Cura Tibi

Juvenal Notes

Here it is Juvenal talking, about 20 lines in it switches to an "Umbricius" character speaking.

1

1 Quamvis digressu veteris confusus amici

  • confusus = confusus sum
  • digressu gerund abl.cause, means?
  • veteris amici genitive possession

2 laudo tamen, vacuis quod sedem figere Cumis

  • laudo: 1P S of laudo, laudare. object of laudo (the amicus) is implied
  • quod = because
  • Cumae a place about 3 hours' drive south of Rome along the South coast of Italy. Next to the Bay of Naples
  • Bay of Naples bay south of Rome, near Mount Vesuvius. Fertile (because of the volcano) and aesthetically pleasing place.
  • vacuis ... sedem figere Cumis ... unum civem donare Sibyllae - indirect statement with destinet

3 destinet atque unum civem donare Sibyllae.

  • Sibyllae dative indirect object
    • priestess of Apollo, who works at a temple near Cumae
  • "to give a citizen to the Sibyl" means to go to Cumae, because if you go there then Sibyl "gets" one more person
    • not meant to be exclusive, Romans would get it

4 ianua Baiarum est et gratum litus amoeni

  • Baiae in the Bay of Naples, a bit south of Cumae. A resort place for the Romans, rich people had villas there. Clodia liked Baiae.
  • amoeni secessus - gen.quality
  • litus litoris 3dc NT
  • gratus grata gratum - pleasing
  • amoenus a um - beautiful, pleasant

5 secessus. ego vel Prochytam praepono Suburae;

  • secessus 4dc genitive
  • Prochyta an island in the bay of naples, near Baiae. barren island
  • Suburae a part of Rome, in a valley and quite slummy back in ancient Rome.

6 nam quid tam miserum, tam solum vidimus, ut non

7 deterius credas horrere incendia, lapsus

  • incendium, incendi(i) NT
  • lapsus lapsus MS

8 tectorum adsiduos ac mille pericula saevae

9 urbis et Augusto recitantes mense poetas?

  • Augusto August is summer in Italy. Rome summers were notorious, if you could afford to leave then you would.
    • mense poetas - sometimes there were people reciting outside and if you didn't want to hear it then you would close the windows. but since it was summer if you close the windows then it would be too hot

There is nothing about Prochyta that is so bad that you would think Subura is better

Although distressed by the departure of an old friend, I however praise [him]. Because, he decides to establish a seat in empty Cumae and to present one citizen to the Sibyl. It is the door of Baiae and a pleasing shore with a beautiful seclusion.

Even I put Prochyta before Surbura, for what have we seen that is so miserable [and] so lonely that you would not believe [it is] worse to dread fires, constant slips of the ground or a thousand dangers how does this work? of a cruel city and reciting poets during the August month?

10

10 Sed dum tota domus raeda componitur una,

11 substitit ad veteres arcus madidamque Capenam.

  • Porta Capena a gate in Rome. wet because it's next to an aqueduct
  • arcus madidamque Capenam - hendiadys
    • when you say two ideas that are separate (e.g. X and Y), but the meaning is that the two ideas are connected in some way, (e.g. X of Y), (X is Y)
  • ad - prep, towards, at

12 hic, ubi nocturnae Numa constituebat amicae

  • Numa - second king of Rome. short -a by scansion.
    • Numa introduced religious practice to Rome (built temples, set up festivals and customs). He said he got his inspiration from a nymph called Egeria, who he met outside the city in a grove at night. The grove was near the Porta Capena. Egeria told him about all the religious stuff
    • by saying "nocturnal girlfriend" about this grand semi-mythological story of a king and a demigod, Juvenal is being irreverent
  • ubi where
  • constituebat met

13 (nunc sacri fontis nemus et delubra locantur

14 Iudaeis, quorum cophinus fenumque [est] supellex;

  • cophinus fenumque - hendiadys

15 omnis enim populo mercedem pendere iussa est

16 arbor et eiectis mendicat silva Camenis),

  • nunc sacri ... silva Camenis - There's a racial stereotype about how Jews are good at making money, this is a reference for that. Why? See the "no place for honest Romans" in context.
  • Absurd imagery of trees paying rent - characteristic of Juvenal
  • Camena, Camenae - Muse

17 in vallem Egeriae descendimus et speluncas

18 dissimiles veris. quanto praesentius esset

19 numen aquis, viridi si margine cluderet undas

  • quanto praesentius esset numen aquis - indirect question

20 herba nec ingenuum violarent marmora tofum.

