Tibullus 25 Flashcards
What is the main theme of poem 25?
care-free country life vs life of a soldier plus wealth not needed for happiness
A small crop is enough; enough indeed to rest on a mattress, if I can, and refresh my limbs on my familiar bed. How pleasant to hear the unbending gales from the bedroom, holding my mistress in my unwarlike arms; or when a wintery Auster has poured out its icy waters, to pursue, with the rain’s assistance, a carefree sleep
Tibullus extoles the comfort of country life. In previous lines in this poem he has highlighted the discomforts of military life, and this one is much preferable
Or when a wintry Auster has poured out its icy waters
Auster, the south wind, was traditionally regarded as rainy and stormy
small crop
simple things
unbending gales from the bedroom
idyllic- a soldier has to endure, but Tibullus is cosy in bed
all the gold there is and all the emeralds may perish sooner than that any girl should weep for my journeyings
travelling for trade or serving in the army far from home
he may be the rich one rightly who can endure the madness of the sea and the unsmiling rains
making money from trade
Messalla
Messala
She was MarcusValerius Messala Corvinus, who was a soldier, orator and statesman. He was Tibullus’ patron and a close friend of Augustus
praeferat
display
spoils of war at a triumph
vincila
chains
Bonds of love are a common theme in Latin love poetry. The lover’s closed door in line 16 is another. the door was sometimes personified. The door-keeper was often chained to his post
tu manes ne laede meos, sed parce solutis crinibus et teneris, Delia parce genis
Dont harm my ghost, but spare your flowing locks, Delia spare your tender cheeks
It was customary for the mourners at funerals to tear their hair out and scratch their cheeks as a token of grief, and as a kind of offering to the dead. Tibullus shows his concern for Delia by asking her not to spoil her look for him
hic ego dux milesque bonus: vos signa tubaeque ite procul, cupidis vulnera ferte viris ferte et opes: ego composito securus acervo despiciam dives despiciamque famem
Here I am a good general and soldier; you standards and trumpets, go far from here, and take your wounds for greedy men, take your wealth too I am free from care with the pile I have heaped up that I might despise riches, despise hunger.
These lines link the main theme of love, the simple country life, war and riches. Tibullus’ dream of an ideal ritual life is not unique, but was also a theme that was popular with other poets of that time
te… me
you… me
contrast between him and a soldier’s life
bellare
wage war
ut domus hostiles praeferat exuvias
your house may display the enemy spoils
me retinent vinctum formosae vincla puellae
the chains of a beautiful girl hold me bound up
Imagery of a prisoner of war= he is a slave to love
et sedeo duras ianitor ante fores
and I sit as doorkeeper in front of harsh door
His battle of the locked out lover
non ego laudari curo
I do not care about being praised
This is similar to propertius 23 and Ovid 7 as they dont want the fame of a soldier
te spectem suprema mihi cum venerit hora
If I could look at you at my last hour
he doesnt want to die alone on the battle feild he wants to be surrounded by the ones he loves
moriens deficient manu
with failing hand as I die
flebis… flebis
you will weep… you will weep
he wants people to cry for him
arsuro
set alight
cremated
tristibus et lacrimis oscula mixta dabis
you will give me kisses mixed with sad tears
duro ferro
harsh iron
His loved ones wont have to worry about him dieing on battle feild by a sword
