Decimi Junii Juvenalis et Auli Persii Flacci Satiræ expurgatæ, notis illustratæ

SATIRE XVI.

This Satire is supposed to have been written by Juvenal, while he commanded in Egypt: he sets forth, ironically, the advantages and privileges of the soldiery, and how happy they are beyond others, whom he mentions, while, in reality, he is satirizing their extreme licentiousness and insolence.

Many have thought that this Satire was not written by Juvenal.

6. Samia genitrix... arenâ: Juno was worshipped at Samos, a sandy island in the Icarian sea.

10. Prætori: the prætor militaris was commander in chief. 12. Atque . . . relictum : i. e. one eye put out; the other indeed left, but in such a condition, that the surgeon cannot promise the restoration of sight.

13. Bardaicus suræ: i. e. if a citizen wishes punishment to be inflicted on the soldier, who has injured him, he must apply not to the city judge or prætor, but to a military judge or centurion, who, from his dress and great stature, is humorously described and called Bardaïcus calceus et grandes sure; that is, one whose great legs are covered with military boots is appointed judge, &c.-Calceus probably means here the caliga, which was a sort of harness for the foot and leg.

The complainant is referred to a military judge, who takes his seat on the bench in a military dress.

17. Justissima... querela: these words may be supposed to be spoken by Juvenal to himself; or to be spoken by Gallus to his friend the poet, and mean; The centurions (these were usually the judges of the soldiers on occasions of small importance), before whom the charge is laid, will undoubtedly decide with as much justice as a civil judge.

20. Tota... pudorem: the answer of the poet.

21. Ut sit... injuria: i. e. that vengeance, even greater than the injury complained of, be inflicted upon the plaintiff.

24. Caligas... clavorum: the calige of the soldiers were stuck full of nails.

26. Pylades: the friend of Orestes. See Class. Dict.-Molem aggeris: the Romans used to surround their encampments with vast heaps or banks of earth thrown up by way of rampart. The mass of earth which formed them was called moles aggeris.

31. Dignum... majorum : i. e. a man of primitive simplicity, fidelity, and courage; such as lived in the days of our ancestors. 33. Paganum: the same as togatus, in opposition to miles or

armatus.

36. Sacramentorum: when soldiers were enlisted, they took an oath of allegiance and fidelity to the emperor, to their country, and to their general: the word is used here for soldiers themselves.

28. Sacrum...libo: the stones, which were set up for boundaries, were held sacred; it was customary to adorn them with chaplets, and every year to offer, on the top of the boundary stones, to the god Terminus, sacrifices of honey, meal, and oil, made into cakes; this composition was called puls.

41. Vane... digni: see notes to Sat. XIII, 136, 137.

42. Exspectandus... annus: every tribe in Rome had three judges, who were appointed to hear and adjust civil causes among the people.

By the word annus we are to understand a certain time of the year, when the judges sat to try causes.

43. Totius populi: i. e. when the courts were open to the people at large.

51. Testanui...jus: by the laws of Rome, a son, during the life of his father, could not dispose of his property by will. But the soldier, by his military oath, became free, and had the right of giving, as he pleased, whatever he had acquired in the service of his country.

NOTES

ΤΟ

THE SATIRES OF PERSIUS.

AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS was born at Volaterræ, a town of Etruria, A. D. 34. His father was of Equestrian rank, and died when his son was about six years of age. Persius studied at Volaterra, until he had attained his twelfth year: after that he was removed to Rome, and placed under the care of Palæmon, a grammarian, and Verginius Flaccus, a rhetorician. At the age of sixteen, he was placed under the tuition of Annæus Cornutus, a Stoic philosopher, to whom the fifth Satire is addressed, and in whose praise it is written. During the reign of Nero, Persius distinguished himself for his satiric compositions, in which he did not even spare the emperor himself. He died at his estate, near Rome, in the twenty-eighth year of his age, in the consulship of Rubrius Marius and Asinius Gallus.

The arguments or designs of the six satires are contained in this verse:

Of poets, wishes, idleness and health,

The statesman, freedom, avarice and wealth.

PROLOGUE.

1. Fonte caballino: i. e. Hippocrene, which fountain Pegasus the winged horse of Bellerophon, is said to have opened by a blow of his hoof.-Nec labra prolui: 'I have not even moistened my lips.' The poets feigned, that drinking of this fountain inspired poetic fancy.