  • quanto praesentius ... marmora tofum - There was a little forest/grove here. But then someone has built up a bit of infrastructure, like channeled the water or paved a path or placed statues.
    • it is a metaphor for racism... yay....
    • the tofa is original roman-ness or something and the marble is non-native-romans???
  • tofa - a desaturated brown material that turns white when exposed to water. It's easy to cut/manipulate so was used as a building material (?). It was native to Rome. By contrast, mamora is not native to Rome

But while the whole home is put together on one wagon, he halted at the old arches of the wet Capena Gate. Here, where Numa met the nocturnal girlfriend (now the woods of the secret fountain and the shrine have been hired out by Jews, whose furniture (is) a basket and hay; the wood and forest beg the ejected muses, for all have been ordered to pay rent to the people), we descend into the valley of Egeria and the caves not similar to the truth.

How much more present would the divine will in the water be, if the waves were surrounded with a strong grass border, and the marbles did not violate the indigenous tofa.

common question: how does the opening of the satire set up stuff?

thematically:

  • Rome is bad
  • loss of culture in Rome - invation of Jewish people into the grove
  • the only solution is to leave

Stylistics

  • Bathos
  • irreverent humour
  • vignettes - standalone imagery scenes interspersed through the satire
  • tone - critical, dry, indignant, ... sad?

scansion

pronounciation has shifted slightly since Vergil (~50BC), so final o is short instead of long now!!

21

Umbricius' farewell speech

21 Hic tunc Umbricius 'quando artibus' inquit 'honestis

  • artibus honestis dative of advantage

22 nullus in urbe locus, nulla emolumenta laborum,

23 res hodie minor est here quam fuit atque eadem cras

  • res - can mean wealth
  • minor - refers to less in quality than quantitly
  • here - adv - yesterday

24 deteret exiguis aliquid, proponimus illuc

  • detero, deterere - deteret is future
  • deteret means "wear away" as in have less impact - the wealth has less purchasing power
  • illuc - adverb - "to that place" or pronoun - form of illic

25 ire, fatigatas ubi Daedalus exuit alas,

  • ala, alae F wing
  • Daedalus is said to have buried Icarus and took off his wings at Cuma

26 dum nova canities, dum prima et recta senectus,

  • canities - white hair
  • prima - can also mean fresh/new
  • senectus, senectutis F / senectus a um

27 dum superest Lachesi quod torqueat et pedibus me

  • [a thing] superest Lachesi, [a thing] quod torqueat
    • quod torqueat - relative clause of purpose
    • can also be generic relative
  • Lachesi

28 porto meis nullo dextram subeunte bacillo.

  • pedibus meis ablative instrument
  • nullo dextram subeunte bacillo ablative absolute

Here at that time, Umbricius says "since, [there is] no place for honest skills in this city, no benefit of labours, today wealth is less than it was yesterday and tomorrow, the same wealth will have less impact by a little, we set forth to go to that place, where Daedalus took off the worn-out wings, while the white hair [is] new, while the old age [is] fresh and new, while something remains for Lachesi to spin and I carry myself with my feet, with no stick being under my right hand.

29 cedamus patria. vivant Artorius istic

  • cedamus, vivant, maneant - subjunctive command

30 et Catulus, maneant qui nigrum in candida vertunt,

  • nigrum in candida vertunt -

31 quis facile est aedem conducere, flumina, portus,

  • quis = quibus (which dative?)
  • facile est - would be proelided (proelision)
  • conducere - build, manage, design

32 siccandam eluviem, portandum ad busta cadaver,

  • siccandam, portandum - gerundives, expressing purpose with conducere
  • eluviem - debris after a flood. the Tiber flooded quite frequently and only stopped flooding in the 1900s when they

33 et praebere caput domina venale sub hasta.

