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Lenonum pueri, quocumque in fornice nati.
Hic plaudat nitidi praeconis filius inter
Pinnirapi cultos juvenes juvenesque lanistae.
Sic libitum vano, qui nos distinxit, Othoni.
Quis gener hic placuit censu minor atque puellae
Sarcinulis impar? quis pauper scribitur heres?
Quando in consilio est Aedilibus? Agmine facto

-Othoni] The "pulvinum equestre" (lit. knight's cushion) refers to the regulation of the "quatuordecim ordines "at the theatre. The latter, as regards the spectators' portion, consisted of semicircular tiers of benches arranged one above the other in front of the stage ('pulpitum '). It will be seen, that from the semicircular arrangement of the benches, a considerable space would be left between them and the stage. This was termed the 'orchestra;' and, in the Roman theatre, was occupied by the seats of the senate, foreign ambassadors, and other persons of distinction. In B.C. 68 a further appropriation was made by the Lex Roscia Theatralis, passed by L. Roscius Otho. By this fourteen rows of the tiers of benches immediately adjoining the 'orchestra' were cushioned and reserved for the equestris ordo.' See 1. 159; and cf. Hor. Epod. 4. 16:

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159

distinguished it from the amphitheatre, where they formed a complete circle round the arena. See note on Sat. ii. 147.

155. legi] i. e. the law of Otho above referred to.

158. cultos] "spruce."

ib. lanistae] A trainer of gladiators; cf. Sat. xi. 8. They were called his "familia," and his establishment itself "ludus." For 'pinnirapi,' see Dict.

66

161. sarcinulis] Lit. "bundles." It seems to have become a cant term for the 'dos' brought by a wife to her husband. So that impar' will be 'unsuitable;" i. e. a bad match for. This is quite intelligible, without supposing any specific obligation in the husband to settle property equal to the 'dos of the young lady (puellæ').

162. quando in consilio est Aedilibus] Under the republic there were four aediles; two plebeian, who were appointed at the Mons Sacer, B.C. 494, and two curule (patrician), appointed B.C. 365. Their duties were nearly identical. They were police magistrates, commissioners of the markets, public buildings, and state lands, and directors of the festivals.

Of the latter, the 'ludi magni' and 'Megalesia,' and the dramatic representations, were specially in charge of the curule aediles. In B.C. 45, two additional plebeian aediles were appointed. Under the empire, the aediles were police magistrates only, their other duties having been transferred to the 'curatores.' Hence, in this passage, Quando-aedilibus means," when is he (the poor man)

165

170

Debuerant olim tenues migrasse Quirites.
Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat
Res angusta domi; sed Romae durior illis
Conatus: magno hospitium miserabile, magno
Servorum ventres, et frugi coenula magno.
Fictilibus coenare pudet; quod turpe negabit
Translatus subito ad Marsos mensamque Sabellam
Contentusque illic veneto duroque culullo.
Pars magna Italiae est, si verum admittimus, in qua
Nemo togam sumit, nisi mortuus. Ipsa dierum
Festorum herboso colitur si quando theatro
Majestas, tandemque redit ad pulpita notum
Exodium, quum personae pallentis hiatum
In gremio matris formidat rusticus infans ;
Aequales habitus illic similesque videbis
Orchestram et populum: clari velamen honoris,
Sufficiunt tunicae summis Aedilibus albae.

asked to assist in hearing even a
police case ?" It was the habit of all
Roman magistrates to invite persons
to try the case with them; these
were said "in consilio esse judici,
praetori," &c., and were called
66 assessores.'

164, 165.] "A poor man does not easily rise' (emergere) any where; but at Rome," &c.

170. veneto] "bottle-green." For 'culullo,' see Lat. Dict.

171, 172.] All Roman citizens were entitled to wear the toga; but, in practice, it was habitually worn only in Rome itself, its use elsewhere being reserved for solemn occasions. Thus Cincinnatus, when nominated dictator as he was ploughing, "togam e tugurio proferre uxorem jubet." Liv. iii. 26. So here, 'nemo togam sumit, nisi "mortuus." During the republic, it could not have been said " magna pars Italiae," as the above rule was universal. Under the empire, however, the use of the toga at all became confined to the upper classes, except on state occasions, when the lower orders still assumed it; see note on Sat. i. 96. It is probable that this may have led

175

to its habitual use by the upper classes in the provincial towns and watering-places, thus reversing the former rule to this extent.

173.] See Sat. vi. 67 and note. 174. pulpita] The stage: properly, the front part of it only.

175. exodium "interlude;" -the genitive' Atellanae ' (i. e. fabulae) being understood. See Sat. vi. 71, where the full phrase is given; and see too Livy vii. 2, "exodia conserta fabellis Atellanis." For the Atellanae fabulae,' see note on Sat. i. 3. Several of these were performed in the same day, and the exodia' (from

odou) were probably short humorous pieces, whether dramatic or otherwise, recited in the intervals. They may have served the purpose of the Tupáßaois in Greek comedy; a satirical notice of events of the day, relieving the mind from the strain of continuous representation.

ib. personae] "mask;" its first meaning.

177, 178. similesque-orchestram et populum] See note on 1. 154 above.

178. honoris] "office."

179.] In country places, the aedile

D

Physical

arguments

against a

town

Hic ultra vires habitûs nitor: hic aliquid plus, 180
Quam satis est, interdum aliena sumitur arca.
Commune id vitium est. Hic vivimus ambitiosa
Paupertate omnes. Quid te moror? Omnia Romae
Cum pretio. Quid das, ut Cossum aliquando salutes?
Ut te respiciat clauso Veiento labello?

:

Ille metit barbam, crinem hic deponit amati :-
Plena domus libis venalibus. Accipe, et illud
Fermentum tibi habe: praestare tributa clientes
Cogimur, et cultis augere peculia servis.

185

Quis timet aut timuit gelida Praeneste ruinam,
Aut positis nemorosa inter juga Volsiniis, aut 191
Simplicibus Gabiis, aut proni Tiburis arce?
Nos urbem colimus tenui tibicine fultam

(see note on 1. 162) would be the
chief or only authority.

179. tunicae albae] At Rome magistrates wore the toga praetexta; i. e. bordered (with a band of purple). See note on Sat. i. 78. 180. Hic] In Rome. 181. aliena arca] i. e. aere:"-" by borrowing."

"alieno

184. Quid das] "What do you not pay ?"

184, 185. Cossum-Veiento] Great men of the day; the latter, Domitian's favourite. See Sat. iv. 113. Cossus was a cognomen in the Cor

nelia gens.

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185. clauso labello] even if he does not speak to you."

186-189.] Other causes which make great men's acquaintance expensive. "You have to make presents on the fêtes even of their slaves."

186. barbam - crinem] These, when first cut, were devoted at the shrine of Aesculapius or Apollo, and the day kept as a festival. The technical term for this was "deponere crinem." Here, the master dignifies a pet slave ('amati ') with this ceremony.

187. Plena d. lib. ven.] "One of these fête-days comes; and straightway the house is filled with &c."

ib. libis] Cakes of fine flour, honey,

and oil.

These were presented to the slave, and sold by him (venalibus '), the proceeds going into his own pocket.

ib. accipe] "hear."

187, 188. et illud-habe] "And take home to you this cause for anger." Lit. this leaven.'

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189. cultis]" pampered."

ib. peculia] A slave's private earnings, which practically were his own, although in strictness a slave could not hold property. They were often considerable enough to purchase his freedom. Cf. Sat. vii. 220, 221.

190-314.] The last complaint of Umbricius; the physical drawbacks of Rome-life: viz. fall of houses (190-196); fires (197-222); bad and noisy lodgings (223–238); the streets (239-314).

190. ruinam] fall of a house. For descriptions of the places mentioned in this and the two next lines, see Macleane.

192. proni Tiburis] Horace says "Tibur supinum;" i. e. lit. lying on the back,' while "pronus" is lying on the face. Applied to place, both mean the same, 66 sloping." Tivoli slants steeply to the Anio.

193. tibicine] Props to a house were so called. How the word acquired this meaning is uncertain.

life;

tumbledown

Magna parte sui. Nam sic labentibus obstat
Villicus et, veteris rimae quum texit hiatum, 195

houses; Securos pendente jubet dormire ruina.

fires;

Vivendum est illic, ubi nulla incendia, nulli
Nocte metus. Jam poscit aquam, jam frivola
transfert

201

Ucalegon; tabulata tibi jam tertia fumant:
Tu nescis. Nam si gradibus trepidatur ab imis,
Ultimus ardebit, quem tegula sola tuetur
A pluvia, molles ubi reddunt ova columbae.
Lectus erat Codro Procula minor, urceoli sex,
Ornamentum abaci; nec non et parvulus infra
Cantharus, et recubans sub eodem marmore Chiron;
Jamque vetus Graecos servabat cista libellos, 206
Et divina opici rodebant carmina mures.

