personal · Roman

Prayer to Diana and Juno

Accept, O natal Juno, this offering of incense. Cheerfully, O Lucina, she has come to adorn Your shrine of matrons. Come, most chaste Queen of Heaven, appear in royal robes and nod Your assent to the wine that is poured and the cakes piled high to await You. With You bring every herb for ending pain, and soothing songs to sing; across the ocean from distant shores bear such herbs as will cure our most severe ills, or whatever else we most fear. Rack this girl no more with pain, or cruelly delay her birthing.

Commentarius · Commentary

Sulpicia's birthday. Juno Natalis here is not the goddess of childbirth but the birthday Juno: every woman had her own tutelary spirit, called a Juno in women as it was called a Genius in men.

The poem is built on a small deception, which the poet immediately gives away. The girl has dressed "for you, goddess", and brings her offering to you — "true, she refers the reason for her finery to you … but there is also one whom she secretly wishes to please".

And the request at the end is substituted just as deftly: what is asked of the birthday goddess is not long life but requited love. "Let no one part the lovers, but for the young man, I pray, prepare a mutual bond."

The card's English scarcely corresponds to this Latin: its second half — wine libations, herbs from overseas, childbirth — has been taken from somewhere else. The reference has been corrected to 3.12 from the older numbering 4.6.

Fons · Source

AuthorTibullus

WorkElegiae

Section3.12.1-8

Period1st c. BC

Occasionchildbirth

Classificatio · Taxonomy

CultureRoman

Formpersonal

DeitiesDiana, Juno

FunctionsPetition · Invocation · Dedication

SphereFamily