  • adjectival domina denotes ownership?
  • venale - venalis, venale - can be ablative femine (describing hasta) or neuter nominative (describing caput). in this case it's describing caput
  • the spear was a sign of public auction

34 quondam hi cornicines et municipalis harenae

35 perpetui comites notaeque per oppida buccae

36 munera nunc edunt et, verso pollice vulgus

  • vulgus, vulgi, 2dc but neuter

37 cum iubet, occidunt populariter; inde reversi

  • populariter - adv - in a manner designed to win popular support

38 conducunt foricas, et cur non omnia? cum sint

39 quales ex humili magna ad fastigia rerum

40 extollit quotiens voluit Fortuna iocari.

Let us leave the fatherland. Let Artorius and Catulus live there, let those who turn black into white remain, they for whom it is easy to bring together a temple, rivers, ports, [to] dry a flood, [to] carry a corpse to graves, and to provide a head under the spear of ownership for sale.

Formerly, these trumpeters and perpetual companions of the provincial sand and familiar cheeks now produce services through the city and, with turned thumbs, when the common people orders, kill for popularity; having returned to here, they built the public toilets, and why not everything? When they are the sort [whom] Fortune raises up from small to the great peaks of things, as often as Fortune wanted to jest.

41

41 Quid Romae faciam? mentiri nescio; librum,

  • Romae --- locative?

42 si malus est, nequeo laudare et poscere; motus

43 astrorum ignoro; funus promittere patris

44 nec volo nec possum; ranarum viscera numquam

45 inspexi; ferre ad nuptam quae mittit adulter,

46 quae mandat, norunt alii; me nemo ministro

47 fur erit, atque ideo nulli comes exeo tamquam

48 mancus et extinctae corpus non utile dextrae.

49 quis nunc diligitur nisi conscius et cui fervens

50 aestuat occultis animus semperque tacendis?

51 nil tibi se debere putat, nil conferet umquam,

52 participem qui te secreti fecit honesti.

53 carus erit Verri qui Verrem tempore quo vult

54 accusare potest. tanti tibi non sit opaci

55 omnis harena Tagi quodque in mare volvitur aurum,

56 ut somno careas ponendaque praemia sumas

57 tristis et a magno semper timearis amico.

What do I do in Rome?

58

58 Quae nunc divitibus gens acceptissima nostris

59 et quos praecipue fugiam, properabo fateri,

60 nec pudor obstabit. non possum ferre, Quirites,

61 Graecam urbem. quamvis quota portio faecis Achaei?

62 iam pridem Syrus in Tiberim defluxit Orontes

63 et linguam et mores et cum tibicine chordas

64 obliquas nec non gentilia tympana secum

65 vexit et ad circum iussas prostare puellas.

66 ite, quibus grata est picta lupa barbara mitra.

67 rusticus ille tuus sumit trechedipna, Quirine,

68 et ceromatico fert niceteria collo.

69 hic alta Sicyone, ast hic Amydone relicta,

70 hic Andro, ille Samo, hic Trallibus aut Alabandis,

71 Esquilias dictumque petunt a vimine collem,

72 viscera magnarum domuum dominique futuri.

73 ingenium velox, audacia perdita, sermo

74 promptus et Isaeo torrentior: ede quid illum

75 esse putes. quemvis hominem secum attulit ad nos:

76 grammaticus, rhetor, geometres, pictor, aliptes,

77 augur, schoenobates, medicus, magus, omnia novit

78 Graeculus esuriens: in caelum iusseris, ibit.

79 in summa non Maurus erat neque Sarmata nec Thrax

80 qui sumpsit pinnas, mediis sed natus Athenis.

81 horum ego non fugiam conchylia? me prior ille

82 signabit fultusque toro meliore recumbet,

83 advectus Romam quo pruna et cottana vento?

84 usque adeo nihil est quod nostra infantia caelum

85 hausit Aventini baca nutrita Sabina?

86

86 Quid quod adulandi gens prudentissima laudat

87 sermonem indocti, faciem deformis amici,

88 et longum invalidi collum cervicibus aequat

89 Herculis Antaeum procul a tellure tenentis,

90 miratur vocem angustam, qua deterius nec

91 ille sonat quo mordetur gallina marito?

92 haec eadem licet et nobis laudare, sed illis

93 creditur. an melior cum Thaida sustinet aut cum

94 uxorem comoedus agit vel Dorida nullo

95 cultam palliolo? mulier nempe ipsa videtur,

96 non persona, loqui: vacua et plana omnia dicas

97 infra ventriculum et tenui distantia rima.

