Collected Fragments of Ennius
Page 2
55
Amulius orders Ilia to be thrown into the Tiber:
Nonius: ‘Facessere’ means ‘to do.’... —
Thus he spake out; and then the hireling warriors sprang to carry out his word.
Porphyrio: According to Ennius’ account Ilia was thrown headlong into the river Tiber by order of Amulius, King of the Albans; but before this she was joined in marriage to the Anio.
56
Ilia is married to Tiber:
Servius (supplemented) on ‘reddita’ in Virgil: ‘reddita’ must, as an archaic usage, be taken to mean ‘data’; Ennius in the Annals —
But Ilia, rendered into wedlock,
57
The gods assemble to decide the fate of Romulus:
Tertullian: Ennius the poet spoke simply of — most mighty dining-halls of heaven either on account of their lofty position or because in a passage of Homer he had read of Jupiter feasting there.
58
Servius, on ‘bipatentibus’ in Virgil: —
with twin openings
This mode of expression is Ennian, and is drawn from the use of doors which we unclose both to right and left.
59
The assembled gods; Jupiter:
Macrobius: (Atlas) ‘whirls on his shoulders the sky dotted’ with blazing stars. Ennius in the first book —
who spins round the sky dotted with shining stars.
60–1
Martianus Capella: The colleagues of Jupiter himself amount to twice six in number, including the Thunderer just mentioned; whose names are contained in a pair of lines in Ennius —
Juno Vesta Minerva Ceres Diana Venus Mars Mercury Jupiter Neptune Vulcan Apollo
62
Speech of Juno; she agrees to the deification of Romulus:
Servius, on ‘sancte deorum’ in Virgil: We must either put a comma after ‘sancte’ or else he used the phrase ‘sancte deorum’ after Ennius —
Juno, hallowed among goddesses, daughter of Saturn, made answer.
63–4
Jupiter foretells to Mars that only one of his sons shall be deified:
Varro: In this book I shall speak of words which find a place in the poets.... I will begin with this —
‘One there will be whom thou shalt raise up to the blue precincts of the sky.
65
The Tiber overflows; the effects:
Festus: ‘Remanant,’ they fill. E. in the first book —
The waters leave the streams and overtrickle the plains.
66–9
Jupiter orders Tiber to subside:
Fronto: ‘It was done.’ This same verb is used by Ennius... —
the broken places to be dammed up;
he says —
it was done... the Tiber
... and a noteworthy act. ‘Tiberis’ is in Tuscan dialect ‘Tiber,’ which you order to be dammed up. The river Tiber is lord and ruler of all flowing waters round those parts. Ennius —
After the river which is chief over all settled down... for whose sake Ilia did sink beneath
70
The trough holding Ilia’s twins Romulus and Remus is cast up by a fig-tree which was later called the ‘Fig-Tree of the Paps.’
Charisius: ‘Fici.’ Ennius —
sweet-bearing figs, dripping milk from the whole udder.
71
The she-wolf:
Serviusn (supplemented): The noun ‘lupus’ was in old writers certainly common to both genders, as in Ennius — Suddenly a she-wolf big with young
She suckles Romulus and Remus:
Servius: The whole of this passage (Aen., VIII, 630–4) is certainly modelled on Ennius.
72–4
The wolf sees the shepherds and flees:
Nonius: ‘Parumper,’ speedily and quickly... —
Thereupon the she-wolf gazed and saw them all; then she, passing over the plain with quick lope, hurriedly betook herself into a wood.
75–6
Romulus and Remus sport with the shepherds:
Nonius: ‘Licitari,’ to engage in battle, to fight. E. —
Some hurled stones in play and justled one with another.
77
Romulus as a hunter:
Festus: ‘Ratus sum’ means ‘I thought’ but apart from this ‘ratus’ and ‘ratum’ are put for ‘firm,’ ‘sure.’ Ennius —
They were cut down when Romulus the Resolved won his quarry.
78
Romulus is reconciled with Numitor:
Macrobius quoting Virgil: ‘Give and take you plighted troth: there are within us hearts brave in war.’ Ennius in the first book —
‘Give and take you plighted troth and make a treaty truly firm.
79
Romulus and Remus are about to take the auspices for founding a city; they wait for daybreak:
Macrobius: ‘And the dead of night held hid the moon in a black mist.’ Ennius in the first book —
When the dead of night held hid the light above,
80–100
Romulus and Remus take the auspices at dawn; Romulus stands on the north-west of the Aventine, Remus on the southeast:
Cicero: And thus Romulus, as augur with his brother, likewise as augur, as takes place in a passage of Ennius —
Careful with a great care, each also in eagerness for royal rule, they are intent on the watching and soothsaying of birds... [on a hill.]... Remus devotes himself to watching and apart looks out for a favourable bird. But handsome Romulus makes his search on high Aventine and so looks out for the soaring breed. Whether they should call the city Roma or Remora — this was their contest. Anxiety filled all the men as to which of the two should be ruler. As, when the consul means to give the signal, all men look eagerly at the barrier’s bounds to see how soon he will send the chariots forth from the painted mouths — so they waited Thus were the people waiting, and held their tongues, wondering to which of the two the victory of right royal rule should be given by the event. Meanwhile the white sun withdrew into depths of night. Then clear shot forth, struck out in rays, a light: just when, winging to the left, there flew from the height a bird, the luckiest far of flying prophets, just then all golden there came out the sun. Thrice four hallowed forms of birds moved down from the sky, and betook themselves to places lucky and of happy omen. From this saw Romulus that to him, to be his own, were duly given the chair and throne of royalty, established firm by the watching of birds.
Romulus founds the city of Rome:
An excerpt from a glossary: Of Rome, there is no known founder common to tradition.... Ennius and others say it was founded by Romulus.
101
Remus scoffs at Romulus and his wall on the Palatine:
Festus: ‘Quamde,’ for quam... —
‘Jupiter! Yes, truly relies he more on a wall than the might of his arm!’
102–3
Romulus threatens Remus with death:
Macrobius, quoting Virgil: Meanwhile you shall none the less pay full recompense to me with your life-blood. Ennius in the first book —
‘Neither you nor any man alive shall do this unpunished: no, you shall give recompense to me with your life-blood.’
104
A mediator seeks to heal a quarrel:
Nonius: ‘Torviter’... —
‘But he whom you just now so fiercely noised at
105
Festus: ‘Sum’ for ‘eum’... —
‘But by stratagem, not brute force, should he seek to save this state
106
Festus: ‘Stolidus,’ Billy... —
‘for to fight out a quarrel by blind force — it is a thing of blockhead boars beloved.
107
The war with the Sabines. Having built temples after the defeat of the Sabines, Romulus celebrates public games and dances:
A grammarian: When Romulus had built a temple to Jupiter Feretrius, he caused greased hides to be spread out and held games in such a manner that men fought with gauntle
ts and competed in running races; Ennius bears witness to this fact in the Annals.
Servius (supplemented) on ‘lentandus’ in Virgil: And some think that ‘lentandus’ is a coined word of Virgil’s; but in the Annals we read —
Rubbed down with oil, suppled and ready for taking arms.
Paulus: ‘Noise o’ War’ was a term the Romans were wont to use of dancing when they danced with weapons; this was an institution of Romulus so that he should not suffer the like of what he himself did when he dragged off the maidens of the Sabines at their public games.
108
Rape of the Sabine women. A Sabine speaks:
Festus: ‘Sas.’ Verrius believes it means ‘eas,’ his witness being Ennius on the ground that he says in the first book —
‘maidens; for the Romans have each their own at home.
where it seems rather to mean ‘suas.’
109
Rage of the Romans against Titus Tatius:
Priscian: In the nominative... authors are wont to add the short syllable te instead of met.... Ennius —
‘Thyself to thyself, Titus Tatius the tyrant, thou tookest those terrible troubles.’
110
Charisius: ‘Concorditer’... —
‘Both of you, while away your days in friendliness for ever.’
111
Hersilia’s prayer:
Gellius: Ennius also in the first book of Annals —
‘Nerio, consort of Mars, and Here likewise’
if he has preserved the metre (which is certainly not always the case with him), has lengthened the first syllable and shortened the third.
112–13
Romulus to Titus Tatius after the establishment of double kingship?:
Nonius: ‘Fortunatim,’ prosperously... —
‘And may this, I pray, turn out in fortune prosperous and fair for me, our task, our plighted troth, our kingdom, and for you, my citizens.
The Sabines form a new tribe at Rome:
Varro: According to Ennius, the Titienses were so called from Tatius, the Ramnenses from Romulus; the Luceres, according to Junius, from Lucumo.
Romulus is deified:
Servius: According to Ennius, Romulus will be reckoned with Aeneas among the gods.
114–15
Proculus tells the people of his vision of Romulus:
Servius: ‘Aevum’ properly means eternity, which comes to none but gods. Ennius —
‘Romulus lives from age to age in heaven with the gods that gave him birth.’
116
Romulus and Hersilia are worshipped by the Romans:
Nonius says:’ Hora,’ goddess of youth.... —
‘Thee I worship, sire Quirinus, and thee, Hora, consort of Quirinus.’
Book II. The Reigns of Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius
117–20
The people mourn Romulus:
Cicero: Indeed when a people is bereaved of a just king, then even as Ennius says, after the passing of the best of kings, for many days longing filled their breasts —
And at the same time they talked thus among themselves— ‘O Romulus, godly Romulus, what a guardian of your country did the gods beget you! O father, O begetter, O blood sprung from the gods!
