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the entrées;

Conjuge, per montem adversum gelidasque cucurri
Esquilias, fremeret saeva quum grandine vernus
Jupiter et multo stillaret paenula nimbo!

Adspice, quam longo distendat pectore lancem, 80
Quae fertur domino, squilla, et quibus undique septa
Asparagis, qua despiciat convivia cauda,

Quum venit excelsi manibus sublata ministri.
Sed tibi dimidio constrictus cammarus ovo
Ponitur, exigua feralis coena patella.

the oil; Ipse Venafrano piscem perfundit: at hic, qui
Pallidus affertur misero tibi caulis, olebit

85

Laternam. Illud enim vestris datur alveolis, quod
Canna Micipsarum prora subvexit acuta ;

Propter quod Romae cum Bocchare nemo lavatur ;
Quod tutos etiam facit a serpentibus atris.

91

95

the fish; Myllus erit domino, quem misit Corsica, vel quem Tauromenitanae rupes; quando omne peractum est Et jam defecit nostrum mare, dum gula saevit, Retibus adsiduis penitus scrutante macello Proxima, nec patitur Tyrrhenum crescere piscem. Instruit ergo focum provincia: sumitur illinc, Quod captator emat Lenas, Aurelia vendat.

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85. feralis] on account of the eggs. On the ninth day after a funeral a sacrifice (hence called 'novendiale') was offered, followed by a feast (silicernium'). It is supposed (although on slight authority) that eggs formed part of one or both of these.

86. Venafrano] sub. "oleo." 87, 88. olebit laternam] "smell of the lamp;" i. e. "be served with train-oil."

88. illud] scil. "oleum."

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88, 89.] with which some Numidian reed canoe has been freighted."

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"Micipsarum," for sing. "Micipsa," king of Numidia. He was the son of Masinissa, and a steady ally of the Romans. He assisted them with an auxiliary force in Spain B.C. 142, and again in the war against Numantia.

89. subvexit] Strictly "subvehere" is to convey up a stream. But it is also used for water-carriage generally.

90. cum Bocch. nem. lav.] Because he used this train-oil in the bath, instead of unguents. It is unknown who Bocchar was.

91.] The oil was rubbed on the body, and its smell kept snakes at a distance. But the line is suspected. 93. Tauromen.] Sicilian. See Macleane's Juvenal ad loc. "Since our sea (mare Tyrrhenum') is used up. and has now quite failed." 97. instruit] "furnishes." 98. Lenas, Aurelia] No particular persons are referred to. The

(which suggests a humble

remon

99

Virroni muraena datur, quae maxima venit
Gurgite de Siculo: nam, dum se continet Auster,
Dum sedet et siccat madidas in carcere pennas,
Contemnunt mediam temeraria lina Charybdim.
Vos anguilla manet, longae cognata colubrae,
Aut glacie adspersus maculis Tiberinus, et ipse
Vernula riparum, pinguis torrente cloaca,
Et solitus mediae cryptam penetrare Suburae.

105

110

(Ipsi pauca velim, facilem si praebeat aurem. Nemo petit, modicis quae mittebantur amicis A Seneca, quae Piso bonus, quae Cotta solebat strance ;) Largiri;—namque et titulis et fascibus olim Major habebatur donandi gloria:-solum Poscimus, ut coenes civiliter. Hoc face, et esto, Esto, ut nunc multi, dives tibi, pauper amicis.) Anseris ante ipsum magni jecur, anseribus par

the poul

legacy-hunter (captator') sends in the fish as a present, and the rich widow sells it. See note on Sat. iv. 18-22.

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104. Tiberinus] sub. lupus." "Tiber-pike." Horace (Sat. ii. 2. 31) gives the complete phrase.

106. Suburae] See note on Sat. iii. 5.

107. Ipsi] the host.

108-113.] "We do not expect the presents which the great formerly sent. We only ask you, when you do give an invitation, to sup with us on even terms (lit. citizenly);-not as if we were slaves or aliens."

109. Seneca] See note on Sat.

x. 16.

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ib. Piso-Cotta] Probably C. Calpurnius Piso and L. Aurelius Cotta. The latter was prætor B. c. 70, and a friend of Cicero. Piso was the leader of the unsuccessful conspiracy against Nero, A.D. 65. On its detection he opened his own veins, and bled to death. But perhaps the names are used at random for any of the illustrious families.

