The Roman Poets of the Republic Part 55

[Footnote 71: Cf. Plaut. Pseud. 147:--

Neque Alexandrina beluata conchyliata tapetia.

Mr. Ellis, in his Commentary on Catullus, p. 226, mentions that both the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, and the legend of Ariadne, were common subjects of ancient art. He points out also that the idea of the quilt on which the Ariadne story was represented was borrowed from Apollonius, i. 730-66.]

[Footnote 72:

'Whate'er of loveliest decks the plain, whate'er The giant mountains of Thessalia bear, Whate'er beneath the west's warm breezes blow, Where crystal streams by flowery margents flow, These in festoons or coronals inwrought Of undistinguishable blooms he brought, Whose blending odours crept from room to room, Till all the house was gladdened with perfume.'--Martin.]

 

[Footnote 73: E.g. 'Argivae robora pubis'--'decus innuptarum'--'funera nec funera,' etc., etc. Mr. Ellis's commentary largely ill.u.s.trates the influence exercised by the phraseology of the Greek poets,--especially Homer, Euripides, Apollonius--on the poetical diction of Catullus in this poem.]

[Footnote 74: This monotony, as is pointed out by Mr. Ellis, is, in a great degree, the result of the coincidence of the accent and rhythmical ictus in the last three feet of the line.]

[Footnote 75: Westphal, pp. 73-83, has given an elaborate explanation of the principle on which the various parts of the poem are arranged and connected with one another.]

[Footnote 76: The lines immediately following these are in the worst style of learned Alexandrinism.]

[Footnote 77:

'As some clear stream, from mossy stone that leaps, Far up among the hills, and, wimpling down By wood and vale, its onward current keeps To lonely hamlet and to stirring town, Cheering the wayworn traveller as it flows When all the fields with drought are parched and bare.'

--Martin.]

[Footnote 78: This parallel was first pointed out by the writer of an excellent article on Catullus in the North British Review, referred to by Mr. Munro in his 'Criticisms and Elucidations,'

p. 234.]

THE END.