Acerrimum bellorum ducem et armis inclitum Martem quem tot eximiae et ex hostibus rapti mille insign

[Ross Caldwell]

What might "eximiae" mean here?

Acerrimum bellorum ducem et armis inclitum Martem quem tot eximiae et ex hostibus rapti mille insigniunt currus.

"The keen leader of war and glorious at arms, Mars, who is distinguished by so many excellences (?) and a thousand chariots taken from enemies."

This is from the same text as the discussion in the manuscripts section. I have put it here assuming there is no question of the ms. reading, so it is just a text. We can move it there if it is better situated.

There are a couple of other lines that are obscure to me.

The whole Mars chapter follows -

De Marte.

Acerrimum bellorum ducem et armis inclitum Martem quem tot eximiae et ex hostibus rapti mille insigniunt currus. Decimum locabimus quamquam efferus et audax, Iove excepto; non nisi invictus priorem, aut parem patitur. Non ipse orbis totus extinxit situm. principandi tanta inerat libido. caelum petiit. Unde rubeus et ferox, adhuc terris minatur, et accendit iras, Mars

licet ignoto patre, ob singularem armorum peritiam, et frequentes victorias genitus Iove creditus est. Hic castra primum figere docuit fixisque castris, non prius bello absistere, quam domitus hostis fuerit. Acies primus et pugnantium ordines instruxit. Disciplinam militarem rigida lege instituit. Primo nequis militum, nisi victor pugna excederet. Vincendum aiebat, aut moriendum fore. Siqui vero bello aufugerint, Acies, ordinesue turbaverint, trucidandos statim iussit. Neminemmilitum praede intendere nisi prius hoste fugato. maioris animi fore, et plus ad militum dignitatem attinere, inferre quam arcere bella. Milites audaces voluit ad capescenda pericula, ac patientissimos aestus frigoris sitis et famis, eosdemque horridos esse iussit, nequaquam delicias, aut molliciem, ad militarem artem spectare. Ante caeptam pugnam diserta satis, sed efficatiori oratione milites suos ad hortabatur. memorans victores eos semper extitisse, quamque parta multorum annorum decora, Imminenti non detur parent certamine, pollicens mercedem optimam ac ditia et opulenta stipendia, victoribus ipsis futura. Ipsoque inicio pugnae milites quam primum hostili sanguine manus cruentas habere perglobatos hostes viam ferro aperiendam. Signorum militarium custodiam praecipue indixit. Ea enim vallum, domus, munimentum, et turres militum fore, et in his salutis, et roboris exercituum ac fortunarum plurimum consistere. Muralibus coronis primus milites ornavit. Gradiuus ideo appellatus Mars quod milites suos non praecipites sed certo ordine in proelium descendere monuit. Ipsi vero non vestitus, aut ullius deliciarum generis cura fuit, sed tantummodo equos: et arma conspicere, armatus equo Insidet. cruento ense madentem sanguine affectans viam.

 

[Pacifica]

Could it be exuviae rather than eximiae? "uv" and "im" can look somewhat similar.

 

[Ross Caldwell]

Ah, it looks like I'll have to post images of the ms. Can I leave it here or do you want me to move it?

 

[Pacifica]

Post it here and I'll move the thread to the manuscript section.

 

[Ross Caldwell]

eximiae or exuuiae? I think Paris is clearly "eximiae", but Queriniana could be "exuuiae".

 

[Pacifica]

I think the first picture reads eximiae and the second exuviae. Given that the latter makes much more sense, the former is probably a scribal mistake.

 

[Ross Caldwell]

I think the first picture reads eximiae and the second exuviae. Given that the latter makes much more sense, the former is probably a scribal mistake.

It could very well be. There are a few in each where we have to decide, although Paris is superior. Exuviae is certainly the better reading.

Thanks for taking a look.

The next few lines have posed a problem, too.

Quamquam efferus et audax, Iove excepto, non nisi invictus priorem, aut parem patitur. Non ipse orbis totus extinxit situm. principandi tanta inerat libido. caelum petiit. Unde rubeus et ferox, adhuc terris minatur, et accendit iras,

Although savage and bold, with the exception of Jove, he, invincible [?], does not allow superior or equal. The whole world could not extinguish his thirst for power, so great was his desire, he attacked heaven. Therefore, red and ferocious, he stirs up anger, thus far threatening to the lands[?].

We aren't sure about Jove's relationship to him in the first part, or if/how he is threatening the lands in the last part.

Boccaccio is not much help here, but if you want to read it, it is book 9, chapter 3.

There is a PDF version of each chapter here, from a 1981 critical edition -
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/mythos/
Book 9 -
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/mythos/Bocc09.pdf

 

[Pacifica]

The next few lines have posed a problem, too.

Quamquam efferus et audax, Iove excepto, non nisi invictus priorem, aut parem patitur. Non ipse orbis totus extinxit situm. principandi tanta inerat libido. caelum petiit. Unde rubeus et ferox, adhuc terris minatur, et accendit iras,

Although savage and bold, with the exception of Jove, he, invincible [?], does not allow superior or equal. The whole world could not extinguish his thirst for power, so great was his desire, he attacked heaven. Therefore, red and ferocious, he stirs up anger, thus far threatening to the lands[?].

We aren't sure about Jove's relationship to him in the first part, or if/how he is threatening the lands in the last part.

- Do both manuscripts clearly read invictus? The first one above (which I think is the one you call Paris) clearly has invictus, but what about the other one? I struggle to interpret non nisi invictus and I'm thinking non nisi invictum would make more sense.

- Is situm your typo for sitim?

- Your punctuation might suggest that principiandi goes with libido rather than with sitim (if that's the word that's there). I know MS punctuation isn't always reliable, though.

- I would keep the last bit in its proper oder, and translate adhuc as "still" and terris to "the earth": "he still threatens the earth and stirs up anger." As for what his "threatening the earth" means, I think it could be about the planet Mars having an evil influence, especially in causing wars, I guess. Or, alternatively, it could be more metaphorical. In either case, the threat would likely be that of war.

 

[Ross Caldwell]

Yes, Queriniana is clearly invictus too.

It clearly reads "situm" in Paris, but "sitim" in Queriniana, so I feel embarrassed to defend Paris so much. But there are reasons, not least that Queriniana has lost a whole line in one chapter.

 

[Pacifica]

Well, I'm stumped by that non nisi invictus. I can translate it: "Save Jove, he, except [when he is] unconquered/invincible, doesn't accept any superior or equal."

But it doesn't make sense to me. It would make more sense if it were saying that Mars didn't accept any superior or equal except an invincible one (like Jove who's just been mentioned as an exception). That interpretation, however, would require invictum! Unless you assume that invictus does refer to the potential superior/equal and that nisi invictus is a clause with an implied finite verb est, but that may be a bit far-fetched as it would have been more natural and less confusing to either include the verb or to write invictum instead of invictus.

 

[Ross Caldwell]

I have to go to dinner now (French time), thank you for your very invaluable help. I'll be back!

 

[Pacifica]

Bon appétit !