Tuesday 14 April 2020

Tibullus 2.1: a merry lent ritual.


This elegy by Tibullus is a description of some rural ritual, probably the ambarvalia. This assignation is not quite beyond dispute, but most modern commentators agree on that ritual. The ambarvalia was celebrated late April – early May, after seed had been planted and now the blessings of the gods, especially Ceres, was asked. It has a festive mood and the brightness of the whole scene is stressed by such word as casta, pura, candida etc. With these adjectives it has something of a locus amoenus, a lovely and arcane spot. The day ends with drinking wine. For those thinking that nothing has changed in Italy concerning the production and drinking of wine: don’t!

Tibullus, Elegiae, 2,1 13-30.

casta placent superis: pura cum ueste uenite
    et manibus puris sumite fontis aquam.
cernite, fulgentes ut eat sacer agnus ad aras
    uinctaque post olea candida turba comas.
di patrii, purgarnus agros, purgamus agrestes:
    uos mala de nostris pellite limitibus,
neu seges eludat messem fallacibus herbis,
    neu timeat celeres tardior agna lupos.
tunc nitidus plenis confisus rusticus agris
    ingeret ardenti grandia ligna foco,
turbaque uernarum, saturi bona signa coloni,
    ludet et ex uirgis extruet ante casas.
euentura precor: uiden ut felicibus extis
    significet placidos nuntia fibra deos?
nunc mihi fumosos ueteris proferte Falernos
    consulis et Chio soluite uincla cado.
uina diem celebrent: non festa luce madere
    est rubor, errantes et male ferre pedes.

castus: pure
superi: the gods above
vestis –is (f.): clothing
sumo sumpsi sumptum: to take, get
cerno crevi cretum (-ere): perceive, see
fulgentes aras: i.e marble altars
sacer agnus: this sacred lamb was first led thrice around the farm estate and then led behind the crowd dressed in white (post candida turba) towards the altar.
vincta olea comas: having their hair tied (vincio vinxi vinctum) with an olive (olea: abl. i.e. olive leaves.)
agrestis –is (m.): peasant
pello pepuli pulsum (-ere): drive away
limes limitis (m.): boundary
neu = neve: and that not
seges segetis (f.): crop
eludo elusi elusum (-ere): elude, deceive, escape
messis –is (f.): harvest
fallacibus herbis: i.e. weeds
celer: swift
tardus: slow
nitidus: shining
confido confisus sum (-ere, + dat., abl.): to trust, confide
ingero ingessi ingestum (-ere): to load, put on
grandis: large
lignum: wood
focus: hearth, here: bonfire
verna: home-born slave (m. and f.)
satur: rich
bona signa: apposition to turba vernarum
colonus: farmer
ludet: this may mean the turba vernarum consisted of children, though not necessarily. The context of playing and building huts suggests a ritual setting.
ante focum
virga: branch, twig
extruo extruxi extructum: to build, erect
casa: hut
eventura precor: I pray for good omens (In the meantime the lamb has been slaughtered and its entrails are inspected for good signs.)
uiden ut felicibus extis  significet placidos nuntia fibra deos? Do you see how the forecasting liver (nuntia fibra) from the favourable entrails (felicibus extis) signifies the gods to be pleased?
proferte: bring (from the wine store)
fumosus Falernos: Falernan wine was considered the best wine available. The amphoras were stored near or above the hearth, so that smoke could reach these and preserve the wine. The consequence was of course a smoky taste. The amphoras were sealed and on that seal the names of the then reigning consuls were written, so one could see how old the wine was. The heavy Falerna was usually mixed with a softer wine, in this case from Chios: solvite vincla Chio cado `untie the bounds from the Chian jar (cadus).’
vina: ablative
festa luce: on a festive day
madeo madui (-ēre): to become wet, drunk
rubor -oris (m.): shame
erro (-are): to wander, stray
male ferre pedes: `to carry the feet badly’ i.e. walk with unsteady feet

Translation by A.S. Klyne (2002)

Purity pleases the gods: come with pure robes
and draw the fountain’s water with pure hands.
See how the sacred lamb goes to the shining altar
behind it the crowd, in white, heads crowned with olive.
Gods of our fathers, we purify worker and field:
drive evil far away from our boundaries,
let the fields not cheat us of harvest, failed in the shoot,
let our slow lambs not be in fear of swifter wolves.
Then let the glowing farmer sure of full fields
pile huge logs up, on his blazing hearth,
and a crowd of young slaves, true signs of wealth
play, and build little huts of sticks before it.
I pray, with success: see how the favourable entrails
show that the gods are pleased, by the liver’s markings.
Now bring out the smoky Falernian from old consulships,
and loosen the bindings from the Chian jar.
Let wine celebrate the day: no shame to be drunk
on a day of festival, and weave about on unsteady feet.


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