110, 111.] "For formerly the renown of munificence was deemed

greater than birth or office."

110. titulis] The inscriptions on the 'imagines' of ancestors. Those who had filled a curule magistracy, were entitled to have a figure of themselves modelled in wax and painted. This was termed the 'jus imaginum;' and the possession of these imagines' by their families distinguished the 'nobiles' from the novi homines.' See Sat. vi. 162, 163; viii. 1-5, and notes; also note on Sat. i. 100. The curule magistracies were the offices of dictator, consul, praetor, censor, and curule aedile. They were so called, because those who served them had the right of sitting on the 'sella curulis, the ancient symbol of royalty.

ib. fascibus] The well-known insignia of office of the consuls, praetors, and dictators; also of the quaestors when in the provinces. They consisted of twelve bundles of rods, each carried by a lictor. Out of Rome, the fasces' had an axe ('securis') projecting from the centre, and were carried before both consuls. In the city, the axes were removed, and only one consul had the lictors and fasces, the other being pre

try and

truffles; (which

you

didn't

get ;)

the carv

ing;

the con

versa

tion;

Altilis, et flavi dignus ferro Meleagri
Fumat

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aper post hunc raduntur tubera, si ver
Tunc erit et facient optata tonitrua coenas
Majores. Tibi habe frumentum, Alledius inquit,
O Libye: disjunge boves, dum tubera mittas!

Structorem interea (ne qua indignatio desit) 120
Saltantem spectes et χειρονομοῦντα volanti
Cultello, donec peragat dictata magistri
Omnia. Nec minimo sane discrimine refert,
Quo gestu lepores et quo gallina secetur.

126

Duceris planta, velut ictus ab Hercule Cacus, Et ponere foras, si quid tentaveris umquam Hiscere, tamquam habeas tria nomina. Quando propinat

Virro tibi, sumitque tuis contacta labellis

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125-127.] "As to conversing, you had best not attempt it."

125. ictus-Cacus] The story is well known from Virg. Aen. viii. 190 seqq. For duceris planta,' see 1. 264, 265, "pedibusque informe cadaver Protrahitur."

127. tamquam habeas tria nomina] i. e. "as if you were of noble descent." A Roman who was not wellborn had only two names, his own and that of his family;-our Christian and surname, in fact. Persons

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In addition to these three names, there was occasionally a fourth, derived from some personal merit or other quality. It was called the

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agnomen,' and followed the 'cognomen ;' as 'Africanus.' Occasionally, these agnomina' descended like the 'cognomen; thus, both sons of Scipio were 'Africani.'

127-129.] "When does Virro ever taste the cup, and hand it to you?" This was an usual compliment to a guest, both at Greek and Roman entertainments. 'Sumitque-pocula: "or take it from you in turn ?" 'Propinare' is Latinized from πрожíνεw.

the mushrooms;

and the

131

Pocula? quis vestrum temerarius usque adeo, quis
Perditus, ut dicat regi, Bibe? Plurima sunt, quae
Non audent homines pertusa dicere laena.
Quadringenta tibi si quis deus aut similis dîs
Et melior fatis donaret homuncio, quantus
Ex nihilo, quantus fieres Virronis amicus!
Da Trebio! Pone ad Trebium! Vis, frater, ab ipsis
llibus? O nummi, vobis hunc praestat honorem,
Vos estis fratres. Dominus tamen et domini rex
Si vis tu fieri, nullus tibi "parvulus aula
Luserit Aeneas," nec filia dulcior illo.

134

Jucundum et carum sterilis facit uxor amicum. 140
Sed tua nunc Mycale pariat licet, et pueros tres
In gremium patris fundat simul: ipse loquaci
Gaudebit nido; viridem thoraca jubebit
Afferri, minimasque nuces, assemque rogatum,
Ad mensam quoties parasitus venerit infans.
Vilibus ancipites fungi ponentur amicis,
Boletus domino; sed qualem Claudius edit
Ante illum uxoris, post quem nil amplius edit.
Virro sibi et reliquis Virronibus illa jubebit

129-131.] "Still less would you dare to offer it to him."

130. regi] The host (Virro). Sat. i. 136.

