Latin Poetry Podcast

Juvenal Sat. 1.1-21

Semper ego auditor tantum? numquamne reponam

uexatus totiens rauci Theseide Cordi?

inpune ergo mihi recitaverit ille togatas,

hic elegos? inpune diem consumpserit ingens

Telephus aut summi plena iam margine libri

scriptus et in tergo necdum finitus Orestes?

nota magis nulli domus est sua quam mihi lucus

Martis et Aeoliis vicinum rupibus antrum

Vulcani; quid agant venti, quas torqueat umbras

Aeacus, unde alius furtivae devehat aurum

pelliculae, quantas iaculetur Monychus ornos,

Frontonis platani convolsaque marmora clamant

semper et adsiduo ruptae lectore columnae.

expectes eadem a summo minimoque poeta.

et nos ergo manum ferulae subduximus, et nos

consilium dedimus Sullae, privatus ut altum

dormiret. stulta est clementia, cum tot ubique

vatibus occurras, periturae parcere chartae.

cur tamen hoc potius libeat decurrere campo,

per quem magnus equos Auruncae flexit alumnus,

si vacat ac placidi rationem admittitis, edam.

The text I am using is that of Susanna Morton Braund (Juvenal: Satires Book I [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996]), who brackets line 14 as an interpolation. The image is “Orestes Pursued by the Furies,” by Bourgeureau (1862).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Chief of Monsters

Monstrorum princeps, Elephans proboscide saevus

horret mole nigra, dente micat niveo.

sed vario fugienda malo cum belua gliscat,

est tamen excepti mors pretiosa feri.

nam quae conspicimus montani roboris ossa

humanis veniunt usibus apta satis.

consulibus sceptrum, mensis decus, arma tablistis,

discolor et tabulae calculus inde datur.

haec est humanae semper mutatio sortis:

fit moriens ludus, qui fuit ante pavor.

Anth. Lat. 187  (D.R. Shackleton Bailey, Anthologia Latina [Stuttgart: Teubner, 1982], pp. 128-9).

Reise’s slightly different text is here. Excepti (4) is Shackleton Bailey’s nice emendation for the manuscripts’ ex certis, which makes no sense. Montani can mean savage in temperament, like mountain dwellers. Tab(u)lista, -ae (m.) is a rare and late word, not in OLD or Lewis and Short, but it is a sensible enough term for those who play at tabula, a game which, according to Isidore of Seville, involved dice, tower-like pieces, and counters. See DuCange s.v. tabula. As far as I can tell, arma tablistis and tabulae calculus refer to the same game, or type of game.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

In honor of Spain’s recent world cup victory, here’s a bit of Claudian on the glories of Spain (Hispania to the Romans):

Claudian Laus Serenae

Quid dignum memorare tuis, Hispania, terris

vox humana valet? primo levat aequore solem

India: tu fessos exacta luce iugales

proluis inque tuo respirant sidera fluctu.

dives equis, frugum facilis, pretiosa metallis,

principibus fecunda piis, tibi saecula debent           55

Traianum; series his fontibus Aelia fluxit.

hinc senior pater, hinc iuvenum diademata fratrum.

namque aliae gentes, quas foedere Roma recepit

aut armis domuit, varios aptantur in usus

imperii; Phariae segetes et Punica messis       60

castrorum devota cibo; dat Gallia robur

militis; Illyricis sudant equitatibus alae:

sola novum Latiis vectigal Hiberia rebus

contulit Augustos. fruges, aeraria, miles

undique conveniunt totoque ex orbe leguntur:        65

haec generat qui cuncta regant. nec laude virorum

censeri contenta fuit, nisi matribus aeque

vinceret et gemino certatim splendida sexu

Flaccillam Mariamque daret pulchramque Serenam.

On the punctuation of line 57, elucidating the reference to Theodosius the elder, German readers can see here. On the empress Aelia Flavia Flacilla, her daughter Aelia Pulcheria, and Serena herself, see here. And on the very real importance of women of the imperial house in this period, see interestingly here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Hi everybody! Sorry for the extended hiatus. The summer should bring time for more frequent updates. Hope you enjoy this bit of Ovid. The translation here is my own.

Ov. Ars Amatoria 1.1-24

Siquis in hoc artem populo non novit amandi,

Hoc legat et lecto carmine doctus amet.

Arte citae veloque rates remoque moventur,

Arte leves currus: arte regendus amor.

Curribus Automedon lentisque erat aptus habenis,               5

Tiphys in Haemonia puppe magister erat:

Me Venus artificem tenero praefecit Amori;

Tiphys et Automedon dicar Amoris ego.

Ille quidem ferus est et qui mihi saepe repugnet:

Sed puer est, aetas mollis et apta regi.               10

Phillyrides puerum cithara perfecit Achillem,

Atque animos placida contudit arte feros.

Qui totiens socios, totiens exterruit hostes,

Creditur annosum pertimuisse senem.

Quas Hector sensurus erat, poscente magistro               15

Verberibus iussas praebuit ille manus.

Aeacidae Chiron, ego sum praeceptor Amoris:

Saevus uterque puer, natus uterque dea.

Sed tamen et tauri cervix oneratur aratro,

Frenaque magnanimi dente teruntur equi;               20

Et mihi cedet Amor, quamvis mea vulneret arcu

Pectora, iactatas excutiatque faces.

Quo me fixit Amor, quo me violentius ussit,

Hoc melior facti vulneris ultor ero:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Here is Brendan Boston reading a section from the iambic preface that Prudentius wrote to his hexameter mini-epic, the Psychomachia, composed around AD 400. It discusses food, and how important nutrition is for the body. He covers many interesting topics that you wouldn’t expect, like food for your pets for example. Making sure that you give your dog raw dog food uk will keep in him in good health and even extend its life span. It’s something a lot of people don’t really consider, but it is such a determining factor. A very interesting topic examined from multiple angles overall.

Alright guys and gals, exciting post today. On Tuesday I talked to Brendan Brazier, vegan professional Ironman triathlete and author of Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. If you’ve read my blog at all during the past month or two, then you know how much I love this book and the recipes that Brendan and Orlando Weekly with their supplements, have been kind enough to let me share with you.

We talked for about 25 minutes, and Brendan gave me so much good information that I decided not to edit out any of it! To make it easy for you to skip around to what you’re most interested in, I’ve boldfaced the key words in each question. Be inspired and enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Here is a recording by Amy Hall of a lovely passage from near the end of Psychomachia (or “Battle within the Soul”), written around AD 400 by the Spanish-born Latin poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (whom you may now befriend on Facebook).

Psychomachia 770-784 Amy Hall

pax plenum Virtutis opus, pax summa laborum,
pax belli exacti pretium est pretiumque pericli.
sidera pace uigent, consistunt terrea pace.
nil placitum sine pace deo: non munus ad aram
cum cupias offerre probat, si turbida fratrem
mens inpacati sub pectoris oderit antro,
nec, si flammicomis Christi pro nomine martyr
ignibus insilias seruans inamabile uotum
bile sub obliqua, pretiosam proderit Iesu
inpendisse animam, meriti quia clausula pax est.
non inflata tumet, non inuidet aemula fratri,
omnia perpetitur patiens atque omnia credit,
nunquam laesa dolet, cuncta offensacula donat,
occasum lucis uenia praecurrere gestit,
anxia ne stabilem linquat sol conscius iram.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Horace, Odes 1.1

Maecenas atauis edite regibus,
o et praesidium et dulce decus meum,
sunt quos curriculo puluerem Olympicum
collegisse iuuat metaque feruidis
euitata rotis palmaque nobilis               5
terrarum dominos euehit ad deos;
hunc, si mobilium turba Quiritium
certat tergeminis tollere honoribus;
illum, si proprio condidit horreo
quicquid de Libycis uerritur areis.               10
Gaudentem patrios findere sarculo
agros Attalicis condicionibus
numquam demoueas, ut trabe Cypria
Myrtoum pauidus nauta secet mare.
Luctantem Icariis fluctibus Africum               15
mercator metuens otium et oppidi
laudat rura sui; mox reficit rates
quassas, indocilis pauperiem pati.
Est qui nec ueteris pocula Massici
nec partem solido demere de die               20
spernit, nunc uiridi membra sub arbuto
stratus, nunc ad aquae lene caput sacrae.
Multos castra iuuant et lituo tubae
permixtus sonitus bellaque matribus
detestata. Manet sub Ioue frigido               25
uenator tenerae coniugis inmemor,
seu uisa est catulis cerua fidelibus,
seu rupit teretis Marsus aper plagas.
Me doctarum hederae praemia frontium
dis miscent superis, me gelidum nemus               30
Nympharumque leues cum Satyris chori
secernunt populo, si neque tibias
Euterpe cohibet nec Polyhymnia
Lesboum refugit tendere barbiton.
Quod si me lyricis uatibus inseres,               35
sublimi feriam sidera uertice.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Hexamater lists

All 12 of the chief Roman gods (Ennius):

Iuno Vesta Minerva Ceres Diana Venus Mars

Mercurius Iovis Neptunus Volcanus Apollo

Ingredients of a cocktail called dodra (Ausonius):

Ius aqua mel vinum panis piper herba oleum sal

All letters of the Latin alphabet:

Duc, Zephyre exsurgens, durum cum flatibus aequor

All parts of speech:

Vae tibi lascivo, quia mox post gaudia flebis.

