134 BRITAIN IN THE ROMAN POETS 



" Dira Britannorum agmina," -^ " Horribile aequor 

 ultimosque Britannos," ^^ " Trucis incola terrae," 26 

 " Britannia inaccessis liorrida litoribus." ^^ This is tlie 

 refrain of Roman verse when Britain is the theme. 



The material gains, even when the most ingenious 

 methods of extortion were used, were not great enough 

 to make up for the danger and discomfort of a stay in 

 Britain. Besides why go to Britain when all that was 

 really pleasant or useful could be enjoyed at Rome? 

 First-rate oysters,^^ for example, and second-rate pearls,-^ 

 and ornamental British chariots for fashionable use. 

 (Propertius ^° begs Macaenas to stop his chariot near his 

 tomb.) There was British basketwork for Roman ladies ^^ 

 and hunting dogs for the men. 



Diuisa Britannia mittit 

 Veloces, nostrique orbis uenatibus aptos.'^ 

 (Britain from behind her barrier sends swift dogs suited to the 

 hunting of our world.) 



Pictured Britons ^^ were inwoven in the curtain at the 

 theatre, and real Britons really killed each other at the 



24. Avienus, Descr. orbis terrae, 1. 414 etc. On the questions raised 

 by the passage in Avienus (quoted by Elton, pages 418 — 420) describing 

 the Qlstrymnides insnlce and the insnla Alh'wnum, and the alleged early 

 tin trade between Britain and Carthage, I must refer to Elton, pp. 19 ff. 



25. Catullus XI. 



26. Statius Siluae 2, 143. 



27. Burmann's Antli. Ep. 91. 



28. Rutupinoue edita fundo ostrea. Juv. iv., 141. 



29. See reff. in Elton, p. 221. 



30. Esseda caelatis siste Britanna iugis. Prop, ii., 1, 76. 



31. Mart, xiv., 19. 



32. Nemesianus, Cyneg, 225. Elton quotes Claud, Stil iii., 301 

 ("Magnaque taurorum fracturae colla Britannae") and suggests that the 

 British dogs somewhat resembled the mediaeval boorhound. 



33. Verg, Georg iii., 24 ("Purpurea intexti tollant aulaea Britanni"). 



