ii. 354), confounded peace with war'; that is to say, made peace for

himself on the field of battle.

40. _Altior Italiae ruinis!_] On v. 52 of the last Ode was quoted from Ovid (Fast. iii. 441), "Pelion altior Ossa," 'Pelion raised upon the head of Ossa.' So here is meant 'Carthage raised above the ruins of Italy,' and looking down upon them.

42. _capitis minor_] A Roman citizen taken prisoner by the enemy lost his status or civil rights, and he who had done so was said to be 'capite minutus' or 'deminutus,' or 'capitis minor.' Livy says the Romans always wanted compassion for their own soldiers taken in war (xxii. 61).

45. _labantes_] 'wavering,' 'irresolute.' 'Consilio' is the ablative of means with 'Firmaret'; 'by advice such as was never before given.'

46. _auctor_] One who proposed a measure was called its 'auctor,' as he who supported it was said 'suadere.'

49. _sciebat_] Notice the force of the imperfect,--'he knew all the while.'

50. _non aliter_] 'as calmly.'

52. _reditus_] The plural is adopted to avoid the recurrence of a final 'm.'

53. _Quam si_, etc.] As if he had been settling a dispute, as 'patroni' were wont to do for their 'clientes,' and was going to his country-seat at Venafrum or Tarentum; respecting which places, see C. ii. 6. 11, 15. 'Clientes' were free persons under the protection of rich and noble citizens, who in their relation to their 'clientes' were called 'patroni.' See C. iii. 1. 10, n.

ODE VI.

As the former Odes are addressed more to qualities of young men, this refers more especially to the vices of young women, and so Horace discharges the promise with which this series of Odes begins. The state of female morals at the time Horace wrote was probably not so bad as it became shortly afterwards, though his picture is dark enough.

Argument.--On you will be visited your fathers' guilt, O Romans, unless ye shall restore the worship and acknowledge the sovereign power of the gods. Already have they afflicted on land; twice the Parthian hath checked our arms; the barbarian hath well-nigh destroyed us in the midst of our strife, the age is so full of shameless adultery and lasciviousness. Not from such parents were born the conquerors of Pyrrhus, Antiochus, and Hannibal, the manly offspring of soldiers who had handled the plough and carried the fagot. So doth time spoil all things. Our fathers were not as their fathers, nor we as they, and our children shall be worse than ourselves.

1. _immeritus_] The Ode is addressed, like the others, 'virginibus puerisque,' and they could not be said to be responsible for the guilt of the civil wars ('delicta') just brought to a close, but if they failed to do their duty in restoring the temples, and so repairing the consequences of the wars, they must be prepared to reap the fruits of them in the displeasure of the gods. As before mentioned (C. ii. 15, Introduction), Augustus applied himself to the restoration of the sacred buildings, and Virgil amplifies his piety, saying he erected three hundred shrines to the gods after his triumph in B.C. 29 (Aen. viii. 714, sqq.). 'Aedes,' in this place corresponds with Virgil's 'delubra,' which were mere way-side shrines, each containing an image or an altar, or both. Tiberius followed up the work that Augustus began (Tac. Ann.