breath. The slaves at home are busy with their master's bath and supper, while he, poor wretch, is shivering by the Styx without a farthing for the ferryman. V. 268. 66 The night has other dangers-such as pots from the lofty windows; count yourself happy if you get no more than their contents. A wise man makes his will before he walks abroad at night. V. 278. "A drunken rioter meets you, who sleeps not till he kills his man. But, drunken though he be, he knows how to avoid the rich man's train and torches; while I'm his victim, who go forth by the light of a candle or the moon. This is the way he picks a quarrel (if that be quarrel where one gives, the other does but take the blows) — he plants himself before you; 'Stop!' says he, and you perforce obey. 'Where are you from? whose vinegar and beans have filled your belly? what cobbler were you supping with to-night? What, not a word? Speak out, or I shall kick you. Where do you stand, and where is your proseucha?' Whether you speak or not it's all the same. He knocks you down, then drags you into court. This is the poor man's licence when he's beaten, to pray he may be suffered to carry home a few teeth in his head. V. 302. "Then when your doors are closed and barred the robber breaks into your house and robs or murders you. For thieves come to the town as their preserve. Their fetters soon will leave no iron for our tools. Happy our ancestors, who with one prison were content! V. 315. "But I must go; the horses and the driver are impatient, and the sun is setting. Farewell, remember me; and when you go to Aquinum send for me, and I'll come help you write another satire." QUAMVIS digressu veteris confusus amici, Laudo tamen vacuis quod sedem figere Cumis 2. sedem figere Cumis] The town of Cumae was not so much frequented by the Romans as Baiae and the towns that lay within the Sinus Cumanus (the bay of Naples). Juvenal calls it 'vacuis.' Horace speaks of 'vacuum Tibur' (Epp. i. 7. 45), and 'vacuas Athenas' (Epp. ii. 2. 81), where he means 'idle.' Juvenal has "pannosus vacuis aedilis Ulubris” (x. 102). He says Umbricius is gone to give one Roman citizen to the Sibyl, which shows the town was but little frequented. The supposed residence of the Sibyl at Cumae was a large artificial cave which existed till the middle of the sixth century, when it was destroyed by Narses, the Roman general who expelled the Goths from Italy. Virgil describes it as 'antrum immane' (Aen. vi. 11), and the rock out of the face of which it was hewn Euboïca rupes,' the Chalcidians of Euboea and the Cymaeans of Aeolis being the reputed founders of Cumae. Ovid mentions it as 'vivacis antra Sibyllae.' There are some remains of such a cavern still, and it is supposed to have been the Sibyl's. 3. unum civem] Plautus (Persa iv. 3. 5) has a like passage: 5 "Sumne probus, sum lepidus civis, qui 4. Janua Baiarum] Cumae was about four miles north-west of Baiae, and six from the headland of Misenum. It was not situated on the pleasant bay (‘amoeni secessus') that bore its name, but the Via Domitiana, which had lately been constructed, and which was a branch of the Via Appia from Sinuessa, led to Cumae, from whence there was an older road that led to the principal towns on the bay, round which it passed to Surrentum, on the opposite promontory. Hence it is called 'janua Baiarum.' See note on Hor. Epp. i. 15. 11, "non mihi Cumas est iter aut Baias." Misenum, Bauli, Baiae, Puteoli, Neapolis, were all favourite resorts of the wealthy Romans lying on this gratum littus,' which was so thickly studded with houses that, according to Strabo, they looked like one town (v. 247). 5. Ego vel Prochytam] This is a small island (now called Procida) of volcanic for Nam quid tam miserum, tam solum vidimus, ut non Sed dum tota domus rheda componitur una, mation, lying between the island Aenaria 9. Augusto recitantes mense poetas?] See S. i. init. It was bad enough at any time; but in August, the hottest month of the year, it might be reckoned, in a jocular way, among the thousand dangers of the barbarous town." 10. rheda componitur una,] The 'rheda' was a four-wheeled travelling carriage, such as Horace travelled in part of the way to Brundisium (S. i. 5. 