Spes bene coenandi vos decipit. Ecce dabit jam 170 171. vertice raso] Like a slave. Slaves, on manumission, had the head shaved, and a felt hat ('pileus') given them. See Pers. Sat. v. 82, "Haec mera libertas, hanc nobis pilea donant." Plaut. Amphit. i. 1. 306," Ut ego hodie raso capite calvus capiam pileum." SATIRA VI WOMEN. The sex may have been vir tuous in the golden age; Credo pudicitiam Saturno rege moratam In terris, visamque diu, quum frigida parvas Praeberet spelunca domos, ignemque laremque Et pecus et dominos communi clauderet umbra: Silvestrem montana torum quum sterneret uxor 5 Frondibus et culmo vicinarumque ferarum Pellibus, haud similis tibi, Cynthia, nec tibi, cujus Turbavit nitidos exstinctus passer ocellos, Sed potanda ferens infantibus ubera magnis, Et saepe horridior glandem ructante marito. Quippe aliter tunc orbe novo coeloque recenti Vivebant homines, qui rupto robore nati Compositive luto nullos habuere parentes. hardly in Multa pudicitiae veteris vestigia forsan, the silver. 10 Aut aliqua, exstiterint et sub Jove; sed Jove non- Barbato, nondum Graecis jurare paratis 1-28.] "I think it possible that in the golden age (1-13) there was such a thing as female virtue. Even in the silver (14-24) it had not quite departed. But now (25-28) do you think of marrying ?-You must be mad." 1. Sat. rege] In the golden age. Virg. Aen. viii. 324, "Aurea quae perhibent, illo sub rege fuerunt saecula" (scil. Saturno"). 7. Cynthia] Mistress of Proper tius. 11.] Lesbia, mistress of Catullus. See the well-known Ode, "In funus 15 Passeris" (Cat. Od. iii. last two lines),— "Tua nunc opera meae puellae Flendo turgiduli rubent ocelli." 12, 13.] So Virg. Aen. viii. 315, "Gensque virum truncis, et duro robore nata." 13. Compositive luto] See note on Sat. iv. 133. 15. sub Jove] in the silver age. 16-18.] Before there were either perjurers or thieves. 17. per caput alt.] Cf. Virg. Aen. Ursidius in search 20 Caulibus aut pomis, et aperto viveret horto. Conventum tamen et pactum, et sponsalia nostra of a wife. Tempestate paras, jamque a tonsore magistro Pecteris, et digito pignus fortasse dedisti? Certe sanus eras! Uxorem, Postume, ducis? ix. 300: "Per caput hoc juro, per 20. Hac] scil. "pudicitia." 20-24. "So early dates female dishonour. Other crimes arose in the iron age;-this only in the silver." 22.] The bridal bed was usually placed in the atrium;' see note on Sat. i. 12. As the source of existence, it was sacred to the "Genius" (see note on Sat. iv. 66), and was called "lectus genialis." Cf. Hor. Ep. i. 1. 87,"lectus genialis in aula est. See also Sat. x. 334. 25. Conventum] This seems to be much what we call " an engagement;"-the consent of the parties themselves previous to any formal contract. ib. pactum] The preliminary settlement of the terms of the contract. ib. sponsalia] The marriage contract itself. See note on Sat. ii. 119. 26, 27. a tonsore-pecteris] Have your hair dressed by some masterhand in the art. Or perhaps it means, "by the proprietor himself;" not the assistant. 26 31 27. digito] of your bride. It has been inferred from this passage that the giving a ring to the bride formed part of the marriage contract. 28. eras] "used to be." 30-32." When you might hang yourself, or jump out of window or off a bridge." ་ 31. caligantes] dizzy;' i. e. making those who looked from it dizzy, from its height. 32. Aemilius pons] Now Ponte Rialto. It was commenced B.C. 179, in the censorship of M. Aemilius Lepidus. 33. Ursidio] Posthumus. ib. lex Julia] i. e. the "lex Julia et Papia Poppaea," for regulating marriages. To discourage celibacy, it precluded a bachelor from taking any haereditas' or legacy, unless he married within 100 days from the testator's death. ib. tollere] A new-born child was lifted from the ground by its father, which precluded him from afterwards questioning its legitimacy. The term is therefore equivalent to habere'- "he looks forward to having a child of his own." 39, 40.] "Although he will lose He expects a good one! Even in 40 45 Mullorumque jubis, et captatore macello. 50 Magna tamen fama est cujusdam rure paterno 55. the coun- Viventis. Vivat Gabiis, ut vixit in agro, try, you Vivat Fidenis! Et agello, cedo, paterno. cannot the presents of the legacy-hunters." See note on Sat. iv. 18-22. 