SATIRE III. At his departure from Rome (1-20), Umbricius relates the causes which have driven him from the city. In Rome one cannot gain a livelihood honestly; those alone thrive who have risen from the lowest rank, by the basest means-flattery, fortune-telling, pandering, and fraud (21— 57) nor is the poor Roman supplanted by his countrymen alone; Greek parasites by their calumnious insinuations poison the mind of his patron against him (58—125): nay, even the very magistrates do not disdain to pay court to the rich meanwhile the poor are everywhere slighted, their word is discredited, their shabby dress ridiculed: they must wear the costly toga, and bribe the servants of the rich (126-189). In the country they may buy a roomy house, where they may live secure, for the rent of a poor city garret: in Rome they are in nightly fear of fires (190—231), they cannot sleep for the noise of the crowded streets (232-238), they are in danger of being trampled under foot by day (239–267), and of being struck by sherds thrown from windows, or attacked by riotous revellers, or plundered by banditti, by night (268-314). He could say more, did not time press: still, though he must go, he wishes his friend all success in his attempt to reform the age (315–322). For somewhat similar descriptions of Rome, see Mart. iii. 4, Ammian. xiv. 6 § 12 sq. QUAMVIS digressu veteris confusus amici Laudo tamen, vacuis quod sedem figere Cumis [1-20. Umbricius may well be excused for leaving the city, with its dangers and its vices, even for the solitude of Cumæ: and no wonder if in Egeria's vale, where the marble which has replaced the native rock, and Jewish fortune-tellers who now occupy Numa's haunts, suggest such thoughts, he should give vent to his indignation.] 1. vet.] supr. i. 132 n. conf.] Quam ego audio confusionem tuam fuisse, quum digredientem prosequereris, Plin. Pan. 86 § 3. am.] Umbricius, v. 21. 2. Laudo...quod] Madv. § 357 a. Destinet atque unum civem donare Sibyllæ. Cum.] Quieta Cyme, Stat. Silv. iv. 3. 65. Cuma, the oldest Greek colony in Italy (Vell. i. 4 § 1), was founded by Chalcidians, and by Cumæans from Eolis (Strabo v. p. 243), on a spur of Mount Gaurus (Juv. ix. 57), upon the Sinus Puteolanus. In early times, from the fertility of the soil and convenience of the harbour (Dionys. Hal. vii. 3), it was wealthy and populous, and repelled repeated attacks of the Tyrrhenians; B. c. 417, however, it was taken by the Campanians (Liv. iv. 44), and the inhabitants were sold for slaves (Diod. xii. 76), a blow which it never recovered. Thus in Tiberius's time Velleius says of it, "vires veteres.... hodieque magnitudo ostendit monium,” i. 4 § 2. vacuis] vac. Ulubræ, x. 102: Tibur vac., Hor. Ep. i. 7. 45: Acerræ vac., Virg. G. ii. 225; at this time, owing to the civil wars and the employment of slaves in agriculture, the free country population was extinct in Italy, infr. iv. 27: Italiæ vastitas, Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. x. 33: Italiæ solitudo, Cic. ad Att. i. 19 § 4 : τὰ πλεῖστα τῆς Ἰταλίας ἠρημwμéva, Dio, xxxviii. 1: Ti. Gracchus endeavoured to check the evil, Plut. c. 8. 3. A master, who had freed a slave, said:" Atticam hodie civitatem Maxumam majorem feci, atque auxi civi femina," Plaut. Pers. iv. 3. 6. Sib.] On the Cumaan sibyl, v. Virg. Æn. vi. 2 sq. 4. Jan.] It is on the road to Baiæ from Rome, five M. P. from Baiæ. Baiar.] xỉ. 49 n. am.] We read of the amanitas of Cuma (Vell. i. 4 § 2). am. Sec.] On this genitive (of quality) cf. infr. 48, v. 47. 5. I prefer the most lonely of islands to the city. Proch.] (now Procida) an island in the gulf of Naples, thirty stadia from Misenum: Pr. aspera, Stat. ii. 2. 76, Virg. Æn. ix. 715, Serv., Plin. H. N. ii. 89, iii. 12, Strab. i. p. 60, v. pp. 247, 258, Dionys. i. 53. Sub.] xi. 51 n.: Dum tu forsitan inquietus erras Clamosa, Juvenalis, in Suburra, Mart. xii. 18. 1, 2. 7. incend.] Infr. 195–222, xiv. 305 sq.: Timagenes felicitati urbis inimicus aiebat, Romæ sibi incendia ob hoc unum dolori esse, quod sciret meliora resurrectura, quam arsissent, Sen. Ep. 91 § 13: Profecto incendia puniunt luxum, nec tamen effici potest, ut mores aliquid ipso homine mortalius esse intelligant, Plin. H. N. xxxvi. 