They used to call those whom they had lawfully obeyed not lords and masters, nor yet again kings, but guardians of their country, yes and fathers and gods. Nor was this without reason. For what do they say next? —
‘You it was who brought us forth into the world of light!
122
Festus: ‘Speres.’ The archaic writers used this plural form, for example Ennius in the second book —
‘And so soon as he fled away, our hopes he thus utterly...
123
Question of a successor to Romulus:
Festus: ‘Square Rome,’ a name given to a site on the Palatine in front of the temple of Apollo.... Ennius has this place in mind when he says —
And how hopes he that he will be king at Square Home?
124
The reign of Numa Pompilius. Intercourse of Numa and Egeria:
Varro: In a passage of Ennius —
To him replied Egeria with sweet sound,
The word ‘olli’ has the force of ‘illi,’ dative to the feminine ‘olla’ and to the masculine ‘ollus.’
125–6
The religious institutions of Numa:
Varro: In a passage of Ennius —
He established the Tables, he also the Shields...
‘ancilia’ is a word derived from ‘ambicisus,’ because those arms were indented on either edge like those of Thracians; — ... and the Pancakes, the Bakers, the Rush-Dummies, and the Priests with conical top-knots.
‘Liba’ are so called because they are made to be used at libations. The ‘fictores’ are so called ‘a fingendis libis’; the term Argei is derived from Argos.... ‘tutulati’ is a term used for those who at sacrifices are accustomed to wear a kind of cone on their heads.
127–9
He institutes the flamines:
Varro: Ennius states that Pompilius also established the ‘special priests’; while all are surnamed from individual gods... there are special priests whose surnames remain obscure in origin... as is the case with most of the following which are enumerated in these verses —
He likewise established the priests of Volturnus, of Palatua, of Furina, of Flora, of Falacer, and of Pomona.
130
Numa desires that his institutions be maintained:
Festus: The ancients used to say ‘me’ instead of ‘mihi,’ as does Ennius when he says in the second book —
‘If something of man’s fate should happen to me, do you keep my ordinances.
The reign of Tullus Hostilius. War between Rome and Alba, which agree to settle their quarrels by a combat between two sets of triplet brothers.
Propertius:
And I had already put puny lips to mighty fountains, whence once father Ennius did slake his thirst and sang of the brothers Curii and of the Horatii and their spears....
131
The triplets are ready to fight:
Priscianus: In this way, therefore, ἐμοῦ and οὗ correspond to mei tui and sui, ἐμοῦς, σοῦς, οὗς to mis tis sis.... Ennius —
A great and strong anxiety is mine to do equal deeds with my heartfellows.
132
The fight: the surviving Horatius escapes a thrust:
Festus: ‘Occasus,’ a passing away of the sun, for example, when it drops down from the heights to regions beneath the earth; Ennius used this noun for ‘occasio’ in the second book —
At this point chance was given him, but renowned Horatius with a leap...
133
Horatius justifies himself to his sister, who loved one of the Curiatii:
Priscianus: We find very ancient writers who even lengthened the penultimate (sc. of perfects in -ui)...— ‘He agreed that he would join issue with me by the sword.
134
Horatius’ sister heaps reproaches on him?:
Festus: ‘Tolerare,’ to bear patiently... —
He would fain suffer slaughter by the sword rather than by words such as these.
135
She cares more for her dead Curiatius than for all the Romans:
Festus: ‘Quamde’... for ‘qaam’... —
‘than for all your legions and commoners.
136
Horatius’ father pleads for his son at his trial for killing his sister; he pictures the mother’s grief?:
Festus: ‘Sum’ for ‘eum’... —
‘But she, who had brought him forth, (killed) herself.
137
The prosecutor(or one of the two judges? ) accuses Horatius:
Festus: ‘Ningulus,’ no one... —
‘Who are one to threaten with the sword, while against you no one...’
138
Progress of the trial:
Festus: �
�Tuditantes’ means ‘tundentes,’ that is, conducting an affair... —
They spent the whole day threshing out this trial among themselves.
139
The punishment of Mettius Fufettius by Tullus for refusing to help Rome:
Quintilian: Tinga of Placentia... by writing ‘precula’ for ‘pergula’ was guilty of two barbarisms in one noun.... But Ennius arraigned on a like charge of a double mistake by saying —
Mettoeoque Fufetioeo
is defended on the plea of poet’s licence.
140
He is torn apart by horses:
Macrobius: ‘Tractare’ is the iterative of ‘trahere’... Ennius —
Dragged over the smooth flat plain
141–2
and birds devour his corpse:
Priscianus: The oldest writers declined ‘homo,’ gen. ‘homonis.’ Ennius —
A vulture did craunch the poor man in the forest. Ah! In what a cruel tomb buried he his limbs!
143
The destruction of Alba Longa by Tullus:
Servius, on ‘clangor’ in Virgil: States are generally overthrown to the sound of a trumpet, in the way in which Tullus Hostilius ordered Alba to be overthrown.