Power. 50 Summos posse viros et magna exempla daturos 55 Quosdam praecipitat subjecta potentia magnae Invidiae; mergit longa atque insignis honorum Pagina; descendunt statuae restemque sequuntur. Ipsas deinde rotas bigarum impacta securis Caedit, et immeritis franguntur crura caballis. 60 Jam stridunt ignes, jam follibus atque caminis Ardet adoratum populo caput, et crepat ingens Sejanus deinde ex facie toto orbe secunda 50. vervecum-nasci] i.e. even at Abdera, the natives of which were notoriously dull. See Mart. Ep. x. 25. 4, "Abderitanae pectora plebis habes." "Vervecum in patria" is used because Thrace, in which Abdera was situated, was principally a pastoral country, its hilly character adapting it for sheep walks. There is of course, too, a reference to the stupidity of a wether; cf. our "mutton-head." 53. mandaret laqueum] "Bade her go and be hanged." ib. mediumque· unguem] i. e. ' digitum.' To point the middle finger (infamis digitus," Pers. ii. 33) was a mode of insult. 55. genua incerure deorum] Votaries wrote out their prayers, and hung them on the knees of the images. "Incerare" is used because the writing was on waxen tablets. See note on Sat. i. 63. 58. pagina] The scroll containing the tituli' of the ancestral 'imagines.' See note on Sat. v. 110. 59, 60. bigarum-caballis] The triumphal chariot and horses on which the statue was seated. 63. Sejanus] The minister of Ti berius, over whom he had acquired a complete ascendancy. During the time Sejanus was in power, his favour at court, and influence in all departments of the state, made his position that of an eastern vizier. This was especially the case after he obtained the command of the Praetorian guard, whom he quartered in one body just outside the city, and thus kept it in military terror. See note on 1. 94, 95 post. After some years, Tiberius began to suspect that his minister was aiming at the supreme power himself, and determined on his ruin accordingly. Sejanus was amused by promises of marrying Livia (the sister of Germanicus), and being elevated to the joint tribunate with the emperor, both of which had formed part of his schemes. When the time appeared ripe for striking a blow, Macro was sent to Rome for that purpose, the emperor himself remaining in his retirement at Capreae; see 1. 71, 73. Macro deprived Sejanus of his command, and at the same time produced to the senate a letter, which, although obscurely worded, implied that Tiberius wished to be protected from his minister. See 1. 71, 72; and cf. 1. 84, 85, "poenas exigat.. Ut male defensus.' The intimation was acted upon; Sejanus was exe 65 Fiunt urceoli, pelves, sartago, patellae. Delator? Quibus indiciis? quo teste probavit ? Sed quid Turba Remi? Sequitur Fortunam, ut semper, et odit Damnatos. Idem populus, si Nursia Tusco cuted forthwith, and his body dragged through the streets, and at last thrown into the Tiber. Hence "ducitur unco, ,"1. 66, 67; and "jacet in ripa," 1. 86. Many of his adherents perished at the same time (1. 81, 82). The story is told with great power by Tacitus, Ann. iv. 1. 63, 64. ex facie-patellae] The bronze of his statues is melted down for kitchen utensils. See Lat. Dict. for "urceoli" and "sartago." ib. toto orbe secunda] i. e. second only to the emperor. 67-72.] The exclamations of the populace. 66 66. cretatumque] Probably merely white," like niveum.' See Virg. Georg. ii. 146-148: "Hinc albi, Clitumne, greges, maxima taurus et Victima, saepe tuo perfusi flumine 75 74. Tuscolher Tuscan ;" i. e. Sejanus. "Nursia was an Etruscan goddess, and had a temple at Volsinii, where Sejanus was born. See Livy vii. 3, "Volsiniis quoque clavos indices numeri annorum fixos in templo Nortiae Etruscae Deae comparere Cincius affirmat." 66 76. hac ipsa] that very;" i. e. the moment he had dispatched Tiberius. "Diceret Augustum:" "would have proclaimed him emperor." Augustus was an usual imperial title. Cf. Sat. vi. 118. 77-81.] "For now-a-days we have no political interest beyond that in a change of masters." 77, 78. ex quo-vendimus] i. e. since the overthrow of the republics, in which the people elected to the state offices. "Nulli vendimus," humourously for 'non exercemus.' 78. effugit qui dabat] scil. “populus." Continet, atque duas tantum res anxius optat, 80 mî Brutidius meus ad Martis fuit obvius aram. 90 Hi sermones 80. duas res optat] "has but two wants." 