Sperne cibum vilem, nisi Hymettia mella Falerno 15 25 Summa, sed in te ipso est. Tu pulmentaria quaere 20 127: quantum interpellet inani Ventre diem durare). 15. sperne, 'despise,' here in the sense of: I am sure you will not despise (when hungry and thirsty), &c. 16. diluta, poetic. = mixta; this mixture of honey and wine was called mulsum, and was a favourite Roman beverage, see Excurs. to C. 1, 20-foris est = (quando) abest. 17. hiemat, the Greek xeiμášeтal, 'is stormy.' 18. sq. Unde putas, &c. unde effici et acquiri hoc putas, ut tantam vim tam tenuis et vilis cibus habeat? 21. album,pale'. ostrea, dissyllable, by Synaeresis (comp. C. 1, 35, 17: anteit; S. 2, 3, 91: quoad and S. 2, 6, 67: prout). 23. sq. sense: with all my arguments I shall scarcely move you not to prefer a peacock to a pullet-eripiam, poetic. = impediam. 25. vanis rerum vanis rebus or vanitate rerum (comp. C. 4, 4, 76: acuta belli and C. 4, 12, 19: amara curarum). 27. ad rem attineat, sc. caritas et picta cauda. 28. num adest, hiatus (comp. above 30 C. 2, 20, 13; Epod. 5, 100, 13, 3; S. 1, 1, 108) honor nitida species, 'beauty.' 29. sq. construe: tamen (vescĕris), magis (= vesci mavis) hac carne (sc. pavonis) quam illâ (sc. carne gallinae), quamvis (caro pavonis) distat mil (a carne gallinae)-quamvis, with the indicative (rarely so in classic prose, never with Cicero), comp. above S. 1, 3, 129 quamvis tacet Hermogenes, and see note to C. 1, 28, 11. 31. unde datum sentis unde datum, concessum est tibi, ut sentias, ut distinguas, &c., whence is it given to you, by what means are you able to distinguish the difference (in taste) between the pike taken in the Tiber and that caught in the sea, when it is still standing on the table and before you have tasted it?'-lupus, i. e. lupus marinus, a voracious fish, a kind of pike (Perca labrax); the Roman gluttons distinguished three kinds of this fish; the first and best taken between the two bridges of the Tiber (the Pons Sublicius and Senatorius) at Rome, the second at the mouth of that river, and the third and worst taken in the sea. 32. amnis Tusci, i. e. Tiberis. Ostia sub Tusci? Laudas, insane, trilibrem Mullum, in singula quem minuas pulmenta necesse est. Proceros odisse lupos? Quia scilicet illis Jejunus raro stomachus vulgaria temnit. 'Porrectum magno magnum spectare catino 35 Vellem' ait Harpyiis gula digna rapacibus. At vos, 40 Praesentes Austri, coquite horum obsonia. Quamquam Putet aper rhombusque recens, mala copia quando Aegrum sollicitat stomachum, quum rapula plenus Atque acidas mavult inulas. Necdum omnis abacta 45 Pauperies epulis regum: nam vilibus ovis Nigrisque est oleis hodie locus. Haud ita pridem Gallonî praeconis erat acipensere mensa Infamis. Quid? tunc rhombos minus aequora alebant? Tutus erat rhombus, tutoque ciconia nido, Ergo 50 Si quis nunc mergos suaves edixerit assos, 55 Cui Canis ex vero dictum cognomen adhaeret, 48. aequor alebat; some Codd.-55. Ofella, Bentl. conj.-55. pravus, ex uno Cod. Bersmanni Bentl.-56. ductum, e Cod. Blandin. antiquiss. Bentl. 34. in singula pulmenta = pro convivarum numero in plures portiones, 'into small pieces' (according to the number of the party). 35. sq. quo pertinet, &c. = cur ergo magnitudinem laudas in mullo et reprehendis in lupo? 40. at vos, &c., an indignant exclamation. 42. putet fastidium parit, stinks.' 43. plenus, sc. stomachus. 44. sq. Necdum, &c., sense: still, not every kind of homely, simple fare is banished from the tables of the rich. 46. haud ita pridem, i. e. in the time of Lucilius, about eighty years ago. 47. erát, the last syllable lengthened by the arsis (comp. above C. 3, 16, 26: arát). 50. auctor praetorius, ironically: one Asinius or Sempronius Rufus, who is said to have been a candidate for the praetorship, but without success; this man first introduced young storks as an article of table-luxury. 53. sq. sense: By opposing the luxury of the table Ofellus does not at all recommend a sordid mode of living, but merely a plain yet comfortable diet as the mean between two extremes. 