86. See note on S. ii. 6. 42). 11. veteres arcus madidamque Capenam.] The porta Capena' was that from which the Via Appia began, in the southern quarter of the city. It led to Capua, from which it probably got its name. The Aqua Appia, the earliest aqueduct at Rome, constructed by the Censor Appius who made the road, was conducted on arches over the Porta Capena, which is therefore called 'madida,' as the Scholiast says, and he adds that they called the gate in his time arcum stillantem,' the dripping arch. Martial has an epigram (iii. 47) beginning “Capena grandi porta qua pluit gutta." The arches which Juvenal calls 'veteres' were about 400 years old at that time, having been built A.U.C. 442. 10 15 12. Hic, ubi nocturnae] This and the four following verses Jahn puts after v. 20, against all the MSS. [Ribbeck does the same.] 'Constituo' is used absolutely for making an appointment as we say, either with a dative of the person or an ablative with 'cum.' See Forcellini for examples. The nature of the appointment is usually expressed. Here it is easily understood. The grove where Numa is said to have met his mistress and teacher Aegeria was close to the Porta Capena (Plutarch, Num. c. 13). It had a fountain in it (Livy i. 21). Numa was said to have built a shrine there, and to have dedicated the whole to the Camenae, of whom Aegeria was one. The wood and fountain of Aegeria, in the valley of Aricia, about fifteen miles from Rome, are connected with a different legend, and must not be confounded with those under the walls of Rome. It appears that the Jews on payment of a certain rent were allowed to inhabit this place when they were forbidden the city, as they were during the reign of Domitian. They were so poor that he says their whole furniture consisted in a basket and a bed of hay. They were not allowed to trade, and were driven it appears to beg (see vi. 542, sq.). 15. Omnis enim populo] These two lines Ruperti puts in a parenthesis, with a comma after 'supellex,' joining In vallem Aegeriae descendimus' with hic' in v. 12. The editors have given themselves unnecessary trouble about the arrangement. It does very well as it stands in the text. They got the utmost rent from the poor wretches. Merces' is the proper word for rent (Horace, S. ii. 2. 115, "fortem mercede colonum," and the passage from the Digest quoted in the note). Suetonius says Domitian was very severe in collecting the taxes from the Jews. 66 Judaicus fiscus acerbissime actus est" (c. 12). A poll-tax of two drachmae was levied from all Jews and Christians throughout the empire. Arbor, et ejectis mendicat silva Camenis. Ire fatigatas ubi Daedalus exuit alas, Dum nova canities, dum prima et recta senectus, 16. ejectis mendicat silva Camenis.] The Camenae to whom the wood was dedicated, and who are here said to have been ejected to make way for beggars, were not the Muses, though by the Latin poets the two names are confounded, from Camenae being connected with Carmen in the sense of a prophecy. They were four prophetic divinities peculiar to Italy. Their names were Antevorta, Postvorta, Carmenta, and Aegeria. 17. In vallem Aegeriae] This is supposed to be the valley now called La Caffarella, in which there is a fountain and grotto by some identified with Aegeria's here described. It is one of the sources of the small river Almo, now called Acquataccia, perhaps a corruption of Acqua d'Appia, as the Via Appia crossed it about a mile and a half from the Porta Capena (see Smith's Dict.Geog.Almo). Juvenal speaks of artificial grottos, but does not probably mean more than one. He says it was not like a natural cave, and that the divinity of the stream, or the spring where the divinity was supposed to live, would look much better if the fountain had a grass margin there than with marble spoiling the native stone. There was probably a statue in that grotto representing the god, as there is still in that mentioned above. et speluncas] Servius (on Virgil, Georg. ii. 469, "speluncae vivique lacus") says: "id est bona naturalia, non sicut in urbibus labore quaesita, unde Juvenalis Et speluncas dissimiles veris." 