98 nec tamen Antiochus nec erit mirabilis illic

99 aut Stratocles aut cum molli Demetrius Haemo:

100 natio comoeda est. rides, maiore cachinno

101 concutitur; flet, si lacrimas conspexit amici,

102 nec dolet; igniculum brumae si tempore poscas,

103 accipit endromidem; si dixeris "aestuo," sudat.

104 non sumus ergo pares: melior, qui semper et omni

105 nocte dieque potest aliena sumere vultum

106 a facie, iactare manus laudare paratus,

107 si bene ructavit, si rectum minxit amicus,

108 si trulla inverso crepitum dedit aurea fundo.

109

109 Praeterea sanctum nihil +aut+ ab inguine tutum,

110 non matrona laris, non filia virgo, nec ipse

111 sponsus levis adhuc, non filius ante pudicus.

112 horum si nihil est, aviam resupinat amici.

113 [scire volunt secreta domus atque inde timeri.]

114 et quoniam coepit Graecorum mentio, transi

115 gymnasia atque audi facinus maioris abollae.

116 Stoicus occidit Baream delator amicum

117 discipulumque senex ripa nutritus in illa

118 ad quam Gorgonei delapsa est pinna caballi.

119 non est Romano cuiquam locus hic, ubi regnat

120 Protogenes aliquis vel Diphilus aut Hermarchus,

121 qui gentis vitio numquam partitur amicum,

122 solus habet. nam cum facilem stillavit in aurem

123 exiguum de naturae patriaeque veneno,

124 limine summoveor, perierunt tempora longi

125 servitii; nusquam minor est iactura clientis.

126

126 Quod porro officium, ne nobis blandiar, aut quod

127 pauperis hic meritum, si curet nocte togatus

128 currere, cum praetor lictorem inpellat et ire

129 praecipitem iubeat dudum vigilantibus orbis,

130 ne prior Albinam et Modiam collega salutet?

131 divitis hic servo cludit latus ingenuorum

132 filius; alter enim quantum in legione tribuni

133 accipiunt donat Calvinae vel Catienae,

134 ut semel aut iterum super illam palpitet; at tu,

135 cum tibi vestiti facies scorti placet, haeres

136 et dubitas alta Chionen deducere sella.

137 da testem Romae tam sanctum quam fuit hospes

138 numinis Idaei, procedat vel Numa vel qui

139 servavit trepidam flagranti ex aede Minervam:

140 protinus ad censum, de moribus ultima fiet

141 quaestio. "quot pascit servos? quot possidet agri

142 iugera? quam multa magnaque paropside cenat?"

143 quantum quisque sua nummorum servat in arca,

144 tantum habet et fidei. iures licet et Samothracum

145 et nostrorum aras, contemnere fulmina pauper

146 creditur atque deos dis ignoscentibus ipsis.

147

147 Quid quod materiam praebet causasque iocorum

148 omnibus hic idem, si foeda et scissa lacerna,

149 si toga sordidula est et rupta calceus alter

150 pelle patet, vel si consuto volnere crassum

151 atque recens linum ostendit non una cicatrix?

152 nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se

153 quam quod ridiculos homines facit. "exeat" inquit,

154 "si pudor est, et de pulvino surgat equestri,

155 cuius res legi non sufficit, et sedeant hic

156 lenonum pueri quocumque ex fornice nati,

157 hic plaudat nitidus praeconis filius inter

158 pinnirapi cultos iuvenes iuvenesque lanistae."

159 sic libitum vano, qui nos distinxit, Othoni.

160 quis gener hic placuit censu minor atque puellae

161 sarcinulis inpar? quis pauper scribitur heres?

162 quando in consilio est aedilibus? agmine facto

163 debuerant olim tenues migrasse Quirites.

164 Haut facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat

165 res angusta domi, sed Romae durior illis

166 conatus: magno hospitium miserabile, magno

167 servorum ventres, et frugi cenula magno.

168 fictilibus cenare pudet, quod turpe negabis

169 translatus subito ad Marsos mensamque Sabellam

170 contentusque illic veneto duroque cucullo.

