Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookNow since this is not so, how can we believe that any riches whatever could satisfy desire? 3 ... just as when the dealer has produced his first fresh figs, and in the early season gives only a few for an exorbitant price.[1669] 4 For one and the same pain and distress is.... by all-- 5 ... if his body remained as strong.... as the sentiments of the writer's heart continue true.... 6 Say when force compels you to penetrate gradually through the seams of the crannies, in the darkness of night.[1670] 7 Since you alone, in my great sorrow and distress, and in my extremity of difficulty, proved yourself a haven of safety to me--[1671] 8 He was, I think, the only one who watched over me; and when he seemed to me to be doing that, he laid snares for me![1672] 9 ... 10 Still it is allowed that one of the ancients, an old man of the same years, Tiresias, fell. 11 Look not to the rostrum and feet of the prætor elect.[1673] 12 Lælius says, that though poor, he discharges important offices.[1674] 13 The onion-man, become blear-eyed by constantly eating acrid tear-bringing onions.[1675] 14 The Endive besides, stretching out with feet like horses--[1676] 15 The tear-producing onion also, with its lacryimose shells in due succession--[1677] 16 ... a pitcher and a long bowl with two handles--[1678] 17 Go on and prosper with your virtue, say I, and with these verses. 18 Too genial Ceres fails; nor do the people set bread. 19 ... bade the flat-nosed herd (of Nereus) frolic.[1679] 20 when he determined to lead out the guard from the camp.[1680] 21 he was the elder: we can not do all things--[1681] 22 ... the guard of the fleet, catapultas, darts, spears.[1682] 23 ... whether you may be able to get off, or the day must be further postponed.[1683] 24 ... meanwhile his breast is thick with bristles 25 ... and spreads legs beneath legs[1684] 26 ... porridge dressed with fat.[1685] 27 ... the basket with its treacherous heap. 28 ... dashed a wooden trencher on his head--[1686] FOOTNOTES: [1669] Read perhaps _primus_ for _primas_. "He who is the first to bring his figs into the market," and therefore, as it were, _forestalls_ others, which "propola" seems to imply. [1670] _Rimarum._ Cf. Juv., iii., 97. Plaut., Cas., V., ii., 23. [1671] The whole passage is corrupt. Gerlach's emendation is followed, with the exception of reading _sanè_ for _sanus_. _Creperus_ is equivalent to anceps, dubius. Cf. Lucr., v., 1296, "creperi certamina belli." Pacuv., Dulorest, Fr. 19, "Non vetet animum ægritudine in _re creperâ_ confici." [1672] _Retia._ Cf. Propert., El. III., viii., 37, "qui nostro nexisti retia lecto." [1673] See argument. [1674] Cf. book iv., Fr. 1-6. Cic., de Off., ii., 17. [1675] _Cæparius_ implies "one very fond of onions," as well as the dealer in that article. [1676] Probably alluding to the wide-spreading fibres of the Intyba. "Amaris intyba fibris." Virg., Georg., i., 120; iv., 20; where Martyn explains it as Succory in the former passage, Endive in the latter. [1677] _Tallæ_ are the several successive hulls or shells of the onion, κρομμύου λέπυρον. Cf. Theoc., v., 95. [1678] _Mixtarius._ Any vessel in which wine and water were mixed for drinking. κρατήρ. [1679] No doubt "dolphins" are meant; and with almost equal certainty we may assert that Lucilius is parodying a line of Pacuvius quoted by Quintilian (i., c. 5), "Nerei repandirostrum incurvicervicum pecus." But the reading of the line is very doubtful. Corpet, after Balth. Venator, reads, _nasi_ rostrique. D'Achaintre follows the old reading, _jussit_. Gerlach reads nisi, but suggests _simum_ (but without quoting Pliny, which would confirm his conjecture, vid. H. N., IX., viii., 7, "dorsum repandum, rostrum _simum_"). Lucil., vii., Fr. 9, "Simat nares delphinus ut olim." May not _nisi_, after all, be a corruption of _Nerei_? Cf. Hor., Od., I., ii., 7. Virg., Georg., iv., 395, "_Lascivum Nerei simum pecus_." Liv. Andron., Fr. 3, ed. Bothe, Lips., 1834. Pacuv., Dulorest., Fr. 26. [1680] For _cernere_ used for _decernere_, see Plaut., Cist., I., i.; 1. Varro, L. L., vi., 5. Cic, Leg., iii., 3. Catull., lxiv., 150. Senec, Ep., lviii., 2. Virg., Æn., xii., 709. See Argument. [1681] Cf. Virg., Ecl., viii., 63. [1682] Read _Catapultas, tela_. The difference between the Catapulta and the Ballista seems to have been, that the former was used for shooting bolts or short spears, the latter for projecting large stones. The _Sarissa_ was a very long spear. (Liv., ix., 19: xxxviii., 7. Polyæn., Str., iv., 11.) It was the peculiar weapon of the Macedonians. Ov., Met., xii., 466. Lucan, viii., 298: x., 47. [1683] _Elabi_ is elegantly applied to those who, though really guilty, get off by some artifice or by bribery. Cic, Act., i., Verr., 11. Ver., i., 34; ii., 58. _Diem prodere._ Ter., And., II., i., 13, "Impetrabo ut aliquot saltem nuptiis prodat dies." Liv., xxv., 13, "alia prodita dies." [1684] Hor., i., Sat. ii., 126. [1685] _Puls_ is a mixture of coarse meal and water seasoned with salt and cheese, or with eggs and honey; the modern _polenta_ or macaroni. Vid. Juv., vii., 185; xi., 58. Persius complains that the haymakers were grown so luxurious as to spoil it by mixing thick unguents with it: vi., 40. _Adipatus._ "Adipe conditus." Balbi Gloss. Cf. Juv., vi., 631, "Livida materno fervent adipata veneno." [1686] _Scutella_, dimin. of _Scutra_. Any broad flat vessel for holding _puls_ or vegetables, probably often _square_, like our trenchers. Hence the checked dresses in Juvenal are called "scutulata," ii., 97. BOOK VI. ARGUMENT. Schoenbeck considers the subject of this book to have been an attack upon the crafty and dishonest tricks of pleaders in the forum. Gerlach sees in it little more than Lucilius' favorite theme, the exposure of vile and sordid avarice. The miser's anxious alarm for the safety of his money-bags (Hor., i., Sat. i., 70, "Congestis undique saccis indormis inhians"), which he can not bear out of his sight, and from which no earthly power can tear him away (Fr. 1, 2), the miserable appliances of his scanty furniture, and the absence of any thing approaching to luxury, or even comfort, form the first portion of the Satire. The remaining Fragments seem rather to apply to the manners of the nobles. Their insolent disregard of the feelings of others (Fr. 4), their unbridled licentiousness, their arrogance of look and bearing, and haughty contempt of all union with plebeians, are depicted in very bold language. Yet these same men are described as condescending to the most servile and fulsome flattery in courting the favor of these same plebeians, when such condescension is necessary to advance their own ambitious schemes. The extravagant gesture and overstrained language of some bad orator is then described (Fr. 3), which Gerlach considers to apply to one of these patricians when pleading |