Dispositis prædives hamis vigilare cohortem 305 Cras domus, aut eadem plumbo commissa manebit. 310 Magnum habitatorem, quanto felicior hic, qui Nil cuperet, quàm qui totum sibi posceret orbem, Nullum numen habes, si sit prudentia: nos te, 314 Nos facimus, Fortuna, Deam.--Mensura tamen quæ In quantum sitis atque fames et frigora poscunt; An vigilare metu exanimem, noctesque diesque Ne te compilent fugientes: hoc juvat? horum 304. Dispositis] Præparatis. P.-Hamis] From hama; not from hamus, the first syllable of which is long. W. 305. Licinus] See on Sat. i. 101.-Attonitus] Alarmed; distracted, as it were, with anxiety and apprehension. 306. Signis] Statuis.-Phrygia columna] Columnis è marmore Phrygio. P. 307. Dolia] The tub in which Diogenes the Cynic-is said to have lived, and which, it appears, was made of clay or earthen ware. 309. Commissa] Conglutinata, conjuncta. 310. Sensit Alexander, &c.] Alluding to the well known story of Alexander's visit to Diogenes; when, on being asked by the mighty conqueror, if there was any thing in which he could gratify or oblige him, the philosopher answered: "Only this; that you would step aside a little, and not obstruct the sunbeams." 313. Equanda] Proportionate. M.-Compare x. 97, 98. and 168-170. 314. Nullum numen, &c.] Repeated from the conclusion of Sat. x. 317. In quantum] An elegant Græcism: es dσov, vel ep' drov. -In quantum sitis, &c.] The same standard of sufficiency is fixed by the Highest Authority: HAVING FOOD AND RAIMENT, LET US BE THEREWITH CONTENT. 1 Tim. vi. 8. Quantum, Epicure, tibi parvis suffecit in hortis; Acribus exemplis videor te claudere: misce 320 325 330 318. Parvis in hortis] Compare xiii. 123. The doctrine of Epicurus, so much mistaken both by his enemies and his followers, was" that Pleasure is the chief Good, and Virtue the only Pleasure." He was in himself a pattern of continence and frugality. 319. Quantum Socratici penates, &c.] Quantum domus Socratis continebat anteà. Nam Socrates vixit ante Epicurum. P. 321. Acribus exemplis, &c.] i. e. I may seem, perhaps, too severe, and to circumscribe your desires in too narrow a compass, by mentioning such rigid examples. M. 322. Effice] Para tibi, posside. 323. Bis septem Ordinibus] See on iii. 136. 324. Hæc quoque si rugam, &c.] If this also contracts your brow into a frown, and makes you pout your lip, as in disdain or discontent. M. 325. Duos Equites] Censum duorum Equitum.-Tertia quadringenta] Thrice four hundred sestertia. 328. Narcissi] The favourite freedman of Claudius, who had such an ascendancy over the Emperor, as to prevail on him to put Messalina to death, whom he was inclined to pardon. See x. 301-310. SATIRA XV. ARGUMENT. The purpose of this satire is to ridicule Egypt, in detestation of Crispinus (as we may suppose), a native of that country. If the barbarity which makes the principal subject of the piece be a real fact, the poet treats it in a more ludicrous manner than the horror of the deed well admits. But the conclusion springs naturally out of the subject, and contains excellent reflections upon that social instinct and tenderness of feeling, which distinguish man from the other animal inhabitants of this globe.-The first part treats of some ridiculous superstitions of the Egyptians, and, by way of contrast, prepares us for the barbarous act, which he opens in the second part, describes in the third, and exaggerates in the fourth. But the principal merit, as was mentioned before, lies in the fifth part, which is the conclusion. Owen. AD VOLUSIUM BITHYNICUM. I. QUIS nescit, Volusi Bithynice, qualia demens Dimidio magicæ resonant ubi Memnone chorda, 5 1. Volusi Bithynice] Nothing is known of this person, except his country, (Bithynia in Asia Minor,) and his acquaintance with Juvenal. V. 2. Portenta] Monstra. P. 3. Pavet] Veneratur.-Ibin] The Ibis was a bird of the stork species, and was worshipped because it delivered the country from serpents. 