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Horace 1.37

Horace celebrates the fall of Cleopatra, who, though a monstrous person, nevertheless displayed herself as a fearless and proud enemy.

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Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero
pulsanda tellus, nunc Saliaribus
.......ornare pulvinar deorum
..............tempus erat dapibus, sodales.

antehac nefas depromere Caecubum ...................5
cellis avitis, dum Capitolio
.......regina dementis ruinas,
..............funus et imperio parabat

contaminato cum grege turpium
morbo virorum, quidlibet impotens ......................10
.......sperare fortunaque dulci
..............ebria. sed minuit furorem

vix una sospes navis ab ignibus,
mentemque lymphatam Mareotico
.......redegit in veros timores ................................15
..............Caesar, ab Italia volantem

remis adurgens, accipiter velut
mollis columbas aut leporem citus
.......venator in campis nivalis
..............Haemoniae, daret ut catenis ...................20

fatale monstrum. quae generosius
perire quaerens nec muliebriter
.......expavit ensem nec latentis
..............classe cita reparavit oras;

ausa et iacentem visere regiam ..............................25
vultu sereno, fortis et asperas
.......tractare serpentes, ut atrum
..............corpore combiberet venenum,

deliberata morte ferocior;
saevis Liburnis scilicet invidens ..............................30
.......privata deduci superbo
..............non humilis mulier triumpho.

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Meter: Alcaic strophe
1. bibendum: Passive Periphrastic; likewise pulsanda (line 2).
5. nefas: sc. fuisset, "it would have been".
7. dementis: Accusative plural.
8. imperio: Dative of Indirect Object.
10. impotens: modifies regina; likewise ebria.
12. furorem: i.e., furorem reginae.
16. volantem: sc. eam.
17. accipiter: sc. adurget; likewise with venator (line 19).
18. mollis: Accusative plural.
20. catenis: Dative of Indirect Object.
21. quae: i.e., regina;
  generosius: Comparative adverb.
23. latentis: Accusative plural.
25. ausa: sc. est;
  iacentem: "laid low".
28. corpore: Ablative of Means.
30. saevis Liburnis: Ablative of Agent.
31. privata: "stripped" (i.e. of her throne).
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last updated October 17, 2003
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