24 (15) § 110. laps.] Edes ipsæ, quas in tantum exstruxere, ut domus ad usum et munimentum paratæ sint nunc periculo, non præsidio: tanta altitudo ædificiorum est, tantæque viarum angustiæ, ut neque adversus ignem præsidium, neque ex ruinis ullum ullam in partem effugium, Tectorum assiduos et mille pericula sævæ Urbis et Augusto recitantes mense poetas? Sen. ii. Contr. 9. Strabo tells us that building was always going on in Rome, because of the frequent fires and fall of houses, v. p. 235: cf. Sen. de Const. Sap. 12 § 2, Plut. Crass. 2. 9. August.] In the pestilential season (Hor. Ep. i. 7. 1--13). rec.] The practice of reciting unpublished works before a private company, or in a mixed assembly, became general in the time of Augustus Recitantes et benigne et patienter audiit: nec tantum carmina et historias, sed et orationes et dialogos, Suet. Aug. 89: (Pollio Asinius) primus...omnium Romanorum advocatis hominibus scripta recitavit, Sen. Exc. Cont. iv. Præf. Virgil recited his Bucolics, Georgics, and part of his Eneid before Augustus (Donat. Vit. Virg. 11, 12, cf. Tac. Dial. 13). Ovid also thus came into notice :-Carmina cum primum populo juvenilia legi, Barba resecta mihi bisve semelve fuit, Trist. iv. 10. 56, 7 cf. ib. iii. 14. 39, Epist. iv. 2. 35 sq. He had heard Propertius :Sæpe suos solitus recitare Propertius ignes, Trist. iv. 10. 45: Horace was more diffident:- Non recito cuiquam nisi amicis, idque coactus, Non ubivis coramve quibuslibet, S. i. 4. 73, 4 cf. ib. 23, Epist. i. 19. 42. The author who purposed to recite sent invitations to his friends (Juv. vii. 84 n.): thus Pliny-Cepi autem non mediocrem voluptatem, quod hunc librum quum amicis recitare voluissem non per codicillos, non per libellos, sed si commodum esset, et si valde vacaret, admoniti (nunquam porro, aut valde raro, vacat Romæ, aut commodum est, audire recitantem) fœdissimis insuper tempestatibus per biduum convenerunt: quumque modestia mea finem recitationi facere voluisset, ut adjicerent tertium diem exegerunt, Ep. iii. 18 § 4: cf. Tac, Dial. 9. The place of recitation was sometimes the Palatium (Plin. Ep. i. 13 § 3), or since Hadrian, the Athenæum, or other public place; sometimes a private house: wealthy patrons often lent their house for the purpose (Juv. vii. 40 n.). The author, elegantly dressed, read from a raised seat:-Scilicet hæc populo pexusque togaque recenti, Et natalitia tandem cum sardonyche albus Sede leges celsa, Pers. i. 15 sq.; for the auditors cathedræ were placed (Juv. vii. 47), they applauded with cries of Euge! belle! Pers. i. 49: Effecte! graviter! cito! nequiter! euge! beate! Mart. ii. 27. 3: and especially σops, Mart. i. 3. 7. The purpose of the recitations was either only to elicit applause, or also to invite criticism: ai d' dvayváσεις ποιοῦσιν ἐπανορθώσεις, Theophr. ap. Diog. v § 37: Has recitandi causas sequor: primum, quod ipse, qui recitat, aliquanto acrius scriptis suis, auditorum reverentia, intendit: deinde quod, de quibus dubitat, quasi ex consilii sententia statuit. Multa etiam a multis admonetur: et, si non admoneatur, quid quisque sentiat, perspicit ex vultu, oculis, nutu, manu, murmure, silentio ; quæ Sed dum tota domus reda componitur una, Substitit ad veteres arcus madidamque Capenam. 17 In vallem Egeria descendimus, et speluncas Dissimiles veris: quanto præstantius esset satis apertis notis judicium ab humanitate discernunt. Atque adeo, si cui forte eorum, qui interfuerunt, curæ fuerit eadem illa legere, intelliget me quædam aut commutasse, aut præterisse, fortasse etiam ex suo judicio, quamvis ipse nihil dixerit mihi, Plin. Ep. v. 3 § 8 sq., id. vii. 17, v. 13, viii. 21 § 4 sq. On the reception which the work met with from the audience might depend its future publication or suppression : Videor autem jam nunc posse rescribere, esse opus pulchrum, nec supprimendum, quantum æstimare licuit ex iis, quæ me præsente recitasti, Plin. Ep. iii. 15 § 3. : That attendance at recitations was one of the most onerous officia appears from Hor. S. i. 3. 