"Permitte divis cetera"
John Townsend
four-year-old wine, leave the rest to the gods ...
"Dissolve frigus ligna super foco
Large reponens atque benignius
Deprome quadrimum Sabina,
O Thaliarche, merum diota
Permitte divis cetera ... " (Odes I, IX)
I seem to recall that Falernian wine was highly regarded by the Romans,
presumably from Mount Falernus. Is it sold today? Can I get it at
Sainsbury's?
Best wishes,
Johannes Ad Finem Villae
Ed Cryer
"John Townsend" <jo...@johntownsend.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:zyj2n.43996$KM6....@newsfe02.ams2...
Quadremum merum to boot!
You can't get Falernian today; http://tinyurl.com/yfubgtx
Permitte divis cetera.... doesn't sound very Epicurean.
Ed
John Townsend
> You can't get Falernian today; http://tinyurl.com/yfubgtx
>
> Permitte divis cetera.... doesn't sound very Epicurean.
Agreed. It seems to me that Horace was not governed by any particular
philosophical school but made his own rules for living, his views
fluctuating between different schools.
Johannes Ad Finem Villae
Ed Cryer
There's not much Stoicism in Horace. In fact I find his whole attitude
very irresponsible. He readily laughs at his failures in government and
battle, and then waxes lyrical over his little farm in the Sabine hills,
chasing after slave women, throwing back the best Falernian and calling
himself "a little porker from the sty of Epicurus" while he boasts of
his talent and how it will survive in time.
There's something very Epicurean about all that. Get yourself a little
commune outside Athens, fill it with friends, wine and dine, and leave
the rest to fate and people with more responsible attitudes.
All of which might work if you can get a patron like Maecenas to fund it
all. And then you can turn out some poems in praise of Augustus; but so
lacking in conviction, empty phrasing.
It all puts me in mind of modern-day bad parents who can't control their
yobbish offspring as they vandalise and terrorise the area right outside
their front doors.
Ed
John Townsend
> There's not much Stoicism in Horace. In fact I find his whole attitude
> very irresponsible. He readily laughs at his failures in government and
> battle, and then waxes lyrical over his little farm in the Sabine hills,
> chasing after slave women, throwing back the best Falernian and calling
> himself "a little porker from the sty of Epicurus" while he boasts of his
> talent and how it will survive in time.
Horace "throwing back the best Falernian"? I got a different impression
from the following:
"Vile potabis modicis Sabinum
Cantharis, Graeca quod ego ipse testa
Conditum levi, datus in theatro
Cum tibi plausus,
Clare, Maecenas, eques, ut paterni
Fluminis ripae simul et iocosa
Redderet laudes tibi Vaticani
Montis imago.
Caecubum et praelo domitam Caleno
Tu vides uvam: mea nec Falernae
Temperant vites neque Formiani
Pocula colles." (Odes, I, XX)
He offers cheap Sabine wine, bottled by himself. Elsewhere I think he
advocates drinking wine in moderation.
I seem to recall that Catullus speaks of drinking Falernian.
Ed Cryer
That's how Horace addresses the power-brokers who dole out the cash;
basically saying that he's hard up. But look how he talks to others.
"Interiore nota Falerni" is not just Falernian wine; it's the better
Falernian.
II.III
Aequam memento rebus in arduis
seruare mentem, non secus in bonis
ab insolenti temperatam
laetitia, moriture Delli,
seu maestus omni tempore uixeris 5
seu te in remoto gramine per dies
festos reclinatum bearis
interiore nota Falerni.
Quo pinus ingens albaque populus
umbram hospitalem consociare amant 10
ramis? Quid obliquo laborat
lympha fugax trepidare riuo?
Huc uina et unguenta et nimium breuis
flores amoenae ferre iube rosae,
dum res et aetas et Sororum
fila trium patiuntur atra. 15
Cedes coemptis saltibus et domo
uillaque, flauus quam Tiberis lauit,
cedes, et exstructis in altum
diuitiis potietur heres. 20
Diuesne prisco natus ab Inacho
nil interest an pauper et infima
de gente sub diuo moreris,
uictima nil miserantis Orci;
omnes eodem cogimur, omnium 25
uersatur urna serius ocius
sors exitura et nos in aeternum
exilium impositura cumbae.