18. Quanto praestantius esset] The MSS. have all praestantius esset,' with the exception of P., which is imperfect, and has praes*ntius.' Grangaeus first, and after him Heinsius, conjectured praesentius,' which Heinrich and Jahn have adopted. Virgil has "praesentia numina Fauni" 20 25 (Georg. i. 10); "nec tam praesentes alibi cognoscere Divos" (Ec. i. 42), on neither of which places does Servius, who is fond of quoting Juvenal, quote this place. I think Juvenal wrote 'praestantius,' for the copyists were not likely to coin that word out of 'praesentius,' especially with a knowledge of Virgil's lines. 20. ingenuum violarent marmora tophum.] Tophus' is a stone which Pliny (H. N. xvii. 4) describes as 'scaber, natura friabilis,' 'rotten-stone.' Ovid describes Diana's fountain in the valley of Gargaphie thus (Met. iii. 157) (Juvenal would have admired it, and perhaps thought of this description): 66 in extremo est antrum nemorale recessu, Arte laboratum nulla: simulaverat artem Ingenio Natura suo: nam pumice vivo Etlevibus tophis nativum duxerat arcum." Ingenuum' means 'plain, unsophisticated,' and violare' 'to spoil.' 23. here quam fuit,] As to 'here' the ablative and 'heri' the dative form, see note on Hor. S. ii. 8. 2. 25. ubi Daedalus exuit alas,] The legend of Daedalus flying from Crete and alighting first at Cumae, where he dedicated his wings to Phoebus, is told by Virgil (Aen. vi. 14, sqq.). 27. Dum superest Lachesi] This is like Horace (C. ii. 3. 15): "Dum res et aetas et sororum Fila trium patiuntur atra." In the Greek conception of the Moîpai, who according to Hesiod were three, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, it was Clotho's business to spin the thread of human life. Lachesis determined the duration and condition Porto meis nullo dextram subeunte bacillo. Cedamus patria: vivant Artorius istic Et Catulus; maneant qui nigrum in candida vertunt, 30 not have been anxious to change aedem’ into 'aedes,' though he had the authority of one MS. of inferior quality. Aedes' in the singular is a sacred building, as in the plural it stands for a private dwelling, as is well known. Juvenal speaks therefore of men contracting for the repair of temples and shrines, as well as for clearing the beds of rivers, cleansing and keeping the sewers, the repairing of harbours, and likewise for funerals, and for the sale of slaves by auction. Public works, which under the republic were looked after by the aediles, had special officers (curatores) to superintend them during the empire, and the functions and dignity of the aediles were much curtailed. Suetonius (Aug. c. 37) tells us that Augustus "quo plures partem administrandae reipublicae caperent nova officia excogitavit: curam operum publicorum, viarum, aquarum, alvei Tiberis." These officers engaged contractors (redemptores) to carry out the necessary works. The clearing of the Tiber was particularly necessary from the quantity of alluvial soil brought down by the stream and the rapidity with which weeds formed in the bed. Gellius (xi. 17) gives part of an old praetor's edict, beginning "QUI FLUMINA RETANDA PUBLICE REDEMTA HABENT," &c., where 'retare' probably signifies to drag (as we say), though Gellius gives a different explanation. The Cloaca Maxima, said to have been large enough for a boat or a waggon of constructed by Tarquinius Priscus, was hay to pass down it. Lipsius infers from there were seven principal sewers which a passage of Pliny (H. Ñ. xxxvi. 15) that emptied themselves into the Cloaca Maxima, and there were drains from all private houses into these, so that the underground works of Rome were on nearly as large a The cost of keeping these drains in repair scale in proportion as those of London. was very large; though the solid construction of the Cloaca Maxima with stone arches, of which remains still exist, left little to be done for that. Livy (xxxix. 