# The Satires of A. Persius Flaccus

## Part 20

Book page: https://www.cyberlibrary.org/la/books/the-satires-of-a-persius-flaccus-22119/index.md

(2.) 'Non adeo,' inquis? Exossatus ager iuxta est (Conington). You won't accept the inheritance, you say? Here is a field, now, cleared for ploughing.

(3.) 'Non adeo,' inquis, 'exossatus ager iuxta est,' Jahn (1868), which may be rendered, 'I am sure that your land here is not in such very good order' (that you can afford such extravagance). Good order or not, I can find some one to take it off my hands, etc.

(4.) Hermann bases his interpretation on the Schol., and understands _non adeo exossatus ager_ to be a field that is not wholly cleared of stones, to which the heir points as a cogent argument against his making a difficulty. He is afraid of a stoning from the people, as above he was afraid of doing any thing to disoblige the Emperor (_Lect. Pers._, II., 64).

(5.) Teuffel agrees with Hermann's interpretation of _exossatus_, but separates _non adeo_, 'Not exactly.' See (1.). 'There is a field hard by from which the stones have [just] been dug up,' where they are lying in convenient heaps.

(6.) Heinrich takes _adeo_ to be the Verb, _exossatus_ as 'impoverished,' and _iuxta_ = _paene_.

(7.) _Non adeo_, inquis. _Exossatus ager iuxta est_ is rendered by Mr. Pretor, 'I can't quite forbid it; but let me suggest to you that your land is impoverished.'

(8.) König understands the heir to say: 'I will not accept. I have a well-tilled piece of land of my own hard by.'

I am not ashamed to acknowledge that the only point about which I am convinced is the impossibility of making _exossatus_ mean 'impoverished.'

53. #amitis#: _Amita_ is the aunt by the father's side. See note on 2, 31. Persius left his property to his mother and sister, and all this string of suppositions is in keeping with the impersonal character of his heir. Teuffel notices the utter jumble of legal relations. --#proneptis patrui#: 'female cousin twice removed.'

54. #sterilis vixit#: 'has lived barren' means 'has died childless, without issue.'

55. #nihilum#: 'neither chick nor child.' --#Bovillas#: Bovillae lay between Rome and Aricia, and was the first stage on the Appian road, hence called 'suburban' by Ov., Fast., 3, 667 (Jahn). Persius had an estate in the neighborhood.

56. #clivum ad Virbi#: Martial's _clivus Aricinus_ (2, 19, 3; 12, 32, 10), a noted station for beggars. Juv., 4, 17: _dignus #Aricinos# qui mendicaret ad axes_. Virbius was identified with Hippolytus, and worshipped as the hero of Aricia. --#Manius#: a typical beggar's name. There was a proverb: _multi #Mani# Ariciae_, Fest., s.v., with the explanation, _multos claros viros ibi fuisse_. The 'Arician aristocracy' must have become a term of contempt by the time of Persius (+palai pot' êsan alkimoi Milêsioi+).

57. #progenies terrae#: is the indignant remonstrance of the heir, _progenies terrae_ being = the more familiar _terrae filius_, Cic., Att., 1, 13, 4 al.; our 'groundling' can answer only as a play on the word. --#quartus pater# = _abavus_, 'great-great-grandfather.'

58. #haud prompte, dicam tamen#: +molis men, exerô d' homôs+ (Conington); +molis men, all' oun exerô+ Comp. [Dem.] 58, 26. --#adde etiam unum# = _atavum_, 'one step further back.'

59. #unum etiam# = _tritavum_.

60. #ritu | generis#: 'by regular descent' (Conington). Jahn connects _generis_ with _avunculus_. --#maior avunculus#: _avii aut aviae avunculus est_ (Jahn), 'great-great-uncle.' Persius qualifies this statement by _prope_, 'something like,' but he has not only got the degree wrong, but has passed over to the mother's side. The thought of this _frigidiuscula ratio_, as Jahn calls it, does not need illustration. Still, comp. Juv., 4, 99: _unde fit ut malim fraterculus esse gigantum_. --#exit# = _evadit_, 1, 45; 5, 130.

