Ode XIII
The old age of the wanton. The unpleasant theme of 1. 25 and 3.15. For the motif, cf. Anth. Pal. 5.21, 5.27, 5.271, 5. 273; and Swinburne, 'The Complaint of the Fair Armouress,' after Villon There is an imitation by Gilbert West in Dodsley's Poems, 2, p.318.
Lyce: perhaps meant for the Lyce of 3.10, though line 21 is against it. For anaphora, cf. 3.5.18; 3.11.30; 4.6.37.
vota: i.e. devotiones, imprecations, as 2. 8.6.
ludis: cf. on 2:12.19; 3.15.5.
pota: cf. 3.15.16 n.
virentis: cf. 1.9.17; and, for contrast with aridas (9), cf. on 1.25.17-19.--et: cf. 3.11.15.
doctae: cf. 3.9.10--Chiae: cf. Delia and Lesbia, like-wise named from places.
excubat: keeps watch; cf. 3.16.3.--in genis: cf. Jebb on Soph. Antig. 783; Rom. and Jul. 5.3, 'beauty's ensign yet| Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks.'
importunus: a vague word; not conducive, distressful, ruthless. Cf. 3.16.37, and F. Q. 2.6.29, 'And with importune outrage him assailed.'--aridas: cf. on 2.11.6.--transvolet: Ἔρως . . . παρπέταται (Callim. Ep. 32).
luridi: cf. livido dente (Epode 5.47).
te: with turpant.
capitis nives: Quintil. 8.6.17, censures the image as far-fetched, sunt et durae, id est a longinqua similitudine ductae translationes ut capitis nives. Cf. Anth. Pal. 6.198, πολιῷ γήραι νιφόμενον; Catull. 64.309, niveo . . . vertice; Ronsard, 'Ja cinquante et six ans ont neigé sur ma teste ' ; Carew, 'or if that golden fleece must grow | Forever free from aged snow'; Donne, 'Ride ten thousand days and nights |Till age snow white hairs on thee'; Tenn. Pal. of Art, 'A hundred winters snowed upon his breast| From cheek and throat and chin' ; Herrick, 164, 'And time will come when you shall weare |Such frost and snow upon your haire.'
Coae: a costly gauzy silk affected by the demi-monde and often alluded to by Roman poets. Cf. Sat. 1.2. 101; Tibull. 2.3.56.
cari lapides: Sc. gems. Cf. Ovid, A. A. 3.129, cans aures onerata lapillis. Others read clari.--semel: cf. on 1.24.16. --notis: known and accessible to all.--condita: laid away, recorded.
volucris dies: cf. 3.28.6; and Eurip. Troad. 847, τᾶς λευκοπτέρου ἁμέρας.
venus: charm, grace.
illius: of her; for the repetition, cf. 3.26.6.
spirabat: cf. on 4.9.10.
surpuerat: surripuerat, syncope. Cf. on 1.36.8 and Sat. 2.3.283. For thought, cf. Catull. 51.6, eripit sensus mihi; and, on a higher plane, Tennyson's 'Smote the chord of self that trembling passed in music out of sight.'
The meaning seems to be, happy (as a reigning belle) next to Cinara (cf. on 4.1.4) and a face (beauty, aspect, "vision of delight") well known, too, for arts of pleasing. For genitive, cf. on 2.2.6.
servatura: cf. on 2.3.4.
cornicis: cf. on 3.17.13.--ut: we need not distinguish purpose and result.--fervidi: 'Let temple burn or flax: an equal light |Leaps in the flame from cedar-plank or weed: | And love is fire' (Sonnets from the Portuguese, 10). But Lyce is a burned-out torch, δαλός(Anth. Pal. 12.41). Cf. Tenn. Mer- lin and Vivien, 'the lists of such a beard |As youth gone out had left in ashes'; Shaks. Rom. and Jul. 4.1, 'The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade| To paly ashes.'
non sine: cf. on 1.23.3
dilapsam: crumbled to; delapsam would mean fallen into the ashes.--in cineres: cf. Vergil's considere in ignis (Aen. 2. 624; 9.145).
