{"id":1248,"date":"2022-07-15T23:13:04","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T23:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/?p=1248"},"modified":"2025-12-26T16:43:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T16:43:49","slug":"a-single-bee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/?p=1248","title":{"rendered":"A Single Bee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Roman days did the Centurion,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning home to Rome victorious,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Augustus, hear the adulation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the crowd as it bequeathed its unctuous<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Praise on the Princeps, their greatest blessing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Triumphal Procession?   Did he<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look beyond his present time, wondering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the unknowable future?   Do we\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

II<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julus is trying to imitate Pindar. [1]<\/a> [2]<\/a> [3]<\/a> [4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whoever attempts such channelling will share                     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fate of Icarus [5]<\/a> and will fall                    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On spoiled wings and into the wine dark sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Whether lauding laurel leaved Olympian<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victors in charioteering or boxing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bellerophon who extinguished the<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chimera\u2019s fire with Pegasus\u2019 [6]<\/a> aid,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Or Theseus who defeated the Centaurs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Hippodamia\u2019s [7]<\/a> abduction,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The volume of Pindar\u2019s poetry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is huge.   Imagine a river rushing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In abundant flood, obliterating banks,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monumental in flow, uncontrollable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He uses new words and different<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialects, breaks all the metrical rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Julus, do you see how the Via Sacra [8]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inclines downhill as it nears The Forum; see<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sygambri [9]<\/a> defeated and dragged<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Struggling, in this Triumphal Procession<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For Caesar Augustus, our greatest blessing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your skill-set, rather than mine, makes you worthy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of extolling our Princep\u2019s virtues. [10]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find it as hard to write my odes as<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A single bee from Mount Matinus, flying<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freely from flower to flower, working, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gathering the thyme that it loves, might<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construct a single honeycomb itself,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps I\u2019ll manage to write a word or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we enter The Forum do you see that<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Law Courts are closed today because<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of public, festive, joyous, rejoicing;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

After you take the lead we raise our voices,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together with the rest of the crowd, to shout<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIo Triumphe!\u201d, [11]<\/a> in honour of him,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the incense-full, heady, heavy air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

You swore, Julus, that you would give Augustus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten bulls and ten cows on his return, and your<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offering is due.   My gift of one<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orangey-brown calf will fulfil my vow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

III<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greek mythology, in this post-modern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World, what place?   The gods, heroes, goddesses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unjustly accused, Prince Bellerophon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fought the chimera with Pegasus\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Aid.   A dread, hybrid, monster, fire-breathing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They collaborated to kill it.   A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Centaur, part man, part horse, celebrating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the marriage of Hippodamia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In great lust, abducted her.   Theseus,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the many guests at the wedding,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rescued her from the brazen Eurytus,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving the drunk centaurs off, and killing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Him.   How are we to understand, what sense<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can we make of, these myths at this distance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

IV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back at the depths of those ancient<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Days, understand the times in which he lived<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His being\u2019s ordered breaths? In our present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can we comprehend his past?   Are we used<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

To disentangling these conundrums<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And enigmas as we dream ancient dreams?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 Ian David Wall 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> This poem is based on James Michie\u2019s translation of Horace, Book IV, ode 2, \u2018The Odes of Horace\u2019, The Folio Society, 1987,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> It is written in an Anglicised version of alcaic meter. My model was Tennyson\u2019s \u2018Milton\u2019, \u2018The Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate\u2019, McMillan & Co, 1896, p. 243,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> I am indebted to T.E.Page\u2019s notes on the Latin of Horace, Ode, Book IV, Ode 2, for helping me to understand the context of the ode.   Q. Horatii Flacci Carminum Libri IV. Epodon Liber, pps. 399-406, MacMillan and Co., Limited, 1939,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> Pindar was a Greek lyric poet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a> In researching this poem, I used Ovid, \u2018Metamorphoses\u2019, Book VIII, lines 252 \u2013 327, Norton Critical Edition, translated by Charles Martin, W.W. Norton & Co.    Daedalus, seeking to escape from Crete with his son Icarus, fashioning wings made of feathers and wax.   They escaped by air, but because he flew too close to the sun, the wax of Icarus\u2019 wings melted, and he fell into the sea and died<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a> In researching this poem, I used Homer, \u2018Iliad\u2019, Book VI, lines 155 \u2013 203, The World\u2019s Classics, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, and Pindar, \u2018Olympian XIII\u2019, lines 84 \u2013 90, The Odes of Pindar, translated by C.M. Bowra.   Prince Bellerophon was forced to fight the Chimera, a monster part lion, part goat and part snake, and overcame it with the help of Pegasus, a winged horse<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/a> In researching this poem, I used Ovid \u2018Metamorphoses\u2019, Book XII, line 313 – 349, Norton Critical Edition, translated by Charles Martin, W.W. Norton & Co.   Theseus, one of the wedding guests, rescued Hippodamia, the bride of Pirithous, after she was abducted by the centaur, Eurytus, at their wedding    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/a> The Via Sacra was the main street in Ancient Rome<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[9]<\/a> The Sygambri were a German tribe who sought peace with Rome when they heard that Augustus Caesar was marching against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[10]<\/a> \u2018Princeps\u2019 means \u2018\u2019first one\u2019 or \u2018leader\u2019 in Latin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[11]<\/a> \u201cIo Triumphe!\u201d is a shout of joy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Roman days did the Centurion, Returning home to Rome victorious, With Augustus, hear the adulation Of the crowd as it bequeathed its unctuous Praise on the Princeps, their greatest blessing, In the Triumphal Procession?   Did he Look beyond his present time, wondering At the unknowable future?   Do we\u2026 II Julus is trying to imitate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classical-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1248"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1473,"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1248\/revisions\/1473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iandavidwallpoet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}