Cynegetica (Nemesianus)

Background

The Cynegetica is a didactic Latin poem about hunting with dogs, by Marcus Aurelius Olympius Nemesianus. It is written in hexameter verse.

It is usually dated to the reign of the Roman Emperors Carinus and Numerian (AD 283 - 284).

Synopsis

Line references are to Duff and Duff (1934).

Proem: invocation; catelogue of myths; statement of theme; catelogue of the victories of the sons of Carus; invocation of Diana (lines 1 - 102)

Nemesianus announces that his poem's theme is hunting and the "battles of the countryside" (proelia ruris) and invokes the Muses and Bacchus.

Nemesianus briefly refers to various cliched mythological themes (the myths of Niobe, Semele, Pentheus, Dirce, Hippodamia, the Danaides, Biblis, Myrrha, Cadmus, Io and Argus, Hercules, Tereus, Phaethon, the house of Tantalus, Medea, Glauce, Nisus, Circe and Antigone), but states that poets have already sung all about them.

Instead Nemesianus states that his preferred theme is hunting hares, does, wolves, foxes, ichneumon, polecats and hedgehogs and states that his task is to venture out from safe waters into the stormy Adriatic (i.e to sing about these unusual poetic themes, rather than playing it safe by writing about traditional mythological material).

Nemesianus claims that he will sing the praises of Carinus and Numerian at a later date (although he nonetheless catelogues their battles and victories on the Rhine, Tigris and Nile, in Persia, at Babylon and against the Parthians and other military glories).

He then invokes Diana and the nymphs, and asks Diana to inspire his poem about hunting (instead of urban and military themes).

Dogs: breeding and selecting a healthy litter; raising and feeding puppies; training young dogs; replenishing the pack; rabies; different breeds (lines 103 - 237)

Nemesianus explains, step by step, season by season, the process for breeding, raising and training young dogs:

• At the start of the year, one should select a well-bred and healthy bitch to mate with a similarly proportioned, youthful and healthy dog. After a two month pregnancy, she will give birth to puppies.
• However, some of the puppies should be culled, so as not to exhaust the mother's milk (thereby weakening the entire litter). One should therefore select which puppies should survive: either by physical examination or by encircling the entire litter with fire (as the mother will attempt to rescue the best puppies first).
• Come springtime, feed the mother and the surviving puppies with whey, and later bread and milk. In mid summer they should be given a less fatty diet. Don't keep the dogs shut or chained up, as they will try to chew their way out and damage their teeth.
• When the young dogs are eight months old, they can be fed cereals - this is also the time to train them, on leashes, to run together.
• After twenty months, the dogs can practise hunting - start them off with slow hares, in relatively enclosed space and move them on to increasingly faster prey. Encourage them and teach them to recognise voice commands. They need to be taught to kill, but not mutilate their prey.
• Due to high mortality rates, the cycle must be repeated in order to maintain the pack.

Nemesianus then describes the symptoms of rabies and recommends administering a potion made of fermented beaver dung, ivory and milk, as an effective treatment.

Nemesianus then explains the benefits of rearing different breeds of dogs - Spartan, Molossian, from Britannia, Pannonian, Spanish, Libyan. In particular, Tuscan dogs, although shaggy, are fast and good hunters - with a good sense of smell (which Nemesianus indicates he will expand upon this in a later section, which has since been lost).

Horses (lines 238 - 298)

Nemesianus described various noble and powerful breeds of horses from Greece and Cappadocia and Spain. Nemesianus also describes certain North African breeds, which are less beautiful but obedient and fast - just like Boreas, who blasts over the sea, amazing the Nereids. Certain horse (it is not clear whether Nemesianus is referring to the North African breeds specifically) take longer to mature in strength, but maintain their vigour for longer.

Nemesianus explains that, in spring time, horses should be fed soft grass, and blood let. They will then grow healthy and keen to get moving. In summer, they should be fed grains and massaged.

Preparing nets, cordons, bird feathers (lines 299 - 320)

Nemesianus explains that the huntsmen must learn to make various types of nets and cordons - adorned with coloured feathers (to scare animals, in order to keep them within the cordoned-off area). Nemesianus describes some of the different types of bird feathers - from vultures, cranes, swans, geese, water fowl.

Starting the hunt (lines 321 - 325)

Nemesianus recommends that hunting should begin at the start of winter - the teams should set out with their nets and cordons, dogs and horses in the early morning (when animal tracks are fresh).

The poem breaks off at this point.

Commentary and Analysis

Transmission

Three manuscripts of the Cynegetica exist. Williams considers that all three manuscripts descend from a common archetype (which is now lost).

The Cynegetica is generally considered to have been transmitted in an incomplete state. Reasons for this conclusion include the fact that its proemium/introduction seems disproportionately long (102 out of a total 325 lines), and the fact that Nemesianus (at lines 237-8) indicates that he will give a further description of a Tuscan dog (but such subsequent description does not appear in the remainder of the surviving text).

It is uncertain whether Nemesianus never finished the poem, or whether it was finished but that sections have subsequently been lost. Martin takes the view that the poem was finished, but lost in transmission, referring to the fact that Vospiscus mentions it as a literary achievement (assuming that an unfinished work would not be so mentioned) and by reference to Haupt's textual analysis (based on the fact that the final leaf of a manuscript is filled completely).

Sources and Influences

Martin refers to four previous works on the same subject matter as possible models/sources: Xenophon's Cynegetica (in Greek), Arrian of Nicodemus' supplement to Xenophon's work focusing on Greyhound coursing (also in Greek), Oppian's Cynegetica in four books (also in Greek) and Grattius' Latin poem, of which 541 verses survive. However, Martin detects differing levels of influence. He considers that Nemesianus' work bears very little resemblance to Xenophon's and Arrian's, but a much larger debt to Oppian's. Although Grattius' work was sufficiently well known to be referred to by Ovid (Pont 4.16.34), Martin considers that Nemesianus does not seem to imitate Grattius - referring to the lack of similarity of diction, different use of technical terms and the different structure/order of material. Martin concludes that Nemesianus may not even have heard of the Cynetica of Grattius, given such divergences.

Virgil was an influence on, and model for, Nemesianus. Martin notes, in particular, the influence of Virgil's Third Georgic. In particular:

• Both Virgil and Nemesianus scorn dealing with trite mythological themes (Georgic III, lines 3 - 8, Cynegetica lines 15-47);
• Both Virgil and Nemesianus state that they will of new rustic themes, predicting glory for themselves in so doing (Georgic III, lines 8 - 12, 291 - 3, Cynegetica lines 1 - 15);
• Both Virgil and Nemesianus promise to sing of loftier themes such as the glories of Caesar at a later time (Georgic III, lines 46-48, Cynegetica lines 63ff);
• Both Virgil's Third Georgic and Nemesianus' Cynegetica deal with breeding/caring for animals (including horses and dogs)
• In particular, Nemesianus imitates Virgil's description of the good features of a horse (see Georgic III, lines 79 - 88 and Cynegetica lines 243 - 50), and Virgil's comparison of the speed of a horse with the north wind (Georgic III, lines 196-201, Cynegetica lines 272-8);
• Although Virgil only devotes a few lines to dogs and hunting, these lines are imitated by Nemesianus, in his more extensive passages (Georgic III, lines 404-13, Cynegetica lines 103 - 237);
• More generally, throughout Nemesianus' Cynetgetica, Martin detects other words and phrases that are borrowed from Virgil.

Metre

The Cynegetica is written in hexameters.

Duff and Duff note the following metrical features (some of which are features of later Latin literature):

• shortened "o"s at the end of words such as "o"s e.g. devotio (l.83), exerceto (l.187).
• only one hiatus (catuli huc, line 143)
• not overusing elision.

Editions and Translations

• Duff, J.W. and Duff, A.M. (1934) Minor Latin Poets (Vol 2) - Loeb Classical Library - with English translation
• Williams, H.J. (1986) Eclogues and Cynegetica of Nemesianus - with introduction, critical apparatus and commentary
• van de Woestijne, P. (1937) Les Cynégétiques de Némesién edition critique - with omnium verborum
• Volphilac, P. (1975) Némesién Oeuvres - with French translation and commentary
• Martin, D. (1917) The Cynegetica of Nemesianus - with introduction and commentary (available online https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b734724;view=1up;seq=11)
• Jakobi, R. (2014) Nemesianus >Cynegetica< Edition und Kommentar - with introduction and German commentary