SATIRE IV.

Juvenal, in this Satire, indulges his honest indignation against Crispinus and his employer Domitian.

After describing some of the enormous crimes of Crispinus, the poet makes a sudden transition to his extravagance and gluttony, and thereby takes occasion to describe a ridiculous consultation, held by Domitian over a turbot, which was too large to be contained in any dish, that could be found. After a long deliberation among the senators, it was proposed, that the fish should be cut in pieces and thus cooked; but at last the opinion of the senator Montanus prevailed, that it should be dressed whole, and that a dish, large enough to contain it, should be made expressly for the purpose of receiving it.

The council is then dismissed, and the Satire concludes with a most severe censure on the emperor's cruelty and injustice towards some of the best and most worthy of the Romans.

1. Iterum Crispinus: Crispinus has been mentioned before in Sat. I, 27.

2. Ad partes: a metaphor, taken from the players, who, when they had finished the scene they were to act, retired, but were called again to resume their parts, until the piece was finished.

3. Eger: enervated; infirm both in mind and body.

4. Quid refert: i. e. what signifies how rich he is, since no bad man can be happy?Jumenta fatiget: in riding through his magnificent porticoes. It was a part of the Roman luxury to build vast porticoes in their gardens, under which they rode in wet or hot weather.

5. Quantâ .., umbrâ: the rich and luxurious Romans were also carried in sedans through shady groves, in sultry weather. 6, Jugera... ædes: houses and land near the ancient forum, which was near the centre of the city, were the most valuable. 7. Corruptor: 'a corrupter of female virtue.'

8. Incestus: profane,'-Vittata sacerdos: Vestal virgins had fillets bound round their heads, made of ribands or the like. The Vestal virgins made a vow of perpetual chastity; if any broke this vow, by a law of Numa Pompilius, their founder, they were buried alive.

10. Alter: any other than Crispinus would have been punished by Domitian, whom the poet ironically calls judex morum.

12. Titio Seio: these were fictitious personages, whose names were inserted in all law-processes.

13. Quid agas: this seems to depend upon the 10th verse: we are now speaking of his smaller crimes, yet what can you do or say, &c.? what he is is so much worse than what he does, that one is at a loss how to treat him.

14. Mullum probably the fish called red mullet or barbel.Sex millibus; sc, nummorum; 6000 sestertii (about $214).

15. Equantem... libris: i. e. weighing six pounds, it cost him a sestertium, a pound.

Three pounds was about the usual weight of this fish, and it was rarely found larger.

*

16. Ut perhibent: as the flatterers of Crispinus give out; they probably represented the fish to be twice as large as it really was, as some excuse for his extravagance.

18. Præcipuam. . . ceram . . . abstulit: he had become the principal heir.'-It was customary for wills to consist of two parts: the first named the primi hæredes, chief heirs, and was therefore called cera præcipua, because, the tablets, on which they wrote, being of wood, were covered with war: the second named the secundi hæredes, lesser heirs, and was called cera secunda.-Others think that cera means the seal.

19. Ratio ulterior: further reason,' to excuse his extravagance.

20. Latis specularibus: with large windows.-The specularis lapis was a stone, clear like glass, cut into small thin panes, and in old times used for glass. The largest panes were of course the most costly.-Antro: 'litter-or sedan.'

22. Apicius a noted glutton in the time of Nero. Even Apicius, the poet intimates, was a frugal man in comparison with this gormandizer.-Hoc tu: sc. fecisti.-Hoc... papyro: i. e. you who were formerly brought from Egypt to Rome, a vile slave, and then clad in papyrus; this was a kind of flag, growing on the banks of the river Nile, of which ropes, mats, and mean clothing were made. Or more probably his clothes were tied on him with cords made of this weed. Sat. I, 26, 27.

24. Squamæ this means the scales of fish, but put here by Synecdoche for the fish itself.

25. Provincia... vendit: i. e. the price of this fish would purchase an estate in some of the provinces; but in Apulia quite an extensive one.

26. Appulia; Ruperti thinks this word should be written thus, as the first syllable of Apulia is short in Hor., Od. III, 24, 4, and in other passages. Most of the texts, however, have Apulia, considering the first syllable common.

28. Endoperatorem for imperatorem; if Crispinus, a courtbuffoon, paid so much for what formed but a small part of a private meal for himself, what must the emperor's expense be to satisfy his gluttony?—Quum... siluros: quum Crispinus purpureus scurra magni palati, jam princeps equitum (i. e. non magister equitum, sed inter equites illustres relatus), qui solebat, &c., ructârit tot sestertia, exiguam partem et sumptam de margine modica

cœnæ,

32. Municipes... siluros: siluri were fish of small value of the same country with Crispinus, i. e. from Egypt.-Frictâ: 'fried-dried-or cured.'

The following is the note of Ruperti upon frictâ de merce:

"frictâ de merce edidi ex emend. cl. Manso, cujus nota est: 'Pisces fricti, Apicius inquit I, 11, ut diù durent, eodem momento, quo friguntur et levantur, aceto calido perfunduntur, et Listérus ad h. 1. "Pisces, scribit, ex frictione multò citiùs et firmiùs densantur quàm earnes, ob summam illorum sanguinis teneritudinem. Si itaque huic eorum coitioni naturali accedat etiam aceti calidi superfusi vis, ex duplici constrictione diutius conservari possint. Hæc autem piscium frictorum condictura etiam apud nos in usu est et ad maritimum modum (Italis marinare, unde Germ. marinirte fische) appellatur.' Intelliguntur itaque nostro versu omnis generis pisces, quos mercatores, modo ab Apicio commemorato, in ipsâ Ægypto condiendos et inter Nilotica illa salsamenta, quæ Diodorus I, 36, Lucianus T. III, p. 249, ed. Reitzii, aliique laudant, Romam navibus transvehendos curarent. Quorum in numero siluros hic præ omnibus dictos videmus. Fuêre enim siluri non solùm frequentissimi in Nilo sed etiam pretii tam vilis, ut non nisi ab inopibus, qualem Crispinum servum e v. 24, scimus, et venderentur et emerentur."

In the ed. Lemaire, Paris, 1823, is the following note: “Si cui non placeat lectio illa, quam a cl. Ruperti recepimus, per nulla erit mora quin veterem schol. sequatur et malit fractâ de merce; et sic erit sensus-vendebat siluros, mercem fractam, id est, in partes divisam (Gallicè en detail); per vias et compita ibat clamans, velut apud nos mulieres istæ (marchandes de marée), quæ marinas merces canistris vimineis et coriis obductis circumferunt." According to this reading, fractâ de merce, which seems the best, 'by retail-by breaking the box or cask which contained them.' The other readings are pactâ-fariâ—fartâ—Phariâ de merce, and pactâ mercede.

33. Calliope: the mother of Orpheus, and chief of the nine muses, said to be the inventress of heroic verse.

To heighten the ridicule, Juvenal prefaces his narrative with a burlesque invocation of Calliope, and then of the rest of the muses. 36. Quum jam: this line may be thus scanned:

Quum jām sēm❜ănì- | múm lăcě- | rārēt | Flávĭus | ōrbēm. Semianimum, contracted by synæresis into sem'animum.-Flavius ultimus: the first emperor of the Flavian family was Vespasian, the last Domitian.

37. Calvo... Neroni: bald Nero,' i. e. Domitian; this emperor was bald, at which he was so displeased, that he would not suffer baldness to be mentioned in his presence: he was called Nero, as all the bad emperors were, from his cruelty.

38. Incidit: sc. rete was caught.'-Adriaci... Ancon: the turbot was taken in the Adriatic gulf, near the city of Ancon (now Ancona) which was built by the Syracusans, who were originally Grecians, (hence the city is called Dorica, i. e. Græca); at this place was a temple sacred to Venus.

40. Illis sc. piscibus.

41. Glacies Maotica: Maotis was a large lake, which was

frozen in winter, but discharged itself in summer into the Eurine sea (Ponti) by the Cimmerian Bosphorus.

The fish, which lay here in a torpid state under the ice, grew extremely fat and bulky.

45. Pontifici summo: Domitian, whose title, as emperor, was Pontifex summus or maximus, 'chief pontiff." Some think the poet alludes to the gluttony of pontiffs in general, which was so great as to be proverbial.-Proponere: 'to offer for sale.'

47. Alga inquisitores: 'searchers of sea-weed;' implying thereby, that their accusations were founded upon the most trivial

causes.

50. Cæsaris: 'of the emperor.'

52. Palfurio... Armillato: both of these were men of consular dignity; lawyers, spies, informers, and also favorites of Domitian.

