1. Ovid, Fasti, 4.375-4.376, 5.729-5.730, 6.241-6.248, 6.569-6.636, 6.773-6.784 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •fortuna, virilis Found in books: Clark (2007) 163| 4.375. qui dicet ‘quondam sacrata est colle Quirini 4.376. hac Fortuna die Publica,’ verus erit. 5.729. Nec te praetereo, populi Fortuna potentis 5.730. Publica, cui templum luce sequente datum est. 6.241. Mens quoque numen habet. Mentis delubra videmus 6.242. vota metu belli, perfide Poene, tui. 6.243. Poene rebellaras, et leto consulis omnes 6.244. attoniti Mauras pertimuere manus. 6.245. spem metus expulerat, cum Menti vota senatus 6.246. suscipit, et melior protinus illa venit. 6.247. aspicit instantes mediis sex lucibus Idus 6.248. illa dies, qua sunt vota soluta deae. 6.569. Lux eadem, Fortuna, tua est auctorque locusque; 6.570. sed superiniectis quis latet iste togis? 6.571. Servius est, hoc constat enim, sed causa latendi 6.572. discrepat et dubium me quoque mentis habet, 6.573. dum dea furtivos timide profitetur amores, 6.574. caelestemque homini concubuisse pudet 6.575. (arsit enim magno correpta cupidine regis 6.576. caecaque in hoc uno non fuit illa viro), 6.577. nocte domum parva solita est intrare fenestra; 6.578. unde Fenestellae nomina porta tenet, 6.579. nunc pudet, et voltus velamine celat amatos, 6.580. oraque sunt multa regia tecta toga. 6.581. an magis est verum post Tulli funera plebem 6.582. confusam placidi morte fuisse ducis, 6.583. nec modus ullus erat, crescebat imagine luctus, 6.584. donec eum positis occuluere togis? 6.585. tertia causa mihi spatio maiore canenda est, 6.586. nos tamen adductos intus agemus equos. 6.587. Tullia coniugio sceleris mercede parato 6.588. his solita est dictis extimulare virum: 6.589. ‘quid iuvat esse pares, te nostrae caede sororis 6.590. meque tui fratris, si pia vita placet? 6.591. vivere debuerant et vir meus et tua coniunx, 6.592. si nullum ausuri maius eramus opus. 6.593. et caput et regnum facio dictale parentis: 6.594. si vir es, i, dictas exige dotis opes. 6.595. regia res scelus est. socero cape regna necato, 6.596. et nostras patrio sanguine tingue manus.’ 6.597. talibus instinctus solio privatus in alto 6.598. sederat: attonitum volgus ad arma ruit. 6.599. hinc cruor et caedes, infirmaque vincitur aetas: 6.600. sceptra gener socero rapta Superbus habet. 6.601. ipse sub Esquiliis, ubi erat sua regia, caesus 6.602. concidit in dura sanguinulentus humo, 6.603. filia carpento patrios initura penates 6.604. ibat per medias alta feroxque vias. 6.605. corpus ut aspexit, lacrimis auriga profusis 6.606. restitit, hunc tali corripit illa sono: 6.607. ‘vadis, an expectas pretium pietatis amarum? 6.608. duc, inquam, invitas ipsa per ora rotas.’ 6.609. certa fides facti: dictus Sceleratus ab illa 6.610. vicus, et aeterna res ea pressa nota. 6.611. post tamen hoc ausa est templum, monumenta parentis, 6.612. tangere: mira quidem, sed tamen acta loquar, 6.613. signum erat in solio residens sub imagine Tulli; 6.614. dicitur hoc oculis opposuisse manum, 6.615. et vox audita est ‘voltus abscondite nostros, 6.616. ne natae videant ora nefanda meae.’ 6.617. veste data tegitur, vetat hanc Fortuna moveri 6.618. et sic e templo est ipsa locuta suo: 6.619. ‘ore revelato qua primum luce patebit 6.620. Servius, haec positi prima pudoris erit.’ 6.621. parcite, matronae, vetitas attingere vestes: 6.622. sollemni satis est voce movere preces, 6.623. sitque caput semper Romano tectus amictu, 6.624. qui rex in nostra septimus urbe fuit. 6.625. arserat hoc templum, signo tamen ille pepercit 6.626. ignis: opem nato Mulciber ipse tulit, 6.627. namque pater Tulli Volcanus, Ocresia mater 6.628. praesignis facie Corniculana fuit. 6.629. hanc secum Tanaquil sacris de more peractis 6.630. iussit in ornatum fundere vina focum: 6.631. hic inter cineres obsceni forma virilis 6.632. aut fuit aut visa est, sed fuit illa magis, 6.633. iussa foco captiva sedet: conceptus ab illa 6.634. Servius a caelo semina gentis habet. 6.635. signa dedit genitor tunc cum caput igne corusco 6.636. contigit, inque comis flammeus arsit apex. 6.773. quam cito venerunt Fortunae Fortis honores! 6.774. post septem luces Iunius actus erit. 6.775. ite, deam laeti Fortem celebrate, Quirites: 6.776. in Tiberis ripa munera regis habet, 6.777. pars pede, pars etiam celeri decurrite cumba, 6.778. nec pudeat potos inde redire domum, 6.779. ferte coronatae iuvenum convivia lintres, 6.780. multaque per medias vina bibantur aquas, 6.781. plebs colit hanc, quia qui posuit, de plebe fuisse 6.782. fertur et ex humili sceptra tulisse loco. 6.783. convenit et servis, serva quia Tullius ortus 6.784. constituit dubiae templa propinqua deae. | 4.375. He’ll speak true who says: ‘On this day long ago 4.376. The temple of Public Fortune was dedicated on the Quirinal.’ 5.729. The next date’s marked by four letters, QRCF, which, interpreted, 5.730. Signify either the manner of the sacred rites, or the flight of the king. 6.241. The Mind has its own goddess too. I note a sanctuary 6.242. Was vowed to Mind, during the terror of war with you, 6.243. Perfidious Carthage. You broke the peace, and astonished 6.244. By the consul’s death, all feared the Moorish army. 6.245. Fear had driven out hope, when the Senate made their vow 6.246. To Mind, and immediately she was better disposed to them. 6.247. The day when the vows to the goddess were fulfilled 6.248. Is separated by six days from the approaching Ides. 6.569. Day, doubled the enemy’s strength. 6.570. Fortuna, the same day is yours, your temple 6.571. Founded by the same king, in the same place. 6.572. And whose is that statue hidden under draped robes? 6.573. It’s Servius, that’s for sure, but different reason 6.574. Are given for the drapes, and I’m in doubt. 6.575. When the goddess fearfully confessed to a secret love, 6.576. Ashamed, since she’s immortal, to mate with a man 6.577. (For she burned, seized with intense passion for the king, 6.578. And he was the only man she wasn’t blind to), 6.579. She used to enter his palace at night by a little window: 6.580. So that the gate bears the name Fenestella. 6.581. She’s still ashamed, and hides the beloved feature 6.582. Under cloth: the king’s face being covered by a robe. 6.583. Or is it rather that, after his murder, the people 6.584. Were bewildered by their gentle leader’s death, 6.585. Their grief swelling, endlessly, at the sight 6.586. of the statue, until they hid him under robes? 6.587. I must sing at greater length of a third reason, 6.588. Though I’ll still keep my team on a tight rein. 6.589. Having secured her marriage by crime, Tullia 6.590. Used to incite her husband with words like these: 6.591. ‘What use if we’re equally matched, you by my sister’ 6.592. Murder, I by your brother’s, in leading a virtuous life? 6.593. Better that my husband and your wife had lived, 6.594. Than that we shrink from greater achievement. 6.595. I offer my father’s life and realm as my dower: 6.596. If you’re a man, go take the dower I speak of. 6.597. Crime is the mark of kingship. Kill your wife’s father, 6.598. Seize the kingdom, dip our hands in my father’s blood.’ 6.599. Urged on be such words, though a private citizen 6.600. He usurped the high throne: the people, stunned, took up arms. 6.601. With blood and slaughter the weak old man was defeated: 6.602. Tarquin the Proud snatched his father-in-law’s sceptre. 6.603. Servius himself fell bleeding to the hard earth, 6.604. At the foot of the Esquiline, site of his palace. 6.605. His daughter, driving to her father’s home, 6.606. Rode through the streets, erect and haughty. 6.607. When her driver saw the king’s body, he halted 6.608. In tears. She reproved him in these terms: 6.609. ‘Go on, or do you seek the bitter fruits of virtue? 6.610. Drive the unwilling wheels, I say, over his face.’ 6.611. A certain proof of this is Evil Street, named 6.612. After her, while eternal infamy marks the deed. 6.613. Yet she still dared to visit her father’s temple, 6.614. His monument: what I tell is strange but true. 6.615. There was a statue enthroned, an image of Servius: 6.616. They say it put a hand to its eyes, 6.617. And a voice was heard: ‘Hide my face, 6.618. Lest it view my own wicked daughter.’ 6.619. It was veiled by cloth, Fortune refused to let the robe 6.620. Be removed, and she herself spoke from her temple: 6.621. ‘The day when Servius’ face is next revealed, 6.622. Will be a day when shame is cast aside.’ 6.623. Women, beware of touching the forbidden cloth, 6.624. (It’s sufficient to utter prayers in solemn tones) 6.625. And let him who was the City’s seventh king 6.626. Keep his head covered, forever, by this veil. 6.627. The temple once burned: but the fire spared 6.628. The statue: Mulciber himself preserved his son. 6.629. For Servius’ father was Vulcan, and the lovely 6.630. Ocresia of Corniculum his mother. 6.631. Once, performing sacred rites with her in the due manner, 6.632. Tanaquil ordered her to pour wine on the garlanded hearth: 6.633. There was, or seemed to be, the form of a male organ 6.634. In the ashes: the shape was really there in fact. 6.635. The captive girl sat on the hearth, as commanded: 6.636. She conceived Servius, born of divine seed. 6.773. Time slips by, and we age silently with the years, 6.774. There’s no bridle to curb the flying days. 6.775. How swiftly the festival of Fors Fortuna’s arrived! 6.776. June will be over now in seven days. 6.777. Quirites, come celebrate the goddess Fors, with joy: 6.778. She has her royal show on Tiber’s banks. 6.779. Hurry on foot, and others in swift boats: 6.780. It’s no shame to return home tipsy. 6.781. Garlanded barges, carry your bands of youths, 6.782. Let them drink deep of the wine, mid-stream. 6.783. The people worship her, because they say the founder 6.784. of her shrine was one of them, and rose from humble rank, |
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