'Est opifex solus, sic rex.' Vellunt tibi barbam
Lascivi pueri, quos tu nisi fuste coërces,
Urgeris turbâ circum te stante, miserque
Rumperis et latras, magnorum maxime regum.
Ne longum faciam: dum tu quadrante lavatum
Rex ibis neque te quisquam stipator ineptum
Praeter Crispinum sectabitur, et mihi dulces
Ignoscent, si quid peccâro stultus, amici,
Inque vicem illorum patiar delicta libenter,
Privatusque magis vivam te rege beatus.

135

140

SATIRA IV.

While

Variously dated by the Horatian chronologers from A. U. c. 715 to 724.
satire, formally so called, was the native growth of the Roman soil, the Roman
satirists, in their mode of treating the subjects of their ridicule, were deeply
indebted to the comic dramatists of Greece. Lucilius, in particular, who wrote
about eighty years before Horace, closely imitated the writers of the old Athe-
nian comedy, in which the wicked were exposed, and branded by name;
whereas, in the middle comedy, the names were fictitious, but the characters
real; and in the new, both names and characters were fictitious. Although
Lucilius pursued his vocation with all the freedom of Aristophanes, and spared
not even the leading men in the state, he neither rendered himself unpopular
among the general community, nor did he forfeit the good will of his most
distinguished friends. Between Lucilius and Horace no one ventured to wield
the satiric scourge excepting P. Terentius Varro Ataenius, whose attempts, if
we may believe the testimony of Horace himself, were by no means successful.
Lastly, in the person of our author himself, the greatest of the Roman satirists
appeared; but as he lived in a far more corrupt and artificial age than that of
his predecessors in this dangerous art, he found it necessary to denounce pre-
vailing follies and abuses with the greatest delicacy and caution, and to indi-
cate, as he does, with consummate skill, in this satire, both the motives and the
mode of his composition.

EUPOLIS atque Cratinus Aristophanesque poëtae
Atque alii, quorum comoedia prisca virorum est,

139. at mihi, some Codd.

136. rumpĕris et latras = rumperis latrando, clamitando,' you burst by crying.'

137. lavatum, supine, belonging to ibis (in the foll. line).

138. stipator velut satelles et assecla, as your guard, attendant.'

140. stultus, here opposite to sapiens non sapiens, non Stoicus. 141. in vicem, in return,' 'in recompense.'

Sat. 4.-2. alii, quorum...virorum est, inst. of: alii viri, quorum...est, the noun of the leading proposition taken

Si quis erat dignus describi, quod malus ac fur,
Quod moechus foret aut sicarius aut alioqui
Famosus, multâ cum libertate notabant.
Hinc omnis pendet Lucilius, hosce secutus
Mutatis tantum pedibus numerisque, facetus,
Emunctae naris, durus componere versus.
Nam fuit hoc vitiosus: in hora saepe ducentos,
Ut magnum, versus dictabat stans pede in uno.
Quum flueret lutulentus, erat quod tollere velles ;
Garrulus atque piger scribendi ferre laborem,
Scribendi recte; nam ut multum, nil moror.
Crispinus minimo me provocat: Accipe, si vis,
'Accipiam tabulas; detur nobis locus, hora,
'Custodes; videamis uter plus scribere posit.'
Di bene fecerunt, inopis me quodque pusilli
Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis;
At tu conclusas hircinis follibus auras
Usque laborantes, dum ferrum molliat ignis,

6

Ecce,

SAT. 4.-3. aut (inst. of ac), scme Codd.-14. nummo, Bentl. conj.—18. loquentem, Bentl. conj.-20. emolliat, Bentl. conj.

into the relative phrase (comp. above Epod. 2, 37: malarum quas amor curas habet, and ib. 6, 8: Agam, quaecumque procedet fera; comp. also below: Illi, scripta quibus comoedia prisca viris est)-comoedia prisca, the ancient Greek comedy (ἡ ἀρχαία οι παλαιὰ Kwμwdía) famous for its license in introducing living personages upon the stage in their own characters, and satirising them.

3. dignus, poetic. with the infin. (describi; and likewise in v. 8, durus, with the infin. componere).

6. hinc omnis pendet Lucilius, 'upon these (standards, models) Lucilius entirely depends; on Lucilius see Excurs. to Sat. 1, 10.

7. pedibus numerisque, 'feet and measures,' by adopting the hexameter inst. of the iambics.

8. emunctae naris, a common expression, prop.: of clean-wiped nose, i. e. 'of quick scent, of nice discernment, keen, acute-durus, poetic. with the infin. componere, inelegant in the composi

25

Ut mavis, imitare. Beatus Fannius ultro
Delatis capsis et imagine; quum mea nemo
Scripta legat, vulgo recitare timentis ob hanc rem,
Quod sunt quos genus hoc minime juvat, utpote plures
Culpare dignos. Quemvis mediâ erue turba,
Aut ob avaritiam aut miserâ ambitione laborat.
Hic nuptarum insanit amoribus, hic puerorum ;
Hunc capit argenti splendor; stupet Albius aerc;
Hic mutat merces surgente a sole ad eum, quo
Vespertina tepet regio; quin per mala praeceps
Fertur, uti pulvis collectus turbine, ne quid
Summâ deperdat metuens, aut ampliet ut rem,
Omnes hi metuunt versus, odere poëtas.

'Fenum habet in cornu, longe fuge: dummodo risum
'Excutiat sibi, non hic cuiquam parcet amico,
'Et quodcumque semel chartis illeverit, omnes
'Gestiet a furno redeuntes scire lacuque
'Et pueros et anus.' Agedum, pauca accipe contra.
Primum ego me illorum, dederim quibus esse poëtis,
Excerpam numero: neque enim concludere versum
Dixeris esse satis; neque, si qui scribat uti nos

30

35

40

25. elige, some Codd., Bentl.-26. ab avaritia, Bentl.-miser, some Codd.-33. poëtam, Bentl. conj.-39. poëtas, some Codd.-41. si quis, some Codd.

21. sq. beatus stulte sibi ipse placens atque immortalitatem animo quasi praecipiens-ultro delatis captis et imagine, i. e. by having received from his admirers cases (for his silly works) and a bust of himself, presented to him spontaneously (ultro).

24. utpote, &c. quippe quum plures (homines) digni sint, qui culpentur, as there are a good many who deserve to be censured.

25. erue = elige, 'take any one from the midst of the crowd.'

26. ob avaritiam aut miserâ ambitione, a double construction, particularly frequent since the Augustan period (comp. Liv. 38, 39: non tam ob recentia ulla merita quam originum memoriâ, and Tac. Hist. 2, 49: non noxâ neque ob metum).

29. surgente, &c., poetic. ab Oriente ad Occidentem.

30. per mala, i. e. through dangers.'

34. Fenum, &c., the cry of one attacked by Horace's or another satirist's verses-fenum, a wisp of hay was tied to the horns of ill-tempered oxen to warn passers-by.

36. omnes redeuntes a furno (i. e. pistrino) lacuque (i. e. aquae receptaculis)

homines infimae sortis.

39. construe: quibus dederim esse poëtis, in apposition to quibus (comp. above S. 1, 1, 19: Atqui licet esse beatis, and below A. P. 372 sq.: mediocribus esse poetis Non homines, non dî, non concessêre columnae).

40. excerpam excipiam, eximam, 'I will except' (myself) concludere versum, 'to finish off a verse' (comp. below S. 1, 10, 59: pedibus quid claudere senis)

Sermoni propiora, putes hunc esse poëtam.
Ingenium cui sit, cui mens divinior atque os
Magna sonaturum, des nominis hujus honorem.
Idcirco quidam, çomoedia necne poëma
Esset, quaesivere, quod acer spiritus ac vis
Nec verbis nec rebus inest, nisi quod pede certo
Differt sermoni, sermo merus.

'At pater ardens

6 Saevit, quod meretrice nepos insanos amicâ
'Filius uxorem grandi cum dote recuset,
'Ebrius et-magnum quod dedecus-ambulet ante
'Noctem cum facibus. Numquid Pomponius istis
'Audiret leviora, pater si viveret? Ergo
Non satis est puris versum perscribere verbis,
Quem si dissolvas, quivis stomachetur eodem
Quo personatus pacto pater. His, ego quae nunc,
Olim quae scripsit Lucilius, eripias si

45

50

55

Tempora certa modosque, et quod prius ordine verbum est
Posterius facias, praeponens ultima primis;

Non, ut si solvas 'Postquam Discordia tetra
'Belli ferratos postes portasque refregit,'
Invenias etiam disjecti membra poëtae.
Hactenus haec: alias justum sit necne poëma.
Nunc illud tantam quaeram, meritone tibi sit
Suspectum genus hoc scrivendi. Sulcius acer

42. sermoni, sc. quotidiano, 'to common language, to prose.'

43 sq. os sonaturum magna, poetic. 'a lofty style' (comp. Virg. G. 3, 294: Nunc, veneranda Pales, magno nunc ore sonandum).

45. quidam, sc. Alexandrine grammarians comoedia, &c., construe: (utrum) comoedia esset poëma necne (comp. in the foil. v. 63).

46. acer spiritus, an animated, fiery spirit.'

47. sq. construe: sermo merus, nisi quod differt sermoni pede certo, comp. Cic. Or. 20, 67: apud quos (comicos poëtas), nisi quod versiculi sunt, nihil est aliud quotidiani dissimile sermonis.

48. sq. at, &c., supposed objection to the preceding-pater ardens (sc. irâ, inflamed by wrath, irritated'), in allusion to the character of the fathers

60

65

represented in the ancient comedies; and thus the following nepos filius and amica.

49. nepos, here= dissolutus, dissolute.'

52. Pomponius, name of such a dissolute youth, otherwise unknown.

56. personatus in scena, in the play'-ego quae nunc = quae ego nunc (scripsi).

60. sq. construe: non invenias membra etiam disjecti (= vel soluti) poetae, ut (invenias) si solvas, &c.—Postquam, &c., verses of Ennius-Belli ferratos postes, the image taken from the opened doors of the temple of Janus, imitated by Virg. A. 7, 622: Belli ferratos rupit Saturnia postes.

63. alias, i. e. alio tempore disquiram. 65. sq. connexion of the ideas: You have no reason to fear my satire, as no

Ambulat et Caprius, rauci male cumque libellis,
Magnus uterque timor latronibus; at bene si quis
Et vivat puris manibus, contemnat utrumque.
Ut sis tu similis Coelî Birrhîque latronum,
Non ego sim Caprî neque Sulcî: cur metuas me?
Nulla taberna meos habeat neque pila libellos,
Quis manus insudet vulgi Hermogenisque Tigelli;
Nec recito cuiquam nisi amicis, idque coactus,
Non ubivis coramve quibuslibet. In medio qui
Scripta foro recitent, sunt multi, quique lavantes;
Suave locus voci resonat conclusus. Inanes
Hoc juvat, haud illud quarentes, num sine sensu,
Tempore num faciant alieno.
'Laedere gaudes,'
Inquit, et hoc studio pravus facis.' Unde petitum
Hoc in me jacis? Est auctor quis denique eorum,
Vixi cum quibus? Absentem qui rodit amicum,
Qui non defendit alio culpante, solutos

6

Qui captat risus hominum famamque dicacis,
Fingere qui non visa potest, commissa tacere

70

75

80

Qui nequit hic niger est, hunc tu, Romane, caveto. 85 Saepe tribus lectis videas coenare quaternos,

70. sum, some Codd.-73. non, some Codd.-recitem, some Codd., Bentl. -- quicquam, e Cod. Magdal. Bentl.-79. inquis, some Codd.

the Greek noí without a subject) et hoc (accus.) facis, pravus, studio (= deditâ operâ) and you do this (being) malicious, on purpose '-unde petitum, 'from what source?'

80. construe: denique estne auctor aliquis eorum, &c.

84. fingere non visa, 'feign things he

never saw.'

=

85. hic niger est, a proverbial expression hic est improbis moribus et perfido ingenio (comp. in the foll. v. 91, and Cic. pro Caecina 10, 27: Sex. Clodius, cui nomen est Phormio, nec minus niger nec minus confidens, quam ille Terentianus est Phormio)-Romane vir probe, ut decet esse Romanum. 86. sq. sense: you may often hear at dinners (where on each of the three couches four persons lie or sit, see Excurs. to S. 2, 8) one of the party taunting the rest except the host, &c.