Haec quoque si rugam trahit, extenditque labellum; Si nondum implevi gremium, si panditur ultra: 326 330 you.' 329-332.] See note on Sat. x. 331, 332. Narcissus amassed a vast fortune under Claudius. He was put to death shortly after Nero's accession. SATIRA XV. WHAT THE EGYPTIANS DO. Caprices of diet; Quis nescit, Volusi Bithynice, qualia demens other ani- Aegyptus portenta colat ? Crocodilon adorat Pars haec illa pavet saturam serpentibus ibin. hibited, Effigies sacri nitet aurea cercopitheci, mals pro Dimidio magicae resonant ubi Memnone chordae, 2. portenta] So Virg. Aen. viii. 698, of the Egyptian divinities: "Deum monstra." 3. pars] The crocodile was especially sacred in the Thebais. Herod. ii. 69, Totoɩ μèv dù tŵv Aiγυπτίων ἱροί εἰσι οἱ κροκόδειλοι, τοῖσι δ ̓ οὔ, ... . οἱ δὲ περί τε Θήβας καὶ τὴν Μοίριος λίμνην οἰκέοντες, καὶ κάρτα ἥγηνται αὐτοὺς εἶναι ipoús. ib. saturam-ibin] The ibis was a kind of stork, which devoured serpents. It was revered as sacred from its utility in this respect. 5. resonant - chordae] Memnon was an Ethiopian prince, the son of Eos (Aurora). He came to the assistance of Priam in the Trojan war, and killed Antilochus; see note on Sat. x. 253. He was himself killed by Achilles. A colossal statue of black stone near Thebes was supposed by the Greeks to represent Memnon, and to emit a sound like the snapping of a harp-string when touched by the rising sun. The statue was really that of Amunoph III. It is one of two colossi which are seated as the advanced guard of the propylaea, leading through a sphynx avenue 1100 feet in length to the palace-temple of Amunoph. ib. dimidio] See on Sat. v. 84. 6. centum-portis] See Il. ix. 383, Αἴθ ̓ ἑκατόμπυλοί εἰσι, διηκόσιοι δ ̓ ἀν ̓ ἑκάστην ̓Ανέρες ἐξοι χνεῦσι σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν. It is unfortunate for this poetical conception that Thebes was wall-less, and consequently never had gates. The portals of temples may have been meant; and the latter are sufficiently numerous to justify the computation,-in round numbers. See Miss Beaufort's Egyptian Sepulchres, Longman, 1861. 7. caeruleos] sub. "pisces;" "saltwater fish." Aeluros' (cats) is a conjectural reading, but some opposition to "piscem fluminis seems required. 8. canem] Sat. vi. 534, note. ib. Dianam] i. e. (as huntress) the but not men. 11 Porrum et caepe nefas violare ac frangere morsu. O sanctas gentes, quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina ! Lanatis animalibus abstinet omnis Mensa. Nefas illic fetum jugulare capellae: Carnibus humanis vesci licet. Attonito quum and his ἀνδροTale super coenam facinus narraret Ulixes payo. Alcinoo, bilem aut risum fortasse quibusdam Homer 15 Moverat, ut mendax aretalogus. In mare nemo dog's mistress. This, however, is an oversight of the poet. Bubastis (the Egyptian Artemis) had a temple in the city of the same name. See Herod. ii. 137, Bovßάoti tóλi... ἐν τῇ καὶ ἱρόν ἐστι Βούβαστιος ἀξιαπηγητότατον. 9. porrum-morsu] This prohibition was confined to Pelusium. See Aul. Gellius, xx. 8, "Eam causam esse dicant sacerdotes Aegyptii, cur Pelusiotae caepe non edunt: quia solum olerum omnium contra lunae aucta atque damna vices minuendi et augendi habeat contrarias." 11. lanatis animalibus] See Herod. ii. 42, "Οσοι μὲν δὴ . . . νομοῦ τοῦ Θηβαίου εἰσὶ, οὗτοι μέν νυν πάντες οΐων ἀπεχόμενοι, αίγας θύουσι. 12. fetum-capellae] See Herod. ii. 46, σέβονται δὲ πάντας τοὺς αἶγας οἱ Μενδήσιοι. For "fetum," see on Sat. xiv. 78. 14. tale-facinus] i. e. the cannibalism of Antiphates and Polyphemus (1. 18). See note on Sat. xiv. 20. The wanderings of Ulysses were detailed by himself to his entertainer Alcinous king of the Phaeacians; they occupy Od. vi.—xiii. 16. aretalogus] braggart;" from λέγειν ἀρετάς, i. e. his own. 17. Charybdi] See it described Od. xii. 235-243, ETέpw0 di dia Χάρυβδις Δεινὸν ἀνεῤῥοίβδησε θαλάσσης ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ. The mode 20 in which Ulysses escapes is detailed 1. 430-444. It suggested (or anticipated) a powerful modern fiction,the Maelstrom adventure of E. A. Poe. 19. Scyllam] Described Od. xii. 85-100. 