171 Pars magna Italiae est, si verum admittimus, in qua

172 nemo togam sumit nisi mortuus. ipsa dierum

173 festorum herboso colitur si quando theatro

174 maiestas tandemque redit ad pulpita notum

175 exodium, cum personae pallentis hiatum

176 in gremio matris formidat rusticus infans,

177 aequales habitus illic similesque videbis

178 orchestram et populum; clari velamen honoris

179 sufficiunt tunicae summis aedilibus albae.

180 hic ultra vires habitus nitor, hic aliquid plus

181 quam satis est interdum aliena sumitur arca.

182 commune id vitium est: hic vivimus ambitiosa

183 paupertate omnes. quid te moror? omnia Romae

184 cum pretio. quid das, ut Cossum aliquando salutes,

185 ut te respiciat clauso Veiento labello?

186 ille metit barbam, crinem hic deponit amati;

187 plena domus libis venalibus: accipe et istud

188 fermentum tibi habe. praestare tributa clientes

189 cogimur et cultis augere peculia servis.

190 Quis timet aut timuit gelida Praeneste ruinam

191 aut positis nemorosa inter iuga Volsiniis aut

192 simplicibus Gabiis aut proni Tiburis arce?

193 nos urbem colimus tenui tibicine fultam

194 magna parte sui; nam sic labentibus obstat

195 vilicus et, veteris rimae cum texit hiatum,

196 securos pendente iubet dormire ruina.

197 vivendum est illic, ubi nulla incendia, nulli

198 nocte metus. iam poscit aquam, iam frivola transfert

199 Ucalegon, tabulata tibi iam tertia fumant:

200 tu nescis; nam si gradibus trepidatur ab imis,

201 ultimus ardebit quem tegula sola tuetur

202 a pluvia, molles ubi reddunt ova columbae.

203 lectus erat Cordo Procula minor, urceoli sex

204 ornamentum abaci, nec non et parvulus infra

205 cantharus et recubans sub eodem marmore Chiron,

206 iamque vetus Graecos servabat cista libellos

207 et divina opici rodebant carmina mures.

208 nil habuit Cordus, quis enim negat? et tamen illud

209 perdidit infelix totum nihil. ultimus autem

210 aerumnae cumulus, quod nudum et frusta rogantem

211 nemo cibo, nemo hospitio tectoque iuvabit.

212 Si magna Asturici cecidit domus, horrida mater,

213 pullati proceres, differt vadimonia praetor.

214 tum gemimus casus urbis, tunc odimus ignem.

215 ardet adhuc, et iam accurrit qui marmora donet,

216 conferat inpensas; hic nuda et candida signa,

217 hic aliquid praeclarum Euphranoris et Polycliti,

218 haec Asianorum vetera ornamenta deorum,

219 hic libros dabit et forulos mediamque Minervam,

220 hic modium argenti. meliora ac plura reponit

221 Persicus orborum lautissimus et merito iam

222 suspectus tamquam ipse suas incenderit aedes.

223 Si potes avelli circensibus, optima Sorae

224 aut Fabrateriae domus aut Frusinone paratur

225 quanti nunc tenebras unum conducis in annum.

226 hortulus hic puteusque brevis nec reste movendus

227 in tenuis plantas facili diffunditur haustu.

228 vive bidentis amans et culti vilicus horti

229 unde epulum possis centum dare Pythagoreis.

230 est aliquid, quocumque loco, quocumque recessu,

231 unius sese dominum fecisse lacertae.

232 Plurimus hic aeger moritur vigilando (sed ipsum

233 languorem peperit cibus inperfectus et haerens

234 ardenti stomacho); nam quae meritoria somnum

235 admittunt? magnis opibus dormitur in urbe.

236 inde caput morbi. raedarum transitus arto

237 vicorum in flexu et stantis convicia mandrae

238 eripient somnum Druso vitulisque marinis.

239 si vocat officium, turba cedente vehetur

240 dives et ingenti curret super ora Liburna

241 atque obiter leget aut scribet vel dormiet intus;

242 namque facit somnum clausa lectica fenestra.

243 ante tamen veniet: nobis properantibus obstat

244 unda prior, magno populus premit agmine lumbos

245 qui sequitur; ferit hic cubito, ferit assere duro

246 alter, at hic tignum capiti incutit, ille metretam.

