The status of his rustics 219 



who has bought his freedom late in life (lines 27-9), having neglected 

 to amass a peculium in earlier years (31-2). It was only by a visit 

 to Rome, and the favour of Octavian, that he gained relief. But this 

 relief appears, not as manumission, but as the restoration of a land- 

 owner dispossessed by a military colonist. The inconsistency cannot 

 be removed by treating the first version as symbolic or allegorical. It 

 is there, and the poet seems to have felt no sufficient inducement to 

 remove it. Corydon in the second eclogue has a dominus, and is there- 

 fore servus (2). Yet he boasts of his large property in flocks, which are 

 presumably }\\speculium( 1 9-22). His dwelling is a lowly cot in the rough 

 grubby surroundings of the countryside (28-9). He is pastor (i), but 

 there are evidently aratores on the estate (66). He is warned that, if 

 it comes to buying favours with gifts, he cannot compete with his 

 master lollas (57). Had he not better do some basket-work and forget 

 his passion (71-3)? 



In the third eclogue the status of Damoetas is far from clear. He 

 appears as alienus custos of a flock, the love-rival of the owner (ipse\ 

 whom he is robbing, profiting by the latter's preoccupation with his 

 amour (1-6). He is in short head-shepherd (101 pecoris magistro\ and 

 Tityrus (96) seems to be his underling. Menalcas in staking the cups 

 explains that he dare not risk any of the flock under his charge, which 

 belongs to his father and is jealously counted (32-43). He is owner's 

 son, with no opportunities of fraud ; probably free, for we can hardly 

 assume that the flock is a slave's peculium. But whether Damoetas is 

 (a) a free hireling or (b) a slave hired from another owner or (c) a slave 

 of the flock-owner, is not to be inferred with confidence from so indis- 

 tinct a picture. In the ninth eclogue we are again 1 brought across the 

 rude military colonist (4) of the first eclogue. Moeris, who seems to be 

 the steward of Menalcas, speaks of nostri(agelli, 2) and nostra (carmina^ 

 12). Menalcas is ipse (16), and supposed to represent Vergil. I incline 

 to believe that Moeris is a slave vilicus, but cannot feel sure. So also 

 in the tenth, we hear of opilio and subulci (19), of custos gregis and 

 vinitor (36). These would in the Italy of Vergil's time be normally 

 slaves. But it is not the question of their status that is uppermost in 

 the poet's mind. They appear in the picture merely as figures suggesting 

 the rustic environment on which he loves to dwell. As for the fourth 

 eclogue, it is only necessary to remark that, however interpreted, it 

 points to the return (6) of a blissful age, and accordingly assumes the 

 former existence of good old times. 



It has been justly noted that the merry singing and easy life of the 

 swains in the Bucolics are incongruous with the notorious condition of 



1 Whether Vergil suffered two expulsions, and what is the chronological order of eclogues 

 I and ix, are questions that do not affect my inquiry. 



