From the category archives:
Today, I’d like to share an Ode from the ancient Roman poet Horace. As the opening lines indicate, this Ode is dedicated to the god Bacchus.
“I saw Bacchus today:
In a wild gorge he lay,
Teaching his sacred melodies. O years
To come, credit my glimpse
Of the attentive nymphs
And goat-foot satyrs cocking pointed ears.
Ai, ai, my mind still [...]
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In ancient Rome, a man’s spirit or his creative source was referred to as a genius.
Women had their own version of a genius. It was called a “juno”. Now, you may already recognize this name, since Juno was an important Roman goddess.
Incidentally for all of us who want to know our Latin, the plural of [...]
“Arms, warfare, violence - I was winding up to produce a
Regular epic, with verse-form to match -
Hexameters, naturally. But Cupid (they say) with a snicker
Lopped off one foot from each alternate line.
‘Nasty young brat,’ I told him, ‘who made you Inspector of Meters?’
We poets come under the Muses, we’re not in your mob.
What if Venus [...]
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It’s still March, so let’s have a story about the Roman god Mars to end the month, shall we?
Mars was closely associated with the Greek god of war, Ares, in mythology. For this reason, there are few distinctly Roman tales about this important figure. One of the main exceptions is the story of Mars and [...]
For today, I thought I would share an Ode that features the Roman god Mercury.
Great Mercury, by Maia sprung
From Atlas; god of nimble tongue
And understanding; saviour
Of our raw race, who deigned to teach
Man wrestling, grace of body, speech
And civilised behaviour,
You are the one my poem sings -
The lyre’s inventor; he who brings
Heaven’s messages; the witty
Adventurer [...]
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“So the moment you feel yourself treatable by my system, act as I tell you. No leisure - that’s rule number one. Leisure stimulates love, leisure watches the lovelorn, leisure’s the cause and sustenance of this sweet evil. Eliminate leisure, Cupid’s bow is broken, his torches lie lightless, scorned.”
Ovid, Cures for Love, lines 135-140
Say [...]
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one of the synonyms of merry
jovial definition - someone who is merry could reasonably be called jovial…
Jove - Jupiter, Roman ruler of the gods and the counterpart to the Greek god Zeus.
influence of the planets on temperament back in the day
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Today is the 17th of December, and that can only mean one thing - time to celebrate a Roman holiday! Well, perhaps remember is a better word than celebrate. I am of course referring to the Saturnalia. Not familiar with the festival? Well, let’s explore it in a bit more detail, then.
My Webster’s dictionary has [...]
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Although the ancient Romans were inspired by the mythology of their neighbors, the Greeks, they also had their own myths and traditions. The tale of the founding of Rome by Romulus, as well as the stories of heroism and duty to the city (such as that of the Horatii, or of the brave Cloelia), are all part of Roman legend. However, Roman myths tend to have a slightly different focus than Greek myths, for many Roman tales seem to have a more historical flavor. To be sure, the legends of Greece were often regarded as having some basis in reality (for example, the Trojan War as a real historical event), but they are somehow more endowed with lyricism, the innate imagination of the poet than the somewhat pragmatic tales of the Romans. That being noted, we invite you to read about the Roman myths, and come to your own conclusions about these compelling stories of heroes and gods.
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