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Horace · Epodes §1.1-1.34

Devotion to Maecenas and Resolve to Follow Him

Passage 1 of 17 · Latin

Summary

As Maecenas prepares to share Caesar's dangers on the expedition, the poet declares his resolve to accompany his friend out of loyalty and love, emphasizing that his devotion is not driven by any desire for further material wealth.

§1.1Ibis Liburnis inter alta navium, §1.2amice, propugnacula, §1.3paratus omne Caesaris periculum §1.4subire, Maecenas, tuo:
You will go in Liburnian galleys, amid the towering bulwarks of ships, my friend, ready to undergo every danger of Caesar, Maecenas, at your own.
§1.5quid nos, quibus te vita sit superstite §1.6iucunda, si contra, gravis?
What of us, to whom life is sweet while you survive, but heavy, if otherwise?
§1.7utrumne iussi persequemur otium §1.8non dulce, ni tecum simul, §1.9an hunc laborem mente laturi, decet §1.10qua ferre non mollis viros?
Shall we, as bidden, pursue an ease that is not sweet unless together with you, or shall we bear this labor with the mind with which it is fitting for men who are not soft to bear it?
§1.11feremus et te vel per Alpium iuga §1.12inhospitalem et Caucasum §1.13vel occidentis usque ad ultimum sinum §1.14forti sequemur pectore.
We will bear it, and even through the ridges of the Alps and the inhospitable Caucasus, or all the way to the furthest bay of the West, we will follow you with a brave heart.
§1.15roges, tuom labore quid iuvem meo, §1.16inbellis ac firmus parum?
You may ask, in what way I, unwarlike and little strong, could help your labor with mine?
§1.17comes minore sum futurus in metu, §1.18qui maior absentis habet: §1.19ut adsidens inplumibus pullis avis §1.20serpentium adlapsus timet §1.21magis relictis, non, ut adsit, auxili §1.22latura plus praesentibus.
As your companion I shall be in less fear, which holds those who are absent more heavily: just as a bird, sitting by her featherless chicks, fears the glidings of serpents more when they are left behind, though she would not, even if she were present, be destined to bring any more help to them when they are near.
§1.23libenter hoc et omne militabitur §1.24bellum in tuae spem gratiae, §1.25non ut iuvencis inligata pluribus §1.26aratra nitantur meis §1.27pecusve Calabris ante Sidus fervidum §1.28Lucana mutet pascuis §1.29neque ut superni villa candens Tusculi §1.30Circaea tangat moenia: §1.31satis superque me benignitas tua §1.32ditavit, haud paravero §1.33quod aut avarus ut Chremes terra premam, §1.34discinctus aut perdam nepos.
Gladly will this and every war be fought in the hope of your favor, not so that plows bound to more oxen of mine may strive, or that my flock, before the burning Star, may exchange Calabrian pastures for Lucanian ones, nor that my white villa of lofty Tusculum may touch the Circaean walls: your bounty has enriched me enough and more; I will not amass what I would either bury in the earth like the greedy Chremes, or squander like a dissolute spendthrift.

Notes

  1. §1.4tuo — The ablative possessive adjective `tuo` implies `periculo` (at your own risk/danger), in contrast to `Caesaris periculum` in the previous line.
  2. §1.5quid nos — An ellipsis of a verb such as `faciemus` (what shall we do) or `futurum est` (what will become of us) occurs after the interrogative phrase `quid nos`.
  3. §1.9laturi — The future active participle `laturi` functions as a predicate nominative with `[sumus]` understood, forming a coordinate choice-question with the future indicative `persequemur` in line 7.
  4. §1.18absentis — The form `absentis` is the archaic/poetic accusative plural (equivalent to `absentes`), functioning as the direct object of `habet` in the relative clause (fear 'which holds those who are absent').
  5. §1.21relictis — The perfect passive participle `relictis` functions as a dative modifying `pullis` ("for the chicks left behind"), or alternatively can be taken as an ablative absolute ("when they are left behind").
  6. §1.28Lucana mutet pascuis — The verb `mutare` (to exchange) is used here with the accusative `Lucana [pascua]` as the object and the ablative `Calabris [pascuis]` as the instrument, meaning 'to exchange Calabrian pastures for Lucanian ones' (referring to seasonal transhumance to avoid the summer heat).

Cite this passage

Horace, Epodes §1.1-1.34. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi003.humanitext-lat2:1.1-1.34

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

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