150 155 Idem habitus cunctis, tonsi rectique capilli Incipiat prurire choro plausuque probatae (Verr. ii. 1. 26) poscunt majoribus poculis' is nothing to the purpose. If any preposition were supplied there, it would be 'ex,' not 'in,' for 'bibere' is understood. And what would it signify whether he asked 'magno' or 'parvo ?' All Juvenal says is, when you ask for any thing ask in Latin, or he will not understand you. Hermann rejects "non amagno" [and Ribbeck also]. 155. Quales esse decet] There is a play upon 'ingenuus.' His was an honest face and a frank modesty, such as boys who are born of free parents (ingenui) should have. Only they wore the toga praetexta' (which he calls the bright purple) in childhood. He goes on to say none of his slaves have learnt the filthy practices required of some for their masters' lusts. As to 'gutto' see iii. 363. [Jahn and Ribbeck have 'pupillares.'] 159. Hic tibi vina dabit] The wine from the hills above Tibur was Horace's 'vile Sabinum,' which therefore had not increased in value. As to 'diffusa ' see v. 30, n. Heinrich considers v.161 spurious [and Ribbeck]. There is no harm in it. Heinrich commonly rejects lines in this position. They cannot be said to be necessary or always to help the sense much, and so they usually read rather feeble. But that may be said of most of those sentences which the grammarians call by the name of Epiphonema; and for this reason many lines, the genuine production of good authors, lines highly thought of and frequently quoted, might, 160 when taken with their context and judged strictly, be consigned to the limbo of bathos. This line says what has been said before. but in fewer words, that his wine and his slaves are of domestic growth, plain and simple but good. 162. ut Gaditana canoro] The practice of having young dancers and singers and musicians of both sexes at dinner is sufficiently well known to those who are familiar with Horace. Livy (xxxix. 6) reckons it among the signs of Roman degeneracy since its connexion with Asia. The women of Gades are repeatedly mentioned by the writers of the empire as employed in this way. In Martial there is an invitation to a friend very like this of Juvenal's, in which he promises he shall have none of this wantonness : "Nec de Gadibus improbis puellae The inhabitants of Gades (Cadiz) were 164. Ad terram tremulo descendant] Ruperti says this means they strike the earth with their foot. This is almost incredible. One would suppose he had never seen a woman dance or curtsey in his life. Horace (C. iii. 6. 21) says: (Spectant hoc nuptae juxta recubante marito "Motus doceri gaudet Ionicos Matura virgo et fingitur artibus." These women danced with lascivious skill, and were brought up to the trade. Martial speaks of "de Gadibus improbus magister' (i. 42), a trainer of these dancing girls. As to urticae' see ii. 128. The two verses 165, 166 are omitted in a few MSS., and in others are set down elsewhere in various places. They disturb the construction here unless they are made a parenthesis, which is awkward; and though they seem to be Juvenal's, I think it probable they have got out of their place. Heinrich and Jahn reject them. Hermann retains them with the punctuation from 165 to 171 awkwardly recast. Alterius sexus' means the women. See S. vi. 254: "nam quantula nostra voluptas." Elsewhere it means the men (vi. 341). Extenditur' means they are more on the stretch of excitement. [Ribbeck has omitted vv. 165170.] 172. Testarum crepitus] These were castanets, which the Greeks called oσTрako. See Aristoph. Ran. 1305, TOû 'σT TOîs ὀστράκοις αὕτη κροτοῦσα; quoted by Casaubon on Suetonius (Nero, c. 20), who says the emperor invented various ways of applause, which he called 'bombi,' 'imbrices,' and 'testae.' Why these instruments, which were made of bone or wood, were called 'testae' or oσтpaкоι is uncertain. Casaubon's explanation of the pattering of rain on the tiles is not satisfactory. He says the words of the song to which the 'testae' were an accompaniment were such as no slave girl standing naked at the door of the stews would utter. See vi. 122, and Hor. S. i. 2. 30: "Contra alius nullam nisi olenti in fornice stantem." 165 170 175 'Fornix' is properly an arched vault, of which there were many under the Circus and in various parts of the city which were let out for brothels. 175. Qui Lacedaemonium pytismate] From Taenarus in Laconia was got marble of a green colour and very valuable. 'Orbem' is the pavement, which was formed of small pieces, round or oval, of marble. He says the man who spits out his wine over his marble floor may like that sort of language, but plain men, living in their quiet way, do not. Heinrich quotes Terence (Heaut. iii. 1. 