Colligere incertos et in ordine ponere crines
docta neque ancillas inter habenda Nape,
inque ministeriis furtivae cognita noctis
utilis et dandis ingeniosa notis
saepe venire ad me dubitantem hortata Corinnam,
saepe laboranti fida reperta mihi—
Nape, skilled at gathering uncertain hair and arranging it in order, not to be counted among mere servant girls, known for your services in furtive nights and clever at delivering messages, you who have often encouraged hesitant Corinna to come to me, often proven faithful to me in my troubles—
The text addresses a hairdressing slave named Nape, revealing much about Roman social and romantic customs. Hairdressers (ornatrices) held a special status among household slaves due to their intimate access to their mistresses and role as confidantes. They were crucial intermediaries in Roman love affairs, carrying messages (notae) between lovers - a common literary motif.
The arrangement of a Roman woman’s hair was an elaborate process requiring considerable skill. Upper-class women’s hairstyles were complex architectural arrangements that could take hours to complete, using heated curling irons, pins, and bands. The reference to “uncertain” or loose hair suggests the morning ritual of styling.
The mention of “furtive nights” points to the common practice of secret love affairs among the Roman elite, where slaves often acted as go-betweens and accomplices. The name “Corinna” is a typical pseudonym used in Roman love poetry to protect the identity of the actual woman being discussed, following Greek literary conventions.
accipe et ad dominam peraratas mane tabellas
perfer et obstantes sedula pelle moras!
nec silicum venae nec durum in pectore ferrum,
nec tibi simplicitas ordine maior adest.
credibile est et te sensisse Cupidinis arcus—
in me militiae signa tuere tuae!
si quaeret quid agam, spe noctis vivere dices;
cetera fert blanda cera notata manu.
Take these tablets, thoroughly inscribed this morning, and carry them to my mistress, and diligently drive away any delays that stand in your way! You have neither veins of flint nor iron in your heart, nor do you possess more simplicity than befits your station. It’s believable that you too have felt Cupid’s arrows - protect in me the signs of your own military service! If she asks what I’m doing, say that I live in hope of night; the rest the wax bears, marked by a coaxing hand.
The passage discusses Roman love letters and the crucial role of messengers in romantic relationships. Writing tablets (tabellae) were typically wooden boards coated with wax, into which messages were scratched with a stylus. These could be wiped clean and reused, making them perfect for secret correspondence.
The military metaphor (“militiae signa”) reflects the common Roman poetic concept of militia amoris (“the warfare of love”), where lovers are portrayed as soldiers and love as a kind of military campaign. Cupid’s arrows are another standard element of Roman love poetry, borrowed from Greek tradition.
The reference to “domina” (mistress) is significant in Roman love poetry, where the beloved woman is often portrayed as having power over her lover, inverting normal Roman social hierarchies. The messenger’s character is sketched as someone who understands love herself, making her a more sympathetic carrier of romantic messages. The hope for night (“spe noctis”) suggests arranged nocturnal meetings, a common theme in Roman love poetry.
Dum loquor, hora fugit. vacuae bene redde tabellas,
verum continuo fac tamen illa legat.
adspicias oculos mando frontemque legentis;
et tacito vultu scire futura licet.
nec mora, perlectis rescribat multa, iubeto;
odi, cum late splendida cera vacat.
conprimat ordinibus versus, oculosque moretur
margine in extremo littera rasa meos.
While I speak, time flies. Return the tablets properly empty, but make sure she reads them right away. I command you to watch her eyes and forehead as she reads; one can know the future from a silent face. And without delay, order her to write back much after reading them; I hate it when the shining wax lies empty across its breadth. Let her squeeze the lines close together, and let an erased letter at the very edge delay my eyes.
Roman love letters relied on wax tablets (tabellae), consisting of wooden frames filled with wax that could be written on with a stylus and easily erased. These reusable tablets were perfect for secret correspondence, as they could be wiped clean if discovered.
The attention to facial expressions reflects the Roman understanding of physiognomy - the belief that character and emotions could be read in facial features. The forehead (frons) was considered particularly revealing of thoughts and feelings.
The request for compressed writing and an erased mark in the margin represents common lovers’ codes. The erased letter might indicate a pre-arranged signal, while compressed writing showed eagerness to communicate as much as possible. The hatred of empty wax (splendida cera) reflects the lover’s desire for lengthy responses, a common theme in Roman love poetry.
The famous phrase “hora fugit” echoes the Latin proverb “tempus fugit” and emphasizes the urgency of love messages, suggesting that even brief delays could be significant in matters of the heart.
Quid digitos opus est graphio lassare tenendo?
hoc habeat scriptum tota tabella ‘veni!’
non ego victrices lauro redimire tabellas
nec Veneris media ponere in aede morer.
subscribam: ‘VENERI FIDAS SIBI NASO MINISTRAS
DEDICAT, AT NUPER VILE FUISTIS ACER.’
Why is it necessary to tire the fingers by holding a stylus? Let the whole tablet have just this written on it: “come!” I would not delay to crown these victorious tablets with laurel and place them in the middle of Venus’s temple. I shall write below: “TO VENUS NASO DEDICATES THESE FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF HIS, THOUGH RECENTLY YOU WERE MERELY WORTHLESS MAPLE.”
Writing tablets were everyday objects in Roman life, typically made from cheaper woods like maple (acer) and covered with wax for writing. The stylus (graphium) was a pointed metal tool used to scratch letters into the wax surface, with a flat end for erasing.
The mock-solemn tone of dedicating humble writing tablets in Venus’s temple parodies the common practice of victorious generals dedicating spoils of war in temples. The laurel crown (an honor typically reserved for victorious commanders or poets) adds to this martial metaphor. The joke centers on elevating simple love messages to the status of military triumph.
The inscription follows the formal style of Roman votive offerings, complete with the dedicator’s name (Naso) and a reference to the object’s transformation from mundane material to sacred offering. This kind of playful treatment of serious religious and military customs is characteristic of Roman love poetry.