55. construe: si detorseris te pravum alio si alio (to another extreme) te ita detorseris, ut pravus fias. 56, ex vero ex ipsa ejus vita. Ac nisi mutatum parcit defundere vinum, et, Festos albatus celebret-cornu ipse bilibri Utrum imitabitur? Hac urget lupus, hac canis, ajunt. In neutram partem cultus miser. Hic neque servis, Saevus erit; nec, sic ut simplex Naevius, unctam 60 65 70 Convivis praebebit aquam: vitium hoc quoque magnum. Dulcia se in bilem vertent stomachoque tumultum 75 80 Membra dedit, vegetus praescripta ad munia surgit. Seu recreare volet tenuatum corpus, ubique 58. diffundere-65. qui, some Codd.-79. affligit, some Codd., Bentl. tumultus in ventriculo excitaverit, 'sat well upon your stomach.' 76. pituita, three syllables, as: pitvi-ta, by Synaeresis (thus also below Ep. 1, 1, 108: nisi quum pituita molesta est). 77. (de) coenâ dubia, allusion to a jest of Terence in Phorm. 2, 2, 28 sq., where a splendid dinner' is called coena dubia, with the explanation: 'ubi tu dubites quid sumas potissimum.' 80. alter, i. e. moderatus, sobrius, the moderate man. 82. quondam suo tempore, 'on certain occasions.' Accedent anni et tractari mollius aetas Imbecilla volet. Tibi quidnam accedet ad istam, 85 Rancidum aprum antiqui laudabant, non quia nasus Integrum edax dominus consumeret. Hos utinam inter Das aliquid famae, quae carmine gratior aurem Grande ferunt una cum damno dedecus. Adde 6 Divitiasque habeo tribus amplas regibus.' Ergo, Uterne Ad casus dubios fidet sibi certius, hic qui 95 100 105 110 Quo magis his credas, puer hunc ego parvus Ofellum 85. anni, tractari (without et), some Codd.-95. occupet, some Codd.-99. aes, some Codd.-106. rectae tibi, and recte tibi, some Codd. 94. sq. sense: Besides, the gluttony will bring discredit upon you.' 98. dēērit, two syllables, by Synaeresis (comp. above S. 1, 9, 56; 2, 1, 17). 99. as, laquei pretium, i. e. an as, the price of a halter (to put an end to thy misery) -inquit, i. e. the rich man whom I addressed. 101. amplas tribus regibus (dative), L. e. sufficient for three kings.' 102. superat = abundat. -quo in quod, 'is there no better way in which you can spend ?' &c. 107. uterneuter, the ne pleonastically appended to the interrogative pronoun uter, (comp. Epod. 1, 7; S. 1, 10, 21 and below S. 2, 3, 295, 317). 108. ad casus dubios ad vitae calamitates, to the vicissitudes of life, of fortune.' Integris opibus novi non latius usum, 'Ac venerata Ceres, ita culmo surgeret alto, · Explicuit vino contractae seria frontis. 'Saeviat atque novos moveat fortuna tumultûs, 115 120 125 Quantum hinc imminuet? quanto aut ego parcius, aut Vos, 'O pueri, nituistis, ut huc novus incola venit? Nam propriae telluris herum natura neque illum 'Nec me nec quemquam statuit: nos expulit ille; 130 'Illum aut nequities aut vafri inscitia juris, 'Postremum expellet certe vivacior heres. Nunc ager Umbreni sub nomine, nuper Ofelli 133. Ofellae, Bentl. conj. 113. integris, the e long, comp. Virg. Ecl. 4, 5: Magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo. 114. metato in agello, in the (confiscated) land measured out' (by public surveyors) and given to the soldier Umbrenus, but afterwards rented (mercede) from the latter (comp. below v. 133) by Ofellus, the former proprietor. 116. non temere non facile. 123. post hoc, i. e. after dinner'ludus erat potare, culpâ magistrâ, i. e. eo modo bibebamus, ut, si quis in bibendo aliquid commisisset, ei quasi poena imponebatur alterius etiam poculi hauriendi (ita ut poena quasi magistra bibendi esset, bibendo praesideret), it was an amusement to drink, every slip at table imposing the penalty of a fresh cup.' 124. Ceres venerata (in a passive sense), ita surgeret, &c., i. e. Ceres worshipped, that she (i. e. the corn) might rise, &c.; ita, like sic, used in such a kind of prayer. 125. explicuit, &c., poetic., 'Ceres smoothed with wine the melancholy of the wrinkled brow' (comp. above C. 3, 29, 13 sq. Plerumque...sollicitam explicuere frontem). 127. hinc, i. e. ex his bonis. = 128. pueri filii (Ofelli)—nituistis = pingues ac validi fuistis-ut = ex quo, 'since' incola, i. e. the veteran soldier. 129. propriae in perpetuum ab uno possidendae, perpetuae (comp. above C. 2, 2, 22: deferens uni propriam laurum. 131. vafri, subtle, 'capricious,' 'uncertain,' below S. 2, 5, 34, called anceps jus. 132. vivacior,' longer-lived' (comp. above S. 2, 1, 53: vivax mater). |