Haec emis hirsuto spirant opobalsama collo Quae tibi? Ne pudeat dominum monstrare tabernae. Ante omnes debet Scantinia. Respice primum 41. spirant opobalsama] 'Spirare' is commonly used with respect to perfumes, as Virgil (Aen. i. 407): "Ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem Spiravere.' 'Opobalsamum' is the juice (bróc) of the 'balsamum' (amyris Gileadensis), the balm of Gilead mentioned in Scripture, of which a correct description is given by Pliny, H. N. xii. 25. He says that its scent was preferred to every other; and he gives the same account that Bruce the traveller gives of the extraction of the juice by an incision in the bark, and how it was collected in very small quantities, so that it took a long summer's day to fill a small bottle. It was therefore very rare and costly, as it is still. There was a tax upon the tree Pliny says (1. c.): "Servit nunc haec et tributa pendit cum sua gente." 43. Quod si vexantur leges ac jura] 'If you are to disturb laws that have gone to rest, you should call up the Scantinia.' 'Citare,' a form of 'cieo,' means here to wake up,' alluding to 'dormis' (v. 37). The 'lex Scantinia' was a law for the suppression of unnatural crimes. Domitian did revive this law, according to Suetonius: "Quosdam ex utroque ordine (equites and senators) lege Scantinia condemnavit" (c.8). In a large number of the MSS. the reading is 'Scatinia.' It is not known who got the law passed. The penalty of death was first imposed on these crimes by the Christian emperors Constantine and Constans. As to leges et jura,' see below, v. 72, n.; and for the distinction between them the reader is referred to Smith's Dict. Ant. and to Hor. Epp. i. 16. 41, n. 45. faciunt hi plura:] It seems as if Juvenal remembered that line of Horace, "Et faciunt hi plura dolentibus." 'Junc taeque umbone phalanges' is expressed by 45 50 the Greek military term ovvаorioμòs, which 47. Magna inter molles concordia.] John of Salisbury quotes this (Policrat. iii. 12) on the question whether friendship can exist between the bad, which he decides in the negative, and goes on, "Magna utique inter molles et malos concordia, sed ea tantum a caritate discedit quantum lux distat a tenebris." Molles' are effeminate, in the worst sense. 51. Numquid nos agimus causas?] She says, 'We do not meddle with men's business as they do with ours.' Horace has (S. i. 9. 38): Inteream si Aut valeo stare aut novi civilia jura." For the component parts of Jus Civile,' which included things human and things divine, see Dict. Ant. Art. 'Jus.' 52. fora vestra] There were several 'fora' in Rome at this time; but the three in which most legal business was done were the Forum Romanum, Forum Julium, and Forum Augusti. The last is particularly referred to in the last satire (v. 128), and was that in which most judicial business was transacted. Luctantur paucae, comedunt coliphia paucae : 53. Luctantur paucae,] That some women engaged in the combats of the arena has been said before (i. 22, n.); and she admits it, but says they are but few, while the men-women were many. Coliphia' are said to have been athletes' food, and this passage confirms it. Salmasius (ad Tertull. de Pallio, p. 220, quoted by Cramer on the Scholiast here) derives the word from the Greek κώληψ, κωλήπιον, which means the knee or ankle joint; from which Forcellini infers that the word means masses of dry tough meat, chiefly pork or beef. One of the Scholiasts says that Pythagoras taught the athletes to train upon roast beef and bread, they having been accustomed to eat figs before, and that coliphia' means generally the food taken by athletes. Some, he says, affirm that 'coliphia' were made of honey and leaven in an obscene form. Another Scholiast says that coliphia' means unleavened bread; and on Plautus (Pers. i. 3. 12: "Collyrae facite ut madeant et coliphia") Weise explains them as 'panes recenti caseo commixti.' The derivation above given seems very doubtful, but the context leaves no doubt what the food was used for sometimes. 54. Vos lanam trahitis] Trahere' is commonly used for spinning, as in Horace (C. ii. 18. 7): "Nec Laconicas mihi Trahunt honestae purpuras clientae." "You spin wool, and in baskets bear your clews," is Stapylton's translation. The wool was spun into threads and put by in baskets. Stamen' is the thread with which the spindle was pregnant,' when it was twisted round it ready for weaving. Sophocles makes Oedipus say of his sons (Oed. Col. 337): ὦ πάντ ̓ ἐκείνω τοῖς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ νόμοις φύσιν κατεικασθέντε καὶ βίου τροφάς. ἐκεῖ γὰρ οἱ μὲν ἄρσενες κατὰ στέγας θακοῦσιν ἱστουργοῦντες . 55 60 57. Horrida quale facit] 'Such as a dirty slave girl makes sitting on her codex,' which was a log of wood that slaves were sometimes compelled to wear tied to their leg by way of punishment. Propertius, iv. 7. 43, says: "Nostraque quod Petale tulit ad monumenta coronas Codicis immundi vincula sentit anus.' In Plautus (Poen. v. 3. 39), quoted by Forcellini and the commentators for this sense, Melphio only means he will send the slaves to cut wood : 611 quos ego jam detrudam ad molas; Inde porro ad puteum atque ad robustum codicem." She was 'Pellex' is one who, being unmarried, had ôpai äriμoi, such as sitting in the stocks were common punishments of the milder sort among the Greeks and Romans, as Casaubon shows in his note on Sueton. Aug. 24. 58. tabulas impleverit Hister] This man, if it is the same, he calls below Hister Pacuvius (xii. 111), where he is a will hunter, but here he makes his own will and makes his freedman who had served his lust 'heres ex asse,' the heir of all his property. As to 'tabulas,' see note on i. 68. He gave large sums of money to his wife before his death to let his filthy practices go on. As to puellae' for married women, compare Hor. Ciii. 14. 10: Vos o pueri et puellae Jam virum expertae.' 'Virgines' are used in the same way in the same stanza, and in C. ii. 8. 23, 'nuper Virgines nuptae.' 61. donant arcana cylindros.] The reward of secresy is jewels. Cylindri' were stones cut in this shape. See Pliny, H. N. xxxvii. 5: "Cylindros ex beryllo facere malunt De nobis post haec tristis sententia fertur. quam gemmas, quoniam est summa commen- 62. De nobis post haec] And yet after this, harsh verdict is passed upon us women; so does judgment spare the raven and hunt down the dove.' The last example is not very dove-like. 'Sententiam ferre' is more properly derived from the senate than the 'judicia,' where the 'judices' were said 'sententiam dicere' or 'pronuntiare.' In 'censura' Heinrich sees an allusion to Domitian's censorship. 64. canentem Stoicidae.] See note on v. 10. Trepidi' means 'in confusion.' See note on Hor. C. ii. 11. 4. The indignant language of the woman is expressed by 'canentem.' It would apply to Cassandra or any one of that sort. 'Stoicidae' is only a contemptuous form of 'Stoici.' The Scholiast makes it feminine, and compares it with 'O vere Phrygiae nec dum Phryges' (Virg. Aen. ix. 617), and with 'Troiades' in Persius i. 4. But the form is masculine, as in Hor.i. 1.100, "fortissima Tyndaridarum." 66. quum tu multicia sumas,] The Satire now turns to those who, while they affected the Stoic opinions and character openly, practised in secret the Epicurean philosophy. The 'multicia' were garments of some fine transparent texture, such as the Coae vestes' mentioned by Horace, C. iv. 13. 13, and S. i. 2. 101: "Cois tibi paene videre est Ut nudum." See below v. 78, and xi. 188. Also vi. 259: "Hae sunt quae tenui sudant in cyclade," and viii. 101: "conchylia Coa." 'Creticus' is a name put for any person of station, as the Scholiast says. It occurs again in viii. 38. 'Perorare' is often used by Cicero, not only for the conclusion of a speech, but for the speech itself, as Forcel 65 70 lini shows. According to Turnebus (Advers. x. 15) 'perorare' and 'adorare' were both used in the laws of the twelve tables in the sense of 'agere.' Juvenal says the man goes and harangues the people against lewd women while he is wearing these lewd garments and the people are admiring them. Procula' is a name that occurs in inscriptions. 'Pollitas' appears in various shapes in the MSS. For 'Fabulla,' which is the reading of P., and occurs in Martial, i. 65; xii. 94, a large number of MSS. have 'Labulla.' The editions are divided. as 'Carfinia' also appears "Carphinia,' 'Calphurnia,' and other forms. These last represent married women, who if convicted of adultery would be obliged to put off the stola, which was the honest matron's ordinary dress, and to wear a toga, which was the dress of a 'meretrix.' See Hor. S. i. 2. 63, n. Ruperti says Juvenal does not allude here to this. I think he does. · 70. Sed Julius ardet,] Creticus is supposed to answer, in excuse for his garments, that in this hot weather his blood boils. He is told that he had better go into court naked at once, for though the people would call him mad, madness was not so disgraceful as indecency. Nudus' was said of one who appeared only in his tunic. See Cicero, Phil. ii. 86: "O praeclaram illam eloquentiam tuam quum es nudus concionatus! quid hoc turpius? quid foedius? quid suppliciis omnibus dignius," by which and like passages Heinrich supports the reading infamia' instead of 'insania,' which is that of most MSS. and all editions but his own and Grangacus,' who says, "albis dentibus. ridendi qui legunt insania pro infamia." 72. En habitum] Ruperti conjectures 'me' for 'te,' and supposes Creticus to speak what follows, which he says is difficillimus locus." It appears to me pretty plain. Heinecke's interpretation given by Vulneribus crudis populus modo victor et illud Si videas? Quaero an deceant multicia testem? Ruperti seems equally with his beside the mark. Juvenal says, "See the dress in which the citizens just returned victorious with wounds yet green, those mountaineers who left their ploughs, would hear you proposing laws." He supposes Creticus to be living in the good old times, and the rough soldier fresh from the wars to see him in the rostra in that dress. 'Populus modo victor' and 'illud montanum vulgus,' who left their ploughs to go to the wars, are the same subject. They are rusticorum mascula militum Proles, Sabellis docta ligonibus Versare glebas," who, according to Horace, belonged to the age of the Punic Wars. (C. iii. 6. 37, sqq.) 'Ferre' properly applies to a 'lex'; that is, a law brought forward in the 'comitia centuriata,' after being approved by the Senate. 'Jura' included such laws, and also 'plebiscita,' votes passed by the 'plebs' in the 'comitia tributa' and senatus-consulta.' Ferre leges et jura' is a loose way of speaking, but leges et jura' seems to have become a common way of expressing the laws in general. See above, v. 43. 75. Quid non proclames] He asks 'how, would you not exclaim if you saw those clothes of yours (ista) on the person of a judex? but do transparencies become even a witness?' that is, would not any one so dressed deserve to be ordered out of court, or would not his testimony be rendered suspicious by such a licentious dress? And yet you, stern impassive Stoic, master of your freedom, and led captive by no lusts, are showing your nakedness!' 'Libertas' means freedom from the dominion of impulse and the passions. According to Ruperti it means 'libertas vivendi ut velis' (Cic. Parad. v. 1. 4), but that does not suit the scope of the passage, which is, that he who professed to be free was the slave of 75 ୧୦ his own filthy mind. The liberty appears to be that recommended by Horace in his Epistle to Numicius (i. 6): 'Nil admirari prope res est una Numici,' &c., where see note. 66 79. sicut grex totus] The Scholiast quotes Virgil: 'Nec mala vicini pecoris contagia laedant,' and Grangaeus Ovid (Rem. Am. 613): 'facito contagia vites Haec etenim pecori saepe nocere solent.' The MSS. and old editions vary between 'prurigo' and 'porrigo:' the first means the itch, and the second scurf. Turnebus quotes Justin (1. xxxvi.), who says of the Jews: cum scabiem et pruriginem paterentur." On v. 81 the Scholiast quotes a proverb: 'Uva uvam videndo varia fit;' and 'One plum gets colour by looking at another' is said to be a Persian phrase to express the propagation of opinions, &c. (Gifford.) The Greeks said Bórρug πρòg Bórρvv πeπaiveтaι, but from the context Juvenal seems to mean that one bad grape spoils another by contact, which is true. 