10 Nota magis nulli domus est sua, quam mihi lucus The writing was usually confined to 7. lucus Martis] Perhaps that of Alba, where Romulus and Remus were born. But it is of course uncertain. 66 8,9. antrum Vulcani] i. e. Hiera; one of the Aeolian isles," N.E. of Sicily. "Aeoliis vicinum rupibus;" i. e. adjacent to Lipara, the abode of Aeolus, which thus gave name to the whole group. So in Virgil, Aen. viii. 416, 417, Vulcan's workshop is described by reference to Lipara; Insula Sicanium juxta latus Aeoliamque Erigitur Liparen, fumantibus ardua saxis." In Homer, the workshop is in Olympus, and the position of the isle of Aeolus undetermined. 9. Quid agant venti] Perhaps suggested by the "Aeoliis rupibus" above. ib. torqueat] "tortures." 10, 11. furtivae pelliculae] "Bears away the gold of the stolen fleece;" i. e. steals and bears away. In Pindar, Pyth. iv. 430, the fleece is taken with the knowledge of Acetes;-EVVETEV, Evoa viv éкTávvσαν Φρίξου μάχαιραι. It was guarded by a dragon. See note on Sat. xiv. 112-114. 11. quantas-ornos] i. e. the battle of the Centaurs and Lapiths. Monychus was a Centaur leader. 12, 13. Frontonis-columnae] The owners of large houses lent them for recitations (see Sat. vii. 40), which would usually, for coolness, take place in the garden of the house. Hence 'platani,' 1. 12, the plane being the favourite ornamental tree of the Romans. See Hor. Od. ii. 15. 4, 5, "platanusque coelebs Evincet ulmos." "Marmora" and "columnae" are the marble panelling and pillars of the saloon ('oecus'), which opened by folding doors into the garden. These 'oeci' were one of the refinements of later times. In the earlier Roman houses the only sitting-room was the atrium;" -an apartment in the centre of the house, communicating with the garden by a passage. Fronto is probably M. Cornelius Fronto; a successful advocate and teacher of rhetoric in the reign of Hadrian. He purchased the garden laid out by Maecenas on the Esquiline hill. See Hor. Sat. i. 8. 7, vetatque novis considere in hortis;" cf. 1. 14, 15. 66 ib. convulsa - ruptae] i. e. by the recitation ("lectore" for "lectione") itself: of course by a strong hyperbole. The applause of the auditory, which is the explanation sometimes given, (cf. Sat. vii. 86,) can hardly be meant here, as it would involve a strained construction of the "assiduo lectore," and, still more of the "clamant" in 1. 12. For ruptae' cf. Virg. Georg. iii. 328, "cantu querulae rumpent arbusta cicadae;" and see Macleane ad loc. Why the author has selected satire. 16 Et nos ergo manum ferulae subduximus, et nos 21 24 Cur tamen hoc potius libeat decurrere campo, Tam patiens urbis, tam ferreus, ut teneat se, 15-17.] "We too have declaimed at the rhetoric school ;"and are therefore qualified to write poetry. This was true of the declamatory poetry of the day. 16, 17. consilium-dormiret] A frequent "thesis" in the schools of rhetoric. 18. periturae] i. e. which some one else will spoil, if you do not. 20. Aur. alumnus] Lucilius; born at Suessa Aurunca: so called to distinguish it from the Latian Suessa Pometia, which gave name to the Pomptine marshes. 22, 23. Tuscum figat &c.; teneat venabula] Probably, enters the lists in a "venatio," or fight with wild beasts in the amphitheatre. See Macleane ad loc. Sat. vi. 246267, describes the female gladiator of the day; and from a passage of Suetonius, Domit. 4 (“ venationes gladiatoresque nec virorum modo pugnas sed et feminarum"), it may be inferred that women engaged in the "venatio," or fight with beasts, as well. The men who did this were called 'bestiarii.' 30 23. nuda] transl. "exposed." 24. unus] Probably Licinus, the freedman and barber of Augustus. See 1. 109 and note. 25.] Parody on Virg. Ecl. i. 29: "Candidior postquam tondenti barba cadebat." 26, 27.1 "When one of the Nile rabble, when Crispinus, the homebirth of Canopus," &c. He was Domitian's favourite; Sat. iv. 133. For the character of Canopus, see Sat. xv. 45, 46. 27. humero lacernas] "With the mantle thrown back on his shoulder;" lit. "his shoulder summoning back the mantle." This was to show his rings. 29. nec-gemmae] Ironicè. 32. Mathonis] He was an eminent counsel" of the day; see Sat. vii. 129. The "lectica," or litter, came into common use under the empire, both for men and women, and was frequently of great size. Cf. Sat. iii. 240, and lines 64, 65 of this satire. It allowed the occupant to Plena ipso? post hunc magni delator amici Quod superest, quem Massa timet, quem munere 35 Carus et a trepido Thymele submissa Latino? Quid referam, quanta siccum jecur ardeat ira, Quum populum gregibus comitum premit hic spoliator Pupilli prostantis ? et hic damnatus inani recline at length, and was thus distinguished from its varieties, the 'sella,' in which he could only sit, and the cathedra,' 1. 65, in which he half reclined and half sat. In Matho's case, this display was perhaps requisite to procure him practice (see Sat. vii. 129. 135-145, and note on 1. 129); but it seems to have harmonized with the man's character. See Sat. xi. 34. Mart. Ep. iv. 81; x. 46, which imply something of the "" Serjeant Buz-fuz" style. 