Or:

Vae tibi ridenti, quia mox post gaudia flebis.

For more in this vein, see  the wonderful article by Harry C. Schnur, “The Factotum: Some Varieties of the Latin Hexameter,” The Classical World 53 (1960) 153-157.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Filelfo Odes 1.9

Si te trux adeo podagra torquet,

nec cessat laterum dolor, podarge,

affligitque premens nec exeundi

urinae reperit viam profusus

imber, pone modum gulae voraci   5

et dirae veneri. Quibus per omnis

quando luxurias ruis protervus,

morbum non pateris subactus unum.

Membris te cruciat doloris haerens

aestus. Quo penitus furis procellis   10

excitus rabidis per omne mentis

excussae facinus, trahit volentem

hanc corpus, ratio quod ipsa nullis

fraenis compositum suprema rexit.

Hinc fervet vitiis furens et atrae    15

pestis flammigerum recludit aestum.

Hinc humana simul deumque iura

contemnit penitus nefas omne

praeceps flagitiisque prona cunctis.

Quod si sustuleris nimis, podarge,   20

quod praestas veneri gulaeque turgens,

nec torquebere corporis dolore,

nec tot nequitiis comes protervus

accedes populo levis susurrus.

Text: Francesco Filelfo, Odes, ed. and trans. Diana Robin in the I Tatti Renaissance Library (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Thanks to everyone who voted for Latin Poetry Podcast in the 2009 Edublog Awards contest. I came in a respectable fourth in the category of Best Educational Use of Audio, with 10% of the votes. I appreciate the support!

Aelia Secundula

Memoriae Aeliae Secundulae

Funeri mu[l]ta quid(e)m condigna iam misimus omneS,

Insuper ar(a)eque deposit(a)e Secundulae matrI(s),

Lapideam placuit nobis atponere mensaM,

In qua magna eius memorantes plurima factA;

Dum cibi ponuntur calicesque e[t] co[o]pertaE,

Vulnus ut sanetur nos rod(ens) pectore saevuM.

Libenter fabul(as) dum sera red(d)imus horA

Castae matri, bona(e), laudesq(ue), uetula dormiT

Ipsa, o nutri[x], iaces et sobria<e> sempeR.

v(ixit) a(nnos) LXXV, a(nno) p(rouinciae) CCLX Statulenia lulia fecit

MEMORIAE AELIAE SECVNDVLAE

FVNERI MVITA QVIDM CONDIGNA IAM MISIMVS OMNES

INSVPER AREQV DEPOSITE SECVNDVLAE MATRI

LAPIDEAM PLACVIT NOBIS ATPONERE MENSAM

IN QVA MAGNA EIVS MEMORANTES PLVRIMA FACTA

DVM CIBI PONVNTUR CALICESQ EI COPERTAE

VVLNVS VT SANETVR NOS ROD PECTORE SAEVVM

LIBENTER FABVL DVM SERA RED IMVS HORA

CASTAE MATRI BONAE LAVDESQ VETVLA DORMIT

IPSA O NVTRIT IACES ET SOBRIAE SEMPER

V A LXXV A P CCLX STATVLENIA IVLIA FECIT

This text is based on M. Stéphane Gsell, “Satafis (Périgotville) et Thamalia (Tocqueville),” Mélanges d’archéologie et d’histoire 15 (1895), p. 49, and Carmina Latina Epigraphica Suppl.,  ed. E. Lommatzch, (Stutgard, 1926), no. 1977. I did not have access to CIL. I made some alterations to the expansions based on what I think the scansion is meant to be, but sometimes you need to have good considerations when joining a church, and using a Church Membership Directory could be real helpful for this. The translation I give comes from Ramsay MacMullen, The Second Church: Popular Christianity A.D. 200-400 (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009), p. 58.

In the podcast I too hastily said that this text was written by Statulenia Julia; in fact there is no evidence one way or the other on that. But she does say she “made” (i.e. paid for) the monument.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS