the latter we are not concerned. Instead of dextram the reading dextra is also found in the manuscripts; Ellis, however, seems to be correct in adopting dextram, and this reading furnishes a very simple interpretation.1

By some commentators it is supposed that the idea of unlucky or unfavorable is contained in sinistra. This view may be dismissed at once. Ellis holds that the notion is that of incomplete as opposed to complete approval. He translates: "When he had said this Love sneezed his good-will on the right as he had sneezed his good-will on the left before." The explanations, as a whole, seem to be rather forced, and there is really a much simpler one. It is first necessary to recognize that sinistra and dextram as used here come from two entirely distinct spheres, and that we have here a mixture of two elements; namely, those of augury and of popular usage. As is well known, and as will be seen later, the favorable side for the Romans when interpreting omens was the left. Therefore as Love is to give a favorable omen, Catullus causes him to sneeze on the left side of the two lovers. This much is plain. If now we remember the meaning which is so often attached to dexter, namely that of favorable or lucky, the passage becomes clear at once.

In short, dextram does not have here its primary meaning of right at all, but simply its later derived meaning of favorable. Thus sinistra and dextram agree perfectly, both expressing the idea that Love was favorable to the two lovers. Might not ut ante refer to the previous relations of the lovers, not merely to the particular moment described in the poem? Love had always been favorable to them, and therefore might readily be said to have hitherto always sneezed on their left, that is given them signs of his approval. We would, then,

1 Each editor of Catullus has advanced a separate explanation of his own for this passage. The principal ones may be found in the note of Ellis on Catullus 45, 11. 8-9, also in his Excursus on 45, 8-9 (Commentary on Catullus, 2nd Ed., p. 162 ff.); also in Friedrich, Catullus, note on 45, 11. 8-9.

translate these two lines literally: When he had said this, Love on the left, as hitherto, sneezed his approval.

RIGHT AND LEFT IN AUGURY

The entire subject of augury has been very thoroughly studied, but as the right and the left played such an important part in the practice of augury it seems necessary to give a brief review of results already obtained. I. M. J. Valeton, in his article entitled De Modis Auspicandi Romanorum,1 presents the most plausible solution of the much discussed questions which arise, and in the main his conclusions will be adopted.

SIGNA IMPETRITA

The chief point in which the use of right and left in augury differs from that which we have already seen, is the fact that the meaning of favorable is connected with laevus and sinister. This is due, however, to their association with a certain portion of the sky, which in turn must be traced to the position assumed by the augur when observing omens. Grimm 2 states that the primitive Aryan turned toward the east. The abode of the Aryan's gods was to the north, and the north was to the left, therefore north and left were lucky. The Romans preserved this view. But the Greeks and other Aryan peoples in historic times regarded the right as lucky; therefore they must have turned their right sides to the lucky north, that is they must have faced west. Still another view is held, namely that the east was lucky; therefore the Greeks, in order to have it on their right, faced north, while the Romans faced

south. Finally it is held by some writers that both these manners of orientation existed side by side.1

The space marked out in the air by the augur when preparing to observe his omens was known technically as the templum. Regell 2 thought that there were among the Romans themselves two forms of this templum, the one facing the east, in which birds were observed; the other facing the south for the observation of thunder. As Valeton proves, however, signs were observed either in a templum facing the east or without any at all, while looking in every direction; but never while facing the south. The manner of procedure followed by an augur when demanding certain signs from the gods is shown well in Livy, 1, 18, 6 ff.: (Numa) de se quoque deos consuli iussit. Inde ab augure (. . . ) deductus in arcem, in lapide ad meridiem versus consedit. Augur ad laevam eius capite velato sedem cepit, dextra manu baculum sine nodo aduncum tenens, quem lituum appellarunt. Inde ubi prospectu in urbem agrumque capto deos precatus regiones ab oriente ad occasum determinavit. Dextras ad meridiem partes, laevas ad septemtrionem esse dixit, signum contra, quoad longissime conspectum oculi ferebant, animo finivit; tum lituo in laevam manum translato dextra in caput Numae imposita precatus ita est: “Iuppiter pater, si est fas hunc Numam Pompilium, cuius ego caput teneo, regem Romae esse, uti tu signa nobis. certa adclarassis inter eos fines quos feci." Tum peregit verbis auspicia, quae mitti vellet; quibus missis declaratus rex Numa de templo descendit.'

