Page images
PDF
EPUB

character.

76

Gestibus Autonoes: hunc diligit Aelia pauper.
Accipis uxorem, de qua citharoedus Echion
Aut Glaphyrus fiat pater, Ambrosiusque choraules.
Longa per angustos figamus pulpita vicos,
Ornentur postes et grandi janua lauro,

Ut testudineo tibi, Lentule, conopeo

80

Nobilis Euryalum mirmillonem exprimat infans. Sketches Nupta Senatori comitata est Hippia ludium of female Ad Pharon et Nilum famosaque moenia Lagi, Prodigia et mores Urbis damnante Canopo. Immemor illa domus et conjugis atque sororis, 85 Nil patriae indulsit, plorantesque improba natos,

Hippia.

probably had been travestied in some farce of the day.

72-75.] "As he (Urbicus) only performs in low comedy, Aelia, poor as she is, can afford to fall in love with him. It is only an Hispulla (some wealthy lady) who can aspire to a tragedian." The actors were not only made love to, but paid for it.

76. de qua]" by whom." 77. fiat pater] transl. " 'may be come a father:" i. e. merely that he

may.

78-81.]" Go, celebrate your nuptials with all splendour; and find, by and by, some gladiator's child in your wife's cradle."

78. pulpita] Stages erected for the entertainments given in honour of the marriage.

79.] See note on 1. 51, 52. 80. conopeo] Here, a child's cradle with a head;-the present "bercelonette."66 Testudineo," tortoiseshell.

ib. Lentule] Used for any one of noble birth. Nobilis" is of course ironical.

81. mirmillonem] The "mirmillo" was the gladiator usually pitted with the 'retiarius; see Sat. viii. 200. The name arose from the figure of a fish, uopμúpos, which they are said to have worn on their helmets.

ib. exprimat] "reproduce in feature."

82. Senatori] The Fabricius Veiento of Sat. iii. 185, iv. 113 seqq. See 1. 113 of this Satire.

ib. ludium] i. e. Sergius, 1. 105. The original meaning of 'ludius' is an actor of pantomime. It would seem however from this passage, compared with 11. 110-114, and 1. 266, that the term had now come to comprise gladiators Unless indeed the name was Ludius Sergius, in which case it should have a capital. The last syllable is elided before the initial vowel in 1. 83.

83. famosaque moen. L.] i. e. Alexandria. By 'Lagi' is said to be meant Ptolemy I., the well-known general of Alexander, and his successor in his Aegyptian dominions. He was usually called Ptolemaeus Lagi, sub. 'filius;' from his reputed father Lagus. This is sometimes loosely written Ptolemaeus Lagus, of which Lagi here would be the genitive. But perhaps it is better to take Lagi here for the father himself, used for all his descendants the Ptolemies; i. e. the Lagidae.

ib. famosa] Here "famous." The word means any thing which people talk of, and hence, either famous or (as it more frequently is) "infamous."

84. Canopo] Even Canopus. See Sat. xv. 46. "Urbis," i. e. Rome. Prodigia:" cf. Sat. ii. 121-123. Its crimes amounted to portents.

Utque magis stupeas, Paridem ludosque reliquit.
Sed quamquam in magnis opibus plumaque paterna
Et segmentatis dormisset parvula cunis,

90

Contemsit pelagus: famam contemserat olim,
Cujus apud molles minima est jactura cathedras.
Tyrrhenos igitur fluctus lateque sonantem
Pertulit Ionium constanti pectore, quamvis
Mutandum toties esset mare. Justa pericli
Si ratio est et honesta, timent pavidoque gelantur
Pectore, nec tremulis possunt insistere plantis: 96
Fortem animum praestant rebus, quas turpiter
audent.

Si jubeat conjux, durum est conscendere navim ;
Tunc sentina gravis, tunc summus vertitur aer.
Quae moechum sequitur, stomacho valet.

maritum

Illa

100

Convomit haec inter nautas et prandet, et errat
Per puppem, et duros gaudet tractare rudentes.
Qua tamen exarsit forma, qua capta juventa est
Hippia? quid vidit, propter quod ludia dici
Sustinuit? Nam Sergiolus jam radere guttur 105

87. Paridem] A famous actor of pantomime under Domitian, with whom he acquired great influence. Ultimately however he was put to death by the emperor for an intrigue with Domitia.

ib. ludosque] See note on Sat. iii. 223.

88. plum. pat.] See note on Sat. i. 159.

