- Source
- Horace, Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica. Fairclough, H. Rushton (Henry Rushton), editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1929.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1.15.1-1.15.46
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Horace asks his friend Vala about the climate and people of Velia and Salernum before his trip to southern Italy. At the same time, he quotes the story of Maenius, who squandered his estate, to humorously mock his own shifting attitude depending on his financial situation.
Quae sit hiems Veliae, quod caelum, Vala, Salerni,
What sort of winter Velia has, what the climate of Salernum is, Vala,
quorum hominum regio et qualis via (nam mihi Baias
what kind of people inhabit the region, and of what sort the road is (for Antonius Musa
Musa supervacuas Antonius, et tamen illis
makes Baiae useless to me, and yet makes me
me facit invisum, gelida cum perluor unda
hated by those people, when I am bathed in cold water
per medium frigus, sane murteta relinqui
in the midst of frost; indeed, that the myrtle groves are deserted
dictaque cessantem nervis elidere morbum
and that the sulfur baths, said to expel a lingering disease
sulfura contemni vicus gemit,1 invidus aegris,
from the nerves, are despised, the town groans, envying the sick,
qui caput et stomachum supponere fontibus audent
who dare to submerge their head and stomach in the springs
Clusinis Gabiosque petunt et frigida rura.
of Clusium, and seek Gabii and the cold countryside.
mutandus locus est et deversoria nota
The location must be changed, and past the well-known inns
praeteragendus equus, “quo tendis? non mihi Cumas
the horse must be driven. “Where are you heading? I have no journey
est iter aut Baias,” laeva stomachosus habena
to Cumae or Baiae,” the angry rider will say, pulling
dicet eques; sed equi frenato est auris in ore);
the left rein; but the horse’s ear is in its bitted mouth);
maior utrum populum frumenti copia pascat;
which of the two peoples a greater abundance of corn feeds;
collectosne bibant imbres puteosne perennis
whether they drink collected rainwaters or perennial wells
iugis aquae (nam vina nihil moror illius orae:
of flowing water (for I do not care at all for the wine of that coast:
rure meo possum quidvis perferre patique;
at my country estate I can endure and suffer anything;
ad mare cum veni, generosum et lene requiro,
but when I come to the sea, I require a noble and smooth wine,
quod curas abigat, quod cum spe divite manet
such as may drive away cares, such as may flow with rich hope
in venas animumque meum, quod verba ministret,
into my veins and mind, such as may supply me with words,
quod me Lucanae iuvenem commendet amicae);
such as may recommend me as a young man to a Lucanian mistress);
tractus uter pluris lepores, uter educet apros;
which tract of land rears more hares, which produces boars;
utra magis piscis et echinos aequora celent,
which seas conceal more fish and sea urchins,
pinguis ut inde domum possim Phaeaxque reverti,
so that I may return home from there fat and like a Phaeacian,
scribere te nobis, tibi nos accredere par est.2
it is right that you write to us, and that we trust you.
Maenius, ut rebus maternis atque paternis
Maenius, when, his maternal and paternal property
fortiter absumptis urbanus coepit haberi
having been courageously consumed, he began to be regarded as a witty,
scurra vagus, non qui certum praesepe teneret,
wandering parasite, not one who kept to a fixed manger,
impransus non qui civem dinosceret hoste,
when hungry, not one who could distinguish a citizen from an enemy,
quaelibet in quemvis opprobria fingere saevus,
merciless in fabricating any insults against anyone,
pernicies et tempestas barathrumque macelli,
the ruin and tempest and abyss of the market,
quidquid quaesierat, ventri donabat avaro.
whatever he had acquired, he would give to his greedy belly.
hic ubi nequitiae fautoribus et timidis nil
When this man had taken nothing or very little from
aut paulum abstulerat, patinas cenabat omasi,
the supporters of his wickedness and those who feared him, he would sup on dishes of tripe
vilis et agninae, tribus ursis quod satis esset;
and cheap mutton, as much as would be enough for three bears;
scilicet ut ventres lamna candente nepotum
of course, so that, like a reformed Bestius, he might say
diceret urendos3 correctus Bestius. idem,
that the bellies of spendthrifts ought to be branded with white-hot iron. Yet the same man,
quidquid erat nactus praedae maioris, ubi omne
whenever he had obtained any greater prey, when he had turned
verterat in fumum et cinerem, non hercule miror,
all of it into smoke and ashes, would say, “By Hercules, I do not wonder
aiebat, “si qui comedunt bona, cum sit obeso
if some eat up their estates, since there is nothing
nil melius turdo, nil vulva pulchrius ampla.”
better than a fat thrush, nothing more beautiful than a large sow’s womb.”
Nimirum hic ego sum. nam tuta et parvola laudo,
No doubt, this is what I am. For I praise safe and humble things
cum res deficiunt, satis inter vilia fortis:
when resources fail, strong enough among cheap things;
verum ubi quid melius contingit et unctius, idem
but when something better and richer comes along, I, the same man,
vos sapere et solos aio bene vivere, quorum
say that you are wise and you alone live well, whose
conspicitur nitidis fundata pecunia villis.
wealth is seen founded on splendid villas.
- 1.15.5sane murteta relinqui dictaque... sulfura contemni vicus gemit
The subject of gemit (groans/laments) is vicus (the town, i.e., Baiae). The two accusative and infinitive (AcI) clauses, murteta relinqui (that the myrtle groves are being deserted) and sulfura contemni (that the sulfur baths are being despised), function as the objects of gemit, depicting the town's lamentation over their loss of visitors.
- 1.15.25scribere te nobis, tibi nos accredere par est
The numerous indirect question clauses from line 1 (Quae sit) to line 24 (quae sit..., quod caelum..., quorum hominum..., qualis via..., maior utrum..., collectosne..., uter..., utra...) all function as the object of the accusative and infinitive clause scribere te nobis (that you write to us) in line 25. This clause, along with the subsequent tibi nos accredere (that we trust you), serves as the subject of the impersonal expression par est (it is fit/proper).
- 1.15.36scilicet ut ventres lamna candente nepotum diceret urendos
ut... diceret is a subjunctive clause of purpose (in order that he might say). ventres... urendos [esse] is a passive periphrastic infinitive expressing necessity or obligation ("that the bellies of spendthrifts ought to be branded"), acting as the object of diceret within the indirect statement.