245-259. She has six necks: depai TEPLμŃKEES ÉV de ἑκάστῃ Σμερδαλέη κεφαλὴ, ἐν δὲ TpioToxo odóvTES. Her abode is a cave immediately opposite to Charybdis. To avoid the whirlpool, the ships are compelled to keep on Scylla's side as they pass her cavern the necks emerge, and pick off six of the crew. : 19, 20. concurrentia saxa, Cyaneas] sub. Συμπληγάδας. These were two rocks at the entrance of the Bosporus, which closed as ships passed. See their description in Od. xii. 59— 62, where they are called Πλαγκταὶ, from their being possessed of motion. The Argo' passed safely through them, after which the rocks became fixed, and therefore ceased to be a source of peril. Cf. Eurip. Med. 2, Εἴθ ̓ ὤφελ' ̓Αργους μὴ διαπτάσθαι σκάφος, Κόλχων ἐς αξαν, κυανέας Συμπληγάδας. 20. plenos-utres] Those given by Aeolus to Ulysses, with the contrary winds tied up in them. The sailors opened them, supposing they contained treasure. See Od. x. 17 24. 46, 47. Р Tentyro 25 Crediderim, aut tenui percussum verbere Circes 30 Nullus apud tragicos populus facit. Accipe, nostro Dira quod exemplum feritas produxerit aevo. Inter finitimos vetus atque antiqua simultas, Coptic politics. Immortale odium et nunquam sanabile vulnus Ardet adhuc, Coptos et Tentyra. Summus utrim que Inde furor vulgo, quod numina vicinorum 21. percussum] sub. “ esse. 21, 22. tenui-porcis] This transformation is detailed Od. x. 237240. Čirce gave the sailors some drugged KUKEw, and then struck them with a wand, which turned them into swine. Ulysses partook of the KUKEV, like the party who had preceded him, but escaped by using an antidote; so that the moral reflection in Hor. Ep. i. 2. 24 is not quite accurate. Elpenor was one of the crew; see Od. x. 552-560. When Circe discovered who Ulysses was, she restored the sailors to their natural shape, and entertained them hospitably. Elpenor enjoyed himself so much, that on suddenly waking up next morning he walked out of the doorway of a loft where he had slept, instead of going down the ladder. As might be expected, he broke his neck. 26. solus] With no witnesses. The crew had all perished. 27. Consule Junio] See the date of this satire discussed in Smith's Biographical Dict. vol. ii. 688, b. 28. super] "near;" as if 'prope.' 66 35 Tentyra" (1. 35) is geographically below Coptos. Vid. map of Egypt. 29. vulgi] A whole people. So "populus," 1. 31. 30. a Pyrrha (Deucalion's wife)] "from the deluge downwards." Cf. Sat. i. 81-84. ib. syrmata] Sat. viii. 229 (like "cothurnis," I. 29, used for "tragic tales"). ib. volvas (for 'evolvas')] unrol," i. e. peruse. See note on Sat. i. 5, 6. 35. Coptos] The city was 'Copti, orum,' as well as 'Coptos, i,' the form in 1. 28. The old reading was Ombos,' but it seems impossible to support it, notwithstanding the "super" in 1. 28. Ombi' is ninety miles higher up the river than Tentyra, whereas Coptos is nearly opposite to it, so that the 'finitimos (1.33) almost disposes of the question in a quarrel so purely local as that which Juvenal describes. The correction 'Coptos' was naturally suggested by the word 'Combos,' which was found in many of the MSS. for Ombos. An un Odit uterque locus, quum solos credat habendos Esse deos, quos ipse colit. Sed tempore festo expected Alterius populi rapienda occasio cunctis onset. Hand to hand fighting. tos. 40 49 Visa inimicorum primoribus ac ducibus, ne 39. alterius populi] scil. of Cop 40. inimicorum] The Tentyrites. 42. sentirent] i. e. the Coptitae (plural after the noun of multitude populus," 1. 39). 43. Pervigili] See Sat. viii. 158 and note. 44. interea] i. e. while it continues laid day and night. 45. quantum notavi] This gives some support to the story that Juvenal received a military command in Egypt as a species of honourable banishment; but the line is thought to be an interpolation. See the question discussed in Smith's Biog. Dict. ii. 687, 688. 46. famoso Canopo] See Sat. vi. 84. 55 60 48, inde] On the side of the Coptites. 49. nigro tibicine] "to a black fifer," i. e. to his music. The abl. corresponds to the Greek ὑπ' αὐλῶν, &c. 49, 50. qualiacumque unguenta] "unguents; we won't say what like. |