Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookatrum Cato severe venisti?"» In this metre he so bitterly satirized them that they hanged themselves, as Lycambes had done, in consequence of the ridicule of Archilochus. Hence Horace, vi., Epod. 13, "Qualis Lycambæ spretus infido gener Aut acer hostis Bupalo." Pliny (H. N., xxxvi., 5) treats the whole story as mythical. Cf. Mart., i., Ep. 97, for some good specimens, and Catull., xxxix. Another form of Choliambic verse is the substitution of an Antibacchius for the final Iamb.: e. g., "Remitte pallium mihi quod involasti." Catull., xxv. Two of Hipponax's verses may be seen, Strabo, lib. xiv., c. 1. [1559] _Cætera._ From the high compliment paid to her chastity and poetical powers by Martial, it is probable that Sulpicia had composed many poems before the present Satire. From the metre Martial chooses for his complimentary effusion, and from the testimony of the old Scholiast, it is probable these verses were in Hendecasyllabics; or at all events in some lyrical metre. There was a poetess named Cornificia in the time of Augustus, who wrote some good Epigrams. She was the sister of Cornificius, the reputed enemy of Virgil (vid. Clinton, F. H., in ann. B.C. 41), but as she was not a _lyrical_ poetess, Sulpicia claims the palm to herself. [1560] _Constanter._ The subject is too serious and solemn for lyrical poetry; she therefore employs the dignity of Heroic verse. So Juvenal, iv., 34, "Incipe Calliope--non est _cantandum_, res vera agitur, narrate puellæ Pierides." [1561] _Descende._ Cf. Hor., iii., Od. iv., 1, "_Descende_ cœlo et _dic_ age tibiâ Regina longum _Calliope_ melos." Calliope, as the Muse of _Heroic_ poetry, holds the chief place. (Cf. Auson., Id. xx., 7, "Carmina Calliope libris Heroïca mandat.") Hence "Princeps." So Hesiod, Theog., 79, Καλλιόπη θ' ἣ δὲ προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων. Dionys., Hymn, i., 6, Μουσῶν προκαθηγέτι τερπνῶν. The poets assign different provinces to the different Muses. According to some, Calliope is the Muse of Amatory poetry. [1562] _Ille._ So Virg., Æn., ii., 779, "Aut _ille_ sinit regnator Olympi." [1563] _Patria Sæcula._ The age of Saturn, when men lived in primæval barbarism, and all cultivation and refinement was unknown. Compare the first twelve lines of Juvenal's sixth Satire. Ov., Met., i., 113. [1564] _Procumbere._ Cf. ad Prol. Pers., i. [1565] _Glandibus._ Ov., Met., i., 106, "Et quæ deciderant patula Jovis arbore glandes." Lucret., v., 937, "Glandiferas inter curabant corpora quercus." Virg., Georg., i., 8, 148. Ov., Am., III., x., 9. Juv., vi., 10. Sulpicia had probably in view the passage in Horace, i., Sat. iii., 99," Cum _prorepserunt primis_ animalia _terris, Mutum_ et turpe pecus _glandem_ atque cubilia propter," etc. [1566] _Exturbat._ A technical phrase, "eject." Cf. Cic. pro Rosc., 8, "Nudum ejicit domo atque focis patriis, Diisque penatibus præcipitem _exturbat_." Plaut., Trin., IV., iii., 77. Ov., Met., xv., 175. Tac., Ann., xi., 12. [1567] _Remuli_: the other readings are Remi, and Romi. Cf. Juv., x., 73, "Turba Remi." Alumnus is properly a "foundling." Cf. Plin., x. Epist., 71, 72. [1568] _Agitata._ As though the wars carried on within the peninsula of Italy had served only to train the Romans in that military discipline by which they were to subjugate the world. This universal dominion having been attained, Rome rested from her labors, like the conqueror left alone in his glory, in the Grecian games; and having no more enemies against whom she could turn her arms, had sheathed her sword and applied herself to the arts of Peace. This seems the most probable interpretation. Dusa proposes to read Cætera _quæ_, for Cætera_que_, and to place the line as a parenthesis after _socialibus armis_: but with the sense given in the text, the substitution is unnecessary. He supposes also Victor to apply to a _horse_ that has grown old in the contests of the circus; the allusion would surely be more simple to a conqueror in the Pentathlon. The reading _exiit_ is followed in preference to _exilit_ or _exigit_. [1569] _Graia inventa._ So Livy dates the first introduction of a fondness for the products of Greek art from the taking of Syracuse by Marcellus: lib. xxv., 48, "Inde primum initium mirandi Græcarum artium opera." Cf. xxxiv., 4. Hor., ii., Epist. i., 156, "Græcia capta ferum victorem cepit et artes intulit agresti Latio." [1570] _Molli ratione._ Virg., Æn., vi., 852, "Hæ tibi erunt artes: pacisque imponere morem, Parcere subjectis et debellare superbos." [1571] _Aut frustra._ An anacoluthon, as the old Scholiast remarks; stabat evidently referring to Roma. Cf. 1. 50, "An magis adversis _staret_." [1572] _Diespiter_, i. e., Diei pater. Macrob., Sat., i., 15. Hor., iii., Od. ii., 29. [1573] _Imperium._ Virg., Æn., i., 279. It is in Jupiter's speech to _Venus_, not to Juno, that the line occurs. [1574] _Res Romanas imperat inter._ A line untranslatable as it stands. Various remedies have been proposed--rex for res, temperat for imperat, impar for inter, Romanos for Romanas. Rex being, like dominus, generally used in a _bad_ sense by the Romans, rex Romanos imperat inter would imply the excessive oppression of Domitian's tyranny. Dusa suggests _rex Romanis temperat inter_ (taking interrex as one word divided by tmesis), and supposes Sulpicia meant to assert, that as his reign was to be so briefly brought to a close, he could only be looked upon in the light of an Interrex. [1575] _Hominum._ As though the Greeks alone deserved the name of men, and the praise of humanity and refinement. [1576] _Galli._ Alluding to the old legend of Brennus casting his sword into the scale, with the words "Væ victis!" in answer to the remonstrance of the tribune Q. Sulpicius. Liv., v., 48, 9. "Ensibus" is preferred to the old reading, "Lancibus." Capitolinus was properly the agnomen of M. Manlius. Camillus is probably so called here from his appointing the collegium to celebrate the Ludi Capitolini, in honor of Jupiter for his preserving the Capitol. Vid. Liv., v., 50. May there not be a bitter sarcasm in the epithet? It was only four years before he expelled the philosophers, that Domitian instituted the Capitoline games. Suet., Vit., 4. (Vid. Chronology.) [1577] _Palare dicuntur._ Wernsdorf adopts this reading; but it is perhaps the only instance of the _active_ form of palare: and _dicuntur_ is very weak. [1578] _Rhodio._ The old readings were "Rhoido," which is unintelligible, and that of the old Scholiast, "Rudio," who refers it to Ennius, born at Rudiæ in Calabria. (Cf. ad Pers., vi., 10.) The _Rhodian_ is Panætius; he was sprung from distinguished ancestors, many of whom had served the office of general. He studied under Crates, Diogenes, and Antipater of Tarsus. The date of his birth and death are unknown. He was probably introduced by Diogenes to Scipio, who sent for him from Athens to accompany him in his embassy to Egypt, B |