Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookure of stones, gravel, and rubble, cemented together with lime, used by the Romans as a substratum for a path or pavement. Cat., R. R., 18. Plin., xxxvi., 25. Cf. Liv., xli., 27, "Vias sternendas silice in Urbe glareâ extra Urbem locaverunt." Tibull., I., viii., 59. [1753] This Fragment is most probably connected with Fr. 3, as both strigosus and bovinator are applied to beasts who refuse to move; and hence to persons who use all kinds of artifices to avoid the payment of their just debts. [1754] Cf. vi., 13; x., 4. BOOK XII. ARGUMENT. The extant Fragments of this book are too few and too varied in their matter to enable us to form any definite idea of the general subject. From a passage in Diomedes (lib. iii, p. 483), which contains the seventh Fragment, Schoenbeck supposes it must have referred to scenic matters; which conjecture he considers farther strengthened by the first Fragment. (Cf. Plaut., Pers., I., iii, 78.) But, as Gerlach observes, "Chorage" in this passage can hardly be understood in its primitive sense, since it is coupled with the word "Quæstore;" and as the quæstors had nothing to do with the Ludi Scenici, except when it fell to them to take the place of the prætors or ædiles, this office could hardly be reckoned among their positive or regular duties. 1 ... that this man stands in need of some quæstor and choragus to furnish gold at the public expense, and from the treasury. 2 ... a hundred yoke of mules, with one strong pull, could not drag him.[1755] 3 Let this be fixed firmly and equally in your breast.... 4 ... he is remarkable for bandy-legged and shriveled shanks.[1756] 5 ... of what advantages I deprived myself.[1757] 6 I agreed with the man. 7 At the Liberalia, among the Athenians on the festal day[1758] of father Liber, wine used to be given to the singers instead of a crown-- 8 ... whatever had happened while I and my brother were boys. 9 ... wrinkled and full of famine. FOOTNOTES: [1755] Cf. vi., 2. [1756] _Petilis_ is derived by Dacier from πέταλον: i. e., withered and shriveled up like a dead leaf. [1757] _Decollare_, in its primitive sense, is "to decapitate;" then simply "to deprive." [1758] This Fragment is given just as it stands in Diomedes (see Arg.), without any attempt on the part of editors or commentators to reduce it to the form of a verse. The whole passage stands thus in the original: "Alii a vino tragœdiam dictam arbitrantur: proptereà quod olim dictabatur τρύξ, à quo τρύγητος hodieque vindemia est, quia 'Liberalibus, apud Atticos, die festo Liberi patris vinum cantoribus pro Corollario dabatur' cujus rei testis est Lucilius in duodecimo." "Others think that Tragedy is so called from wine, because the ancient term was τρύξ; whence even at the present day the vintage is called τρυγητός." For the Attic Dionysia see the second vol. of the Philological Museum. «Probably, like the Sigillaria in lib. vii., Fr. 4, the festival was described by some circumlocution, the whole word being inadmissible into a verse.» BOOK XIII. ARGUMENT. The Fragments of this book, as well as of the twelfth, are too few to admit of any opinion being satisfactorily arrived at with respect to its subject. Schoenbeck supposes it was directed against sumptuous extravagance and luxurious banquets. Petermann adopts the same view. Gerlach, though he considers the Fragments so vague that they might support any hypothesis, allows that this conjecture is tenable, as the third, fifth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh appear to "savor of the kitchen." 1 Or to conquer in war altogether by chance and fortune; if it is entirely by chance and at random, that any one arrives at the highest distinction.[1759] 2 ... to whom fortune has assigned an equal position, and chance their destiny. 3 The same thing occurs at supper. You will give oysters bought for a thousand sesterces. 4 ... sets them to engage with one another in fierce conflict.[1760] 5 In the first place, let all banquetings and company be done away with.[1761] 6 Add shoes from Syracuse, a bag of leather....[1762] 7 ... one only, out of many, who has intellect.... 8 ... as he is styled skilless in whom there is no skill.[1763] 9 and not so poor as ... a chipped dish of Samian pottery.[1764] 10 ... for as soon as we recline at a table munificently heaped up at great expense.... 11 ... the same food at the feast, as the banquet of almighty Jove....[1765] FOOTNOTES: [1759] Nonius draws this distinction between Fors and Fortuna: _fors_ simply expresses "the accidents of temporal affairs, as opposed to providence or design." _Fortuna_ is "the personification of these in the form of the goddess." In the text Gerlach's conjecture is followed instead of the reading of the MSS., which is quite unintelligible: "Si forte ac temerè omnino quis summum ad honorem perveniat." Cf. Pacuv. in Hermiona, "Quo impulerit fors eò cadere Fortunam autumant." [1760] _Cernit_, i. e., "disponit." Nonius. Cf. v., Fr. 29, "Postquam præsidium castris educere crevit." [1761] _Dominia._ As dominus is put for the "master of the feast," so dominium is used for the banquet itself (lib. vi., Fr. 7; Sall., Hist., iii., "In imo medius inter Tarquinium et _dominum_ Perpenna;" Cic., Vatin., xiii., "Epuli dominus Q. Arrius"), or for the office of the giver of the banquet. Cicero uses Magisteria in the same sense. Senect., c. 14. It is also put for "the _place_ where a banquet is held." Cic., Ver., II., iii., 4. _Sodalitium_ is properly a banquet celebrated by "Sodales," i. e., persons associated in the same religious cultus. [1762] _Pasceolum_, "a leathern bag or purse," marsupium, from φάσκωλον. Suid. Plaut, Rud., V., ii., 27, "prætereà centum Denaria Philippea in pasceolo seorsum." _Aluta._ Vid. ad Juv., xiv., 282. [1763] _Iners._ Cf. Cic., de Fin., "Lustremus animo has maximas _artes_, quibus qui carebant _inertes_ à majoribus nominabantur." [1764] Cf. ad lib. vii., Fr. 1. [1765] _Epulum_ (i. e., edipulum) and _epulæ_ seem to be interchanged; but epulum is probably the older form of the word. BOOK XIV. ARGUMENT. The fourteenth book contained, according to Schoenbeck's idea, the praises of a placid and easy life. Duentzer, on the other hand, says the subject was ambition. The two notions are not so much opposed, says Gerlach, as at first sight they seem: the object of the poet being to contrast the frugal simplicity and tranquil leisure of a rustic life, with the empty vanities and arrogant assumption of the ambitious man. Thus the Fragments 2, 4, 5, 12, 15, 16, and perhaps 1, contain the praises of frugal parsimony and an honorable leisure: 3, 6, 7, 8, and perhaps others, describe the heart-burnings and disappointments of a life devoted to ambition. 1 Is that rather the sign of a sick man that I live on bread and tripe? * * *[1766] 2 ... but you rather lead in peace a tranquil life, |