89, A. P. 420 sq., 474 sq., Pers. Sat. i. 53 sq., Juv. i. 1--14, and from Plin. Ep. i. 13, who laments that many of the audience lounged about till the reading was nearly over, and others left while it was going on, v. Mart. xi. 52. 16, iii. 45. 4, ii. 88, iii. 44. As here the month of August, so other months were devoted to recitations. Magnum proventum poetarum annus hic attulit: toto mense Aprili nullus fere dies, quo non recitaret aliquis, Plin. Ep. i. 13 § 1; Pliny himself chose July, as being a holiday time when no business was done in the courts, viii. 21 § 2; the same reason held good for the choice of August. Thus Seneca mockingly makes Claudius say, "Ego eram, qui tibi ante templum tuum jus dicebam 10 totis diebus mense Julio et Augusto," Apoc. 7 § 4. 11. Substitit—dum_componitur] This construction, which is the ordinary one when two contemporaneous actions are spoken of, occurs again, i. 60, v. 94, vi. 176, ix. 4, xiv. 92, 95. For exceptions, v. Madv. § 336. 2. mad. Cap.] Ideo quia supra eam aquæductus est quem nunc appellant arcum stillantem; primum enim usque ibidem fuerunt portæ, Schol. Porta Capena, so called from the old Etruscan town Capena, lay at the foot of Mons Cælius ; from it ran the Via Appia, and over it terminated the rivus Herculaneus, a branch of the aqueduct Martia, Frontin. de Aqu. 19: Capena grandi porta qua pluit gutta, Mart. iii. 47. 1. 12. Nam laureta Numæ fontesque habitamus eosdem, et comite Egeria ridemus inania cœpta, Sulpic. Sat. 67 lucus erat, quem medium ex opaco specu fons perenni rigabat aqua; quo quia se persæpe Numa sine arbitris velut ad congressum Deæ inferebat, Camenis eum lucum sacravit, quod earum ibi concilia cum conjuge sua Egeria essent, Liv. i. 21. The fountain was set apart for sacred uses, being reserved for the Vestal Virgins, Plut. Num. 13. 13 (18). ver.] Natural: fossis inducunt mare adeo nullis gaudere veris sciunt, Fabian. Papir. ap. Sen. Contr. ii. 9. præs.] The god would have a Numen aquæ, viridi si margine cluderet undas 20 Herba, nec ingenuum violarent marmora tofum! 12 Hic ubi nocturnæ Numa constituebat amicæ, Nunc sacri fontis nemus et delubra locantur Judæis, quorum cophinus fœnumque supellexOmnis enim populo mercedem pendere jussa est 16 Arbor, et ejectis mendicat silva Camenis― 1. 20 Hic tunc Umbricius, "Quando artibus" inquit "honestis Nullus in urbe locus, nulla emolumenta laborum, 16 (12). noct.] Simulat sibi cum dea Egeria congressus nocturnos esse, Liv. i. 19. const.] "Made assignations with." De hujusmodi rebus dicitur convenire et constituere de cujusmodi rebus apud extraneos meretrices agunt, Donat. ad Ter. Hec. i. 2. 120: Constitui cum quodam hospite me esse illum conventuram, Ter. L. 1.: Si rus cum scorto constitui ire, Titinn. ap. Non. toga: Ter. Eun. i. 2. 125 with the dative and inf., Cic. de Orat. i. ad fin. amica,] Satirical, like const. She is Numa's conjux in Livy. 17 (13). Nunc] i. e. ubi nunc. delub.] Of the Muses, supr. 12 n. 18 (14). Jud.] On the Jews in Rome, see xiv. 96 sq. The temple nad grove of the Muses is let out to Jews (who used to frequent woods near running water for sacred worship, Acts xvi. 13, infr. 296). coph.] kópivos, a wicker basket much used by the Jews: cophino fœnoque relicto Arcanam Judæa tremens mendicat in aurem, vi. 542: Matt. xiv. 20, and often in the N. T. There was a festival of the Cophinus among the Jews, on which Philo wrote a treatise, lately printed by Mai: Ordinis res est, ut Ægyptius Pharao incedat cum diademate, Israelita cum cophino, Sidon. Ep. vii. 6. foen.] The basket for their food, and hay for a bed, are the sole furniture of these vagrants: perhaps, however, the hay was used for covering eggs or other articles for sale. 19 (15). merc.] The rent of the wood. 20 (16). The Camenæ, the old Latin goddesses, make way for barbarian fanatics. mend.] vi. 543: a matre doctus... rogare Judæus, Mart. xii. 57. 13. The wood begs when it is thronged by beggars. [21-57. Since, says Umbricius, there is no room for honest industry at Rome, I will find a home else |