Chapter XXI: Book I: 1599

ARGUMENT.

To the first book there is said to have been annexed an Epistle
to L. Ælius Stilo, the friend of the poet, to whom in all
probability this book was dedicated. (Fr. 16.) We know from a
note of Servius on the tenth book of the Æneid (l. 104), that
the subject was a council of gods held to deliberate on the
fortune of the Roman state; the result of the conference being
that nothing but the death of certain obnoxious individuals
could possibly rescue the city from plunging headlong to ruin.
It is a kind of parody on the council of Celestials held in
the first book of the Odyssey, to discuss the propriety of the
return of Ulysses to Greece: and as Homer represents Neptune, the
great enemy of Ulysses, to have been absent from the meeting,
so here (Fr. 2) we find an allusion to some previous council,
at which Jupiter, by the machinations of Juno (Fr. 15), was
not present. Virgil, as Servius says, borrowed the idea of his
discussion between Venus, Juno, and Jupiter from this book; only
he translated the language of Lucilius into a type more suited
to the dignity of Heroic verse. Lucilius's council begin with
discussing the affairs of mankind at large, and then proceed to
consider the best method of prolonging the Roman state (Fr. 5),
which has no greater enemies than its own corrupt and licentious
morals, and the wide-spreading evils of avarice and luxury. But
amid the growing vices which undermined the state must especially
be reckoned the study of a spurious kind of philosophy, of
rhetoric, and logic, which not only was the cause of universal
indolence and neglect of all serious duties, but also led men
to lay snares to entrap their neighbors. (Fr. inc. 2.) A fair
instance of these sophistical absurdities is given (Fr. inc.
12); and the doctrine of the Stoics, to which Horace alludes
(i. Sat., iii., 124), is also ridiculed. (Fr. inc. 23.) The
pernicious effects of gold are then described, as destructive of
all honesty, good faith, and every religious principle (Fr. inc.
39-47); the result of which is, that the state is fast sinking
into helpless ruin. (Fr. inc. 50.) Nor are the evils of luxury
less baleful. (Fr. 19-21.)

All this discussion, in the previous conference, had been nugatory
on account of the absence of Jupiter, and the divisions that had
arisen among the gods themselves. In this debate Neptune had
taken a very considerable part, since we hear that, discussing
some very abstruse and difficult point, he said it could not be
cleared up, even though Orcus were to permit Carneades himself
to revisit earth. (Fr. 8.) Apollo also was probably one of the
speakers, and expressed a particular dislike to his cognomen of
"the Beautiful." (Fr. inc. 145.) Perhaps all the gods but Jove
(Fr. 3) had been present; but as they could not agree, the whole
matter was referred to Jupiter; who, expressing his vexation that
he was not present at the first meeting, blames some and praises
others. (Fr. 55, inc.)

The cause of his absence was probably the same as that described
(Iliad, xiv., 307-327) by Homer: which passage Lucilius probably
meant to ridicule. (Fr. 15.) The result of the deliberation is a
determination on the part of the gods that the only way to save
the Roman state is by requiring the expiatory sacrifice of the
most flagitious and impious among the citizens: and the three
fixed upon are P. Cornelius Lentulus Lupus, L. Papirius Carbo,
and C. Hostilius Tubulus.

(To this book may perhaps also be referred Fr. inc. 2, 46, 61, 63.)

This book must have been published subsequently to the death of
Carneades, which took place the same year as that of Scipio, B.C.
129, twenty-six years after his embassy to Rome.

1 ... held counsel about the affairs of men--

2 I could have wished, could it so have happened.... I could have
wished, at that council of yours before which you mention, I
could have wished, Celestials, to have been present at your
previous council!

3 ... that there is none of us, but without exception is styled
"Best Father of Gods," as Father Neptune, Liber, Saturn, Father
Mars, Janus, Father Quirinus.[1600]

4 Had Tubulus, Lucius, Lupus, or Carbo, that son of Neptune,
believed that there were gods, would he have been so perjured
and impious?[1601]

5 ... in what way it might be possible to preserve longer the
people and city of Rome.

6 ... though many months and days ... yet wicked men would not
admire this age and time.

7 When he had spoken these words he paused--

8 Not even though Orcus should send back Carneades
himself....[1602]

9 ... made ædile by a Satura; who from law may loose....[1603]

10 ... against whom, should the whole people conspire, they would
be scarce a match for him--

11 ... they might, however, discharge their duty and defend the
walls.

12 ... might put it off, if not longer, at least to this one
lustrum.[1604]

13 I will bring them to supper; and first of all will give each
of them, as they arrive, the bellies of thunny and heads of
acharne.[1605]

14 ...

15 ... so that I could compare «the embraces» of Leda daughter of
Thestius, and the spouse of Ixion.[1606]

16 These things we have sent, written to thee, Lucius Ælius![1607]

17 ... to creep on, as an evil gangrene, or ulcer, might.

18 A countenance too, like.... death, jaundice, poison.

19 ... to hate the infamous, vile, and disgraceful cook's
shop.[1608]

20 prætextæ and tunics, and all that foul handiwork of the
Lydians.[1609]

21 Velvets and double piles, soft with their thick naps.[1610]

22 ... that, like an angry cur, speaks plainer than a man.

23 ... the common herd stupidly look for a knot in a bulrush.[1611]

24 ... and legions serve for pay.

25 ... quote prodigies, elephants.

26 ... ladles and ewers.[1612]

27 Vulture.[1613]

28 ... like a fool, you came to dance among the Pathics.

