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Arrangement of the poems
Although the first three books have different characters (e.g. book 1 starts with a variety of metres, while 3.1–6 are all in the same metre), yet there are some indications of a pattern in their arrangement. For example, in several instances there appears to be a symmetry (chiastic or ring structure) between the first and last half of the collection, so that odes in the first half sometimes have a thematic or phrasal connection with odes in the second half.

For example, the first (1.1) and last ode (3.30) are both in the same metre, both addressed to Maecenas, and in both Horace boasts of being the first to write Lesbian-style lyric poetry in Latin. In both the 5th poem (1.5) and the 5th from the end (3.26) Horace celebrates his retirement from love affairs by claiming to dedicate his clothes or lyre in the temple of the sea god(dess). In the 6th (1.6) he claims that the Muse forbids him from singing the praises of Caesar (Octavian), and in the 6th from the end (3.25) he declares that Bacchus has inspired him to sing Caesar's praises. The 10th poem (1.10) is a hymn to Mercury, and the 10th from the end (3.21) is a hymn to a wine jar.

The 18th poem (in praise of wine) and the 18th from the end (the spring of Bandusia) apparently have nothing in common thematically, but are linked by the similar phrases perlucidior vitro 'more transparent than glass' in the last line of 1.18 and splendidior vitro 'more shining than glass' in the first line of 3.13. In 1.19, Horace is distracted by the shining beauty of Glycera (Glycerae nitor), and in 3.12 the young girl Neobule is distracted by the shining beauty of Hebrus (nitor Hebri). In 1.24 he depicts Virgil as weeping for his friend Quintilius, while in 3.7 (24th from the end) he depicts Asterie weeping for her friend Gyges.

The central two poems, according to this scheme, are 2.6 and 2.7 (the 44th from the beginning and from the end respectively), which are on similar themes, one describing the places Horace will visit in future with his friend Septimius, the other places he visited in the past with his friend Pompeius.

Opening
The opening of the poem imitates the opening line of Theocritus Idyll 1 in its alliteration of T and P:


 * Tityre, tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi
 * "Tityrus, you, reclining under the shade of a spreading beech tree"


 * ἁδύ τι τὸ ψιθύρισμα καὶ ἁ πίτυς, αἰπόλε, τήνα
 * A sweet thing is the whispering and that pine, goatherd,
 * A sweet thing is the whispering and that pine, goatherd,

but the meaning translates a line from a Greek epigram about a cicada (Palatine Anthology 7.196). Gutzwiller, K., "Catullus and the Garland of Meleager", p. 99

pulcre pensilibus peculiati, Auct. Priap. 53.—

we should keep in mind that the Eclogues are teasing, riddling, playfully elusive poems; – Jenkyns (1989), p. 32.

The C. Asinius Pollio to whom Virgil dedicated his poem was a supporter of Mark Antony and was stationed in Cispadane Gaul during the troubles of 41–40 B.C. He was – Mattingly (1947), p. 14

The consulship of Pollio began, as we have seen, in January 40 B.C., though he was not in Rome to enter upon office with all the customary ceremony. If Virgil actually wrote his poem towards the end of 41 B.C., to be ready for the New Year, he could obviously have no foreknowledge of the treaty of Brundisium and his hopes for the future could bear no relation to it. – ibidem




 * Idyll 1: Thyrsis and an unnamed goatherd compliment one another. The goatherd offers a beautiful cup if Thyrsis will sing the song he has made about the death of Daphnis.


 * Idyll 2: Simaetha weaves a magic spell hoping to get back her lover Delphis, who has abandoned her.


 * Idyll 3: A goatherd sings a song to Amaryllis, outside her cave, while Tityrus minds his herd. Says he is bringing her ten apples (line 10) and promises ten more.


 * Idyll 4: "Tell me, Corydon, whose cattle are these? Are they Philondas's?" – "No, but Aegon's: he gave them to me to pasture."


 * Idyll 5: 150 lines, goatherd Comatas (who likes girls) vs. shepherd Lacon (who prefers boys). They accuse each other of theft. Comatas offers a kid then a billy goat, Lacon a lamb. Comatas 15 couplets, Lacon 14 couplets. Morson, woodcutter, is judge. Comatas claims to have sodomised Lacon 41–42, 116–117. Competing venues. Comatas starts with Muses, Lacon with Apollo. Setting: southern Italy near Sybaris and Thurii.

Cicero

 * portum Syracusanorum, qui tum et nostris classibus et Carthaginiensium clausus fuisset, eum isto praetore Cilicum myoparoni praedonibusque patuisse


 * quod veritus sum factum est


 * quod iussus sum, eo tempore atque ita feci ut appareret invito imperatum esse


 * quod exspectavi, iam sum adsecutus

Plautus

 * ut id agam quod missus huc sum, quidquid est nomen tibi?

Nepos

 * Itaque nemini erat his temporibus dubium, si adfuisset, illam Atheniensis calamitatem accepturos non fuisse. (Nepos)


 * Idem, cum Epaminondas Spartam oppugnaret essetque sine muris oppidum, talem se imperatorem praebuit, ut eo tempore omnibus apparuerit, nisi ille fuisset, Spartam futuram non fuisse.


 * Tali modo custodia liberatus Cimon celeriter ad principatum pervenit. Habebat enim satis eloquentiae, summam liberalitatem, magnam prudentiam cum iuris civilis tum rei militaris, quod cum patre a puero in exercitibus fuerat versatus.


 * Postquam astu venit, contione advocata sic verba fecit, ut nemo tam ferus fuerit, quin eius casui illacrumarit inimicumque iis se ostenderit, quorum opera patria pulsus fuerat, proinde ac si alius populus, non ille ipse, qui tum flebat, eum sacrilegii damnasset. Restituta ergo huic sunt publice bona, eidemque illi Eumolpidae sacerdotes rursus resacrare sunt coacti, qui eum devoverant, pilaeque illae, in quibus devotio fuerat scripta, in mare praecipitatae.


 * Nam cum uxorem reduxisset, quae alii fuerat tradita filiumque vellet revocare ad virtutem a perdita luxuria, accepit gravissimum parens vulnus morte filii.


 * Quarum rerum cura frangebatur et insuetus male audiendi non animo aequo ferebat de se ab iis male existimari, quorum paulo ante in caelum fuerat elatus laudibus. Vulgus autem offensa in eum militum voluntate liberius loquebatur et tyrannum non ferendum dictitabat.


 * Hinc refugere cum posset, si se in mare deiecisset, quod suberat classis Atheniensium, quae exciperet natantis, perire maluit quam armis abiectis navem relinquere, in qua fuerat vectus.


 * De quo hoc plura referemus, quod et obscuriora sunt eius gesta pleraque et ea, quae prospere ei cesserunt, non magnitudine copiarum, sed consilii, quo tum omnes superabat, acciderunt; quorum nisi ratio explicata fuerit, res apparere non poterunt.


 * Tali consilio uno tempore et proditores perculit et hostis profligavit et, quod ad perniciem suam fuerat cogitatum, id ad salutem convertit.


 * Hic cum ad mortem duceretur, obvius ei fuit Euphiletus, quo familiariter fuerat usus.


 * Cum interficere posset, noluit, tutoque ut Corinthum perveniret, effecit, quod utrorumque Dionysiorum opibus Corinthii saepe adiuti fuerant, cuius benignitatis memoriam volebat exstare


 * Nam Chersonesi omnes illos quos habitarat annos perpetuam obtinuerat dominationem tyrannusque fuerat appellatus, sed iustus

Tacitus

 * sed neque tum fuisse dubitaverim qui eius modi preces occulti inluderent


 * sed utcumque casura res est, fatebor et fuisse me Seiano amicum