61-74. Persius: 'You are getting impatient. Why not wait for your turn? I am Fortune. Wait until I drop my purse into your hand, and then be satisfied with what I have left in it. _Tadius bequeathed me some money._ I know he did. What is that to you? None of your fatherly advice about looking after my balance at the banker's. What do I care about "balance?" I will eat a good dinner, and not starve myself for your spoilt grandson's sake.'

61. #qui prior es#: In this form of the +lampadêphoria+ 'the course was marked out in stations, at each of which a new set of runners stood ready to take up the race, and so long as the torch remained alight, and the conditions of the race were thus fulfilled, it could not exchange hands except at particular stations' (Pretor, after Jahn). Here the man in advance is represented as trying to get the torch out of Persius's hands before he has reached the station, while Persius is yet running (_in decursu_), which Jahn properly emphasizes. The interpretation is much disputed. --#poscis#: implies impatience.

62. #Mercurius#: See note on 2, 11.

63. #pingitur#: +Hermês kerdôos+, 'with money-bag in hand.' Comp. Ar., Ach., 991, 992: +pôs an eme kai se tis Erôs xunagagoi labôn, | hôsper ho #gegrammenos#, echôn stephanon anthemôn+. --#vin tu gaudere relictis#: _Gaudere_ here almost = +agapan+, 'be thankful for whatever I shall leave you.' According to the ordinary rules of grammar, _vis_ would be the rhetorical, _vin_ the genuine form of the question (G., 455), but _ne_ can not be pinned down by strict rules, as has been remarked. See note on 1, 22.

64. #dest aliquid summae#: may be an objection of the heir, or an anticipated objection. Persius often reminds us of Mrs. Caudle. --#minui mihi#: It was mine, and I diminished it to suit myself. It was mine to lessen; what is left will be all your own to keep.

65. #fuge quaerere# = _noli quaerere_, as in Hor., Od., 1, 9, 13.

66. #neu#: 3, 51. --#repone#: 'dish up again;' the _paterna dicta_ may be considered a _crambe repetita_. Comp. Quint., 2, 4, 29: _cum eadem iudiciis pluribus dicunt, fastidium movent velut frigidi et #repo siti# cibi_. Persius is nothing if not culinary. Jahn (1868) reads: _oppone_, which is clearer but tamer. _Paterna d._ is simply 'the talk one hears from fathers,' severe old gentlemen on the stage.

67. #faenoris--reliquum est#: clearly a specimen of fatherly counsel. Every Polonius has something to say to his Laertes on this subject (Hamlet, 1, 3). Persius's Polonius advises his son to keep an account, enter (_accedat_ = _apponatur_, see note on 2, 2) his interest on the credit side, charge his expenses to the debit side, and find the remainder-- in other words, to live carefully within the income of his property. Before the old gentleman gets through, Persius repeats his last word mockingly: 'Remainder? Hang the remainder.' This is also Conington's view, who compares the commercial arithmetic lesson in Hor., A. P., 327 seqq. --#merces#: Hor. uses _merces_ alone in the same sense as _faenoris merces_ here, Sat., 1, 2, 14. 3, 88. --#hinc#: from the capital, or from the interest, or from both. I am inclined to refer _hinc_ to the side of the account.

69. #ungue caules-- festa luce#: See note on v. 19.

70. #urtica#: Comp. Hor., Ep., 1, 12, 7: _abstemius herbis | vivis et #urtica#_; and Sat., 2, 2, 117: _#holus fumosae# cum pede pernae_ (Jahn). --#sinciput#: 'pig's cheek.' The swine was the common sacrifice and the common dish. --#aure#: _Fissa aure_ seems to be nothing more than a picturesque detail. The pig's head was bung up in the smoke by a slit in its ear.

71. #tuus iste nepos#: Mr. Pretor sees a trace of incompleteness in the mention of _tuus iste nepos_, 'whose existence has never before been hinted at.' The _nepos_ is hauled up out of the inane like the _quisquis_ heir himself. --#anscris extis#: Comp. Juv., 5, 114: _#anseris# ante ipsum magni #iecur#_.

73. #patriciae#: implies great expense. This coarse combination of sensual pleasures is an argument in favor of the old-fashioned interpretation of _Calliroen_, 1, 134. --#trama#: Fr. _trame_, 'woof.' Such terms are apt to stick. Others translate falsely 'warp.' '_Trama figurae_ is "a thread-paper figure," as _trama_ is the thread of the woof, which crosses that of the upright _stamen_ or warp, and when the nap is worn off the cloths, these threads are laid bare.' Stocker, quoted by Pretor.

74. #tremat#: 'quiver,' like jelly, 'wag.' --#omento#: 'fatty caul,' 'fat,' 2, 47. --#popa#: used as a Substantive. Comp. Prol., 13. 'Alderman-belly,' instead of an 'aldermanic belly.' 'They which waited at the altar'-- for the _popae_ were the priests' assistants-- 'were partakers with the altar' (1 Cor., 9, 13), and waxed fat on the _iunicum omenta_. Pretor quotes Prop., 4, 3, 62: _succinctique calent ad nova lucra #popae#_.

75-80. Commentators notice the abrupt transition. Jahn says that the dialogue is dropped, but who expects invariably close connection between two heads of a sermon? In my judgment Persius is still hammering away at his impatient heir, and bids him earn money for himself, if he is not content to wait for Persius's death, and does not like Persius's mode of living. 'Sell your life, ransack the world, drive every trade. Double, treble, quadruple, decuple your property. But you will find that there is no point where you can stop, where you will be rich enough.'

75. #vende animam lucro#: Casaubon comp. the Greek proverb: +thanatou ônion to kerdos+, and Longin., Sublim., 44: +to ek tou pantos kerdainein ônoumetha tês psuchês+. --#excute#: (for the last time of eight) 'ransack.'

76. #latus mundi#: Hor., Od., 1, 22, 19 (Conington). --#nec# = _neu_. See 1, 7.

77. #Cappadocas#: The slaves of Cappadocia were, as a rule, tall and well grown (Petron., 63), and good litter-bearers (Mart., 6, 77, 4) (Jahn), but in other respects extremely undesirable cattle. --#rigida#: 'fixed upright.' _#Rigidae# columnae_, Ov., Fast., 3, 529 (Jahn). --#plausisse#: So Jahn (1868). In 1843 he edited _pavisse_, and comp. _quot pascit servos?_ Juv., 3, 141, and other passages. But _p[-a]visse_ may have been intended as a Third Conjugation Perf. from _p[)a]vio_, and hence = _plausisse_. So Longfellow uses 'dove' for 'dived.' Slaves were slapped to try their condition. On the Inf. and the Perfect, see _opifex intendisse_, v. 3, note. --#catasta#: 'platform.' The sense of the passage, 'Make yourself an expert in slave flesh.'

78. #feci--sistam#: words of the avaricious man. The passage is imitated from Hor., Ep., 1, 6, 34: _mille talenta rotundentur, totidem altera, porro | tertia succedant et quae pars quadret acervum_. --#quarto#: as if he had written _ter_ before.

79. #redit#: the regular word for 'income,' 'revenue.' Comp. _reditus_. --#rugam#: _Ruga_ = _sinus_, 'fold in a garment.' The _sinus_ answers to our 'pocket,' hence 'purse.' The _ruga_, then, is the _rugosum marsupium_ (Heinrich), or the 'yet unfilled bosom' of Juv., 14, 327. 'It comes into a purse that wrinkles still.' To bring this out more clearly Mr. Paley (ap. Pretor) puts a semicolon after _deciens_. --#depunge#: So Jahn (1868) for his previous _depinge_. 'Prick a hole.' --#ubi sistam#: G., 469, 623; A., 67, 2, _b_.

80. #inventus#: Ironical. 'So some one has been found, Chrysippus, to mark the limit of your heap.' If you can find a man to put a bound to greed, you can find a man to solve the _sorites_ of Chrysippus. The fallacy called the +sôreitês+, or +sôritês+, Lat. _acervus_, is often mentioned; so in Hor., Ep., 2, 1, 47, where it is illustrated by pulling hair after hair from the tail of a horse, and taking year after year from the age of a poet. See Hamilton's Lectures on Logic, p. 268 (Am. ed.).

CRITICAL APPENDIX.

SATURA VI.

5. #iocis#: Heinr. _ex coni._; iocos, J., H., Codd. --6. #egregius#: egregios _al_. --#senes#: senex, H. --16. #cenare#: coenare, J{a}., H. --17. #lagoena#: lagena, J{a}., H. --20. #tingat#: J{a}., H., Bramb.; tinguat, J{w}. --#holus#: olus, J{a}., H. --#empta#: emta, J{a}., H. --24. #tenuis salivas#: tenuem salivam, J{a}. --30. #dii#: Brambach; dei, J., H. --31. #caespite#: Brambach; cespite, J., H. --33. #cenam#: coenam, J{a}., H. --34. #negleget#: negliget, J{a}., H. --37. #tune bona incolumis minuas#: J{a}.; _haec verba et v. 41 verba_ haec-- metuas _transposuit Sinnerus quem secuti sunt_ J{w}. _et_ H. --40. #fenisecae#: faenisecae, J{a}.; foenisacae, H. --50. #conives#: connives, J{a}., H. --51. #inquis#: inquis. J{a}. --64. #dest#: deest, J{a}., H. --66. #Tadius#: Stadius J{a}. --#repone#: J{a}., H.; oppone, J{w}. --67. #faenoris#: Brambach; fenoris, J{w}.; foenoris, J{a}., H. --#sumptus#: sumtus, J{a}. --69. #ungue#: unge, J{a}. --#coquetur#: coquatur, J{a}., H. --77. #plausisse#: pavisse, J{a}. --79. #depunge#: depinge, J{a}., H.

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VITA A. PERSII FLACCI

DE COMMENTARIO PROBI VALERII SUBLATA.

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[The line divisions and numbers of the original have been retained, although they are not used in any editorial references. Brackets are in the original. Note that the first page break is inconsistent with the following line numbers.]

A. Persius Flaccus natus est pridie nonas Decembris Fabio Persico L. Vitellio coss. decessit VIII kalendas Decembris P. Mario Asinio Gallo coss. 5

natus est in Etruria Volaterris, eques Romanus, sanguine et affinitate primi ordinis viris coniunctus. decessit ad octavum miliarium in via Appia in praediis suis.

pater eum Flaccus pupillum reliquit moriens annorum 10 fere sex. Fulvia Sisennia mater nupsit postea Fusio equiti Romano et eum quoque extulit inter paucos annos.

studuit Flaccus usque ad annum XII aetatis suae Volaterris, inde Romae apud grammaticum Remmium 15 Palaemonem et apud rhetorem Verginium Flavum. cum esset annorum XVI, amicitia coepit uti Annaei Cornuti, ita ut ab eo nusquam discederet. inductus aliquatenus in philosophiam est.

amicos habuit a prima adulescentia Caesium Bassum 20 poetam et Calpurnium Staturam, qui vivo eo iuvenis decessit. coluit ut patrem Servilium Nonianum. cognovit per Cornutum etiam Annaeum Lucanum, aequaevum auditorem Cornuti. [nam Cornutus illo tempore [-- page --] tragicus fuit sectae stoicae. sed] Lucanus adeo mirabatur scripta Flacci, ut vix retineret se recitantem clamore, quin illa [esse] vera poemata diceret, etsi ipse sua ludos faceret. sero cognovit et Senecam, sed non ut caperetur eius ingenio. usus est apud Cornutum duorum convictu virorum et doctissimorum et sanctissimorum, 5 acriter tum philosophantium, Claudii Agathemeri, medici, Lacedaemonii, et Petronii Aristocratis, Magnetis, quos unice miratus est et aemulatus, cum aequales essent, Cornuti minores et ipsi.

idem etiam decem fere annos summe dilectus a Paeto 10 Thrasea est, ita ut peregrinaretur quoque cum eo aliquando, cognatam eius Arriam habente uxorem.

fuit morum lenissimorum, verecundiae virginalis, formae pulchrae, pietatis erga matrem et sororem et amitam exemplo sufficientis. 15

fuit frugi et pudicus.

reliquit circa HS vicies matri et sorori. scriptis tamen ad matrem codicillis Cornuto rogavit ut daret sestertia, ut quidam, centum, ut alii volunt et argenti facti pondo viginti et libros circa septingentos Chrysippi sive 20 bibliothecam suam omnem. verum Cornutus sublatis libris pecuniam [sororibus, quas heredes frater fecerat] reliquit.

et raro et tarde scripsit. hunc ipsum librum inperfectum reliquit. versus aliqui dempti sunt ultimo libro, 25 ut quasi finitus esset. leviter retractavit Cornutus et Caesio Basso petenti, ut ipsi cederet, tradidit edendum.

[-- page --] scripsit etiam Flaccus in pueritia praetextam [+] vescio et hodoeporicon librum unum et paucos in socrum Thraseae [in Arriae matrem] versus, quae se ante virum occiderat. omnia ea auctor fuit Cornutus matri eius ut aboleret. 5

editum librum continuo mirari et diripere homines coepere.

decessit autem vitio stomachi anno aetatis XXX.

sed mox ut a scholis et magistris divertit, lecto libro Lucilii decimo vehementer saturas conponere instituit. 10 cuius libri principium imitatus est, sibi primo, mox omnibus detracturus cum tanta recentium poetarum et oratotum insectatione, ut etiam Neronem [illius temporis principem] culpaverit. cuius versus in Neronem cum ita se haberet 'auriculas asini Mida rex habet,' in eum 15 modum a Cornuto, Persio iam tum mortuo, est commutatus 'auriculas asini quis non habet?' ne hoc Nero in se dictum arbitraretur.

QUINTILIANUS X, 1, 94 multum et verae gloriae quamvis uno libro Persius meruit. 20

MARTIALIS IV, 9, 7 Saepius in libro numeratur Persius uno, quam levis in tota Marsus Amazonide.

IOANNES LYDUS DE MAG. I, 41 +Persios de ton poiêtên Sôphrona mimêsasthai thelôn to Lukophronos 25 parêlthen amauron.+

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CRITICAL APPENDIX.

The first reading is the reading of this edition, which, in the absence of any statement to the contrary, coincides with Jahn's edition of 1868. Variations in spelling have been noted where they have been deemed instructive.

J{a}. = Jahn, ed. of 1843. J{w}. = " " 1868. J. = " both editions. H. = Hermann (1854).

[The remainder of the Critical Appendix has been distributed among the individual Satires.]

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INDEX.

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[Transcriber's Note:

All references are to Satires and line numbers, not to physical pages. Punctuation is German-style, so: Prol., 14; 1, 11. 106; 3, 59. 110; 4, 34 may be read as: Prologue line 14 Satire 1 lines 11, 106 Satire 3 lines 59, 110 Satire 4 line 34]

A.

