She nodded and with the gesture she gave the sign of

on my enterprise, give my new mistress this thought – let her allow herself to be loved. She
nodded, and with the gesture she gave the sign of her favour! What the goddess has promised, I
ask that you should promise yourself. May Venus permit me to say it – you will be the greater
goddess. I swear to you by all these witnesses and the procession of the gods, that you are the
mistress whom I have sought to be mine for ever. But your legs are dangling: if you like, you can
rest your toes on the rail.
‘Now is the great event, the Circus is cleared, the praetor has released the four-horse
chariots at the starting line. I see the team you support. Whoever you favour will win. The horses
themselves seem to know what you want. Oh no! He has driven too wide around the post. What
are you doing? The next man is right behind you. What are you doing, you wretch? You are
wrecking the hope of my girl; please, pull strongly on the left reins. We’ve backed a loser. But call
them back, Romans, give the sign! Flap your togas everyone! Look, they are calling them back!
Now, to prevent the togas disturbing your hair, you can hide yourself in my toga’s folds.
‘Now the doors are open again, the horses are released, the multi-coloured line flies out. Be
the winner now, at least, and make for the clear field. Bring my prayers, bring the prayers of my
mistress to fulfilment. The prayers of my mistress are fulfilled, my prayers still wait. He holds the
palm, my palm is still to be won. She laughed and promised something with her bright eyes. That’s
enough for here; give me the rest elsewhere!’
24 Ovid Fasti 2.533-570 Remembering the dead
Honour is given to tombs as well. Placate the souls of your fathers and bring small gifts to the
pyres after they have died down. The dead want only small gifts, piety pleases them more than a
rich gift: the gods in the depths of the Styx are not greedy. A tile wreathed in garlands you offer is
enough, along with sprinkled corn and a few grains of salt, and bread softened in wine and loose
violets. Put these in the jar left in the middle of the road. I do not forbid larger gifts, but a ghost can
be placated even by these. Add prayers and appropriate words at the hearths you have set up.
This was the custom which Aeneas, fit source of piety, brought to your lands, righteous
Latinus. He used to bring solemn gifts to the spirit of his father; from this the peoples learned the
pious rites. But once upon time, while they waged long wars with fighting weapons, they
abandoned the Parental Days. This did not go unpunished; for it is said that it was from that omen
that Rome grew hot with the pyres of the dead outside the city. In fact I scarcely believe this: they
say that our ancestors came out of their graves and uttered groans during the silent night, and they
say that through the city streets and the wide fields howled ugly spirits, a ghostly crowd. After that,
the honours they had neglected were given to the tombs, and the prodigies and funerals came to
an end.