2. Bicipiti Parnasso: Parnassus, a mountain of Phocis, in Achaia, sacred to Apollo and the Muses, had two summits, Cirrha and Nisa; others call them Helicon and Citheron; Herodotus calls them Tithorea and Hyampeus.-It was imagined, that if any person ascended the mountain and remained there for any time, he became a poet.

3. Repentè i. e. temporis momento; by immediate inspiration. 4. Heliconidas: the Muses, so called from the mountain Helicon.-Pallidam Pirenen: Pirene, the daughter of Achelous or Œbalus, shedding many tears for her son, slain by Diana, is said to have been changed into a fountain. The epithet pallida is figuratively used because people become pale by continued study.

5. Imagines... hedera: see Juv. Sat. VII, 29.

6. Semipaganus: i. e. one, who has no right to be considered a poet, not having been initiated by drinking of the fountain Hippocrene or by dreaming on mount Parnassus-a half-rustic' an illiterate poet.'-Semipaganus is used in opposition to vatum, and carmen to sacra.

7. Sacra vatum: i. e. carmina illis (vatibus) ab Apolline et Musis dictata.-Others understand sacra, sc. templa, the temple of Apollo and the Muses. Juv. Sat. I, 1.

8. Quis expedivit... nectar: Persius now gives the reason, why he, acknowledging himself to be without poetical abilities, yet dares attempt poetical composition. There are other things, says he, besides those enumerated, which can inspire men with genius, which can effect things the most difficult to be accomplished, hunger and the desire of gain.

8. Expedivit: i. e. docuit.—Xaige, a salutation used at meeting and parting.

9. Verba nostra: i. e. voces humanas.

11. Negatas sc. a naturâ.-Artifex sequi: a Greek construction for artifex in condocefaciendo, ut sequantur (i. e. assequantur or exprimant).

12. Dolosi: 'seductive.'

13. Corvos poetas et poetrias picas: we may understand this line literally, raven poets and magpie poetesses:' i. e. if gain be in view, men will attempt impossibilities. Or by corvos poetas we may understand wretched poets; by poëtrias picas, boasting rhymers.

14. Pegaseium nectar: sublime and poetic strains.—Nectar Pindar. Olymp. VII, 12 seqq.

1 e. carmen

SATIRE I.

1. O curas... leget hæc: the poet supposes that, while he is employed in composition, he is interrupted by some person, who addresses him with these words.

2. Min'. . . ais: the answer of the poet.

3. Vel duo, vel nemo : i. e. paucissimi.—Quare: the poet asks, why it is a shameful and lamentable thing?

4. Ne... prætulerint: i. e. are you afraid that I should feel uneasy, because the works of worthless poets are preferred to mine?-By Pulydamas, Nero is generally thought to be meant. -Troiades is in the feminine gender to denote the effeminacy of the Romars, who prided themselves in being called Trojugena. -Accius Labeo: a favorite of Nero, who wrote a miserable translation of the Iliad and Odyssey.

5. Nuga: i. e. I care nothing for the judgment of such men. —Si . . . clevet : if the people of Rome, not clear in their judgment, (muddy,) should think lightly of any work.'

6. Examenve... trutinâ: i. e. do not attempt to correct the false judgment of these men, who have not the means of judging correctly. Examen: this means the tongue or needles of the scale, which always inclines to the side where the weight predominates.-Trutinâ: this means the part in which the needle moves, and is put for the whole scales.

7. Nec... extra: Dryden thus translates it:

The conscience is the test of every mind;

Seek not thyself, without thyself, to find.

8. Quis non: sc. perversè judicat.-Ah, si fas dicere: 'oh! if I only had the power of speaking my opinion freely.'-The poet says these words, as if he was as yet undecided what he should do; immediately, as if he had decided upon the question, he says sed fas, &c.

9. Nostrum: the first person is used, including himself, as he would thereby give less offence.-Vivere: a Græcism, for the substantive.-Triste: i. c. morose,-inclined to find fault with

others.

10. Aspexi: by enallage for the present tense.-Nucibus relictis: our toys being left'-' when we cease to be children.'

11. Sapimus patruos: uncles were the usual guardians of children, who had lost their parents, and were strict to a proverb.— When we take on ourselves the severity of uncles in censuring the faults of others.-Tunc, tunc : sc. fas est.-Ignoscite : 'pardon my writing.'

12. Sed sum cachinno: but I must write, for I am a great laugher.'

13. Inclusi: shut up in our studies.'-Numeros: 'verse.'-Pede liber: unshackled by poetic feet.'

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