abaco, 1, 131. abavus, 6, 57 (note). Ablative in [-i], 1, 62. 83. not necessarily locative, Prol., 1; 2, 35; 6, 8. accerso, 2, 45. Acci, 1, 76. accipio, 5, 87. Accusative cognate, Prol., 14; 1, 11. 106; 3, 59. 110; 4, 34; 5, 25. 106. 123. 190; 6, 35. for abl., 6, 42. acerra, 2, 5. aceti morientis, 4, 32. aceto lotus, 5, 86. acre despuat, 4, 34. acre servitium, 5, 127. acri iunctura, 5, 14. actus teneat, 5, 99. ad, 5, 123. adductis amicis, 3, 47. adeo, 6, 14. 51. adferre sensus, 1, 69. adflate, 1, 123. Adjective for Subst., 1, 107; 2, 74; 3, 52. admissus, 1, 117. admovere templis, 2, 75. adnuere his, 2, 43. adrodens, 5, 163. adsensere viri, 1, 36. adsigna tabellas, 5, 81. adsonat, 1, 102. adverso, ex adv. dicere, 1, 44. Aegaeum rapere, 5, 142. aegroti veteris, 3, 83. Aegyptus, sons of, 2, 56 (note). aenos fratres, 2, 56. aequali Libra, 5, 47. aera invenci, 3, 39. Saturnia, 2, 59. aerumnis, 1, 78. aerumnosi, 3, 79. agaso, 5, 76. agedum, 2, 22. ager exossatus, 6, 52. agitare iocos (?), 6, 5. Ague, semitertian, 3, 91. ait (indef. person), 1, 40. alba, 1, 110. albata, 2, 40. albo ventre, 3, 98. albus cum sardonyche, 1, 16. timor, 3, 115. Alcibiades, 4, 3 (note). alea, 5, 57. algente catino, 3, 111. alges, 3, 115. aliquid, 3, 60; 5, 137. aliquis, 3, 8. alitus gravis, 3, 89. alli caput, 5, 188. ambages succinis, 3, 20. ambiguum iter, 5, 34. ambitio cretata, 5, 177. amitis, 6, 53. amomis crassis, 3, 104. amplexa catinum, 5, 182. an, 1, 41. anceps, 4, 11; 5, 156. anguis duos, 1, 113. angulus, 6, 13. anhelo, 1, 14; 5, 10. animae pars, 5, 23. animam vende, 6, 75. anne, 3, 39. anseris exta, 6, 71. ante boves, 1, 74. Anticyras, 4, 16. Antiopa, 1, 78. antithetis rasis, 1, 86. anus, 4, 19. Aorist descriptive, 3, 101; 5, 187. gnomic, 2, 5. infinitive, 1, 132; 2, 66; 5, 33; 6, 77. aperto voto, 2, 7. +apotropoisi daimosi+, 5, 167. Appennino, 1, 95. apponit annos, 2, 2. apposita regula, 5, 38. apricatio, 4, 18. 19. 33 (note). aprici senes, 5, 179. aptius, 1, 45. Apula canis, 1, 60. aqualiculus, 1, 57. arator peronatus, 5, 102. aratra, 1, 75. aratro, 4, 41. Arcadiae pecuaria, 3, 9. Arcesilas, 3, 79. arcessat, 5, 172. arcessis, 2, 45. arcum dirigere, 3, 60. argenti creterras, 2, 52. seria, 2, 10. argento modus, 3, 69. Aricia, 6, 56 (note). aris excutere, 6, 44. aristas excutere, 3, 115. Aristophanes, 1, 124 (note). arma virum, 1, 96. Arreti, 1, 130. ars = philosophia, 5, 105. articulos fregerit, 5, 59. artifex ponere, 1, 71. sequi, Prol., 11. artificem vultum, 5, 40. artis magister, Prol., 10. artocreas, 6, 50. asini, 1, 121. asper nummus, 3, 69. ast, 2, 39. astringas, 5, 110. Astrology, 5, 46 (note). astutam vulpem, 5, 117. at, 1, 28; 5, 62. atavus, 6, 58 (note). atque (after compar.), 5, 131. Atti, 1, 50. Attis, 1, 93. 105. Attribute for effect, Prol., 4; 17. audaci Cratino, 1, 123. aude, 6, 49. auratis laquearibus, 3, 40. aure vaporata, 1, 126. aurem lotus, 5, 86. aures bibulas, 4, 50. auriculas albas, 1, 59. asini, 1, 121. emere, 2, 30. radere, 1, 108. auro ovato, 2, 55. pingui, 2, 52. subaerato, 5, 106. auster infelix, 6, 12. aut and an, 5, 5. avaritia, 5, 132. avia, 2, 31. avias veteres, 5, 92. avunculus maior, 6, 60. axe secundo, 5, 72.

B.

bacam conchae, 2, 66. balanatum, 4, 37. balba nare, 1, 33. balnea, 5, 126. balteus, 4, 44. barba aurea, 2, 58. barbatus magister, 4, 1. Bassaris, 1, 101. Bassus Caesius, 6, 1 (note). Bathylli, 5, 123. Baucis, 4, 21. beatulus, 3, 103. belle, 1, 49. bellum (adj.), 1, 87. bene, 1, 111; 4, 30. Berecyntius, 1, 93. Bestius, 6, 37. beta, 3, 114. bibulas aures, 4, 50. bicipiti Parnaso, Prol., 2. bicolor membrana, 3, 10. bidental, 2, 27. bile acri, 2,14. commota, 4, 6. bilis mascula, 5, 144. vitrea, 3, 8. Birthday, 2, 1. bis terque, 2, 16. Blaesus Pedius, 1, 85 (note). blandi comites, 5, 32. blando popello, 4, 15. bombis, 1, 99. bona mens, 2, 8. pars, 2, 5. bone, 3, 94; 6, 43. +bouthutein+, 2, 44. bove caeso, 2, 44. Bovillas, 6, 55. bracatis Medis, 3, 53. Brisaei, 1, 76. Bruto liberior, 5, 85. bruma, 6, 1. Bruttia saxa, 6, 27. buccas tumidas, 5, 13. bulla donata, 5, 31. bullatis nugis, 5, 19. bullit, 3, 34. buxum torquere, 3, 51.

C.