Ille tamen faciem prius inspicit, et trepidat ne Mart. iii. 7. 1: Sportula nos junxit quadrantibus arida centum, Mart. x. 75. 11. sedet,] "is laid out." So-Parva sedet ternis instructa tabella lapillis, Ov. Trist. ii. 481. togatæ.] The toga being always worn by clients attending on their patrons, iii. 127 n. 97. Ille] The patron. insp.] implies an anxious scrutiny like that of the augur (iii. 45), or physician (inspicere morbum, Plaut. Pers. ii. 5. 15). Cf. cum diceret se nepotem suum non videre velle sed inspicere, Sen. Cont. iv. 28 (color): qui equum empturus non ipsum inspicit, Sen. Ep. 47 § 14. 98. The nomenclatores used to admit to the sportula for a bribe those who were not entitled to an invitation: nomenclatores assueti hæc et talia venditare, mercede accepta, lucris quosdam et prandiis inserunt ignobiles et obscuros, Ammian. xiv. 6 § 16. 99. Agn.] "A stranger to Rome, going for the first time to pay his court to the great, is charmed by their affability. If, however, he repeat the visit next day he will find that he is not known, but again asked who he is, and whence he comes. When at last recognised (agnitus vero tandem), if he is received into favour, and pays assi 100 "Prior," inquit, "ego adsum. duous court to his patron for three years, and then after three years' absence returns to the city, he must begin the same process from the beginning," Ammian, xiv. 6 § 13. jub.] The patron orders. præc.] A crier is hired to invite the guests. (W. E. Weber. Others make præco i. q. nomenclator.) 100. Troj.] "patricios," Schol.: viii. 181, xi. 95: Troiades, Pers. i. 4: Teucrorum proles, Juv.viii. 56. Varro wrote a work upon the Roman families of Trojan descent, Serv. ad Æn. v. 704; amongst these were the Julii (Julius a magno demissum nomen Iulo, Æn. i. 288: cf. Georg. iii. 48, Juv. viii. 41): Emilii, Clolii, Geganii, Nautii (Serv. 1. 1.), Sergii (Æn. v. 121). The Roman people are called Æneada by Lucret. i. 1. That some nobles received the sportula appears from v. 117 sq., cf. iii. 128: Quum tu laurigeris annum qui fascibus intras, Mane salutator limina mille teras. Hic ego quid faciam? Quid nobis, Paulle relinquis, Qui de plebe Numæ densaque turba sumus, Mart. x. 10. 1 sq. : ii. 18, xii. 26. limen] 96. n. 101. Nob.] The poet, then, was not of noble birth: cf. Unde fit, ut malim fraterculus esse gigantis, iv.98. Da præt.] says the patron. 102. Sed] says the poet. Cur timeam dubitemve locum defendere? quamvis Prior,] on the struggle for priority, v. iii. 243 sq. 104. Euph.] Many slaves came to Rome from Syria (Syri venales, Cic. de Orat. ii. § 265: in Pis. § 1, Juv. vi. 351), Cappadocia (Hor. Ep. i. 6. 39, Juv. vii. 15, Mart. x. 76. 2, 3), Armenia (? v. Liban. Ep. 725). There was a great mart for the sale of these eastern slaves in Delos. Strabo, xiv. p. 668, 9, gives an account of the origin of the traffic. The demand was so great as to give rise to the proverb, Εμπορε, κατάπλευσον, ἐξελοῦ, πάντα πέπραται. moll. &c.] Octavius, who had the ill repute of being a native of Libya, and on the occasion of a certain trial, he said that he could not hear Cicero. 'And yet,' said Cicero, 'your ear is not without a hole in it,'" Plut. Cic. 26: cf. id. Apophth. Cic. 9. p. 206 B., and Macrob. Sat. vii. 3: pertunde aures, ut imitemur Arabes, Petron. c. 102 : Τούτῳ γε οὔτε τῆς Βοιωτίας προσήκει οὐδὲν οὔτε τῆς Ἑλλάδος παντάπασιν, ἐπεὶ ἐγὼ αὐτὸν εἶδον, ὥσπερ Λυδόν, ἀμφότερα τὰ ὦτα τετρυπημένον, Xen. Anab. iii. 1 § 31: cf. Dio Chrysost. Orat. 32 in., who ascribes the practice to the Phrygians as well as Lydians: among the Jews this boring of the ear was a sign of servitude, Exod. xxi. 6, Deut. xv. 17, and, according to Pearson, Ps. xl. 6. There may perhaps be an allusion here to the earrings worn "There was a certain 105 by men, e. g. among the Hebrews (Gen. xxxv. 4), Indians (Curt. viii. 31 [9] § 21), Carthaginians (Plaut. Pœn. v. 2. 21), and throughout the East (Plin. H. N. xi. 50 [37]). molles] aurem foratu effeminatus, Tert. de Pall. 4. 105. licet &c.] Licet ipsa neges, vultus loquitur quodcunque tegis, Sen. Herc. t. 705. quinq. tab.] Not the quinque tabernæ of Livy, xxvi. 27, but five of the many shops, chiefly of bankers, which surrounded the Forum, as they had done in the time of Tarquinius Priscus, Liv. i. 35 fin., infr. x. 24 n. 106. 400 sestertia, the estate of an eques, xiv. 323 sq. parant.] bring in by the year. Quid conf.] Sed quid damnatio confert? viii. 94, vii. 36, 206, x. 265, 302. purp. maj.] (= purpura lato clavo: major clavus, Stat. Silv. iii. 2. 124) was a broad purple stripe, which was woven into the tunic of senators, and extended from the neck down the front of the tunic. See Hor. S. i. 6. 28 (latum demisit pectore clavum). It was the badge of distinction between equites and senators, Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 7 (1). We hear, however, of the laticlave being granted to sons of senators (Suet. Aug. 38), or of Equites, Ov. Trist. iv. 10. 28 sq., Dio lix. 9. 107. Laurentum] (Casale von Ca Conductas Corvinus oves, ego possideo plus pocotto, on a low hill two Italian = Cond. cust.] conducit custodiendas undertakes for a sum of money to keep another's flocks: Imperator Antoninus cum patre, cum grex esset abactus, quem quis conduxerat, ita rescripsit: Si capras latrones citra tuam fraudem abegisse probari potest, judicio locati casum præstare non cogeris, Dig. xix. 2. 9 § 4: si quis vitulos pascendos... conduxit, ibid. § 5: "conductores gregum oviaricorum, Insc. ар. Murat. p. 606," Forcellini. 108. Corvinus] One of illustrious descent, viii. 7: a member of that great family of the Valeria gens, which traced its pedigree up to M. Valerius, who from the miraculous aid which he received from a raven in single combat with a gigantic Gaul, B.C. 349, acquired the surname Corvus (Liv. vii. 26); the family was now so reduced, that Nero assigned to M. Valerius Messalla Corvinus (such is the full name in inscriptions) consul A.D. 59, a yearly grant of 500 sestertia: nobili familiæ honor auctus est, oblatis in singulos annos quingenis sestertiis, quibus Messalla paupertatem innoxium sustentaret, Tac. Ann. xiii. 34. 109. Pallas, (brother of Felix, the procurator of Judæa,) a freedman of Claudius, who refused in his name a proposed grant of 15,000,000 sesterces; on which a Sen. Cons. engraved on brass, was affixed to Cæsar's statue (Plin. Ep. viii. 6 § 13) in which this "libertinus, sestertii ter millies possessor, antiquæ parcimoniæ laudibus cumulabatur," Tac. Ann. xii. 53. Pliny the younger, on passing one day by the tomb of Pallas, remarked an inscription commemorating this decree, Ep. vii. 29; by which he was led to examine closely into the matter, Ep. viii. 6. Pallas owed his wealth to his office of cashier (a rationibus, Suet. Claud. 28: custos principalium opum, Plin. Ep. viii. 6 § 7) to the emperor: it was so great that once when Claudius complained of want of funds, he was told "abundaturum, si a duobus libertis (Pallas and Narcissus) in consortium reciperetur," Suet. 1. 1, cf. Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 47 (10). At last, A.D. 63, Nero, as was believed, poisoned Pallas, "quod immensam pecuniam longa senecta detineret," Tac. Ann. xiv. 65, Dio, lxii. 14. Vincant divitiæ, sacro ne cedat honori Licinus.] A Gaul, taken prisoner by Cæsar, who made him his dispensator, and gave him his freedom (Schol. h. 1. Dio, liv. 21), perhaps by his will, which was executed by Augustus (hence Licin. is called lib. Augusti multos libertorum in honore et usu maximo habuit, ut Licinum, Suet. Aug. 67: Schol. Pers. ii. 36, Macrob. Sat. ii. 4, who relates that Licinus used to contribute towards defraying the expenses of Augustus's undertakings, and was once tricked into giving twice the sum he had offered). As Præfectus of Gaul under Augustus he amassed great wealth (Lugduni multos annos regnavit, Sen. Apoc. 6: Dio, 1. 1.) by oppression, but escaped punishment, and afterwards lived at Rome in great splendour. He built the basilica Julia, Schol. h. 1. His wealth became proverbial, Juv. xiv. 305, 6, Pers. ii. 36: quorum nomina cum Crasso Licinoque numerantur, Sen. Ep. 119 § 10: Licinum divitiis, Apicium cœnis, Mæcenatem deliciis provocant, Sen. Ep. 120 § 20. His marble monument stood on the via Salaria prope Urbem ad lapidem secundum, Schol. Pers. Altaque quum Licini marmora pulvis erunt, Mart. viii. 3. 6: Marmoreo Licinus tumulo jacet, at Cato parvo, Pompeius nullo. Quis putet esse deos? Saxa premunt Licinum, levat altum fama Catonem, Pompeium tituli. Credimus esse Deos, Anthol. Meyer, 77: cf. Nieb. Lect. iii. 65. On the use of the plural cf. Scauri, 11 ii. 35, vi. 110: Scauros et Fabricio xi. 91 Crassi, x. 108. 66 [109 sq. Exsp. &c. Words of th poet. Then, since he is owner o such wealth, let the highest digni taries give place to him; for Rom knows no majesty equal to that o riches."] 110. sacro] The tribune, v. 109 (ut plebi sui magistratus essent sacrosancti, Liv. ii. 33). 111. Nuper] So sudden is the advancement of these upstarts. ped.] "There is a kind of chalk, the cheapest of all, with which we have learnt from our fathers to mark the feet of slaves brought for sale across the sea. . . . So appeared on the catasta Sulla's Chrysogonus. Q. Catullus's Amphion, . . . . and others, who afterwards were enriched with the blood of citizens and the licence of proscriptions. This is that distinction of these droves of slaves and that reproach of wanton fortune, which we too have seen advanced to such power, as to receive by a decree of the Senate, at the command of Claudius's Agrippina, even prætorian insignia, and all but return with laurelled fasces to that country from whence it had come with chalked feet," Plin. H. N. xxxv. 58 (18) : quem sæpe coegit Barbara gypsatos ferre catasta pedes, Tibull. ii. 3. 60: Ov. Am. i. 8. 64, Prop. iv. 5. 51, Juv. vii. 16. 112. sanct.] More sacred than the sacer honor, v. 110. Majestas, etsi funesta pecunia templo Nondum habitas, nullas nummorum ereximus aras, Quæque salutato crepitat Concordia nido. 115 Sed quum summus honor finito computet anno, 113. According to St. Aug. (Civ. Dei, iv. 21, 24, vii. 11, 12), and Arnob. (iv. 9), there was a goddess Pecunia. 114. The temple of Concord at the entrance to the Capitol, overlooking the Forum, built by Camillus, Plut. Camill. 42; here in Cicero's time the Senate often met: Tiberius repaired the temple from German spoils (Ov. Fast. i. 637, Suet. Tib. 20, Dio, lv. 8, lvi. 25). This temple is the nest of the goddess, and to the goddess is ascribed the cry raised by the storks on the roof, when the devout come to worship. Schol. cf. vix salutatis laribus expellor, Quintil. Decl. ix. § 11: vetemus salutationibus matutinis fungi, et foribus assidere templorum: humana ambitio istis officiis capitur, Sen. Ep. 95 § 47. [117 sq. If the nobles eke out their incomes by the sportula, what will the poor clients do?] sum. hon.] The consul, supr. 100 n. 119. Quid facient] What will they do? not, what must (which would be faciant). Sed quid Non 120 facient alii, quum tu multicia sumis? Juv. ii. 65. com.] Supr. 46, iii. 284, vii. 44, 142, viii. 127. hinc] From the sportula. toga and calceus] were worn together, iii. 149. So Cicero, contrasting himself with Antony-Quod quærebas, quomodo redissem: primum luce, non tenebris: deinde cum calceis et toga, nullis nec Gallicis nec lacerna, Phil. ii § 76. 120. fumus] (ignis emendus, infr. 135). The ancients had no chimneys, Virg. Ecl. vii. 50, G. ii. 242: Apuleius says of a miser, cujus hospitio nec fumi nec nidoris nebulam vererer," Met. i. 21. "in densis.] i.e. a crowd of litters. So multus delator, iv. 47: plurimus æger, iii. 232: plurima palma, viii. 58 densa oliva, xiv. 144. cent.] Supr. 95 n.: Dat Baiana mihi quadrantes sportula centum, Mart. i. 60. 1, iv. 68, vi. 88, viii. 42; sometimes we read of a larger sum (sportula major), Mart. iv. 26, viii. 42, ix. 101, x. 27, xii. 26. 14. 121. lect.] Supr. 64 n. |