So

131. pertusa "frayed." 132. Quadringenta] See note on Sat. i. 106. It was the ' equestris census' see note on Sat. iii. 155.

135, 136.]" Then it would be, Hand to Trebius, &c."

137-145.] "Find a fortune, and you become his brother, or rather your money does. But if you would actually reverse your present position, and become a great man domino,' 1. 147), and your great man's master, have no children. As it is, with no inheritance for him to court, you may have them by dozens." 138, 139.] Parody on the words of Dido, Virg. Aen. iv. 328, "Si quis mihi parvulus aula Luderet Aeneas."

141. Mycale] Your wife.

142. ipse] referring to patris, i. e.

145

you yourself. It is strange that this should have been overlooked. The change from the second to the third person is no difficulty, but adds to theprosopopoeia' of the picture.

143. gaudebit nido] "brood." Be better pleased the more there are of them.

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143, 144.] Have treats for each. "Thoraca, bib." 66 Minimas (i. e. parvas') nuces,” nuts: ('nux,' by itself, is a walnut.) "Assem rogatum."

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The begged halfpenny." 145.] As often as the sycophant child comes to the table."

146. ancipites] questionable. 146, 147. The boletus' was a mushroom of superior quality. Agrippina killed the Emperor Claudius with one, into which Locusta had previously infused the deadly poison of the rubeta. See Sat. i. 71; vi. 659.

149. rel. Virr.] The other notables of the party.

dessert. Poma dari, quorum solo pascaris odore;

"Serves

you

right."

Qualia perpetuus Phaeacum auctumnus habebat
Credere quae possis subrepta sororibus Afris.
Tu scabie frueris mali, quod in aggere rodit,
Qui tegitur parma et galea, metuensque flagelli
Discit ab hirsuta jaculum torquere capella.

150

t;

155

160

Forsitan impensae Virronem parcere credas.-
Hoc agit, ut doleas : nam quae comoedia, mimus
Quis melior plorante gula? Ergo omnia fiunt,
Si nescis, ut per lacrumas effundere bilem
Cogaris, pressoque diu stridere molari.
Tu tibi liber homo et regis conviva videris.
Captum te nidore suae putat ille culinae:
Nec male conjectat. Quis enim tam nudus, ut illum
Bis ferat, Etruscum puero si contigit aurum,
Vel nodus tantum, et signum de paupere loro? 165

150. pascaris] You might dine on their scent alone.

151. Phaeacum] The well-known gardens of Alcinous. See Hom. Od. vii. 114-119.

152. sororibus Afris] The Hesperides, who kept the golden apples given to Juno on her marriage. The dragon Ladon assisted them.

153-155.] "A scab of an apple which a showman's monkey might on the boulevard." Lit."which gnaw he gnaws on the 'agger,' who is protected by targe and helm, and in terror of the lash, learns to throw his javelin from a hairy she-goat.' "The 'agger' was probably that of Servius Tullius. It had long ceased to be of use as a fortification, and was the favourite resort of the poorer classes; a kind of low "boulevard." Besides the monkey in this passage, Juvenal mentions the plebeian fortune-tellers (Sat. vi. 588), and the women who wove for hire (Sat. viii. 43). There is another version, by which 11. 154, 155, mean "a recruit," 'capella' being taken as a cant term for a drill-master. The apple then will be such as the recruit gnaws, not the monkey. The

66

chief support of this is the Scholiast's statement that the Praetorian guard was quartered near this agger." This is probably correct enough. But the capella,' for a drill-master, reads very like an invention, especially if "hirsuta" must be rendered "old." Besides, the gnawing an apple is much less special to a recruit than to a monkey.

econo

156-160.] "Perhaps now in all this you think Virro is mizing. Nothing of the kind: he does it expressly to annoy you." 157. comoedia, mimus] See on Sat. i. 3.

160. presso molari] "to gnash
your teeth."
Lit." to grate with
close-set grinder."

163. nudus] destitute.
ib. illum] Virro.

164, 165.] "If he is noble, or even free-born." The bulla' was worn by free-born children under the age of puberty, and thus coincidently with the 'praetexta; see note on Sat. i. 78. It was a round boss, suspended from the neck, and usually of gold, although the children of poor freemen substituted leather; see 1. 165. Its origin, like that of other

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