29 Oh the cares of men! Oh how much vanity is there in human
affairs![1614]

FOOTNOTES:

[1599] Book I. Some of the commentators suppose that the thirty Satires of Lucilius were divided into two books, and that the first of these _books_, and not the first Satire only, was dedicated to Ælius Stilo.

[1600] _Fr._ 3. "Every god that is worshiped by man must needs in all solemn rites and invocations be styled 'Father;' not only for honor's, but also for reason's sake. Since he is both more ancient than man, and provides man with life and health and food, as a father doth." Lactant., Inst. Div., iv., 3.

[1601] _Tubulus._ C. Hostilius Tubulus was elected prætor B.C. 210 (Liv., xxvii., 6), and was prætor peregrinus next year. (Cf. Fr. inc. 97.) He became infamous from his openly receiving bribes, so that the next year, on the motion of the tribune P. Scævola, he was impeached by Cnæus Servilius Cæpio the consul, B.C. 203. P. Cornelius Lentulus _Lupus_ first appears as one of the persons sent to Rome, to announce the victory over Perseus. (Liv., xliv., 45.) He afterward served the offices of curule ædile (Fr. 9), and censor (Fr. 12). He was consul B.C. 156. Carbo is L. Papirius Carbo, the friend of C. Gracchus. We learn from Aulus Gellius (xv., 21), that "Son of Neptune" was applied to men of the fiercest and most blood-thirsty dispositions, who seemed to have so little _humanity_ about them, that they might have been sprung from the _sea_.

[1602] _Carneades_ (cf. Diog. Laert., IV., ix.) of Cyrene, disciple of Chrysippus, and founder of the new Academy, was celebrated for his great acuteness of intellect, which he displayed to great advantage when he came as embassador from Athens to Rome, B.C. 155.

[1603] _Ædilem_ refers to Lupus, who was made curule ædile with L. Valerius Flaccus, A.U.C. 591 (B.C. 163), and exhibited the Ludi Megalenses the year Terence's Heauton Timorumenos was produced. A law was called Satura which contained several enactments under one bill; hence, according to Diomedes, Satire derives its name from the variety of its subjects.

A person was said to be _legibus solutus_ who was freed from the obligation of any _one_ law; afterward the emperors were so styled, as being above _all_ laws; but at first there was some reservation, as we find Augustus praying to be freed from the obligation of the Voconian law. (In the year B.C. 199, C. Valerius Flaccus was created curule ædile together with C. Cornelius Cethegus. Being flamen dialis, and therefore not allowed to take an oath, he prayed, "ut legibus solveretur." The consuls, by a decree of the senate, got the tribunes to obtain a plebis-scitum, that his brother Lucius, the prætor elect, might be allowed to take the oath for him. Liv., xxxi., 50.)

[1604] Fr. 12 refers also to Lupus, for he was censor A.U.C. 607, with L. Marcius Censorinus.

[1605] _Priva._ Cf. Liv., xxx., 43, "Ut privos lapides silices, privasque verbenas secum ferrent." The acharne was a fish known to the Greeks, the best being caught off Ænos in Thrace. Athenæus mentions the ἄχαρνος together with θύννου κεφάλαιον, "thunny-heads" (vii., p. 620, D), in a passage from the Cyclopes of Callias. Ennius also (ap. Apul. Apolog.) has "calvaria pinguia acharnæ."

[1606] Mercer suggests "coitum" as the missing word, which Gerlach adopts. Cf. Hom., Il., xiv., 317, οὐδ' ὁπότ' ἠρασάμην Ἰξιονίης ἀλόχοιο. The lady's name was Dia, daughter of Deioneus. _Contendere_, "to compare." Cf. vii., Fr. 6.

[1607] L. Ælius Stilo (vid. arg.) was a Roman knight, a native of Lanuvium, and was called Stilo, "quod orationes nobilissimo cuique scribere solebat." He had also the nickname of Præconinus, because his father had exercised the office of præco. He was a distinguished grammarian, and a friend of the learned and great; and, it is said, accompanied Q. Metellus Numidicus into banishment. Vid. Suet., de Gram. Ill., II., iii. Ernest Clav. Cic.

[1608] Cf. Juv., viii., 172, "Mitte sed in magnâ legatum quære popina;" and 1. 158; xi., 81, "Qui meminit calidæ sapiat quid vulva popinæ."

[1609] _Prætextæ._ Cf. Pers., v., 30, "custos purpura."

[1610] _Psilœ_, from ψιλὸς, "rasus," with its nap shorn like our modern velvet (villus, hence vélours). _Amphitapæ_, from ἀμφί and τάπης, a thick brocaded dress, like a rich carpet, soft on both sides.

[1611] _Nodum in scirpo facere_, or _quærere_, "to make a difficulty where there is none." Cf. Ter., And., v., 4, 38. Enn. ap. Fest., "Quæritur in scirpo soliti quod dicere nodus." Plaut., Men., II., i., 22. The modern Italian is equally expressive, "_Cercar l'osso nel fico_."

[1612] ἀρύταινα, from ἀρύτω, "any vessel for drawing up water."

[1613] _Vulturius_ is the _older_ Latin form for _vultur_, which is found in the days of Virgil. (In Plaut., Curc., II., iii., 77, "Vulturios quatuor" is a bad throw at dice, like the "damnosa Canicula" of Persius, iii., 49, and is said to be called so for the same reason, because vultures devour, i. e., ruin men.)

[1614] Cf. Pers., i., 1.