Page images
PDF
EPUB

Our com

mon an

cestry.

Imperii fines Tiberinum virgo natavit.
Occulta ad Patres produxit crimina servus
Matronis lugendus: at illos verbera justis
Afficiunt poenis, et legum prima securis.

265

270

Malo pater tibi sit Thersites, dummodo tu sis Aeacidae similis, Vulcaniaque arma capessas, Quam te Thersitae similem producat Achilles. Et tamen, ut longe repetas longeque revolvas Nomen, ab infami gentem deducis asylo. Majorum primus quisquis fuit ille tuorum, Aut pastor fuit, aut aliud, quod dicere nolo.

tius Cocles, Mucius, and Claelia. See Livy, 2. 10. 12, 13.

265. imperii fines Tiberinum] Contrasted, in Juvenal's characteristic manner, with its present extent. The line has been supposed to refer to the Transtiberine land claimed by the Veientines, and for the restoration of which Porsena stipulated. See Livy, 2. 13. But this would have little force.

267. matronis] "by mothers to all time."

268. legum prima securis] "The first axe that fell at the law's bidding." It is opposed to the arbitrary executions during the regal period.

269. Vulcania-capessas] Patroclus had worn the arms of Achilles, and on his death under the walls of Troy, they were captured by Hector. Thetis accordingly paid a visit to Vulcan at his workshop, and procured her son a new set of armour. See Hom. II. xviii. 369-xix. 18.

275

272. revolvas] See note on Sat. "Ut longe," ""however far

i. 5, 6.

back."

273. asylo] "Deinde, ne vana urbis magnitudo esset (Romulus)

locum qui nunc septus descendentibus inter duos lucos est, asylum aperit. Eo ex finitimis populis turba omnis sine discrimine liber an servus esset, avida novarum rerum perfugit." Livy, i. 8. Cf. Virg. Aen. viii. 342, 343, "lucum ingentem, quem Romulus acer Asylum Retulit."

275. aut nolo] "Was either a shepherd, or something worse;" i. e. a refugee at the asylum. See last note. The shepherds of the district were the first followers of Romulus and Remus. See Livy, i. 4, "pastoribus rapta dividere crescente in dies grege juvenum." The reticence in the "aliud quod dicere nolo resembles that of the familiar phrase for 'fur;' homo trium literarum.'

[ocr errors]

SATIRA IX.

AN ILL-USED DEPENDANT.

What is the mat

ter?

Juv. Scire velim, quare toties mihi, Naevole,
tristis
Occurras, fronte obducta, ceu Marsya victus.
Non erat hac facie miserabilior Crepereius
Pollio, qui, triplicem usuram praestare paratus,
Circuit, et fatuos non invenit. Unde repente
Tot rugae? Certe modico contentus, agebas
Vernam equitem, conviva joco mordente facetus, 10
Et salibus vehemens intra pomoeria natis.

6, 7. Crepereius Pollio] Some spendthrift of the day.

7. triplicem usurum] "36 per cent." Lit. it is "thrice the usual interest." The latter was paid on the first of every month, and termed 66 asses usurae; i. e. one as per hundred per month, and therefore 12' asses' per hundred in the twelvemonth, or our "twelve per cent." The ordinary term for the asses usurae was 'centesima;' as at the above rate, an amount equal to the principal was paid in 100 months.

8. fatuos non invenit] "finds no fools to lend him the money." 9. agebas] "played the part of;" i. e. went as gay as.

10. vernam equitem] The 'vernae,' or slaves born in the house, were indulgently treated and impudent in proportion. See Hor. Epod. 2. 66, " Positosque vernas, ditis examen domus, Circum renidentes Lares." Cf. Sat. ii. 6. 66, "vernasque procaces Pasco libatis dapi

bus." Hence the term became synonymous with scurra,' a buffoon or parasite, in which sense it is used here. He was had out to dinner for the sake of his jests. Pollio appears to have been of an equestrian family.

11. salibus-natis] "bon-mots of the town." At Rome, as in the cities founded from it, there were two lines of inclosure; the 'agger' and the 'pomoerium.' The former was an earthwork raised for the military defence of the city. The

pomoerium,' on the other hand, existed in theory only, and formed the religious boundary, within which alone the auspices could be taken previously to a general assuming the imperium.' See note on Sat. vi. 400.

The course of the 'pomoerium' was marked by stones, like our parish bounds, and no building was permitted within a certain distance on each side of it. Its line was ascer

A good grumble.

14

Omnia nunc contra: vultus gravis, horrida siccae
Silva comae, nullus tota nitor in cute, qualem
Praestabat calidi circumlita fascia visci.
Quid macies aegri veteris, quem tempore longo
Torret quarta dies olimque domestica febris?
Deprendas animi tormenta latentis in aegro
Corpore, deprendas et gaudia: sumit utrumque
Inde habitum facies. Igitur flexisse videris
Propositum, et vitae contrarius ire priori.
NAEV. Utile et hoc multis vitae genus: at mihi
nullum

20

30

Inde operae pretium. Pingues aliquando lacernas,
Munimenta togae, duri crassique coloris,
Et male percussas textoris pectine Galli
Accipimus, tenue argentum venaeque secundae.
Dic, passer, cui tot montes, tot praedia servas
Appula, tot milvos intra tua pascua lassos?

·

tained in the first instance by ploughing round the city with a bullock and heifer yoked, and taking care that the sods fell inwards. The ridge thus formed was the murus;' and an imaginary line running behind it was the post murum, contracted into pomoerium.' The object of adopting the inner line for the boundary instead of the 'murus' itself, was probably the same as that for which the Jewish criminal courts inflicted only the "forty stripes save one," instead of the forty prescribed by Deut. xxv. 3; viz. to avoid any accidental infringement of the limit. The 'pomoerium' was from time to time extended with the growth of the city. There was no necessity indeed for this being done, as the 'agger' was never required to be identical with it, and there was no restriction on building outside the 'pomoerium,' at a certain distance. It became the practice however; and eventually the pomoerium' comprised the greater part of ancient Rome. The Aventine was not included until the reign of Claudius, probably owing to the sinister augury

55

taken there by Remus. No one was competent to extend the 'pomoerium' unless he had increased the Roman territory by conquest.

14. fascia] bandage. Cf. Sat. vi. 263, and note.

ib. visci] tar; used to remove hair from the body. Pumice-stone was usually employed for this purpose, as also resin. Sat. viii. 114. 17. quarta dies -febris] i. e. (by hendiadys) a quartan fever." Olim domestica," chronic; lit. long since domesticated.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

"Not to

be repeated on any ac

count.

[ocr errors]

66

Te Trifolinus ager fecundis vitibus implet,
Suspectumque jugum Cumis, et Gaurus inanis.
Nam quis plura linit victuro dolia musto?
Quantum erat, exhausti lumbos donare clientis
Jugeribus paucis? Meliusne hic rusticus infans,
Cum matre et casulis et conlusore catello,
Cymbala pulsantis legatum fiet amici ?

66

61

Improbus es, quum poscis," ais. Sed pensio clamat,

65

Posce; sed appellat puer unicus, ut Polyphemi
Lata acies, per quam sollers evasit Ulixes.
Alter emendus erit; namque hic non sufficit:
ambo

Pascendi. Quid agant bruma spirante? quid, oro,
Quid dicam scapulis puerorum Aquilone Decembri
Et pedibus? Durate atque exspectate cicadas?
Haec soli commissa tibi celare memento,
Et tacitus nostras intra te fige querelas.

Qui modo secretum commiserat, ardet et odit, 96
Tamquam prodiderim, quidquid scio. Sumere
ferrum,

Fuste aperire caput, candelam apponere valvis

56. Trifolinus ager] This is said to have been near Naples. The "vina Trifolina are mentioned also by Plin., who couples them with plebeia." See Hist. Nat. xiv. 6. See also Mart. Ep. xiii. 114, "Non sum de primo, fateor, Trifolina Lyaeo" (sub. vitis). The derivation of" trifolinus" from wine that ripens in three years (after the "third new leaf") seems fanciful.

57. suspectum jugum Cumis] "looked up to by." The promontory of Misenum is meant. Lucullus had a famous villa there, which afterwards became the property of Tiberius. For Gaurus see note on Sat. viii. 86. "Inanis" is stripped for you of its vintage." Unless the word means "hollow," and refers to the evidently volcanic origin of the mountain.

66

58. victuro] "long-lived," i. e.

that will bear keeping.

[ocr errors]

59. lumbos donare] transl. " recruit the energies." 60-62.] Is it well that your farmer's child here, with mother, cottages, and playmate dog, should fall as a legacy to your friend the cymbal player, instead of myself?" The ordinary detail of a farm-scene is used instead of the farm itself. The "cymbala pulsantis amici" is "the Gallus." See note on Sat. ii. 111. For "casulis" cf. Sat. xi. 153; xiv. 167. 179.

[ocr errors]

63. pensio] "rent-(day)." 64, 65. puer-acies]] My one slave, dear to me as Polyphemus' one eye to him."

65. per quam] "by putting out which."

69. cicadas] i. e. the summer. 98. valvis] my doors, i. e. set my house on fire.

Secrets

houses.

Non dubitat. Nec contemnas aut despicias, quod
His opibus numquam cara est annona veneni. 100
Ergo occulta teges, ut curia Martis Athenis.

Juv. O Corydon, Corydon, secretum divitis ullum in great Esse putas? Servi ut taceant, jumenta loquentur, Et canis, et postes, et marmora. Claude fenestras, Vela tegant rimas, junge ostia, tollito lumen E medio;-clamant omnes. Prope nemo recumbat:

105

Quod tamen ad cantum galli facit ille secundi,
Proximus ante diem caupo sciet; audiet et, quae
Finxerunt pariter librarius, archimagiri,
Carptores. Quod enim dubitant componere cri-

men

110

In dominos, quoties rumoribus ulciscuntur
Baltea? Nec deerit, qui te per compita quaerat
Nolentem, et miseram vinosus inebriet aurem.
Illos ergo roges, quidquid paulo ante petebas
A nobis. Taceant illi: sed prodere malunt
Arcanum, quam subrepti potare Falerni,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

115

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »