Q. HORATII FLACCI SATIRARUM LIBER PRIMUS. SATIRA I. This masterly satire, the prologue to a long series of similar compositions, is addressed by Horace to Maecenas, who received the first fruits of the poet's genius in the successive forms of epode, ode, satire, and epistle. The first of the epodes, the first ode of the first book, the first of the satires, and the first of the epistles, are each inscribed with the name of the high-minded and accomplished knight, to whom posterity is, perhaps, mainly indebted for the finest poetry of Virgil, as well as of Horace. The date of this satire is fixed by Grotefend and other commentators at A. U. c. 719; and the subject of the poet's ridicule and invective is the unhappy disposition evinced by most of his coevals to complain of their own lot, and to cherish a feeling of envy towards those whose condition in life appeared to be more fortunate. This habitual discontent, or μeμiopía, which poisons the springs of happiness, he traces to that irrational avarice, which seeks to justify itself by the pretext of making provision for old age, but meanwhile prevents men from enjoying in any way the wealth they may have acquired. From the dedication of this satire to Maecenas, it may be inferred that he was entirely exempt from this popular failing. The abruptness of the transitions at verses 13, 23, 108, and the closing lines of the poem, have led Orellius and others to the conclusion that the whole piece was written in the style of Lucilius, whom Horace originally selected as his model in this department of his works. Qur' fit, Maecenas, ut nemo, quam sibi sortem SAT. 1.-2. ulla, some Codd. Sat. 1.-1-3. construe: Quî (= quomodo) fit, Maecenas, ut nemo vivat contentus illâ (sorte vitae ratione, genere) quam sortem seu ratio (= consilium, choice') dederit sibi, seu fors (= casus,' chance') objecerit, et (quisque) laudet sequentes diversa (i. e. eos qui sequuntur diversa, contraria suis studiis); the pronoun quisque to be understood from the preceding nemo. Contentus vivat, laudet diversa sequentes? ' O fortunati mercatores!' gravis annis Miles ait, multo jam fractus membra labore. 5 'Militia est potior. Quid enim? Concurritur; horae 'Momento cita mors venit aut victoria laeta.' Agricolam laudat juris legumque peritus, Sub galli cantum consultor ubi ostia pulsat. Cetera de genere hoc - adeo sunt multa - loquacem Quid statis?'-nolint. Atqui licet esse beatis. + 10 15 4. armis, some edd.-6. navim, some Codd.-8. momento aut cita, some Codd., Bentl.-19. nolent and nolunt, some Codd. 3. laudet, the Greek μakapige, 'pronounces happy' (those who follow a different mode of life). 4. gravis annis, laden with years' (comp. Virg. A. 9, 246: Hic annis gravis atque animi maturus Aletes, &c., and ib. 2, 435 sq.: Iphitus aevo Jam gravior). 7. sq. quid enim? a conversational phrase, like the Greek Tí yáp; 'what more?' (comp. below S. 2, 3, 132: Quid enim? neque tu hoc facis Argis, &c.)—— concurritur, sc. in proelio-horae momento puncto temporis, 'in the space of an hour, in a moment,' (comp. Liv. 5, 7: horae momento simul aggerem ac vineas, tam longi temporis opus, incendium hausit; and below Ep. 2, 2, 172: puncto mobilis horae). 10. sub galli cantum, i. e. by cockcrow'-consultor, he who asks advice, 'a client.' 11. ille, sc. agricola-datis vadibus, 'having given bail' (for his appearance, as defendant in a suit). 12. clamat = fortiter contendit felices, sc. esse. 15. quo rem deducam, i. e. qui sit finis disputationis meae, at what (conclusion) I am aiming'-En ego = adsum, 'well, here I am.' 17. consultus = juris consultus, the juris legumque peritus and consultor of lines 9 and 10, thus below Ep. 2, 2, 87 and 159)-hinc, &c., construe: vos discedite hinc, vos hinc (= illinc discedite), mutatis partibus (i. e. your parts, your positions in life being changed). 19. nolint, sc. discedere mutatis partibus-beatis, dative joined with licet (iis), the usual construction; also in classic prose, but only since the Augustan period without the dative of the person (comp. Ov. Met. 8, 406 sq. licet eminus esse fortibus, and Liv. 26, 41, § 16: Hannibal nihil jam majus precatur deos, quam ut incolumi cedere atque abire ex hostium terra liceat. But comp. Cic. Tusc. 1, 15: Licuit esse otioso Themiste cli, and Off. 2, 18, 63: ut iis ingratis esse non liceat. Thus (with the dative of the person) below, S. 1, 6, 25: tibi fieri tribuno, Quid causae est, merito quin illis Jupiter ambas 20 25 30 35 Quaesitis sapiens, quum te neque fervidus aestus 'Quod si comminuas, vilem redigatur ad assem. 23. praetereo, some Codd.-29. perfidus hic campo miles, or pervigil hic campo miles, or perfidus hic cautor, miles, or pernoctans campo miles, some edd.-38. patiens, some Codd.-39. dimoveat, some Codd.-nec hiems, Bentl sition to: quum te, &c. in line 38; 'but this,' or which however’— simul = simulac-Aquarius, i. e. in the middle of January (comp. Virg. G. 3, 303 sq.: quum frigidus olim Jam cadit extremoque irrorat Aquarius anno). 39. ignis, mare, ferrum, a kind of proverbial expression (comp. below Ep. 1, 1, 46: Per mare pauperiem fugiens, per saxa, per ignes. 40. dum, provided that.' 42. furtim clam, belonging to defossâ = effossâ, excavatâ, 'dug up by stealth.' 43. quod si, &c., the supposed answer to the preced. question-comminuas, &c. pondus argenti et auri. At ni id fit, quid habet pulchri constructus acervus? Milia frumenti tua triverit area centum, 45 Non tuus hoc capiet venter plus ac meus, ut si Reticulum panis venales inter onusto Forte vehas humero, nihilo plus accipias quam Qui nil portarit. Vel dic, quid referat intra, 50 Mille aret?—At suave est ex magno tollere acervo.'— Eo fit, Ut tibi si sit opus liquidi non amplius urnâ naes au 55 At qui tantuli eget, quanto est opus, is neque limoes with Turbatam haurit aquam neque vitam amittit in undis. 60 At bona pars hominum decepta cupidine falso, out ?' Nil satis est,' inquit, quia tanti, quantum habeas, sis.' Quid facias illi? Jubeas miserum esse, libenter Quatenus id facit: ut quidam memoratur Athenis 65 55 mallem some Codd.-59. tantulo, some Codd-quantost, Cod. Bern.; quantum est, some Codd., BentL-63 and 64 esse libenter, quatenus, Bentl. ? 44. at, &c., Horace's reply. 45. construe: tua area triverit centum milia (modiûm) frumenti-triverit = licet, quamvis triverit. 46. plus ac, instead of plus quam. 47. inter venales, sc. servos, among slaves; inter put last (comp. above C. 3, 3, 11; Epod. 2, 38; 7, 3; 16, 40). 49 and 50. quid referat, unusually joined with the dative, viventi intra fines naturae, 'what may it matter to him who is living within the limits prescribed by nature, whether,' &c. (comp. Tac Ann. 15, 65: non referre dedecori, si citharoedus demoveretur et tragoedus succederet nihil interesse ad dedecus, si, &c.) 51. at suave, &c., a new objection of the miser. 52 haurire relinquas concedas ut hauriamus. 54. liquidi, poetic. aquae (comp. Ov. Met. 5, 453 sq.: loquentem Cum liquido mixtâ perfudit diva polentâ). 57. justo, abl. comp. 'than is right.' 61. bona pars satis magna pars. 'a great majority' (of mankind)--cupidine falso, cupido with Horace always of mascul. gender (see above C. 2, 16, 15; 3, 16, 39; 3, 24, 51 and below Ep. 1, 1, 33). 62. tanti sis, i. e. thou wilt be valued in proportion' (to what you possess). 63. illi, i. e. homini ejus generis. 6 Sic solitus: Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipse domi, simul ac nummos contemplor in arca.' 70 geb 75 80 85 Si nemo praestet, quem non merearis, amorem? fiicy that s At si cognatos, nullo natura labore Quos tibi dat, retinere velis servareque amicos, Infelix operam perdas: ut si quis asellum 90 79. optarem some Codd.-81. afflixit, some Codd.--88. an si, some Codd., Bentl 68. Horace compares this miser with Tantalus: tu prorsus similis es Tantalo (the verse is perhaps taken from some poem); and when the miser seems to laugh at that comparison, the poet continues: why do you laugh,' &c. 69. mutato nomine, i. e. by changing only the name (of the person mentioned in the fable). 71. indormis = dormis custodiendo (comp. Virg. G. 2, 507: Condit opus alius, defossoque incubat auro). 73. quo valeat, i. e. ad quid tibi parandum, ad quam rem utilis sit. 75. quis = quibus (rebus), belonging to negatis, 'which being withheld.' 78 and 79. horum and bonorum, expressively put at the end of the verses, in such possessions.'-pauper, poetic. with the genitive (comp. above C. 3, 30, 11: pauper aquae Daunus, and below S. 2, 3, 142: Pauper Opimius argenti positi intus et auri). 80. condoluit, perf. of condolescere = tactum est dolore-frigore, i. e. febri. 83. suscitet, poetic. 'restore.' 84. Horace answers himself the question in the negative. 85. pueri atque puellae, a conversational or proverbial expression for 'all people,' 'all classes,' (thus below S. 2, 3, 130: Insanum te omnes pueri clamentque puellae). 86. argento, dative Tmesis for postponas. post... ponas, |