89. segmentatis] Having a flounce or fringe attached. See note on Sat. ii. 124, "Segmenta et longos habitus."

90. famam] Reputation.

91. apud molles-cathedras] See Sat. i. 65, and note on Sat. i. 32. "Among the rich and luxurious."

93. Ionium] sub. 66 pontum." "Mare" would be more usual, but it sometimes requires the masculine. 94. mutandum-mare] “though so many different seas (the Tyrrhenum, Siculum, Ionium, &c.) had to be

crossed.'

[ocr errors]

95. timent] scil. "feminae."

[ocr errors]

99. summus vertitur aer] "They are troubled with vertigo."" Lit. "the sky (upper air) turns round with them." Summus," "i. e. 'superne.' Cf. Virg. Georg. ii. 123, summus aer arboris," for cacumen. For "sentina" see Dict.

[ocr errors]

100. Illa] The former; i. e. the wife of 1. 98, travelling with her husband.

100, 101. marit. convomit] transl. "spoils her husband's clothes." 101. huec] The latter; i. e. the adulteress eloping.

104. ludia] Gladiator's wife. Cf. 1. 266.

105, 106. jam-coeperat] chicken."

[ocr errors]

was no

The Romans did not shave at all until the 'toga virilis' was assumed; see Sat. iii. 186. Even then the beard was not rasa,' but tonsa ; clipped with scissors." The period for shaving close (radere) was not until 40.

66

Messali

na.

Coeperat, et secto requiem sperare lacerto.
Praeterea multa in facie deformia, sicut
Adtritus galea mediisque in naribus ingens
Gibbus, et acre malum semper stillantis ocelli.
Sed gladiator erat: facit hoc illos Hyacinthos; 110
Hoc pueris patriaeque, hoc praetulit illa sorori
Atque viro. Ferrum est, quod amant. Hic Ser-
gius idem

Accepta rude coepisset Veiento videri.

Quid privata domus, quid fecerit Hippia, curas?Respice rivales Divorum ;-Claudius audi

115

Quae tulerit. Dormire virum quum senserat uxor,
Ausa Palatino tegetem praeferre cubili,
Sumere nocturnos, meretrix Augusta, cucullos,
Linquebat comite ancilla non amplius una,
Et nigrum flavo crinem abscondente galero,
Intravit calidum veteri centone lupanar
Et cellam vacuam atque suam.

pillis

120

Tunc nuda pa

Constitit auratis, titulum mentita Lyciscae ;

106. secto] Wounded with frequent encounters.

109. semper st. oc.] In surgical language, "a weeping eye."

110. fucit hoc illos] "It is this fact which makes these (Sergii)..

[ocr errors]

ib. Hyacinthos] From the story of Hyacinthus, Apollo's beautiful favourite. We say "an Adonis."

113. accepta rude] A discharged gladiator was presented with a wooden sword (rudis). Hence "rude donatus," Hor. Ep. i. 1. 2. He was hence called 'rudiarius.'

ib. coepisset V. vid.] "Would have been as unattractive as her husband."

115. Resp. riv. Div.] "See what competitors in their wives' embraces the gods (emperors) themselves have. The apotheosis, or deification of the deceased emperors is well known. Hence (by a still greater stretch of flattery) "praesens divus habebitur Augustus," Hor. Od. iii. 5. 2. Here the term is of course used with the keenest irony.

[blocks in formation]

117. Palatino] See note on Sat. iv. 31.

ib. tegetem] "The bare mat of the brothel.'

118. mer. Augusta] an harlot empress." Sumere is in appos. with 'praeferre' For 'cucullos see Dict. Ant. Cf. Sat. viii. 145.

119. linquebat] sub. "virum." 120. galero]"false hair;" see Sat. viii. 208.

121. calidum] "reeking." ib. veteri centone] "with its worn coverlid." Unless centone' means the curtain before the cell.

123. constitit] "stood for her hire."

123, 124. papillis-auratis] "her breasts hung with gold." This seems to have been the usage of prostitutes.

123. Lyciscae] Some low woman of the town.

The rich

wife.

The pretty and expensive wife.