33. plena ipso] Because he was So fat. ib. magni delator amici] The Stoic Heliodorus, an informer (delator') in the reign of Nero. He procured the destruction of his own pupil Licinius Silanus. 35, 36. (Baebius) Massa-Carus (Mettius)] Also "delatores," under Domitian; "whom even Massa fears." 36. Thymele Latinus] Actors of pantomime in Domitian's reign; the latter also his spy and favourite. They acted together, usually as the jealous husband and inconstant wife of comedy. Sat. vi. 44; viii. 197. ib. submissa] "sent;" to propitiate Heliodorus. 37. submoveant] The technical 46 term for the lictors making way for a consul. Hor. Od. ii. 16. 10, "neque consularis summovet lictor." Here it of course means not the lictor, but the consul himself; 66 order you aside." ib. testamenta merentur] transl. "serve for their legacies;" i. e. discharge degrading offices. Frac 40. unciolam-deuncem] tions from to, with their reduced amounts, , &c., were often called by the names of the 12 parts of the as' (see Smith's Dict. Äntt. as') instead of using a numeral. Thus here,unciolam' for unciam' is; deuncem'. This was especially the case in stating the shares taken by the respective 'haeredes' under a will. So Cicero pro Caecina: "facit haeredem ex deunce et semunciâ Caecinam;"' haeres' of 11 twelfths. 42. sanguinis] transl. "his life." 44.] Caligula instituted rhetorical contests at Lugdunum (Lyon). They were held at an altar dedicated to Augustus. Cf. Sat. xv. 111. 47. pup. prostantis] transl. "his prostituted ward." The spoliator is unknown; but the plunder of a ward by his guardian_(tutor) was sufficiently common. From a comparison of Sat. x. 222, 223, and xv. Judicio (quid enim salvis infamia nummis ?) 50 Haec ego non credam Venusina digna lucerna ? 135-137, it would seem to have 66 49. Marius (Priscus)] Proconsul in Africa, and convicted of repetundae" (see Macleane ad loc.) under Trajan. 1b. ab octava] sub. "hora." This was properly the hour for taking the bath, the "coena" not being taken till an hour afterwards. 49, 50. fruitur dis iratis] "Quite enjoys their displeasure." 50. victrix provincia] scil. Africa; see on 1. 49. 51. Venusina] "Horatian;" from his birth-place, Venusia in Apulia. ib. lucerna] lamp: by the light of which he wrote, and so, his satire. We should say "the Horatian pen," but the classical use is retained in the word "lucubration," and also in a phrase, now somewhat antiquated, of a composition "smelling of the lamp," i. e. over-elaborated. 52, 53. Heracl.-Diom.] sub. "fabulas." 53, 54. mugitum-volantem] The stories of Theseus, Icarus, and Daedalus. 55, 56.] "When the husband, (who has sold his wife's honour,) 60 takes the adulterer's 'haereditas' in trust for her; since (si) she, as an adulteress, cannot be a 'haeres' herself." This was under a law of Domitian. See Suet. Dom. 8. The reference might possibly be to the Lex Voconia, by which a wife could not take an "haereditas" if her husband's census exceeded a certain amount. But there would be no special point in this. Domitian's law only applied to a convicted adulteress; but it is obvious that in a case like the present, there would be the risk of a conviction at any time. 56, 57.] "well schooled to look at the ceiling, or snore, with still wakeful nostril, over his cup,” i. e. while the wife and her paramour exchange caresses. 58.] See note on Sat. vii. 88, 89; 66 Ipse lacernatae quum se jactaret amicae) 62. Ipse] i. e. Nero; literally "the great man;" as autós is used of Socrates by a pupil, Aristoph. Nub. 220. ib. lacernatae-amicae] "while he made himself agreeable to his cloaked favourite," a youth named Sporus. 63. ceras] (we should say "pages") forceratas tabulas.' These were the folding tablets, usually of wood, and covered with wax on the inner surface, on which the Romans wrote what was not intended for publication;-published works (libri) were written on papyrus or membrana (see note on 1. 5, 6), as being less liable to be defaced. Tabula,' sing., is any smoothed surface, (see 1. 90 and note,) but usually a picture; 'tabulae, arum' (plur.) are always the writing-tablets above described. 'Codex' (lit. a block of wood) is identical in meaning with the latter, but is usually restricted to accounts and legal documents. See Sat. vii. 109, 110; x. 236. 64, 65.] A litter borne by six slaves, and with the curtains drawn back, so that the whole couch was visible. See note on 1. 32, "lectica." 66. referens de] Resembling. ib. supino] voluptuous; lit., lying on the back; the posture of indolent 70 75 68. uda] Wetted; for making an impression on the wax. 69-72.] Cf. Sat. vi. 659. 69. Calenum] From Cales in Campania. 70. viro-sitiente] abl. absolute. 71. rudes] "less educated." ib. melior Locusta] "an improved Locusta." She was employed by Agrippina to poison Claudius. Sat. v. 148. 72. per famam et populum] An hendiadys. "The popular talk notwithstanding." ib. nigros] "blackened" (with the effects of the poison). 73. Gyari, orum] One of the Cyclades in the Aegean ;-otherwise Gyaros, and Gyara, æ. Under the empire, the Cyclades became a customary place of exile; see Sat. vi. 563. ib. brevibus] "narrow." 75. praetoria] "palaces." Origi |