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Interpretationes Propertianae II
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
Extract
The commentators for the most part observe a religious silence on pars extrema; yet there is a difficulty, as the meaning required ‘the least important part’, or ‘the merest fringe’, is hardly justified by usage. The words should mean ‘the last part’ (cf. Cic. Verr. 2. 1. 36. 92 ‘in codicis extrema cera’, 2. 2. 78.
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page 74 note 1 The difficulty is well seen in the notes of Kuinoel (who quotes as parallels the inapposite ‘ecquis in extremo restat amore locus’, Prop. 1. 11.6, and ‘lucernae quoque umore defectae tenue et extremum lumen spargebant’, Petron. 22. 3) and Gebhart, who renders ‘haec forma me ad extremum, ultimum, omnium grauissimum, furorem redegit’.
page 74 note 2 Why has nobody filled up the list by suggesting nitor? I present the parallels to anybody who would like to have them: Ter. Eun. 242, Hor. Od. 1. 19. 5, Cic. Cael. 31 fin., Stat. Silv. 3. 3. 149.
page 74 note 3 Enk's note on ingenuus color is misleading. His citation of “Ov.” Ep. Sapph. 31–50 is not in point, for Sappho there apologizes for her color, or swarthy complexion, and claims that her other qualities compensate for this single flaw.
page 75 note 1 I cannot understand B.-B.'s citation of 2. 17. 5 ‘ad flumina sorte’ as a parallel. Surely ad flumina is to be taken with moueare.
page 76 note 1 Henry does not, unfortunately, support his view by reference to any other passages, in Propertius or elsewhere.
page 76 note 2 This, of course, was an exceptional vessel; but there were other luxury-ships of more normal size. Cf. Ath. 5. 204 d (‘cabin-carrier’, cf. Strabo 17.1. 5)
, which had
(one of which had five berths), and was decorated with ivory and expensive woods. The doors were made
, According to Appian, prooem. 10, the Egyptians had, in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, luxury-warships for the use of high-ranking officials:
. See also the description of the well-appointed Egyptian merchantman Isis in Lucian's
. Even on smaller vessels temporary conversions could be rigged up for passengers who wished to travel in comfort: Alciphron (1. 15) tells us of coverings spread on the deck of a small vessel, with an improvised awning spread above, to suit a languid Athenian
The evidence seems to show that luxury-travel was supplied in considerable part by Egyptian shipping-lines; there is nothing improbable in supposing that Paetus travelled to Alexandria on an Egyptian vessel. Nor is it unlikely that many passengers, lacking means, travelled for a nominal fare, on an undertaking to ‘work their passage’. We might instance the beautiful young Adeimantus, who, after seeing the Isis in the Piraeus, acquired high-flown ideas, and was
page 77 note 1 The zeugma will disappear entirely if we take tulit as ‘he obtained’, ‘he got for his money’: ‘what he obtained (sc. for his fare) was not steerage, but first-class accommodation’
page 77 note 2 Perhaps Paetus, being a superstitious fellow (see on longas manus below), let his nails grow during the voyage, as a prophylactic against shipwreck. To cut the nails or the hair during a voyage was to court disaster; cf. Petron. 105 ‘audio non licere cuiquam mortalium in naue neque ungues neque capillos deponere, nisi cum pelago uentus irascitur’ (quoted by Scaliger, ad loc), and 107, where this belief is called ‘omen et lex nauigantium’. The storm now cuts them for him-to the quick: a grim jest.
page 77 note 3 An illogical expectation, no doubt; but even today saloon passengers have a subconscious feeling that they may be safer in case of accident than the steerage, possibly because they are less crowded.
page 77 note 4 For a different view see Paley ad loc.
page 77 note 5 Except that Fischer has suggested the interchange of the two hexameters, but with a far different intent.
page 78 note 1 According to Aristotle, Physiogn. 807b9, of the coward; but Propertius says nothing of λεπτóτης, nor is such a meaning in point here.