40. jubis] for barbis.' The mullet has a beard, and is hence called barbatulus.' Cic. Par. v. 2. 44.] "Whom the chest of the imperilled Latinus has so often concealed:" i. e. whose hair-breadth escapes have been the subject of so many farces. Latinus had often represented Ursidius on the stage as hiding in a chest from the husband's chastisement. For Latinus, see note on Sat. i. 36. Ceres;" i. e. to join in her festival. On fête-days the images of the gods were crowned with garlands. See Virg. Aen. ii. 168, "Virgineas ausi, Divae contingere vittas." At the Greek festival of Ceres (Thesmophoria) strict purity was required; and the usage seems to have been retained in the Roman "Cerealia." See Dion. Hal. i. 83, idpúo avto de καὶ Δήμητρος ἱερὸν, καὶ τὰς θυσίας αὐτῇ διὰ γυναικῶν τε καὶ νηφα λίους ἔθυσαν. 51, 52. Necte-corymbos] The wedding festivities took place at the bridegroom's house, to which the bride was escorted in the evening. The doorway was festooned with flowers and clusters of ivy-berries (corymbi). 53. Iberinae] his intended wife. 55-58.] "In the country indeed you do find a reputation here and there. Let its possessor (when married) live up to it, even in the quietest of towns, and I will grant it was merited." 56, 57. Gabiis-Fidenis] These towns were so deserted that they had passed into a proverb. See Sat. F ensure that ; in reach of the theatres ! Porticibusne tibi monstratur femina voto 60 but with- Digna tuo? Cuneis an habent spectacula totis, x. 109; and cf. Hor. Epist. i. 11. 7, "Gabiis desertior atque Fidenis vicus." 60. porticibus] The public porticoes round the Forum, Campus Martius, and elsewhere, which were resorted to both for business and recreation. Or the porticoes of the thermae may be meant. See note on Sat. vii. 233. 61. Cuneis] The "blocks," or compartments of seats at the theatre. They were called 'cunei,' because the benches were arranged in semicircular tiers rising one above the other; see note on Sat. iii. 154. The circumference was thus greater in the top tiers than at the bottom; and the rows of stairs which gave access to them divided the whole into compartments of the shape of a blunt wedge. 61-81.] "Will you find a blameless character among the spectators at the theatre? Why, they act farces themselves at home (67-70); or, worse still, admit the comedians to their favours." 67. aulaea rec. cessant] The dramatic performances were exhibited only at certain festivals; see line 69, also Sat. iii. 174. When they were over, the stage machinery was put away (recondita'), including of course the aulaea,' or curtain. The latter was technically called "siparium." It differed from our stage-curtain in being lowered by machinery under the floor, instead of lifted, at the commencement of the piece. See Hor. Ep. ii. 1. 189, 66 Quatuor, aut plures, aulaea premuntur in horas." When the piece was over, the 'siparium' was raised ;-where our curtain drops. ib. cessant] Rest. 68. foru] The law-courts. 69.j And there is the long break between the 'Plebeii ludi' and the Megalesia' (when the theatres will open again)." The Plebeii ludi' were in November, the Megalesia' in April. The former commemorated the termination of the dispute between the plebs and patricians, after the first secession of the former to the Mons Sacer. The Megalesia were the festival of Cybele, the usyan unτno: see notes on Sat. iii. 137, and Sat. xi. 191. 69, 70. tristes-Acci] "They are dull, and have private theatricals." 70. persona] "mask." ib. thyrsus] The pole carried by the Bacchanals;-here, of course, the dramatic thyrsus, carried by the dancers, who personated them. Its upper part terminated in a fir-cone, or a cone-shaped bunch of ivy and acanthus leaves. ib. subligar Acci] The drawers of Accius. He was a performer of the day, like Urbicus, Echion, and the other names in this passage. 71. exodio Atell.] See note on Sat. iii. 175. 71, 72. ris. movet-gestibus Autonoes] "draws down the house by his personation (lit. gestures) of Autonoe.' Pentheus, king of Thebes, disturbed the Bacchanals in their rites, and was torn to pieces by his mother Agave. His aunt Autonoë assisted. This was a favourite tragic subject (see Eurip. Bacchae'), and |