Nil habuit Codrus: quis enim negat ? et tamen illud
Perdidit infelix totum nihil: ultimus autem
Aerumnae cumulus, quod nudum et frusta rogantem
Nemo cibo, nemo hospitio tectoque juvabit.
magna Arturi cecidit domus: horrida mater,

Si

194. sic] By the 'tibicines.' ib. labentibus] sub. "aedibus." 195. villicus] The landlord's agent. It is more usually the steward of a country property.

196. pendente-ruina] "With the ruin hanging about our ears." 6 Ruina' properly means the act of falling, as in 1. 190. But by the use of the abstract for the concrete, it comes to mean the thing itself which falls or has fallen: as we say, "a ruin." So Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 4, "flumina ad lavandam hanc ruinam ducere." So "Ruinas transcendere conaretur." Liv. xliii. 163. 199. Ucalegon] Our next-door neighbour, whose house has already caught. See Virg. Aen. ii. 312, "Jam proximus ardet Ucalegon."

ib. tab. tertia] The third story; just below our own garret. See note on Sat. vii. 118.

211

whose house has been on fire, receives so many presents that he is better off than ever."

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203. Codrus] Perhaps the poet of Sat. i. 2.

ib. Procula minor] Too short for his short wife.

204. abaci] "Side-board." The word has other meanings.

ib. infra] below the abacus. 205. et Chiron] "And a Chiron reclining under the same marble as the cantharus:"" i. e. under the side-board also. The figure was probably recumbent.

206. Jamque] "Well, there was too a chest which."

207. opici] A form of Osci, one of the aboriginal tribes of Italy. Here," barbarous;" as we should say, "Vandal."

212. Arturi] He is the' Persicus' of 1. 221: childless and rich, and therefore extensively courted. See note on Sat. iv. 18-22.

203-222.] "Besides, when you are burnt out, you lose your all, and starve in the streets. The rich man,

Pullati proceres, differt vadimonia Praetor.
Tunc gemimus casus Urbis, tunc odimus ignem.
Ardet adhuc, et jam occurrit, qui marmora donet,
Conferat impensas. Hic nuda et candida signa, 216
Hic aliquid praeclarum Euphranoris et Polycleti,
Hic Asianorum vetera ornamenta Deorum,

Hic libros dabit et forulos mediamque Minervam,
Hic modium argenti. Meliora ac plura reponit 220
Persicus, orborum lautissimus, et merito jam
Suspectus, tamquam ipse suas incenderit aedes.
Si potes avelli Circensibus, optima Sorae,

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213. diff. vad. Praetor] i. e. the courts are closed. The technical phrase (which constantly occurs in Livy) was "justitium (jus, stare) indicitur." It was the first measure in any public danger or calamity.

ib. vadimonia] The praetor did not himself try causes; he only sent them to be tried by the judices. The proceedings before the praetor consisted of two distinct parts. First the actio,' or right of trial, was granted; in other words, it was decided that "the action would lie." On a second day, usually the next but one, the plaintiff made his formal claim. If simply denied, the cause was at issue, and a 'judex' at once appointed. Frequently however the defendant tendered a plea ('exceptio) in reply. In this case the judex' was not appointed till the plea was disposed of.

On both days the personal attendance of the parties was required. The defendant's first attendance could be compelled by force; and he was not discharged until he had given a surety (vas) for his attendance on the second day. If the 99 vas was satisfactory, the plaintiff

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215. Ardet (sub. "domus") adhuc, et jam] "It is still blazing, and yet already."

216. impensas] sub. "pecunias." Costs of rebuilding.

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219. mediam] In the centre of the case. There is another rendering, by which "mediam" is taken for dimidiam ;"-a bust of Minerva. But this is a most rare use of the word, and it seems unnecessary to resort to it here.

221.1 See note on 212; also on 129. Persicus;' i. e. Arturius.

223. Circensibus] i. e. the Circenses (ludi); so called from the Circus Maximus, in which they were celebrated. See note on 1. 65; also on Sat. vi. 582. Their original name

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