Acmen: the Greek name suggests a libertina, while Septimius is the nomen of an honored Roman family.
amores: cf. Catul. 6.16n.
[2] tenens in gremio: he was reclining on a couch, and she sitting on its edge close to him, and resting back in his arms; cf. the well-known illustrations of symposia.
[3] perdite amo: cf. Catul. 104.3; Ter. Phor. 82 “hanc amare coepit perdite.”
[3] porro: in time to come; cf. Catul. 68.45.
[5] pote: for potest; cf. Catul. 17.24n.
[5] perire: usually with the person loved as direct object; cf. Pl. Poen. 1095earum hic alteram efflictim perit (cf. deperire in Catul. 35.12; Catul. 100.2); or as instrumental ablative, a construction common in he Augustan poets.
[6] solus: etc. cf. Hor. Carm. 3.27.51 “utinam inter nuda leones” .
[6] Libya: i.e. Africa; on its lions cf. Hor. Carm. 1.22.15 “Iubae tellus, leonum arida nutrix” ; Plin. NH 6.195.
[6] India tosta: cf. Verg. G. 4.425 “rapidus [rabidus?] torrens sitientis Sirius Indos ardebat caelo” ; Tib. 2.3.55 “comites fusci, quos India torret.”
[7] caesio leoni: cf. Hom. Il. 20.172 “[λέων] γλαυδιόων δ᾽ ἰθὺς φέρεται μένει” ; Ellis quotes Plin. NH 8.54 “leonum omnis vis constat in oculis.”
[8-9] (= 17-18). The reading seems correct as it stands here, so far as the contrast of sinistra and dextra is concerned, but a satisfactory interpretation of sinistra ut ante is impossible. Sneezing was apparently a good omen, however occurring, and there is no indication that Amor had sneezed before at all, or that he had ever been unpropitious (sinister) toward the lovers. Ut ante may be corrupt, but none of the emendations proposed (see Crit. App.) are at all satisfactory. Bonnet suggests that the difficulty may lie in our lack of detailed knowledge of the interpretation of this omen among the ancients.
[9] sternuit adprobationem: sneezing was early regarded as a good omen; cf. Hom. Od. 17.541ff.; Xen. Anab. 3.2.9 “πτάρνυταί τις: ἀκούσαντες δ᾽ οἱ στρατιῶται πάντες μιᾷ ὁρμῇ προσεκύνησαν τὸν θεόν” ; Ov. Epist. 18.152 “sternuit, et nobis prospera signa dedit” ; Prop. 2.3.24 “candidus argutum sternuit omen Amor.”
[10] caput reflectens: i.e. bending backward so as to turn her face upward toward that of Septimius.
[11] pueri: cf. Catul. 12.9n. puer.
[11] ebrios: i.e. swimming with passion, drunk with love; so Dido ‘drank’ love ( Verg. A. 1.749 “longum bibebat amorem” ).
[11] ocellos: on the kissing of the eyes cf. Catul. 9.9n.
[12] purpureo: = roseo ( Catul. 64.49 “tincta roseo purpura fuco” ); cf. Catul. 63.74; Catul. 80.1 “rosea labella” (as a mark of youthful and almost feminine beauty); Verg. A. 2.593 “rosea haec insuper addidit ore” ; Ov. Am. 3.14.23 “purpureis condatur lingua labellis” ; Apul. Apol. 9 “oris savia purpurei.”
[13] mea vita: cf. Catul. 68.155; Catul. 104.1; Catul. 109.1, and many instances in colloqnial and amatory writers.
[14] usque: i.e. from now on forever; cf. Catul. 48.2.
[14] serviamus: cf. Catul. 61.134 “servire Talasio” .
[16] medullis: cf. Catul. 35.15n.
[17-18] (=8-9). Amor declines to decide which loves the more ardently, and impartially sneezes his approbation of the professions of each.
[20] amant amantur: for similar collocations of active and passive see Cic. Catil. 2.10.23 “amare et amari” ; Phaedr. 2.2.2 “ament amentur” ; Tac. Germ. 38 “ut ament amenturve.”
[21] misellus: cf. Catul. 35.14; Catul. 51.5.
[22] Syrias Britanniasque: the allusion suggests that the poem was composed in 55 B.C., for in that year Caesar invaded Britain and Crassus took command in Syria. Syria was proverbially a country of great wealth, and Britain was supposed to be so till the expedition of Caesar proved it otherwise (cf. Cic. Fam. 7.7.1 “in Britannia nihil esse audio neque auri neque argenti” (to Trebatius after the expedition); Att. 4.16.7 “Britannici belli exitus exspectatur; … etiam illud iam cognitum est, neque argenti scripulum esse ullum in illa insula neque ullam spem praedae nisi ex mancipiis” ). The plural is used to indicate, not the several parts of the countries themselves, but such rich countries as Syria and Britain; cf. Prop. 3.16.10 “alias Illyrias” .
[24] facit: etc. i.e. centres all her affections.
[24] delicias: see Catul. 2.1n., and cf. Catul. 68.26; Catul. 74.2; Cic. Cael. 19.44 “amores autem et hae deliciae, quae vocantur.”
[25] quis: etc. with a similar triumphant appeal close Catul. 9.1ff. and Catul. 107.1ff., and with an indignant appeal, Catul. 29.1ff., Catul. 47.1ff., Catul. 52.1ff., and Catul. 60.1ff.
[26] auspicatiorem: cf. v. 19.
