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Horace · Epodes §3.1-3.22

Curse on Garlic and Warning to Maecenas

Passage 3 of 17 · Latin

Summary

The poet suffers from the intense, burning effect of garlic in his food, comparing it humorously to parricide's poison, Canidia's brews, and the toxic substances of Medea and Nessus, before warning Maecenas that if he ever eats it, his mistress will reject his kisses.

§3.1Parentis olim siquis inpia manu §3.2senile guttur fregerit, §3.3edit cicutis alium nocentius.
If anyone ever, with impious hand, has broken his aged parent's neck, let him eat garlic, more noxious than hemlock.
§3.4o dura messorum ilia.
O tough stomachs of the reapers!
§3.5quid hoc veneni saevit in praecordiis?
What kind of poison is this that rages in my breast?
§3.6num viperinus his cruor §3.7incoctus herbis me fefellit? an malas §3.8Canidia tractavit dapes?
Has viper's blood, brewed in these herbs, deceived me? Or did the wicked Canidia handle this deadly feast?
§3.9ut Argonautas praeter omnis candidum §3.10Medea mirata est ducem, §3.11ignota tauris inligaturum iuga §3.12perunxit hoc Iasonem, §3.13hoc delibutis ulta donis paelicem §3.14serpente fugit alite.
When Medea admired, beyond all the Argonauts, their brilliant leader, she anointed Jason with this, as he was about to bind the unaccustomed yokes upon the bulls; having avenged herself on his mistress with gifts steeped in this, she fled on her winged serpent.
§3.15nec tantus umquam Siderum insedit vapor §3.16siticulosae Apuliae §3.17nec munus umeris efficacis Herculis §3.18inarsit aestuosius.
Never did such a great heat of the stars rest upon thirsty Apulia, nor did the gift burn more fiercely upon the shoulders of the industrious Hercules.
§3.19at siquid umquam tale concupiveris, §3.20iocose Maecenas, precor, §3.21manum puella savio opponat tuo, §3.22extrema et in sponda cubet.
But if you should ever desire any such thing, playful Maecenas, I pray that your girl may block your kiss with her hand, and sleep on the very edge of the couch.

Notes

  1. §3.3edit — From the archaic present subjunctive third-person singular (edim, edis, edit) of the verb edo ('to eat'). Here it functions as a jussive or optative subjunctive ('let him eat'). It is distinguished from the third-person singular present indicative ēdit.
  2. §3.7me fefellit — Perfect tense of fallo ('to deceive, escape notice'). It constitutes the first part of the double question (num... an...), meaning 'has the viper's blood, brewed in these herbs, escaped my notice (by being ingested without my knowledge)?'.
  3. §3.11inligaturum — Future active participle, masculine accusative singular, from inligo ('to bind, yoke'), modifying Iasonem (§3.12) to express purpose or intention: 'Jason, who was about to bind [the unaccustomed yokes onto the bulls]'. The dative tauris depends on this participle.
  4. §3.15siticulosae Apuliae — Dative feminine singular of the adjective siticulosus ('thirsty') and the proper noun Apulia. The dative is governed by the compound verb insideo ('to sit upon, settle on'). While it could syntactically be genitive, taking it as a dative representing the location of settling is more natural.

Cite this passage

Horace, Epodes §3.1-3.22. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi003.humanitext-lat2:3.1-3.22

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