5. Dimidio] Mutilo. P.-The statue of Memnon was thrown down either by an earthquake, or by order of Cambyses that he might examine the mechanism by which he supposed it uttered the sounds. A head, supposed to be that of Memnon, is now in the British Museum.-Chorda resonant] Non re verá chorda, sed Atque vetus Thebe centum jacet obruta portis. Oppida tota canem venerantur, nemo Dianam. : II. Attonito cùm Tale super cœnam facinus narraret Ulysses In mare nemo 10 15 Authors statua chordarum cithara instar resonabat. [GRANGEUS.] differ much in their accounts of this fact. Tacitus uses the phrase, vocalem sonum edens; Pliny, crepare; Philostratus, peeyyeola; Strabo, Yopos is av mλnyns ou μeyaλns. The common notion, therefore, that he actually held a harp in his hand, seems to be an error. 0. 6. Vetus Thebe] The ancient and magnificent capital of Thebais, i. e. upper or southern Egypt. From its hundred gates, it was called also Hecatompylos. 7. Cæruleos] i. e. Pisces maris cærulei. L. 8. Canem i. e. Anubis, represented under the form of a man with a dog's head.-Nemo Dianam] They worship the hound, but not the divine huntress. M. 14. Tale facinus] viz. The eating of human flesh by Antiphates king of the Læstrygonians, and by Polyphemus.-Super canam] Inter cœnandum. R. 15. Alcinoo] King of Phæacia or Corcyra, (see on Sat. v. 151.) who hospitably received Ulysses on his escape from shipwreck. 16. Aretalogus] A boaster, or romancer. Either from αρετη virtus, and λeyw dico; one who talks much of his own merits and exploits or from aperos gratus, placens; one who seeks merely to amuse his audience, without any regard to truth. 17. Abicit] Pro abjicit; metri causâ.-Charybdi] See on Sat. v. .102. 18. Læstrygonas atque Cyclopas] The former of these savage tribes is said to have inhabited Italy; the latter, Sicily.-The wonders recorded in these lines are to be found in the tenth book of the Odyssey. 19. Scyllam] The dangerous rock opposite to Charybdis, fabu "Cyaneas, plenos et tempestatibus utres Solus enim hoc Ithacus nullo sub teste canebat. lously represented as a sea-monster : -quam fama secuta est, Candida succinctam latrantibus inguina monstris, 20 25 Ah! timidos nautas canibus lacerâsse marinis. Virg. Ecl. vi. 20. Cyaneas] The Cyanea (insula) were two rocky islands at the mouth of the Euxine. The ancients supposed that they floated, and at intervals clashed together, (concurrentia saxa,) so as to crush vessels to pieces: hence they were called also Symplegades, from ovv and Tanoow, to strike together.-Plenos tempestatibus utres] In order to secure to Ulysses a favourable voyage, olus is said to have given him all the adverse winds inclosed in leathern bags, which, with fatal curiosity, his companions opened. 21. Tenui verbere Circes] "By the slender wand" (M.) of Circe, the famous sorceress, who dwelt on a promontory of Italy, called from her Circæum, now Mt. Circello, just below the Pontine marshes. See iv. 138. 22. Elpenora] Elpenor was one of the crew of Ulysses, all of whom were turned into swine by Circe. 23. Tam vacui capitis] So empty-headed, as to believe such stories, especially that of the man-eaters. 24. Sic aliquis meritò] Dixisset, understood. 25. Duxerat] Hauserat, biberat. 26. Nullo sub teste] Sine teste, nemine attestante.-Canebat] Facetè, pro narrabat ; ut fabulosæ designentur narrationes, quales solent esse poetarum, qui propriè canere dicuntur. 27. Consule Junio] See the Chronology, A. D. 119. R. 28. Super mania Copti] The meaning of super must vary, according as the scene of action is fixed at Tentyra, which lay to the north of Coptos, or at Ombi, which lay to the south of it. (See below, on 1. 38.) In the former case, super may be understood in a geographical sense, as expressing a higher latitude; in the latter, it means higher up the Nile, southward.-Coptos was a great city of upper or southern Egypt. |