81. panem] There is no reason for supposing that this refers to the public distribution mentioned in the note to Sat. vii. 174. It is merely specified as a necessary of life, and so humorously coupled with "Cir censes. ib. Circenses] sub. "ludos." See note on Sat. iii. 223. ib. perituros] Be put to death with Sejanus. 81-88. perituros—trahat] A dia. logue between two citizens. 32. magna est fornacula] "that oven will bake more than one loaf;" i.e. his fall will involve that of others. 83. Brutidius] Probably Brutidius Niger, who had been aedile A.D. 22. 84, 85. victus-defensus] "Lest this worsted Ajax may make us suffer, as though his interests had been ill-protected;" "victus" and "defensus (i. e. by his counsel) being properly used of a worsted litigant. This refers to the letter of Tiberius, in which he intimated his wish to be protected against Sejanus. See on 1. 63. The speaker fears the emperor may avenge himself on the citizens, as Ajax did on the sheep in the Greek camp. The story is well known from the tragedy of Sophocles; see Aj. 296–303. 86. in ripa] See note on 1. 63. 87, 88.] But be sure that our slaves see us do it, lest some one of them deny the fact, and accuse us.' Political charges were constantly brought by slaves against their masters, who lived in much dread of them on this account. 88. hi] "the above are." 91. sellas-curules] i. e. a curule magistracy. See note on Sat. v. 110. 93. cum grege Chaldaeo] Tiberius was addicted to astrology, which he had studied under Thrasyllus at Rhodes; he predicted that Galba would be emperor. "Et tu, Galba, quandoque degustabis imperium," Tac. Ann. 6. 20 fin. 94, 95. vis certè domestica] Certainly you would like to have at your disposal the 'primipilatus' and command of cohorts, the select knights, and the home-camp." In other words, "You would like to Haec cupias ?-Et qui nolunt occidere quemquam, Posse volunt. Sed quae praeclara et prospera tanti, have the army entirely under your command." This would of course be a chief engine of power to an ambitious man, and as such Sejanus had used it. See note on 1. 63 above. That this is the general meaning of the passage it seems impossible to doubt. The usual explanation given is, "you would like to receive these appointments yourself." But this does not agree with the context; be sides which, "vis egregios equites " could not, by any violence of construction, be taken to mean, "you would wish to be an egregius eques' yourself." It is clear, therefore, that the meaning is not preferment," but patronage." On the other hand, it seems also clear that the patronage here referred to is confined to military appointments. Its possession is also viewed not in the aspect familiar to us, but as a means of acquiring absolute power in the state; such as the command of a military force quartered in the capital cannot fail to give. See 1. 96, 97, "Et qui nolunt occidere quemquam Posse volunt." See also the earlier part of this note, and note on 1. 63 above. 66 66 Assuming, therefore, the above as the general meaning of the passage, the explanation of the particular terms used will be as follows: ་ (1) "Pila." The primipilatus' is meant. 'Primipilus' was the name given under the Republic to the first centurion of the first maniple of the triarii.' The Roman army was at that time arranged in three lines. The 'hastati' and principes' formed the two front lines, and the triarii' the third. The latter were a reserve of veteran soldiers, each of whom carried two 'pila' or javelins, leading to the name primipilus above, and to the use of pila' here for the appointment itself. For the same reason the 'hastati' and 'principes,' who formed the two front lines, were collectively termed 'antepilani.' In the decline of the Republic this arrangement fell into disuse, and the legions were divided into ten cohorts, each containing three maniples, and each maniple containing two centuries. The entire legion, therefore, now consisted of thirty maniples and sixty centuries. The name 'primipilus,' however, was still retained, and was applied perhaps to the first centurion of the first cohort, or 'cohors milliaria.' The 'primipilus,' both under the Republic and Empire, had charge of the eagle of the legion. See Sat. xiv. 197, and note on Sat. ii. 101. He was also an ex officio member of the general's council; and retired 'primipili' had a rank, that of 'primipilaris,' just as those who had served the office of consul ranked as consulares.' From the lucrative character of the appointment it is called (Sat. xiv. 197) "locupletem