HORACE: Finished with love

vixi puellis nuper idoneus

Translation:
"I lived, recently attractive to girls”

Stylistic Point:

• First-Person Perspective:: The use of vixi (I lived) makes this a personal reflection, emphasizing the speaker's self-awareness and experience.

• Mood of Nostalgia: The past tense (vixi) and the reflection on youthful pursuits suggest a tone of wistful remembrance. “vixi” is also used on a tombstone

et militavi non sine gloria;

Translation:
"and I served as a soldier, not without glory”

Stylistic Point:

• Metaphor: militavi (I served as a soldier) is metaphorical for the struggles and "battles" of love, likening romantic pursuits to military campaigns—a common trope in Roman poetry.

• Heroic Undertone: The military imagery elevates the speaker’s romantic experiences, associating them with valor and achievement.

nunc arma defunctumque bello

Translation:
“now, my arms and myself, done with war”

Stylistic Point:

• Metaphor: arma (arms) and bello (war) extend the military metaphor for love. The speaker’s tools of "war" (youthful charm, passion) are now figuratively retired.

• Euphemism for Aging: defunctum (done with) hints at the speaker’s aging or waning vigor without stating it explicitly, adding a layer of dignity to the reflection.

barbiton hic paries habebit,

Translation:
“this wall will hold my lyre”

Stylistic Point:

• Focus on a wall: hic paries (this wall) localizes the action, emphasizing the physical and symbolic act of leaving behind a former life for a quieter, more static existence.

• Declarative statement: This creates a definite acceptant with a definitive, almost solemn tone, underscoring the speaker’s acceptance of the end of an era.

• Euphemism for War: Euphuism for war is here because a soldier also hangs up his weapons and dedicates them to the god of war: Mars

laevum marinae qui Veneris latus

Translation:
“which (the wall) the left side of sea-born Venus…”

Stylistic Point:

• Left Side Symbolism: The left side (laevum) may carry symbolic weight. In Roman culture, the left was often seen as inauspicious, but in the context of divine protection, it could symbolize an area needing special safeguarding.

• Mythological Allusion: The mention of marinae Veneris (sea-born Venus) alludes to Venus’s mythological birth from the sea, evoking her divine beauty and connection to love and fertility. This allusion establishes a grand and classical tone.

• Choice of Venus: Venus is the Goddess of love. This contrasts with the militaristic campaign terms he was using, emphasizing how love is difficulty, causes injury but requires bravery to fight

custodit. hic, hic ponite lucida

Translation:
“…guards. Here, here place the gleaming…”

Stylistic Point:

• Repetition (Anaphora): The repetition of hic, hic (here, here) creates emphasis and urgency, directing attention to the specific location where action is required. This rhetorical device engages the audience and heightens the importance of the moment.

• Imperative Mood: Ponite (place) is a command, reflecting authority or ritual significance. The imperative invites or instructs an action, suggesting the speaker is addressing a group participating in a ceremonial act.

• Word choice of “lucida”: The imbues his items of war with a divine characteristic, the light imagery here also suggests this way of life guided Horace but now he has to give it up.

funalia et vectes et arcus

Translation:
“… torches, crowbars, and bows …”

Stylistic Point:

• Concreteness: Each item in the list is concrete and tangible, evoking vivid mental imagery:

  • Funalia (torches): Associated with light, visibility, and possibly night-time activity.

  • Vectes (crowbars): Suggest force, breaking, or entry, implying physical strength or aggression.

  • Arcus (bows): Evoke tension, precision, and warfare or hunting. Together, these objects suggest preparation for an action or mission, whether violent or purposeful.

• Juxtaposition: The guiding light with the positive connotations contrast deeply with the usage of tools that connate violence. This suggests that there is militaristic precision (possibly with force) in his pursuit of love.

oppositis foribus minaces.

Translation:
“… used to threaten barred doors.”

Stylistic Point:

• Word Order: The placement of "minaces" (threatening) at the end of the phrase emphasizes the menacing nature of the situation, leaving the reader with a strong impression of the threat.

  The adjective-noun agreement in "oppositis foribus" creates a tight, descriptive pairing, suggesting that the threat arises specifically from the act of opposition.

• Tone: The tone is tense and foreboding, evoking a sense of imminent conflict or aggression. The use of "minaces" implies a deliberate, confrontational stance, heightening the sense of danger.

• Symbolism: "Oppositis foribus" could symbolize resistance, defense, or refusal, while "minaces" suggests the presence of hostility. Together, they evoke the idea of a standoff or a challenge to authority or intrusion.

  Doors, in a metaphorical sense, often represent boundaries—physical, emotional, or societal. Their opposition might suggest a denial of access, a clash of wills, or a protective stance.

o quae beatam diva tenes Cyprum et

Translation:
“O goddess, you who dwell in blessed Cyprus and…”

Stylistic Point:

• Imagery of Love’s Power: Cyprus, Venus’s sacred island, symbolizes love, beauty, and sensuality, all of which the speaker claims to renounce, though his appeal to Venus shows he hasn’t entirely escaped her influence.

• Contrast of Tone and Message: The lofty description of Venus’s dominion (Cyprus as "blessed") contrasts with Horace’s underlying bitterness or mockery of love’s influence, reflecting his claim to be “finished with love.”

• Enjambment: The pace is increased when without a pause creating a more sincere appeal.

Memphin carentem Sithonia nive,

Translation:
“Memphis free from Thracian snow,”

Stylistic Point:

• Geographical Symbolism / Juxtaposition: Memphis (Egypt) is a warm, exotic location that contrasts with Sithonia nive (Thracian snow). The snow of Thrace might symbolize coldness or rejection, while Memphis represents vitality, sensuality, and the heat of passion.

• Irony: He seems attacks love yet is still under the power of it. This could be seen as ironic as he asks for help from the Goddess of love after solemnly giving it up.

regina, sublimi flagello

Translation:
“Oh queen, with your uplifted whip”

Stylistic Point:

• Flattery: He addressed the Goddess as “queen”, in hopes to flatter her to fulfill his wishes.

• Duality of Love: The whip may symbolise the painful and commanding aspect of love which Horace has experienced

• Tone of Resignation: The request for Venus to use her whip on Chloe reflects Horace's detachment. It’s no longer his heart under Venus’s power; rather, he observes from a distance, perhaps with a tinge of cynicism or wry humor, a contrast to the pleasure and sweetness typically associated with Venus.

tange Chloen semel arrogantem.

Translation:
“touch / strike arrogant Chloe for once”

Stylistic Point:

• Characterization of Chloe: Chloe is described as "arrogantem" (stubborn, arrogant, awkward). This could extent to his view of all women.

• Venus’s role: Venus is being called to humble Chloe. This suggests Horace’s belief that she has no right to resist his advances