Mox, lenone suas jam dimittente puellas,
Tristis abit; sed, quod potuit, tamen ultima cellam
Clausit ;-

Obscurisque genis turpis, fumoque lucernae
Foeda, lupanaris tulit ad pulvinar odorem.
Hippomanes carmenque loquar, coctumque ve-

66

nenum

140

Privignoque datum ?-Faciunt graviora coactae
Imperio sexus, minimumque libidine peccant. 135
Optima sed quare Cesennia teste marito ?"-
Bis quingenta dedit; tanti vocat ille pudicam,
Nec pharetris Veneris macer est aut lampade fervet:
Inde faces ardent: veniunt a dote sagittae.
Libertas emitur: coram licet innuat atque
Rescribat, vidua est, locuples quae nupsit avaro.
"Cur desiderio Bibulae Sertorius ardet ?-
Si verum excutias, facies, non uxor amatur.
Tres rugae subeant, et se cutis arida laxet,
Fiant obscuri dentes, oculique minores;
Collige sarcinulas, dicet libertus, et exi:

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

133. Hippomanes] See note on 1. 616 of this Satire. Carmen,' i. e. "carmina;" "incantations.' 134. privignoque datum] See lines 627, 628, and note.

136.] Ursidius speaks. 137-141] Juvenal's reply. 137 seqq. dedit] "brought as her 'dos.' That is the reason her husband praises her. She has purchased his good word, and her own freedom from restraint." For bis quingenta,' see note on Sat. i. 106.

138.]"Without being in the least

degree in love."

[ocr errors]

145

139. inde] "from the 'bis quingenta.""

ib. faces-sagittae] "The torch and arrows of his passion." 140. Libertas] i. e. Cesennia's. The licence to do as she likes.

ib. coram] sub. "marito." Sat. i. 56, 57.

So

140, 141. innuat-rescribat] "may nod or write answers to her lover." 141. vidua] i. e. free to do as she pleases.

[ocr errors]

142 seqq.] Ursidius again speaks. 'Surely though, Sertorius loves Bibula for her own sake." "No," Juvenal answers (143-148), "it is the face only, not the wife he cares for. Let her grow old and ugly, and she will be divorced at once."

145. obscuri] Discoloured.

146. collige-exi] i. e. he informs her that she is divorced. The technical phrase in a divortium' (or 'repudium') was "Res tuas tibi habe;" i. e. the Dos brought by the

149

Jam gravis es nobis, et saepe emungeris; exi
Ocius, et propera: sicco venit altera naso.
Interea calet et regnat, poscitque maritum
Pastores et ovem Canusinam ulmosque Falernas ;-
Quantulum in hoc ?-pueros omnes, ergastula tota:
Quodque domi non est (et habet vicinus) ematur.
Mense quidem brumae, quum jam mercator Jason
Clausus, et armatis obstat casa candida nautis,
Grandia tolluntur crystallina, maxima rursus
Murrhina, deinde adamas notissimus et Beronices.
In digito factus pretiosior: hunc dedit olim.
Barbarus incestae, dedit hunc Agrippa sorori,

wife. She was entitled to a return of this in full, where the divorce was not the result of her own misconduct Here the freedman (whose presence as a witness was required by the Lex Julia') insolently words it as "collige sarcinulas," "pack up your traps." 147. et saepe emung.] "And you do use your handkerchief rather often."

148. sicco-naso] "Some one who has not a standing catarrh." 149. Interea] While her beauty lasts.

ib. calet] "is hot upon it;" i. e. looks alive for her own interest.

66

150.] "Apulian sheep-walks, and Falernian vineyards." The Apulian wool was famous. See Sat. ix. 55. Canusium was a town of Apulia 151. pueros-tota] every slave he has, his whole farm labourers." The 'ergastulum' was a private convict-station ("carcer rusticus," Sat. xiv. 24) for runaway or incorrigible slaves, who worked in the fields in chains. Cf. Sat. viii 180; also Hor. Sat. ii. 7. 118, "accedes opera agro nona Sabino."

153, 154. Mense-nautis] i. e. at the feast of the Saturnalia, which was held in the "winter month," December. It was holiday-time; and booths were erected in public places for the sale of small toys for presents. These were called 'sigilla' (dimin. from 'signa'); and the two

155

last days of the festival were called 'Sigillaria' from them. One favourite site for these booths was the ' porticus Argonautarum' It was erected by Agrippa, and adorned with frescoes representing the exploits of Jason and his fellow-voyagers. While the booths were up, these frescoes were concealed;-mercator Jason' was shut up (clausus), and the white booth blocked out his crew.

The above is the Scholiast's statement. It is probably an entire myth; but that is his concern. The alternative of taking "casa candida" for the snow-whitened cot of winter would be pitiable.

155. tolluntur] must be purchased for her.' Lit. "taken off." These purchases are of course not made at the humble booths of the sigilla,' but at the regular shops. She has her own costly version of the festival.

[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »