Horatius Odes I,3

[Katarina]

I am a bit puzzled by the grammar in these two verses:

quo (i.e. Noto) non arbiter Hadriae
maior, tollere seu ponere volt freta.

There is some link missing in between these two parts of the sentence ...

 

[Katarina]

audax omnia perpeti
gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas,

How can I understand that? It is rushing through forbidden sin? But I don't know what that would mean ...

 

[Pacifica]

I am a bit puzzled by the grammar in these two verses:

quo (i.e. Noto) non arbiter Hadriae
maior, tollere seu ponere volt freta.

There is some link missing in between these two parts of the sentence ...

"than which there is no greater ruler of the Adriatic, whether it wants to lift up or to lay down the sea"

audax omnia perpeti
gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas,

How can I understand that? It is rushing through forbidden sin?

Something like that.

But I don't know what that would mean ...

Rashly doing some bad, forbidden thing or things.

 

[Katarina]

"than which there is no greater ruler of the Adriatic, whether it wants to lift up or to lay down the sea"

I see. So usually there would be another seu in the beginning of the phrase but here it is left out. I couldn't find what I was missing. Thanks.

 

[Matthaeus]

Poetry tends to leave lots of things out. Therefore, I avoid it.