AN DEN KAMERADEN JANUS, EINE ELEGIE ÜBER DIE GELIEBTE MANLIA AUS TRIEST

Di Brazzano suggests that one should keep this word which does not exist in classical Latin, since humanists read abortis rather than obortis at Ov. Am. 1,4,61 (lacrimis ego maestus obortis).

trio literally means 'threshing oxen', but the expression also denotes the two constellations of the Great and the Little Bear and, by metonymy, their cardinal direction, the North.

Scythia, broadly the region north of the Black Sea, was known since antiquity as an extremely cold region.

what is meant is 'blond, not grey or white' (see below, v. 8). Youth is commonly understood as the best time for love.

this phrase is hard to understand and may be corrupt. If it is not, its meaning could be the following: In ancient times, open long hair was the privilege of youth; conversely, one might think that respect for social conventions (cura monet) dictated that hair should be tied up in old age. Another possible meaning of cingere canos is ‘to crown one’s grey hair (with flowers or the like)’. In antiquity, garlands were worn at parties, amorous meetings, and similar occasions. Cura monet (literally ‘concern admonishes’) would then simply mean ‘one cares for’, ‘one feels the need’.

this phrase is hard to understand and may be corrupt. If it is not, its meaning could be the following: In ancient times, open long hair was the privilege of youth; conversely, one might think that respect for social conventions (cura monet) dictated that hair should be tied up in old age. Another possible meaning of cingere canos is ‘to crown one’s grey hair (with flowers or the like)’. In antiquity, garlands were worn at parties, amorous meetings, and similar occasions. Cura monet (literally ‘concern admonishes’) would then simply mean ‘one cares for’, ‘one feels the need’.

Croesus was a king of Lydia in the 6th century BC, whose wealth was proverbial. The Tagus (today Tajo or Tejo), a major river flowing through Spain and Portugal, was famous for the gold contained in its sands in antiquity.

this expression is elliptical. An ut should probably be supplemented after quam.

Neptunus was the Roman god of the sea. The Tritons and Nereids were mermen and mermaids who formed his entourage.

Neptunus was the Roman god of the sea. The Tritons and Nereids were mermen and mermaids who formed his entourage.

The term Barcula is a latinized version of the vernacular word Barcola, the name of a suburb of Trieste. Bonomo in fact owned a vinyard in Barcola. We know that the area was appreciated by the inhabitants of the Roman Targeste: archeological excavations allowed for detecting the rests of some Roman villae. Di Brazzano 2005, 463, points out that in the Quattrocento some ruins of these buildings were very likely to be still visible: therefore, he argues that Bonomo chose Barcola as a setting for part of his elegy in order to emphasize a sort of ancient-Roman-like atmosphere.

owls were believed to be hated by all other birds, and it was thought that the latter would come to mock and attack an owl which was tethered and helpless. Therefore, owls were apparently used in fowling, although it remains unclear how this worked in practice. saltans indicates the owl's desperate jigging to break free.

Pucinum, praised for its wine in antiquity, seems to be identical or at least close to the modern village of Prosecco (Di Brazzano 2005, 464; cf. also v. 47). Here, the toponym is used as an adjective together with Lares. The name of these ancient gods of the household is a common metonymy for ‘house’.

this seems to be the name of a maidservant. If any connection to the ancient people of the Marsi in Central Italy is intended is unclear.

‘Lyaeus’, one of the many names of the ancient wine-god Dionysus or Bacchus, is used as a metonomy for ‘wine’. This sweet wine probably is not Prosecco in the present sense of the word.