The Satires of Juvenal, Persius, Sulpicia, and Lucilius
And eat the dainty scrap on earthenware." Badham.
[695] _Gustus._ III., 93, "Quando omne peractum est, et jam defecit
nostrum mare, dum gula sævit, retibus assiduis penitus scrutante
macello proxima." The idea is probably from Seneca. "Quidquid avium
volitat, quidquid piscium natat, quidquid ferarum discurrit, nostris
sepelitur ventribus." Contr. V. pr. The Cœna consisted of three parts.
1. Gustus (Gustatio), or Promulsis. 2. Fercula: different courses. 3.
Mensæ Secundæ. The gustus contained dishes designed more to excite than
to satisfy hunger: vegetables, as the lactuca (Mart., xiii., 14), shell
and other fish, with piquant sauces: mulsum (Hor., ii., Sat. iv., 24.
Plin., i., Ep. 15). Cf. Bekker's Gallus, p. 466, 493. Vide ad Sat. vi.,
428.
[696] _Difficile_, i. e., "non dubitant." Vid. Schol. Not that they
"have _no difficulty_" in raising the money, as Crepereius Pollio
found. Cf. ix., 5.
[697] _Oppositis._ "Ager oppositus est pignori ob decem minas." Ter.,
Phorm., IV., iii., 56.
[698] _Fractâ._ "Broken, that the features may not be recognized:"
alluding probably to some well-known transaction of the time.
[699] _Quadringentis._ Cf. Suet., Vit., 13, "Nec cuiquam minus singuli
apparatus quadringentis millibus nummûm constiterunt."
[700] _Fictile._ III., 168, "Fictilibus cœnare pudet."
[701] _Miscellanea._ "A special diet-bread to advantage the combatants
at once in breath and strength." _Holyday._ It is said to have been a
mixture of cheese and flour; probably a kind of macaroni. "Gladiatoria
sagina." Tac., Hist., ii., 88. Prop., IV., viii., 25.
[702] _Ferratû._ XIV., 259, "Æratâ multus in arcâ fiscus." X., 25.
Hor., i., Sat. i., 67.
[703] _E cœlo._ This precept has been assigned to Socrates, Chilo,
Thales, Cleobulus, Bias, Pythagoras. It was inscribed in gold letters
over the portico of the temple of Delphi. Hence, perhaps, the notion
afterward, that it was derived immediately from heaven.
[704] _Conjugium._ Cf. Æsch., Pr. V., 890. Ov., Her., ix., 32, "Si qua
voles aptè nuberè nube pari."
[705] _Sacri._ "The undaunted spirit," says Gifford, "which could thus
designate the senate in those days of tyranny and suspicion, deserves
at least to be pointed out."
[706] _Thersites._ Cf. vii., 115: x., 84; viii., 269. Juvenal is very
fond of referring to this contest.
[707] _Traducebat._ II., 159, "Illuc heu miseri traducimur." VIII., 17,
"Squalentes traducit avos." It means literally "to expose to public
derision," a metaphor taken from leading malefactors through the forum
with their name and offense suspended from their neck. Cf. Suet., Tit.,
8. Mart., i., Ep. liv., 3, "Quæ tua traducit manifesto carmina furto."
VI., lxxvii., 5, "Rideris multoque magis traduceris afer Quam nudus
medio si spatiere foro." Grang. explains it "se risui exponebat: nec
enim arma Achillis Ulyssem decebant." Browne, "in which Ulysses cut a
doubtful figure." Others refer ancipitem to _loricam_; or place the
stop after _Ulysses_, and take ancip. with _causam_. Gifford omits the
passage altogether, as a tasteless interpolation of some Scholiast.
Dryden turns it,
"When scarce Ulysses had a good pretense,
With all th' advantage of his eloquence."
Badham:
"Which, at the peril of a soldier's fame,
The brave Ulysses scarcely dared to claim."
Hodgson:
"Thersites never could that armor bear,
Which e'en Ulysses hesitates to wear."
Britann. suggests that it may mean "his enemies doubted if he were
really Achilles or no." Facciol.: "in a doubtful frame of mind as to
whether they would become him or not."
[708] _Matho._ Cf. i., 39; vii., 129. Mart., iv., Ep. 80, 81. For
Curtius Montanus, see Tac., Ann., xvi., 48. Hist., iv., 42.
[709] _Mullum._ Gifford always renders this by "sur-mullet" «"mugilis"
being properly the mullet, of which Holyday gives a drawing, ad x.,
317»; Mr. Metcalfe, by "the sea-barbel." Cf. ad iv., 15.
"Nor doubt thy throat of mullets to amerce,
While scarce a gudgeon lingers in thy purse." Badham.
[710] _Crumenâ._ Properly "a bag or reticule to hang on the arm;" a
satchel to be hung over a boy's shoulder: then a purse suspended from
the girdle, like the "gypciére" of the Middle Ages:
"If thy throat widen as thy pockets shrink." Gifford.
[711] _Mersis._
"That deep abyss which every kind can hold,
Land, cattle, contract, houses, silver, gold." Badham.
[712] _Novissimus._ VI., 356, "Levibus athletis vasa novissima donat."
[713] _Pollio._ Probably the Crepereius Pollio mentioned Sat. ix.,
6, who could get no one to lend him money, though "triplicem usuram
præstare paratus."
[714] _Senectus_; exemplified in the story of Apicius above.
"Decrepit age far more than death they fear;
Nor thirst nor hunger haunt the silent bier." Hodgson.
[715] _Qui vertere solum._ Cic. pro Cæc., 34, "Qui volunt pœnam aliquam
subterfugere aut calamitatem, _solum vertunt_, hoc est sedem ac locum
mutant." Browne conjectures the meaning to be, "They who have parted
with their property by mortgage, and so _changed_ its owner."
[716] _Cedere foro_ is evidently explained, "to give one's creditors
the slip"--"to run away from justice"--"to abscond from 'Change"--"to
become bankrupt."
[717] _Ferventi._
"Lest Rome should grow too _warm_, from Rome they run." Dryden.
[718] _Circensibus._ Cf. iii., 223, "Si potes avelli Circensibus." vi.,
87, "utque magis stupeas ludos Paridemque reliquit." viii., 118, "Circo
scenæque vacantem." x., 80, "duas tantum res anxius optat Panem et
Circenses." All these passages show the infatuation of the Romans for
these games. Cf. Plin., Ep. ix., 6. Tac., Hist., i., 4; Ann., i., 2.
[719] _Uno._ It is not implied that they had the privilege of returning
at the end of a year, by a sort of statute of limitations, but only
that the loss of the games even for that short period was a greater
affliction than the forfeiture of all other privileges.
[720] _Siliquas_, from Hor. ii., Ep. i., 123, "Vivit siliquis et pane
secundo."
[721] _Pultes._ A mixture of coarse meal and water, seasoned with salt
and cheese; sometimes with an egg or honey added. It was long the food
of the primitive Romans, according to Pliny, xviii., 8, _seq._ It
probably resembled the macaroni, or "polenta," of the poor Italians
of the present day. Cf. Pers., iii., 55, "Juventus siliquis et grandi
pasta polentâ."
[722] _Evandrum._ The allusion is to Virg., Æn., viii., 100, _seq._;
228, 359, _seq._
"Come; and while fancy brings past times to view,
I'll think myself the king--the hero, you!" Gifford.
[723] _Alter aquis._ Æneas, drowned in the Numicius. Hercules, burned
on Mount Œta.
[724] _Fercula._ Cf. ad 14.
[725] _Macellis._ Virg., Georg., iv., 133, "Dapibus mensas onerabat
inemptis." Cf. Hor., ii., Sat. ii., 150, _seq._ The next 16 lines are
imitated from Mart., x., Ep. 48. Gifford says, "Martial has imitated
this bill of fare in Lib. x., 48." But his 10th Book was written
A.D. 99; and from line 203, it is evident this Satire was written in
Juvenal's old age, and therefore, in all probability, twenty years
later.
[726] _Asparagi_, called "corruda," Cato, de R. R., 6. The wild
asparagus is still very common on the Italian hills. Cf. Mart., Ep.
xiii., 21, "Inculti asparagi." See Sir William Hooker's note on
Badham's version.
[727] _Signia_, now "Segni" in Latium. Cf. Plin., xv., 15.--_Syrium._
The "Bergamot" pears are said to have been imported from Syria. Cf.
Mart., v., Ep. lxxviii., 13, "Et nomen pyra quæ ferunt Syrorum." Virg.,
Georg., ii., 88, "Crustumiis Syriisque pyris." Columella (lib. v., c.
10) calls them "Tarentina," because brought from Syria to Tarentum.
Others say they are the same as the Falernian.
[728] _Picenis._ Hor., ii., Sat. iv., 70, "Picenis cedunt pomis
Tiburtia succo, Nam facie præstant." And iii., 272, "Picenis excerpens
semina pomis." These apples were to be also from his Tiburtine farm:
the banks of the Anio being famous for its orchards. Hor., i., Od.
vii., 14, "Præceps Anio ac Tiburni lucus et uda mobilibus pomaria
vivis." Propert., IV., vii., 81, "Pomosis Anio quà spumifer incubat
arvis." Apples formed a very prominent part of the mensæ secundæ: hence
the proverb, "Ab ovo usque ad mala." Cf. Mart., x., 48, fin., "Saturis
mitia poma dabo." Cf. Sat. v., 150, _seq._, where apples "qualia
perpetuus Phæacum Autumnus habebat" form the conclusion of Virro's
dinner. Cf. Mart., iii., Ep. 50.
[729] _Curius_ was found by the Samnite embassadors preparing his dish
of turnips over the fire with his own hands. Cic., de Sen., xvi.
"Senates more rich than Rome's first senates were,
In days of yore desired no better fare." Badham.
[730] _Vulvâ._ "Nul vulvâ pulchrius amplâ." Hor., i., Ep. xv., 41. For
a description of this loathsome dainty, vid. Plin., xi., 37, 84. Cf.
Mart., Ep. xiii., 56.
[731] _Maturius._
"For feasts like these would quit the mountain's soil,
And snatch an hour from customary toil." Badham.
[732] _Fabios._ Q. Fabius Maximus Rullianus, censor A.U.C. 449, obliged
his colleague, P. Decius, to allow him to administer his office with
all its pristine severity.
[733] _Fabricios._ Cf. ad ix., 142.
[734] _Testudo._ Cf. vi., 80, "Testudineo conopeo;" xiv., 308, "ebore
et lata testudine."
"Which future times were destined to employ,
To build rare couches for the sons of Troy." Badham.
[735] _Vile coronati._ Henninius suggests _vite_. The ass, by browsing
on the vine, and thereby rendering it more luxuriant, is said to have
first given men the idea of pruning the tendrils. Cf. Paus., ii., 38.
Hyg., F., 274. The ass is always found, too, in connection with Silenus.
[736] _Nescius._
"Till at the soldier's foot her treasures lay,
Who knew not half the riches of his prey." Hodgson.
[737] _Phaleris_: xvi., 60. Florus says Phaleræ were introduced from
Etruria together with curule chairs, trabeæ, prætextæ, etc. Vid. Liv.,
xxxix., 31. Plin., vii., 28, 9, says Siccius Dentatus had 25 phaleræ
and 83 torques. Sil., xv., 254. Cf. Virg., Æn., ix., 359. Suet., Aug.,
25; Ner., 33.
[738] _Venientis._ Supposed to be a representation of Mars hovering in
the air, and just about to alight by the sleeping Rhea Sylvia. The god
is _armed_, because the conventional manner of representing him was by
the distinction of his "framea" and "clypeus." See Addison's note in
Gifford.
[739] _In armis._
"Then all their wealth was on their armor spent,
And war engross'd the pride of ornament." Hodgson.
[740] _Lividulus._
"Yet justly worth your envy, were your breast
But with one spark of noble spleen possess'd." Gifford.
[741] _Præsentior._ Cf. iii., 18, "Quanto _præsentius_ esset Numen
aquæ." Virg., Ec., i., 42, "Nec tam præsentes alibi cognoscere Divos."
Georg., i., 10, "Præsentia Numina Fauni." Hor., iii., Od. v., 2,
"Præsens Divus habebitur Augustus."
[742] _Vox._ "M. Cædicius de plebe nunciavit tribunis, se in Novâ Viâ,
ubi nunc sacellum est, suprà sedem Vestæ vocem noctis silentio audîsse
clariorem humanâ quæ magistratibus dici juberet 'Gallos adventare.'"
"Invisitato atque inaudito hoste ab oceano terrarumque ultimis oris
bellum ciente." Liv., v., 32, 3, 7, 50. Cic., de Div., ii., "At
paullo post audita _vox est monentis_ ut providerent ne a Gallis Roma
caperetur: ex eo Aio loquenti aram in novâ viâ consecratam." Cf. Plut.
in Vit. Camill.
[743] _Fictilis._ Cf. Sen., Ep. 31, "Cogita illos quum propitii essent
fictiles fuisse."
[744] _Arbore._ Cf. Mart., xiv., Ep. xc., "Non sum crispa quidem nec
sylvæ filia Mauræ, sed nôrunt lautas et mea ligna dapes." Cf. Sat.
i., 75, 137; iv., 132. The extravagance of the Romans on their tables
is almost incredible. Pliny says that Cicero himself, who accuses