Note 1 — BOOK V.

And Myron)—Ver. 7. Myron was a famous sculptor, statuary, and engraver, of Greece. He was a native of Eleutheræ, in Bœotia, and according to Petronius Arbiter, died in extreme poverty.

2. Called Phalereus)—Ver. 1. Demetrius Phalereus, the statesman, philosopher, and ruler of Athens, was so called from the Attic demus, or borough of Phalerus, where he was born. He died in exile in Egypt, according to some accounts, of the bite of a serpent. There seems no good reason for giving to his rule over the Athenians the epithet of “improbum,” found in the next line, although in the latter years of his government he gave himself up in a great measure to sensual pursuits.

3. Menander, famous)—Ver. 9. Menander, the inventor of the New Comedy. Some of the Comedies of Terence are Translations from his works.

4. His travelling cloak)—Ver. 5. The “pænula” was a travelling-cloak made of leather or wool, with a hood attached to it, to cover the head.

5. Accompany Bathyllus)—Ver. 5. He alludes to Bathyllus, the favourite and freedman of Mecænas, and who brought to perfection pantomimic dancing at Rome.

6. Flying-machine)—Ver. 7. The “pegma” was a piece of machinery used on the stage for the purpose of aiding the ascents and descents of the Gods there represented.

7. Losing two right ones)—Ver. 9. The Poet puns on the twofold meanings of the word “tibia,” which signifies the main bone of the leg, and a pipe or flute. These pipes were right-handed or left-handed, probably varying in tone, two being played at a time. Explained at length, the pun means, “Princeps broke his left leg, when he could have better afforded to break two right-handed pipes.”

Not an error: until recently, English “leg” often had the narrower meaning of “lower leg”.

8. The curtain falling)—Ver. 23. The “aulæum,” or stage-curtain, called also “siparium,” was a piece of tapestry stretched on a frame, which, rising before the stage, concealed it till the actors appeared. Instead of drawing up this curtain to discover the stage and actors, according to the present practice, it was depressed when the play began, and fell beneath the level of the stage: whence “aulæa premuntur” or “mittuntur,” “the curtain is dropped,” meant that the play had began.

9. The thunders rolled)—Ver. 23. This thunder was made by the noise of rolling stones in copper vessels.

10. Upon the stage)—Ver. 32. The “pulpitum” was properly an elevated place on the proscenium, or space between the scene and the orchestra.

11. Snow-white shoes)—Ver. 37. We learn from Ovid and other authors that white shoes were solely worn by the female sex.

12. To the Deified house)—Ver. 38. Taking to himself the honor that belonged to the house of Augustus, which was worshipped with Divine honors.

13. His forehead covered with hair)—Ver. 2. From this figure of Time or Opportunity, Time came to be represented in the middle ages with a tuft of hair on his forehead; whence our common expression “To take time by the forelock,” signifying to make the best of an opportunity.

14. Old Barker)—Ver. 7. We may here enumerate the names of this nature, which we find given by Phædrus to various animals: “laniger,” “wool-bearer,” the sheep; “auritulus,” “long-ears,” the ass; “sonipes,” “sounding-hoof,” the horse; “barbatus,” “long-beard,” the goat; “retorridus,” “brindle,” the mouse; and “latrans,” “barker,” the dog.

15. Philetus.)—Ver. 10. Of this Philetus nothing certain is known, but he is supposed to have been a freedman of the emperor Claudius.