54. Res fisci est: is the property of the emperor.'

55. Ne pereat: lest it should be taken from him by informers; or lest he perish,' as having kept the emperor's property.

56. Sperantibus: this is generally rendered 'fearing'' dreading.'—But it more properly should be rendered 'hoping for,' as the quartan never proves fatal, and the sick consequently hope that the fever, under which they are suffering, may turn into the quartan. The Italians have a proverb to this effect, “We ring the bells when the quartan comes."

57. Prædam... servabat: 'and kept the turbot fresh.' 58. Hic: the fisherman.

59. Utque lacus suberant: utque Albani lacus suberant, i. e. prope crant.-Alba, fifteen miles from Rome, was built by Ascanius, between the Albani lacus and the colles Albani. It was levelled with the ground by Tullus Hostilius, for a breach of promise. The temples alone were spared.

60. Ignem... Trojanum: the vestal fire, brought by Eneas from Troy into Italy.-Vestam... minorem: the temple of Vesta, at Alba, was small, in comparison with the one built at Rome by Numa. At Alba, Domitian instituted a college of priests, of whom he was Pontifex summus.

62. Cessit: sc. turba; when the crowd made way for him.' 64. Picens: 'the Picenian fisher.'

68. Ipse capi voluit: i. e. the very fish itself was ambitious to be caught for the entertainment of your Majesty.—Quid apertius: 'what flattery more palpable than this?' if we understand these words to be spoken by the poet. Nothing is plainer: if we consider them as spoken by the fisherman.--Et... crista: 'and yet his pride was gratified; (a metaphor from cocks, who set up their combs, when pleased,) if we understand these words to be spoken by the poet.-If by the fisherman; And yet it is surprising that the thorns (cristas, i. e. pinnas) upon his back stand ercct, as if it were unwilling to be caught.

71. Sed... mensura: the poet now pursues his narrative ;

this turbot was so large, that a dish could not be found to contain it.

72. Quos... amicitia: we have here a striking representation of a tyrant, who, conscious of being hated by all, hates them; and they, knowing his capricious cruelty, never approach him, without horror and dread, lest they should say or do something, however undesignedly, which may cost them their lives.

74. Liburno: ‘a Liburnian slave,' who discharged the office of a crier.

75. Raptâ... Urbi: abolla here signifies either a philosopher's robe, as Pegasus was a stoic; or the robe of office, which he wore as præfectis urbis.

76. Pegasus: an eminent lawyer who had been appointed prefect of the city of Rome: he is here called villicus, bailiff of the city, signifying that the chief magistrate of Rome, in consequence of the tyranny of Domitian, had now no more power or dignity, than the paltry officer of a country village.

77. Optimus... justitiâ: i. e. Pegasus was a very excellent magistrate, yet such was the arbitrary power of Domitian, that he dared not act according to the dictates of his heart.

79. Inermi justitiâ: justice is said to be unarmed, when judges and high officers act contrary to conscience.

...

80. Venit senectus: the old facetious Crispus comes too.' 86. Cum quo... amici: it was not safe for Domitian's friends to converse with him, even on the most trivial subjects, such as the state of the weather, &c., if they did not agree in sentiment with him.

92. His... festinata: many texts have a period after aulâ, his, &c. applying to Crispus: Ruperti has a period after solstitia, understanding his, &c. to apply to Acilius.-The construction is, Acilius, qui his quoque armis erat tutus in illâ aulâ (i. e. of Domitian), et qui erat ejusdem ætatis (i. e. as Crispus) properabat proximus cum juvene (i. e. his son Domitius, as this is generally understood; see line 93, (note) indigno, &c.

93. Acilius... cum juvene: Acilius Glabrio, a senator of singular prudence and fidelity; his son Domitius came with him to this council; but both of them were shortly after charged with designs against the emperor, and were condemned to death. The father's sentence was changed to banishment, that he might be the more tortured by the remembrance of his son's death. The son, to save his life, affected madness and fought naked with lions in the Alban theatre: the tyrant was not to be deceived, but put him to death.

97. Malim... gigantis: i. e. since noble birth is dangerous, I had rather claim no higher kindred than my parent earth, and though not in size, yet, as to origin, be a brother of the earthborn giants, than be descended from a noble race.

101. Quis... tuum: there are none, in these days, who would be simple enough to admire the device of Brutus (he pretended