aquilam." It should be observed that 'primus pilus' was properly the first maniple of the triarii' itself. So that primipilus' is really an inaccurate expression for 'primi pili centurio.' (2) "Cohortes." The appointment of praefectus cohortis is meant. See note on Sat. vii. 92. The above terms, "pila" and "cohortes," refer, it will be seen, to military appointments. In those which follow in l. 95, the "egregios equites" and "castra domestica," the sense rather changes, and the meaning is, ". you would like to have these bodies subservient to you." The same English verb will, however, serve for both lines,-"have the disposal of." (3) Egregios equites.' "The select knights." This is usually taken to mean the 'illustres (or 'splendidi') equites' of Tac. Ann. xv. 4; see the note of Lipsius there. This, however, can hardly be correct. It L 66 Ut rebus laetis par sit mensura malorum? Hujus, qui trahitur, praetextam sumere mavis, is clear that the present passage refers exclusively to military appointments, while these 'illustres equites' were a purely civil body, and eligible to no office in the army. Indeed it may be doubted whether, at the date of this Satire, they had not ceased to exist as a distinct class. The equites" here meant are, it is submitted, the equites equo publico,' or strictly military knights. This latter class had been restored some years previously, and the army was now mainly officered from them; see Suet. Claud. 25. It is, perhaps, an allowable conjecture that they had at this date succeeded also to the name of 'illustres equites,' with which 'egregii' here would be identical. A few words should be added as to this application of the term 'equites' to two distinct bodies, one military and the other civil. The former was the original meaning, the equites' being at first, as the name implies, merely the cavalry of the Roman army. In the Servian constitution they formed the eighteen "equestrian centuries," and were provided with a horse at the public expense; hence called equites equo publico.' During the siege of Veii, however, a change took place in this latter respect, and, in addition to the equites equo publico,' the centuries now comprised other knights, who served with their own horses. Later in the Republic a still further change took place. The 'equites,' although still existing in name, no longer served with the army, the cavalry being drawn exclusively from the contingent furnished by the allied states. Under the empire, however, as above noticed, this was again reversed. The equites equo publico' were now restored to actual service, and formed a highly honourable body in the state, from which the officers of the 6 'cohortes' and 'alae,' and the military tribunes, were chosen, as well as the principal magistrates. The application of the term 'equito to a purely civil body commenced during the period above referred to, when the military service of the knights was in abeyance. By the Lex Sempronia, B.C. 123, a new order in the state was created, comprising all those who had a census of 400 sestertia, without reference to any other qualification. See note on Sat. iii. 154. This was the wellknown equestris ordo,' and in popular language soon became termed the equites, to the exclusion for the time of the proper meaning of the word;-thus in Cicero throughout. For many years the equestris ordo,' or civilequites,' formed a highly influential body in the state. By the Lex Sempronia the 'judices' were chosen from them (see note on Sat. iii. 213; vii. 116); and after the alteration made in this respect by Sulla and the Lex Aurelia, B.C. 70, their position was still maintained by the 'publicani,' or farmers of the public taxes, who were usually equites.' The Lex Roscia Othonis assigning them the first fourteen seats in the theatre behind the orchestra, has been already noticed. See note on Sat. iii. 154. By degrees, however, the order became lowered by the admission of persons possessed of the required fortune, but of obscure birth; see Sat. iii. 154-159. Augustus endeavoured to restore it by the formation of the élite class above referred to, the illustres' or 'splendidi equites.' This was an upper class within the ordo,' composed of those who had a senatorial fortune, and whom Augustus, therefore, allowed to wear the 'laticlave,' which was the distinctive badge of the senate. Hence they are also called equites laticlavii.' The attempt, however, seems to have wholly failed, |