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.