44) says that in the year A.U.c. 568 the censors contracted for the cleansing of the sewers and for constructing others where they were wanted; and Dionysius Siccandam eluviem, portandum ad busta cadaver, Et praebere caput domina venale sub hasta. Quondam hi cornicines et municipalis arenae Perpetui comites notaeque per oppida buccae Munera nunc edunt, et verso pollice vulgi Halic. mentions an occasion on which the censors paid a thousand talents to contractors for repairing and cleaning them. (See Lipsius de Mag. Rom. iii. 12.) On occasions when a public funeral ('funus indictivum' or 'censorium') was decreed, such as Tacitus often mentions, it was performed through a 'redemptor,' whose duty it would be to provide mourners (men and women), musicians, 'lectica,' and bearers, funeral pile, and every thing connected with the procession, burning, and burial of the body, on such a scale as the senate might determine. (See Lipsius' note on Tac. Ann. iv. 15.) 'Busta' were places adjoining sepulchres, where the bodies were burnt. A sale by auction on the public account, as of confiscated property, or for recovery of fines, or of the property of a man dying without either will or heirs, or any thing else, was called 'sectio.' It was conducted by a 'praeco' in the presence of a public officer, and a spear was set up on the spot where the auction took place. It may have been called 'domina' in this place because the sale transferred to the purchaser 'dominium,' or ownership in the thing purchased. Ruperti's conjecture of 'dominis' is very bad. (See Dict. Ant. Sectio' and Auctio.) The spear is said to have been derived from the practice followed in old times in the selling of prisoners and booty on the field of battle. Praebere' is here 'to put up to auction.' The word 'venalia' belonged especially to slaves. Seneca (De Ira, i. 2) speaks of passion leading, among other mischiefs, to "totarum exitia gentium et principum sub civili hasta venalia capita," their chief men being reduced to slavery and sold. Grangaeus and some others take the meaning to be, he who is ready to put himself up to auction,' which is foreign to the passage. 34. Quondam hi cornicines] These men, who made so much money by public contracts, started, he says, from the lowest beginnings, as trumpeters, who went about with companies of wrestlers and fighters to the different towns, where their puffed cheeks, he says, were well known. See Hor. Epp. i. 1. 49: "Quis circum pagos et circum compita pugnax," &c., and note. 'Now they give shows of gladiators them 35 selves, and put men to death to please the people,' who, when a gladiator had his adversary down, gave the signal for his despatch, or to spare him, by turning their thumbs up or down. (See note on Hor. Epp. i. 18. 66: "Fautor utroque tuum laudabit pollice ludum.") The number of victims at these shows was enormous, and they were never more frequent than in the reign of Domitian. The expense lavished on them was likewise beyond belief. Lipsius (de Mag. Rom. ii. 11) quotes from Lactantius (Inst. lib. vi.): "Quid dicendum est de iis qui populari levitate ducti vel magnis urbibus suffecturas opes exbibendis muneribus impendunt?" and from Ambrose (Serm. 81): Magistratus in theatris, mimis, et athletis, gladiatoribus, aliisque hujusmodi generibus hominum, totum patrimonium suum largitur et prodigit, ut unius horae favorem vulgi acquirat." Half a century before this was written, Constantine had put down gladiatorial shows, but they seem to have revived. 66 36. Munera nunc edunt,] Public games were called 'munera' from the shows that in early times were given at funerals. The word contains the same root as uoîpa, and is equivalent to 'justa,' as applied to the rites due to the dead. Some MSS. have 'vulgus,' and others have 'quem libet,' 'quum libet,' 'quum jubet.' Jahn has 'vulgus quem jubet,' which is a compound of these readings. P. has 'vulgus qum libet.' The Scholiast appears to have read 'vulgus quum jubet' [which Ribbeck has]; but his explanation is not worth attending to. In the reading I have adopted 'vulgi' may go with 'quem libet' or 'pollice.' I think it is the former. The 'editor spectaculorum' sat in a conspicuous place within the 'podium,' and it is probable the signal would be taken from him, though he may have followed what appeared to be the general wish of the spectators. He might therefore be said very naturally, by the turning of his thumb, to have put to death whom he pleased of the rabble, that is, the gladiators. An old note given by Valla is to this same effect: "Loco imperatoris occidit gladiatores, cum paulo ante intra gladiatorum fuisset numerum.” E |