Horatius: De arte poetica

[Katarina]

I see what you mean.

 

[Katarina]

hoc tibi dictum
tolle memor, certis medium et tolerabile rebus
recte concedi:

I don't understand that part at all.
First, why is concedi in infinitive? Is here any special construction I am not aware of?
I suppose certis rebus is Dative to concedi. - to be allowed to certain things.
recte - to be rightly allowed to certain things
medium et tolerabile - what is middle and tolerable. - but I am not sure what that means.

 

[Pacifica]

First, why is concedi in infinitive?

Because certis... concedi is an indirect statement.

I suppose certis rebus is Dative to concedi. - to be allowed to certain things.

Yes.

recte - to be rightly allowed to certain things

Yes.

medium et tolerabile - what is middle and tolerable. - but I am not sure what that means.

It means average, satisfactory, good enough without being outstanding.

 

[Katarina]

mediocribus esse poetis
non homines, non di, non concessere columnae.

How about that? "Neither men nor gods nor columns allow to average poets to be. To be what? Is it meant to be as to exist?

 

[Pacifica]

That or "have allowed poets to be average".

 

[Katarina]

post hos insignis Homerus
Tyrtaeusque mares animos in Martia bella
versibus exacuit; dictae per carmina sortes
et vitae monstrata via est et gratia regum
Pieriis temptata modis ludusque repertus
et longorum operum finis:

What is meant by this last sentence?

 

[Katarina]

si defendere delictum quam vertere malles,
nullum ultra verbum aut operam insumebat inanem,
quin sine rivali teque et tua solus amares.

I am trying to understand the meaning of quin here. Is it showing the purpose? --> "... that you alone wouldn't love yourself and your [works] without a rival." I'm not sure though what he is trying to say.

 

[Pacifica]

post hos insignis Homerus
Tyrtaeusque mares animos in Martia bella
versibus exacuit; dictae per carmina sortes
et vitae monstrata via est et gratia regum
Pieriis temptata modis ludusque repertus
et longorum operum finis:

What is meant by this last sentence?

An end of long works (of poetry), I think. That is, poets after that no longer wrote epics, maybe?

si defendere delictum quam vertere malles,
nullum ultra verbum aut operam insumebat inanem,
quin sine rivali teque et tua solus amares.

I am trying to understand the meaning of quin here. Is it showing the purpose? --> "... that you alone wouldn't love yourself and your [works] without a rival." I'm not sure though what he is trying to say.

He wouldn't say or do anything more to prevent you from loving yourself and your works without a rival. That is, he would no longer insist; he would let you keep you bad poetry as it was, though the result would be that only you would love yourself and your poems.