48): "pytisando modo mihi quid vini absumpsit." See note on Hor. Ĉ. ii. 14. 26: "et mero Tinget pavimentum superbo." An engraving of a Mosaic pavement with 'orbes,' found at Pompeii, is given in Dict. Ant., art. 'House (Roman).' See notes on Hor. S. ii. 4. 83, and Epp. í. 18. 19. The walls were also let in with pieces of marble, sometimes round, as Seneca (Ep. 86) says: "Pauper sibi videtur ac sordidus nisi parietes magnis et pretiosis refulserint orbibus, nisi Alexandrina marmora Numidicis crustis distincta sunt." Therefore some include the walls here, and some say he means the round tables (see above, v. 117). He means the floor, as 'lubricat shows. A man cannot walk on it safely for the fellow's spitting. 176. alea turpis,] This is severe; we make allowance for his wealth; what is immoral for the poor man may be permitted to the rich; it is only cheerfulness and good breeding in them. Nitidus' has reference to manners and may be rendered well-bred. The dice used by the Romans were of two sorts, tali,' which had four flat sides, and 'tesserae, tessellae,' which had six. The former were made of the knuckle bones of animals, chiefly sheep, Turpe et adulterium mediocribus. Haec eadem illi Sed nunc dilatis averte negotia curis and answered to the arтpayaλo of the Greeks. The latter were made of ivory (above, v. 131, n.) or wood, and corresponded to the Greek Kûßo. Alea' was used generally for all games of chance. See S. i. 88, n.: "alea quando Hos animos." [Ribbeck has omitted vv. 176-179.] 181.dubiam facientia carmina palmam.] This is a Roman's judgment. The next line is a modest way of saying he does not profess to read well. Heinrich agrees with his dear friend M. Sebastiani in condemning it. I differ from him again. 180 185 190 the 'rugae.' The climax of all griefs Juvenal makes the ingratitude of friends. 6 193. Interea Megalesiacae] On this subject see note on S. ii. 111: "Hic turpis Cybeles ;" and vi. 69: "atque a plebiis longe Megalesia." He calls the games those of the Megalesian napkin, because a napkin was dropped by the praetor who presided as a signal for the beginning of each race or game. Before colunt' 'cives' must be understood. Some take 'spectacula' for 'spectatores,' as the subject. It is so used in S. viii. 205, but not here. The Megalesian games were not celebrated in the Circus before the time of the empire. They consisted in the earlier times of theatrical representations, and were presided over by the curule aedile. Under the empire this duty was performed by one of the praetors, who, it appears from this place, went in procession and presided in state as at the Ludi Circenses (see S. x. 36. n.). The praetor is called 'praeda caballorum,' Gronovius (Obs. iv. 24) supposes, because he had to spend so much money in providing horses for the games. The praetor is at once in the position of triumpher and prisoner, such as those who triumphed led in their procession. He is one qui bona donavit praesepibus" (i. 59), though in a different way. Most MSS. have 'praedo;' but there is no meaning in that. Ruperti thinks Gronovius' idea far 183. Sed nunc] "But at any rate, however all this may be." This is a way of coming to the chief ostensible purpose. He says it is a holiday, and he must put away every anxious thought: they will not say a word about usurers nor of the suspicious conduct of his wife who goes out at dawn and comes back late at night, creating grave suspicion by her gown being wet and tumbled, and her face flushed, and hair disordered, and ears red. When a man can write thus to his friend, whether in joke or earnest, society must be in a bad way. Tacito' means he is not to come with suspicions and anger which he keeps to himself. As to 'multicia' see S. ii. 66, n. Rugae' is used by Pliny (H. N. xxxv. 8) as opposed to 'sinus,' and both together express the plaiting of drapery or a woman's dress, 'sinus' being the depressions between 66 Idaeum sollemne, colunt, similisque triumpho fetched, and proposes 'praeco.' [Ribbeck 195. mihi pace Immensae] Pace plebis' is by the leave of the people. It is most common in the combinations 'pace mea,' 'pace tua,' but it is used with the genitive as here and in Ovid, Amor. iii. 2. 60: "Pace loquor Veneris, tu dea major eris." He asks their leave to abuse them, for he says in the same breath they are a huge useless mob, and care for nothing but the Circus, as he has said often before (S. iii. 223, n.). 