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Horace 3.09

A take-off on Catullus 45 (Acme and Septimius). The speaker of each stanza beginning with an unnamed man alternates between him and a woman named Lydia. The first two stanzas recall their love; the second two discuss each lover's supplanter; the last two propose a reconciliation.

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"Donec gratus eram tibi
.rbl..nec quisquam potior bracchia candidae
cervici iuvenis dabat,
.rbl..Persarum vigui rege beatior."

"donec non alia magis ......rbl........rbl...........rbl........rbl..5
.rbl..arsisti neque erat Lydia post Chloën,
multi Lydia nominis
.rbl..Romana vigui clarior Ilia."

"me nunc Thressa Chloë regit,
.rbl..dulcis docta modos et citharae sciens, ......rbl........r10
pro qua non metuam mori
.rbl..si parcent animae fata superstiti."

"me torret face mutua
.rbl..Thurini Calaïs filius Ornyti,
pro quo bis patiar mori ......rbl........rbl...........rbl........rbl15
.rbl..si parcent puero fata superstiti."

"quid si prisca redit Venus
.rbl..diductosque iugo cogit aëneo?
si flava excutitur Chloë
.rbl..reiectaeque patet ianua Lydiae?" ......rbl........rbl......20

"quamquam sidere pulchrior
.rbl..ille est, tu levior cortice et improbo
iracundior Hadria,
.rbl..tecum vivere amem, tecum obeam libens!"

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Meter: Second Asclepiadean
3. dabat: circumdabat, with Dative cervici.
4. rege: Ablative of Comparison with beatior.
6. Chloen: Greek Accusative, (Nominative, Chloe).
8. Ilia: Rhea Silvia, who was the mother of Romulus and Remus.
10. dulces: with modos, Accusative of Respect; sciens: with Genitive citharae, used here as though a verb of remembering or forgetting.
12. si...superstiti: "if the Fates will spare my life (i.e., love) and allow her to live."
13. mutua: Ablative with face.
14. Thurini: cf. Garrison: "Thurii is a wealthy city in Southern Italy, and we are to understand that Calais' father Ornytus is a VIP down there."
18. diductos: sc. eos or illos.
19. si: quid si.
20. Lydiae: Dative of Reference, modified by reiectae.
21. sidere: Ablative of Comparison with pulchrior.
22. cortice: Ablative of Comparison with levior.
23. Hadria: Ablative of Comparison with iracundior, modified by improbo (line 22).
24. libens: adverbial.
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last updated October 17, 2003
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