That

This practice was followed by all succeeding augurs. is all who sought either celestial signs or signs from birds faced the east steadfastly. The cause was simple, says Valeton, since to primitive man it would seem natural that the gods should send signs from the part of the sky from which rose

1 Wissowa, Religion der Römer, p. 452; Jevons, Indo-European Modes of Orientation,' Classical Review, 10 (1896), p. 23. 'Jahrb. für Class. Philol., 1881, pp. 593-637.

the sun, the stars, and indeed the whole movement of the universe; cf. Dionysius, Antiquit. Rom. 2, 5, 245.

The templum was always divided into two parts, right and left. To these were given special names: the right side, that is towards the south, being called the antica; the left side, towards the north, the postica: (Festus, 220) 'et dexteram anticam, sinistram posticam dicimus'; Servius, Vergil, Ecl. 9. 15. In interpreting signs which had been asked for, however, these parts of the templum did not form the basis for their being judged favorable or unfavorable. The augur asked that the gods should send the sign from a certain direction. If this was done the omen was favorable: (Cicero, Div. 1, 39, 85) 'quid augur (habet) cur a dextra corvus, a sinistra cornix faciat ratum.' The cornix will be favorable not because it appeared from the left, but because it was asked from the left. When good signs are called sinistra, i. e. fausta, they have not received this name from the left nor from the right part of the templum. Cf. Festus, 339: 'sinistrae aves sinistrumque est sinistimum auspicium, id quod sinat fieri'; Servius, Aen. 2, 693; Plutarch, Qu. Rom. 282 E.

Thus Cicero himself states that sinister is applied to all favorable omens whether they appear from the left or right: (Div. 2, 39, 82) "haud ignoro, quae bona sint, sinistra nos dicere, etiam si dextra sint"; Festus, 351.

So, too, when the gods wished to emphasize their approval and sent other signs besides those asked for, these were called sinistra and laeva in whatever part of the templum they appeared. To summarize, therefore, all signs seen in a templum, whether asked or voluntary, which are favorable are called sinistra and laeva with no reference to the parts of the templum: Plautus, Pseud. 762; Ennius, Ann. 3, fr. 7, l. 156; 1 Cicero, Leg. 3, 3, 9; Div. 2, 35, 74; Fam. 6, 6, 7; Lucan, Phars. 1, 601; Pliny, Pan. 5, 3.

Varro (L. L. 7, 7) speaks of another form of templum:

1 Ed. Müller.

Eius templi (caeli) partes quattuor dicuntur, sinistra ab oriente, dextra ab occasu, antica ad meridiem, postica ad septentrionem.' These words, according to Valeton, are to be referred to the gods themselves, not to a second method of orientation. The Romans agreed that the gods dwelt in the northern part of the heavens, and therefore the term laevus was applied to the east. Festus, 339: 'Varro 1. 5 epistolicarum quaestionum ait; "a deorum sede cum in meridiem spectes ad sinistram sunt partes mundi exorientes, ad dexteram occidentes factum arbitror, ut sinistra meliora auspicia quam dextra esse existimentur."'

SIGNA OBLATIVA

In cases where signs were sent by the gods of their own volition, without any especial request, there were two methods of deciding whether they were favorable or the reverse. They might be judged either from the region or part of the sky in which they appeared, or from their position relative to the observer, that is whether they were seen on his right or left hand. In the case of the former, all signs which were seen in the eastern portion of the sky were to the Romans sinistra, i. e. fausta. This applied to birds, thunder, and lightning. Statius, Theb. 3, 491: 'Si datur et duris sedet haec sententia Parcis Solvere Echionias Lernaea cuspide portus, | Signa feras, laevusque tones, tunc omnis in astris | Consonet arcana volucris bona murmura lingua. | Si prohibes, hic necte moras dextrisque profundum | Alitibus praetexe diem.'

In this example we have dextris with the meaning 'unfavorable' as opposed to sinistris, and referring to the western part of the sky: Ovid, Fasti, 4, 833: 'tonitru dedit omina laevo | Iuppiter, et laevo fulmina missa polo. augurio laeti iaciunt fundamina cives'; Pliny, Nat. Hist. 2, 54, 142: 'Laeva (fulmina) prospera existimantur, quoniam laeva parte mundi ortus est'; Ennius, Ann. 3, fr. 5 a 1. 154; fr. 6, B, 1. 155; 1 Cicero, 5, Marius, No. 19, 1. 9 ff.; 2 Cicero, Div. 2,

1

1 Ed. Müller.

2 Baehrens, Poet. Lat. Min. 6, p. 305.