, sc. eum as the direct object.
[81] tuo fidentem praesidio: “trusting in your guardianship,” the direct object of tuteris.
If you know someone well, even if they run into trouble, you will be confident in your protection of their interests.
[82] dente Theonino: The “tooth of Theon” is an allusion that appears only in this poem. The precise identity of Theon is unknown; based on the allusion here, it can be inferred that he was a man known for defamatory accusations. If the friend is bad-mouthed, it will be your turn soon enough.
ecquid: an interrogative adverb meaning “at all?”
[83] post paulo: paulo is ablative of degree of difference (A&G 414) which here emphasizes the imminent danger of Lollius’ situation.
[84] tua res agitur: “your interest is at stake” (Mayer ad loc.).
paries… proximus: “the neighboring wall burns''.
[85] neglecta incendia: “the neglected fires” i.e. the fires that have been allowed to grow unabated.
sumere: complementary infinitive of solent, with vires as the accusative plural subject.
Horace warns Lollius of the potential dangers of associating with someone who has a negative reputation; whether slanderous or not, ill-repute of another can come back and cause trouble for those associated with that individual. This has the air of a commonplace sententia that Horace has employed in a novel manner.
[86] dulcis: sc. est with cultura as the predicate.
inexpertis: dative of the person judging (A&G 378). Those who do not understand the intricacies of courting powerful friends find the experience to be pleasant (but they will learn that it isn’t all wine and roses soon enough).
[87] expertus: “the experienced one,” in contrast to the inexpertis in the above line.
metuet: sc. id as the accusative direct object of the verb, referring back to the cultura potentis amici in the preceding line. This brief subject + verb sentence is an adversative asyndeton (see A&G 323b and A&G 601c).
in alto est: “in deep water.”
[88] hoc age: “get on with it” (Mayer ad loc.).
ne... ferat: negative purpose clause (A&G 564). Such sailing metaphors are common in Roman poetry, as exemplified in Horace’s own “Ship of State” ode (C. 1.14).
[89] tristem que iocosi: sc. oderunt after the conjunction.
Beginning in this line and ending in line 93, Horace subtly instructs Lollius to learn to be versatile in personality, depending on the powerful friend he is approaching. The series of contrasting characters, all of them hating each other, encourages readers to adopt different personae depending on with whom they are interacting, a theme persistent across all of Horace’s Epistles. In each line, Horace develops the same contrast twice, showing their mutual antipathy.
[90] sc. oderunt from the above line as the verb for both clauses here.
celeres: “the hasty (ones)”.
[91] potores bibuli… Falerni: “drunks, thirsty for Falernian wine at midnight.” Falernian wine was a popular Roman vintage. It was an often sweet white wine with a high alcohol content.
Many editors excise this line on the grounds that it seems out of place with the succeeding lines, particularly line 93. The potores however is necessary as the subject of oderunt in line 92. For more on the excision of the line see Mayer (ad loc.).
[92] oderunt: the subject is potores in the above line. Those who are thirsty hate out of jealousy those who refuse a drink when it is offered to them.
negantem: take porrecta...pocula as its direct object.
[93] nocturnos… tepores: Horace refers to the fact that wine may cause one to feel hot and experience night sweats.
iures: As in line 83 with the verb sentis, Horace again directly addresses Lollius using the second person singular form of the verb, thus giving the advice of the preceding lines a more pointed tone, rather than having them act as generalized anecdotes.
[94] supercilio: ablative of separation (A&G 401).
plerumque: an adverb meaning “generally,” or “frequently”.
modestus: “a modest man”.
Horace begins in this line to warn Lollius that one’s positive traits may be misconstrued by others as negative and a stern or solemn attitude is often detrimental to making friends.
[95] obscuri speciem: One who is reserved may instead may be perceived as having something to hide or being disingenuous.
taciturnus acerbi: sc. occupat. Following the same structure as the previous clause, Horace claims that a man who is silent can often be perceived as bitter.
[96] inter cuncta: “amidst everything else” (i.e. all that he has been mentioning in this poem).
percontabere: syncopated future tense second person singular of percontor, percontari. Also introduces an indirect question with qua ratione in the following line.
doctos: substantive direct object of both leges and percontabere. Likely Horace is here referring to philosophers (see Moles 2002: 156) as well as Homer, whom he instructed Lollius to read philosophically in Ep. 1.2. In addition, we believe Horace also refers to himself in these lines; after all, who is the one giving him this advice?
[97] qua ratione: ablative of means (A&G 409), can be translated as simply “how”.
queas: subjunctive in an indirect question (A&G 568).