'Livor,' however, is the usual word for the healthy colour of the dark grape. Horace says: and Propertius speaks of 'liventibus uva racemis' (iv. 2. 13). 82. Foedius hoc aliquid] He says he will go on from bad to worse if he takes to that dress. He will soon join a profane set who it appears from this place amused themselves with parodying the rites of Bona Dea, as performed by women, who wore long chaplets of vine leaves on their heads and jewels on their neck, and offered sacrifice and libation to the goddess. Her rites were only attended by women; but the persons Juvenal refers to turned out the women Nemo repente venit turpissimus: accipient te and had these mock ceremonies to themselves. Roman women wore very handsome necklaces of all kinds. Specimens are given in the Dict. Ant., Art. Monile.' 'More sinistro,' 'in perverse fashion,' means that they reversed the proper practice. 83. Nemo repente venit] Venit,' in the sense of 'evenit,' is used below in vii. 29: "Ut dignus venias hederis et imagine macra.' "" Ruperti and Heinrich both adopt it here, though only two MSS. have yet been found to favour it. All other editions have fuit; some MSS. have 'fiat.' I prefer venit' to 'fuit.' 'Redimicula' was the name of various kinds of fillets and ribands worn by women on the head. Ribands streaming from the cap or net in which the hair was tied up were so called. 'Ite profanae' is a burlesque of the proclamation of the priest ordering away all the uninitiated when the mysteries were to begin, like Horace's 'Odi profanum vulgus et arceo' (C. iii. 1. 1, note, where the parody of Aristophanes, Frogs, 353, sqq. is quoted). The festival of Bona Dea or Fauna, who was a Roman divinity, and connected with Faunus, was held yearly on the 1st of May, on the Aventine, and conducted by the vestals, assisted only by women. Wine was set in a large bowl, supposed to contain milk and honey, and out of this the women not only poured libations, but drank freely, which Juvenal says was notorious (vi. 314, sqq.). 91. Talia secreta coluerunt orgia taeda] He says that these impious rites were like the mysteries of Cotys or Cotytto, a Thracian divinity, whose festival was imported into Greece and from thence into Sicily. The Romans do not appear to have been acquainted with it, except from report. She is called Cecropiam' from her worship having been introduced at Athens. Βαπταὶ was 85 90 the name of her priests. The carrying of torches was common to all such festivals, which were celebrated by night. The rites of Cotytto were mysteries, and might not be divulged. (Sec Horace, Epod. xvii. 56, n.) Milton refers to them in words partly borrowed from Juvenal: "Dark veiled Cotytto, to whom the secret flame Of midnight torches burns, mysterious dame, That ne'er art called but when the dragon Of Stygian darkness spits her thickest 93. Ille supercilium] Here follows a graphic description of the way these wretches proceed. One blacks his eyebrows with soot, and extends them by the same means, using a crisping pin for the purpose. Pliny (H. N. xxviii. 11) says that the Romans used bears' grease for the purpose of restoring the hair of the head and eyebrows, "cum fungis lucernarum et fuligine quae est in rostris earum," that is, with the burnt part of the wick, and the soot which accumulates on the rim of the lamp. 'Obliqua acu' means with a needle drawn across it. They painted their eyelids with a powder called by the Septuagint translators oriẞy, and by the Romans 'stibium.' Pliny says that it was a white stone found in silver mines, and that it was called by many platyophthalmon,' because it had the effect of making the eyes look larger (H. N. xxxiii. 6). Trementes oculos' are what Horace calls putres.' "Omnes in Damalin putres Deponent oculos," C. i. 36. 17. The phrase is repeated below (vii. 241). The man raises his quivering eyes, mimicking a lascivious woman. D |