Naevius Poeta

See de Sen 20, 50 Quam gaudebat bello suo Punico Naevius.

Gnaeus NAEVIUS was born in the Capua district of Italy. He served in the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.). According to Jerome he died at Utica in 201. There is a tradition that he was imprisoned as a result of his quarrel with the Metelli:

• Naevius: fato Metelli Romae fiunt consules.
• Metelli: malum dabunt Metelli Naevio Poetae.

He wrote both comedies and tragedies and is best known for his epic poem Bellum Poenicum (divided into seven books and probably written in his old age). The work includes references to the fall of Troy and the wanderings of Aeneas, whether as historical background or as poetic digressions is not clear. (see OCD)

Selections from the fragments

From Enzo V. Marmorale, Naevius Poeta, ed. with commentary, Firenze, 1953 and Warmington, Remains of Old Latin, vol 2 (LCL).

I From the plays

1. ne mihi gerere morem videar lingua, verum lingula

• morem gerere to humor, accomodate
• verum but
• lingula a small tongue-shaped sword

2. numquam hodie effugies quin mea moriaris manu

3. laetus sum laudari me abs te, pater, a laudato viro.

4. animae pauxillulum in me habet

• pauxillulus dim. of paucus "little", "very little"
• habeo for habito

5. Dic utrum est melius: virginemne an viduam

uxorem ducere -- virginem, si musta est.

• mustum: not only of wine, but of whatever is fresh
• see Marmorale "una vergine, se e fresca."

6. saxa, silvas, lapides, montes, dissicis, dispulveras

dispulvero reduce to dust

7. de quadam impudica

in choro ludens datatim dat se et communem facit.

Alii adnutat, alli adnictat, alium amat, alium tenet.

Alibi manus est occupata, alii pervellit pedem;

anulum dat alii spectandum, a labris alium invocat,

cum alio cantat, at tamen alii suo dat digito litteras.

• pila ball datatim giving in turn
• communis available
• adnuto nod to/at adnicto wink at
• occupatus taken up, busy
• percello strike, excite, beat down

8. libera lingua loquemur ludis Liberalibus.

noctu Troiad exibant capitibus opertis

flentes ambae, abeuntes lacrimis cum multis.

Eorum sectam sequuntur multi mortales

multi alii e Troia strenui viri

ubi foras cum auro illinc exibant.

• Troiad = Troia (from Troy)
• operio cover
• secta band
• foras out of doors

14. Senex fretus pietati deum adlocutus

summi deum regis fratrem Neptunum

regnatorem marum.

• senex = Anchises
• fretus relying, depending, trusting
• marum = marium

inmortales mortales si foret fas flere,

flerent divae Camenae Naevium poetam.

itaque postquam est Orcho traditus thesauro,

obliti sunt Romae loquier lingua Latina.

loquier = loqui