[98] num continues the indirect question introduced in line 96, “whether”.
semper inops...cupido: the idea that lust/desire is always needy (semper inops) is found in Epicurean thought, cf. Lucretius 4.1058ff.
[99] mediocriter utilium rerum: objective genitive with spes (“hope for…”). The adverb implies that the questioner is not expecting to be made extravagantly wealthy, but rather is searching for the resources to scrape by comfortably. Also possibly referring to the Stoic idea of material wealth, since it is not the highest form of wealth, as an “indifferent” good. Cicero uses mediocri to describe such goods in de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum 3.53 (as Mayer points out ad loc.) Either way, the implication is that the man in question is ruled by the quest for substantial material wealth rather than emotional or spiritual purpose.
The question of how to live life without being ruled by one’s fears and or/desires is one that arises frequently in the Epistles, being found in 1.2 and 1.16.
[100] sc. num here as well.
An ancient example of the nature vs nurture debate, written about by Plato and still a topic of discussion today. Additionally, here we move decidedly from the realm of the material to the emotional.
[101] quid te tibi reddat amicum: Even the ancient Romans were concerned with self-care. Coming near the end of these two letters about friendships and clientela, Horace stresses how one can be a friend to oneself here, and this recalls Ep. 1.14.1 where his estate mihi me reddentis.
[102] quid pure tranquillet: if the Epistles are to be believed, the first two options are not nearly as important as friendship, withdrawal (see the next line), philosophy, and poetry.
honos: public office. Ancient Romans often assumed such positions as status symbols regardless of their actual interest in the tasks involved in the job.
[103] semita: a "side-path", rather than the central via. One thinks of Robert Frost here.
fallentis: ‘slipping by unnoticed,” recalling fefellit at Ep. 1.17.10. Within this context, readers are to understand that exploring oneself, even if “slipping by” in life, is in fact the preferable option.
Here ends the indirect question begun in line 96.
[104] Digentia: the stream near Horace’s Sabine farm, mentioned only by him and attested by no geographers.
reficit: recalling the healing powers of water mentioned in Ep. 1.16.12-14.
[105] Mandela: Mandela is a nearby town in the Sabine region, still extant as a municipality today.
rugosus: possibly referring to the town as something enfolded by the stream, with the ablative of means frigore standing in as metonymous for the gelidus rivus. Mayer says this may harken back to Homer’s description of towns in the Iliad - “and Hermione and Asine, that enfold the deep gulf...” ( Iliad 2.560) (Mayer ad loc.).
[106] putas and credis: introduce indirect statements. Sc. me from line 104 as the accusative subject of both.
sentire and precari: infinitives in indirect statements.
amice: in this poem that deals so much with friendship, we see Horace explicitly calling Lollius his “friend”. This last heartfelt section seems to be one friend speaking to another about the environment/mindset that has let him become a good friend to himself (and others).
[107] sit: optative subjunctive, typical of prayers (A&G 441). Take quod nunc est as a predicate nominative.
etiam minus: Horace is content with not only what he has now but even with the prospect of having less, so long as he can survive. It is the picture of freedom from material want that is deliberated in lines 98-99. This lack of concern for objects is Stoic in its sentiments, and Epicurean as well - material pleasures are pleasant, but only in moderation, and only when one does not feel a need for them.
[108] aevi: partitive genitive (A&G 346).
si: the concession made here implies that Horace would be content whether the gods allotted more years to him or not. Just as he is not ruled by material desire, he is not ruled by fear.
siquid: quid is the accusative subject of indirect statement introduced by volunt.
[109] bona: modifies copia, sc. both with libororum as well as provisae frugis.
There is food for both the mind and body.
in anuum: “to the final year” (Mayer ad loc.).
[110] horae: referring to time in general.
spe: causal ablative. Horace wishes to face whatever his remaining time is without anxiety about how much is (or is not) left for him.
[111] satis est: takes the complementary infinitive orare. The phrase probably looks back to his previous letter to Lollius, Ep. 1.2.46: quod satis est cui contingit.
Iovem: addressee of orare.
quae: the object of request of orare as well as the direct object ponit and aufert.
[112] det… det: potential subjunctives.
Horace knows that he cannot control the tides of fate and what Jove may give or take away, but he is the governor of his own emotions: whether his fortunes are good or bad, Horace determines how he will face and accept them. Rather than engaging with the hectic social maneuvering described earlier in the poem in order to better his public standing, it is better to accept what comes and be at peace with having just enough. Essentially, Horace summarizes his own philosophy of life: seize the control you have over your own life and make the active decision to live it in a fulfilling way, whatever fortune tosses your way.
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