197. fragor aurem Percutit] He writes as if he heard the shout proclaiming that the green faction had won. The division of drivers in the Circus into four parties who were distinguished by the colour of their dress has been mentioned above. The favourite colour, which was particularly patronized it appears by some of the emperors, was the dark green (prasinus), and Juvenal says he gathers by the shout that green coat has won; for if that colour failed the whole town would go into mourning as they did after Cannae. This was the calamity the Romans felt most and longest; the consternation at the time was terrible, as it well might be (Livy xxii. 53, 54). The consuls defeated at Cannae were L. Aemilius Paulus and C. Terentius Varro. Livy, describing the battle (xxii. 43. 46), says that a wind arose blowing the dust in the face of the Romans and blinding them. 201. clamor et audax Sponsio,] 'Spon 195 200 205 sio' here is a wager. He says shouting Ruperti 204. Jam nunc in balnea salva Fronte] He says, "Although it wants a whole hour of noon, you may go to the bath without shame." 'Frons' is usually put for the seat of modesty. The usual dinner hour was the ninth (S. i. 49), and the Romans commonly bathed an hour before dinner. But this was on business days. The invitation is for a holiday, and men might do as they pleased without being afraid of seeming idle (Becker's Gallus, Exc. on the Baths, towards the end). He says it would not do, however, to begin bathing so early every day of the feast, which lasted six days, for even such a luxurious life as that would become very wearisome. SATIRA XII. INTRODUCTION. THIS is a letter to a friend who is named Corvinus, explaining to him the reason of the poet's rejoicing on a particular occasion, which proves to be the safe arrival of his friend Catullus, after a stormy voyage in which he had encountered the usual dangers and displayed the usual amount of fear. There is some playfulness, though perhaps a little ponderous, in the description of his friend's conduct and sufferings; but the whole composition cannot have cost the writer much labour, and does not offer much entertainment. The last thirty or forty lines are occupied with a stroke at legacy-hunters, whom Horace handles so severely (particularly in S. ii. 5). This professes to be introduced lest Corvinus should suppose all this enthusiasm for Catullus' safety was pretended with an eye to his will. The short answer to this is that the man has three children, and that no one would think it worth his while to spend the worth of an old hen dying of pip upon a man so situated, if his only object was to be remembered in his will. This is the only part of the poem that belongs properly to satire, and it is only a side-blow. ARGUMENT. A day more pleasant this to me, Corvinus, than that which gave me birth. I've vowed a lamb to Juno and Minerva; a fresh young steer to Jove: were but my means as large as my affections a bull I'd offer, fat as Hispulla, fed by Clitumnus' stream, giving his neck to the great popa's stroke; for he I love has come, still trembling at the dangers he's escaped, the ocean and the lightning's stroke. The skies were dark, the lightning flashed, the sails caught fire, all like a poet's storm. And then another horror, such as the pictures show hung up in Isis' temple (the painter's maintenance, as all men know). When now the hold was full and all the pilot's skill was of no use, then like the beaver they began to make a bargain with the winds by tossing cargo overboard. "Throw over all I have," cried my Catullus, and gave to their fate his finest clothes, and then his silver dishes, huge bowls, baskets, a thousand dishes, cups of silver wrought from which the Macedonian had drunk. Who else in these degenerate days would venture to prefer his life to his silver? Nearly all things for use are thus disposed of, still to no purpose. At last the mast is cut away, and the ship rights: a sad resource is that which maims the vessel. V. 57. Now go, commit your life to the winds, trusting a rough-hewn log, three or four inches from destruction at the best. And then remember what you have to carry when you go to sea, baskets of bread and a fat flagon and hatchets for the storm. But when the sea fell calm and the wind fair, and fates propitious, the ship went on its course with clothes spread out and but one foresail left. The sun brought hope, the Alban peak is seen and Ostia's basin entered, a nobler work than nature's: then the sailor lands and loves to tell the story of his dangerous voyage. Go, boys, with reverent lips and hearts, hang garlands on the shrines, sprinkle the knife with meal, set out the altars. I shall come presently, and when that duty's done I shall go home to my bright Lares: to these I'll offer and to Jove: the boughs are on the door, and morning lamps are hanging over it. V. 93. Suspect me not, Catullus has three children. dying hen on friend so useless? no, not a quail. Who would expend the worth of a If rich Gallita catch a fever or |