247 pinguia crura luto, planta mox undique magna

248 calcor, et in digito clavus mihi militis haeret.

249 Nonne vides quanto celebretur sportula fumo?

250 centum convivae, sequitur sua quemque culina.

251 Corbulo vix ferret tot vasa ingentia, tot res

252 inpositas capiti, quas recto vertice portat

253 servulus infelix et cursu ventilat ignem.

254 scinduntur tunicae sartae modo, longa coruscat

255 serraco veniente abies, atque altera pinum

256 plaustra vehunt; nutant alte populoque minantur.

257 nam si procubuit qui saxa Ligustica portat

258 axis et eversum fudit super agmina montem,

259 quid superest de corporibus? quis membra, quis ossa

260 invenit? obtritum volgi perit omne cadaver

261 more animae. domus interea secura patellas

262 iam lavat et bucca foculum excitat et sonat unctis

263 striglibus et pleno componit lintea guto.

264 haec inter pueros varie properantur, at ille

265 iam sedet in ripa taetrumque novicius horret

266 porthmea nec sperat caenosi gurgitis alnum

267 infelix nec habet quem porrigat ore trientem.

268 Respice nunc alia ac diversa pericula noctis:

269 quod spatium tectis sublimibus unde cerebrum

270 testa ferit, quotiens rimosa et curta fenestris

271 vasa cadant, quanto percussum pondere signent

272 et laedant silicem. possis ignavus haberi

273 et subiti casus inprovidus, ad cenam si

274 intestatus eas: adeo tot fata, quot illa

275 nocte patent vigiles te praetereunte fenestrae.

276 ergo optes votumque feras miserabile tecum,

277 ut sint contentae patulas defundere pelves.

278 Ebrius ac petulans, qui nullum forte cecidit,

279 dat poenas, noctem patitur lugentis amicum

280 Pelidae, cubat in faciem, mox deinde supinus:

281 [ergo non aliter poterit dormire; quibusdam]

282 somnum rixa facit. sed quamvis inprobus annis

283 atque mero fervens cavet hunc quem coccina laena

284 vitari iubet et comitum longissimus ordo,

285 multum praeterea flammarum et aenea lampas.

286 me, quem luna solet deducere vel breve lumen

287 candelae, cuius dispenso et tempero filum,

288 contemnit. miserae cognosce prohoemia rixae,

289 si rixa est, ubi tu pulsas, ego vapulo tantum.

290 stat contra starique iubet. parere necesse est;

291 nam quid agas, cum te furiosus cogat et idem

292 fortior? "unde venis" exclamat, "cuius aceto,

293 cuius conche tumes? quis tecum sectile porrum

294 sutor et elixi verecis labra comedit?

295 nil mihi respondes? aut dic aut accipe calcem.

296 ede ubi consistas: in qua te quaero proseucha?"

297 dicere si temptes aliquid tacitusve recedas,

298 tantumdem est: feriunt pariter, vadimonia deinde

299 irati faciunt. libertas pauperis haec est:

300 pulsatus rogat et pugnis concisus adorat

301 ut liceat paucis cum dentibus inde reverti.

302 Nec tamen haec tantum metuas; nam qui spoliet te

303 non derit clausis domibus postquam omnis ubique

304 fixa catenatae siluit compago tabernae.

305 interdum et ferro subitus grassator agit rem:

306 armato quotiens tutae custode tenentur

307 et Pomptina palus et Gallinaria pinus,

308 sic inde huc omnes tamquam ad vivaria currunt.

309 qua fornace graves, qua non incude catenae?

310 maximus in vinclis ferri modus, ut timeas ne

311 vomer deficiat, ne marra et sarcula desint.

312 felices proavorum atavos, felicia dicas

313 saecula quae quondam sub regibus atque tribunis

314 viderunt uno contentam carcere Romam.

315 His alias poteram et pluris subnectere causas,

316 sed iumenta vocant et sol inclinat. eundum est;

317 nam mihi commota iamdudum mulio virga

318 adnuit. ergo vale nostri memor, et quotiens te

319 Roma tuo refici properantem reddet Aquino,

320 me quoque ad Helvinam Cererem vestramque Dianam

321 converte a Cumis. saturarum ego, ni pudet illas,

322 auditor gelidos veniam caligatus in agros.'