The Roman Poets of the Republic Part 27

Etsi eiusmodi cives (scil. Cleonem, Cleophontem, Hyperbolum) a censore melius est, quam a poeta notari ... iudiciis enim magistratuum, disceptationibus legitimis propositam vitam, non poetarum ingeniis habere debemus; nec probrum audire nisi ea lege ut respondere liceat et iudicio defendere.]

[Footnote 2: 'You know not, ah you know not the airs of Imperial Rome: believe me the people of Mars is too critical: nowhere are there greater sneers; young men and old and even boys have the nose of a rhinoceros.']

[Footnote 3: Vell. Paterc. ii. 9. The service of Lucilius in Spain seems to be confirmed by a line in one of his Satires:--

Publiu' Pavu' mihi [ ] quaestor Hibera In terra fuit, lucifugus, nebulo, id genu' sane.]

[Footnote 4: Hor. Sat. ii. I. 71-5.]

[Footnote 5: Cf. L. Muller's edition of the Fragments.]

[Footnote 6:

Quo facetior videare et scire plus quam caeteri Pertisum hominem, non pertaesum dices.

The comment of Festus shows that these words were addressed by Lucilius to Scipio.]

[Footnote 7: Cic. de Fin. i. 3.]

[Footnote 8: Journal of Philology, vol. viii. 16.]

[Footnote 9:

Iucundasque puer qui lamberat ore placentas.

One of many lines imitated and almost reproduced by Horace.]

[Footnote 10: 'I will tell you how I am, though you don't ask me, since you are of the fashion of most men now, and would rather that the man whom you did not choose to visit, when you ought, had died. If you don't like this "nolueris"

and "debueris," because it is the trick of Isocrates, and altogether nonsensical and puerile, I don't waste my time on the matter.' This pa.s.sage ill.u.s.trates two characteristics of Lucilius--his habit of mixing Greek with Latin words, and the attention he bestowed on technical rules of style.]

[Footnote 11: Imitated by Horace in the lines:--

Nunc mihi curto Ire licet mulo, vel, si libet, usque Tarentum, Mantica cui lumbos onere ulceret, atque eques armos.]

[Footnote 12:

Promontorium remis superamu' Minervae.-- Hinc media remis Palinurum pervenio nox.-- Tertius hic mali superat dec.u.manis fluctibus--carchesia summa.]

[Footnote 13: Hor. Sat. ii. 2. 46:--

Haud ita pridem Galloni praeconis erat acipensere mensa Infamis.]

[Footnote 14:

Quo fit ut omnis Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella Vita senis.]

[Footnote 15:

Secuit Lucilius urbem-- Primores populi arripuit populumque tributim-- Non ridet versus Enni gravitate minores--?]

[Footnote 16:

Mihi quidem non persuadetur publiceis mutem meos.

Publicanu' vero ut Asiae fiam scriptuarius Pro Lucilio, id ego nolo, et uno hoc non muto omnia.

Cf. Hor. Ep. i. 7. 36:--

Nec Otia divitiis Arab.u.m liberrima muto.]

[Footnote 17:

Quodque te in tranquillum ex saevis transfers tempestatibus.]

[Footnote 18:

Nam si quod satis est homini, id satis esse potisset, Hoc sat erat; nam c.u.m hoc non est, qui credimu' porro Divitias ullas animum mi explere potisse.]

[Footnote 19:

Nulli me invidere: non strabonem fieri saepius Deliciis me istorum.]

[Footnote 20:

O lapathe, ut iactare nec es sati cognitu' qui sis-- Quod sumptum atque epulas victu praeponis honesto.]

[Footnote 21:

Munifici comesque amicis nostris videamur viri-- Sic amici quaerunt animum, rem parasiti ac ditias.

Among the friends of Lucilius, besides Scipio and Laelius, were Aelius Stilo, Albinus, and Granius, whom Cicero quotes for his wit.]

[Footnote 22:

Querquera consequitur capitisque dolores Infesti mihi.-- Si tam corpu' loco validum ac regione maneret.

Scriptoris quam vera manet sententia cordi.]

[Footnote 23:

Verum haec ludus ibi susque omnia deque fuerunt, Susque et deque fuere, inquam, omnia ludu' iocusque.]

[Footnote 24:

Et saepe quod ante Optasti, freta Messanae, Regina videbis Moenia.]

[Footnote 25:

Quantum haurire animus Musarum ec fontibu' gest.i.t.]

[Footnote 26: