Quintus Claudius, Volume 1

123

The use of spoons was not so general in Rome as with us, but was certainly customary for eating eggs in good society.

124

Hymenaeus. A well-known poem by Catullus; the burden is: ”O Hymen, Hymenae!" (Carmen 61, Collis o Heliconis.)

125

Caius (or Quintus) Valerius Catullus was a native of Verona (B.C. 77) and died at the age of thirty. His works were most popular at the period of our story. Martial frequently compares himself with Catullus as a recognized classic, and in one passage hopes that he may one day be esteemed as second only to Catullus. Herodianus takes one of Catullus’s poems as a model, just as a worthy citizen of Germany, who wished to essay lyric poetry, might copy Schiller.

126

The capitoline hill. Mons Capitolinus, north of the Palatine and southwest of the Quirinal. Tarquinius Priscus erected on its summit the Capitolium, that is the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Juno and Minerva.

127

Forum Romanum. The Roman forum par excellence, at the foot of the Capitoline and Palatine Hills, was the centre of public life even in the days of the republic.

128

The sacred way (Sacra Via) divided the real Sacra Via, which led from the Capitol to the Arch of Titus, and the Summa Sacra Via (the upper sacred street) that extended from the Arch of Titus to the Flavian Amphitheatre. Hor. Sat. I, 9 (Ibam forte Via Sacra, sicut meus est mos.) It was the most frequented street in Rome. The ancient pavement exists at the present day. “Via” was the name of the large principal streets, as it still is at the present time in Italy.

129

Clients and protégés. These were the clients mentioned in note 99. Juvenal (Sat. 5) and especially Martial, in various passages, speak of their pitiable situation, the contempt in which they were held and the ill-treatment they had to endure even from their patrons’ slaves. (See Friedlander I, 247 to 252.) The usual visiting-hour was just after sunrise.

130

Tribune of a legion. Augustus appointed the so-called legati or praefecti legionum commanders of the legions. The legatus thus corresponded with our colonel. The next in rank to the legati were the tribunes (corresponding to our majors) who, however, with special qualifications, might undertake the command of a legion. Usually the tribunes did not have the reputation of possessing remarkable military ability, as the sons of the knights and senators began their military career with this dignity. According to their age and experience, the tribunes were second lieutenants. The men next in rank to the tribunes were the centurions, the really experienced officers, who were held in high esteem on account of their superior knowledge. At the time of our story the pressure of the young men for tribuneships was so extraordinary, that the places actually at disposal were not nearly sufficient to supply the demand. The Emperor Claudius had therefore created supernumerary tribuneships (supra numerum, imaginariae militiae genus. Suet. Claud. 25) a brevet-rank, which without claiming the performance of any duty, flattered the vanity.

131

Ancestral Images. Statues of ancestors, modelled in wax (imagines majorum) formed one of the principal ornaments of the atrium in the houses of aristocratic Romans. The ancestors here mentioned of our (imaginary) Titus Claudius Mucianus are all historical characters.

132

Tattooed native of Britain. The original Celtic inhabitants of England. For the impression made by Roman magnificence on the British chieftain Caractacus, see Dio Cass. LX, 33.

133

Amber chains. Amber (Electrum) was greatly admired by the Romans for necklaces, rings and bracelets, until its value decreased by over-importation. It was chiefly brought from the shores of the Baltic.

134

Broken rings of gold. The priest of Jupiter was only permitted to wear broken rings of gold, as closed ones were the symbols of captivity.

135

Robes of dazzling whiteness. The white toga was the invariable gala dress worn at all ceremonious receptions, even by the emperors. Great indignation was felt against Nero, because once, when the senate paid him a visit, he wore only a flowered toga.

136

Priestly head-gear. The Flamines were forbidden to go bare-headed. They always wore a hat (apex) or a sort of fillet.

137

Parthenius. This historical personage was a man of conspicuous importance at the court of Domitian, and mentioned by many authors, particularly in Martial’s epigrams. He was cubiculo praepositus, (πρόκεντος in Dio Cass.) groom of the bed-chamber or high chamberlain, and a particular favorite with Caesar. His companion in office Sigerus or Sigerius, his inferior in rank, power and influence, will not be again mentioned in this story.

138

Titus Flavius Clemens. A cousin of the emperor, was consul A.D. 95 with Domitian, (who conferred this dignity upon him seventeen times). Concerning his conversion to Christianity see Dio Cass. LXVII, 14, as well as Suet. Dom. 15.

139

In the circus. The Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine Hills, was the principal place for the horse and chariot races, and in Domitian’s time accommodated about a quarter of a million spectators.

140

Charioteers. As the givers of entertainments could rarely furnish men and horses enough of their own for the games in the circus, companies of capitalists and owners of larger families of slaves and studs, undertook to supply them. As there were usually four chariots in each race, there were four such companies, each of which furnished a chariot for each race, and as the chariots and drivers had colors to distinguish them, each adopted one of these colors, hence they were called factions or parties. (Friedlander, II, 192.) The colors of these four parties were white, red, green and blue. Domitian added two new ones, gold and purple. Like so many of Domitian’s institutions, this circus innovation passed without leaving any trace, but the original parties, especially the green and the blue, lasted for centuries. The whole population of Rome, and afterwards that of Constantinople, divided into different parties, each of which sided with one of these circus factions. The eager, even passionate interest with which this was done, finds a feeble analogy at the present day in some phases of English and American popular life.

141

By Epona, the tutelary goddess of horses! Epona (from epus-equus, the horse) was the protecting deity of the horse, mule and donkey. (Juv. Sat. VIII, 157.) Stables, etc., were adorned with her statue. Roman sportsmen swore by the goddess of horses. (See Juv. Sat. VIII, 156: jurat solam Eponam.)

142

Incitatus, the swift —equo incitato– in a stretching gallop – a famous favorite horse of the emperor Caligula. (Suet. Cal. 55.) The emperor built this animal a palace, gave orders that it should feed from an ivory manger, and be attended by slaves clad in rich garments. When it was to appear in the circus, all noise in its neighborhood was prohibited during the whole of the preceding day, that the noble creature’s rest should not be disturbed. Caligula is said to have intended to make his Incitatus consul.

143

Andraemon, Adsertor, Vastator and Passerinus. Names of horses frequently mentioned during the reign of the Roman emperors. Andraemon often won the race in Domitian’s time. Monuments with the portrait of this racer have come down to us.

144

Quadriga. A carriage in front of which four horses were fastened abreast. The racing quadrigae were exactly like the old Homeric chariot – being provided with a breast-work in front while open in the rear.

145

Scorpus. A famous chariot-driver in Domitian’s time, see the epitaph Martial composed for him. (Martial Ep. X, 53.)

146

Sarmatians. A people in what is now Poland and Tartary. (See Mart. Spect. 3.)

“I am that Scorpus, glory of the race

Rome’s admired joy, but joy for a short space,

Among the dead Fates early me enroll’d,

Numb’ring my conquests, they did think me old.”

Anon, 1695.

That the name of Scorpus was on every lip appears from another passage in Martial Ep. XI, 1, which runs as follows:

“Nor will your follies by those few

Be told; but when their stories flag

Of some new bet or running nag.”

Hay.

where the Incitatus to whom reference is made is not Caligula’s horse, already mentioned, but a racer named for it.

147

Hyperboreans. People who lived above Boreas, fabulous folk dwelling in the extreme north; also Northmen in general. For instance Martial includes among the Hyperboreans, the Chatti (Hessen) and Dacians, inhabitants of eastern Hungary.

148

Julia. The daughter of the Emperor Titus, with whom Domitian for a long time had unlawful relations. Dio Cass. LXVII, 3. Suet Dom. 22.

149

A tumult. Many things are related about such tumults. They were partly impromptu, partly carefully prepared. A striking instance of the latter style is told by Dio Cassius (LXXII, 13) where a cunningly-planned circus-riot causes the fall of the hated lord high-chamberlain Cleander. This omnipotent favorite of the Emperor Commodus had enraged the people by a series of the boldest frauds, during a period of great scarcity. Just as the horses were starting for the seventh race a throng of boys, led by a tall, formidable looking woman, rushed into the arena. The children loaded Cleander with the fiercest curses, the people joined them, all rose and rushed furiously towards the emperor’s Quintilian villa. Commodus, a very cowardly man, was so terrified, that after a short struggle he commanded Cleander and his little son to be slain. The mob dragged the corpse of the chamberlain about in triumph, mutilated it, and stuck the head on a pole as a sign of victory.

150

Secretary. The modern equivalent for the office of “ab epistulis,” held under Domitian by the freedman Abascantus. (Stat. Silv. V, 1.) At a later period – under Hadrian and afterwards – such offices were held only by men of knightly rank.

151

Calling upon Domitia. We here follow a passage (somewhat doubtful, it is true) of Dio Cassius (LXVII, 3) which states that the emperor “at the entreaties of the people,” became reconciled to his wife. Suetonius (Dom. 3) says, he only alleged such a desire on the part of the people, but really received the empress again “because the separation from her became unendurable.” For special reasons our story fixes the time of this reconciliation in the year 95, while it actually occurred some time earlier.

152

With regard to Julia, Caesar made no promises. See Dio Cass. LXVII 3. He became reconciled, "but without giving up Julia.”

153

Vestal maiden. Priestess of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. At first they were four, afterwards six. They were chosen between the ages of six and ten, and were obliged to remain in the service of the goddess thirty years, ten as novices, ten as acting priestesses, and ten to instruct novices. Their principal task was to keep the sacred fire alive. They were vowed to chastity, and if they broke their vows were buried alive in the campus sceleratus, while the seducer was publicly flogged to death.

154

Transparent gauze. The island of Cos (Κῶς) belonging to the Sporades, furnished garments made from a half-transparent silk gauze called coa. (See Hor. Sat. I. 2, 101.)

155

Gold plates. A room has been discovered on the Aventine, whose walls were concealed by gilded bronze plates encrusted with medals; on the Palatine there was an apartment lined with plates of silver, set with precious stones. The halls and chambers in Nero’s domus aurea were covered with golden plates.

156

Stephanus. I have taken considerable liberties in dealing with this personage in his relation to the Empress Domitia. He is, however, historical.

157

The oyster, (ostrea or ostreum) was considered a great dainty in ancient times. (See note, 42, Vol. 1, “lobster.”)

158

There is not in all Rome one faithful wife, or one innocent girl. See Martial Ep. IV, 71.

“Long have I search’d, my Soph, the town,

To find a damsel that would frown,

But not a damsel will deny,

As if a shame ’t were to be shy;

As if a sin, will no one dare:

I see not one denying fair.

‘Then of the fair is no one chaste?’

A thousand, Soph, you urge in haste.

‘What does the chaste? Enlarge my views.’

She does not grant, nor yet refuse.”

Elphinston.

In contrast to the hyperbolical expressions of the satirical writers, we are made acquainted in the letters of the younger Pliny, with a number of women of noble character; the historians too, especially Tacitus, as well as inscriptions on the monuments prove – if proof were required – that even in this corrupt age feminine virtue and loftiness of character were not rare. It is natural, that a satirical author should have special keenness of vision for errors and weaknesses.

159

What Ravidus?. The poem to which Martial here alludes is found Cat. Carm. XL.

“Quaenam te mala mens, miselle Ravide

Agit praecipitem in meos iambos?”

160

Tryphon, (Lupercus). The episode described here, which seems almost like a satirical allusion to the present time, is only one of Martial’s epigrams transposed into action. (Mart. Ep. I, 117.)

“As oft, Sir Tradewell, as we meet,

You’re sure to ask me in the street,

When you shall send your boy to me,

To fetch my book of poetry? etc.”

Oldham.

The bookseller Atrectus, who had a shop on the Argiletum, a public square not far from the Forum Caesaris, is also mentioned. – Traces of a well-organized book-trade are found towards the end of the republic. The first publisher on a larger scale is Pomponius Atticus, a friend of Cicero, who formally issued a series of Cicero’s works, for instance the Orator, Quaestiones Academicae, etc., and not only distributed them to the different bookstores in Rome, but supplied the numerous shops in Greece and Asia Minor. (See Cic. ad. Att. XII, 6, XV, 13, XVI, 5.) Yet Atticus was a patron of literature and an aesthetic, rather than a business man. The best-known booksellers and publishers under the emperors were: the Brothers Sosii, who issued the works of Horatius Flaccus (Hor. Ep. I, 20, 2, Ars. poet. 345); Dorus, the Phillip Reclam junior of ancient times, who in the reign of Nero introduced cheap popular editions of Livy and Cicero, (Sen. Benef. VII, 61) and Martial’s publisher, the Tryphon mentioned in this story. (Mart. Ep. IV, 72, XIII, 13.) The editions were provided by slaves, who wrote from dictation. The books were delivered in covers, the backs, glued together, being fastened in the hollow of a cylinder, through which ran a revolving stick. The volumes were cut, the edges were dyed sometimes black and sometimes purple. (See Göll: “Book-trade of the Greeks and Romans,” Schleiz., 1865.) Pollio Valerianus published Martial’s early poems. (Mart. Ep. I, 113, 5.)

161

Quirinal. Martial’s house was near the temple on the Quirinal. (Mart. Ep. X, 58.)

162

Denarii. At the time of Domitian, the denarius (10 as,) was worth about 15 cents.

163

Street-corners. Large square tablets, whitened, for the display of public notices, stood at the corners of the streets. A tablet of this description was called album, (albus-white).

164

Costermonger. Boiled chick-peas were publicly carried about for sale. (Martial Ep. I, 41, I, 103.)

165

Massive bowls. The crater (crater or cratera) was a large vase or bowl, in which strong wine was mixed with water. A ladle was used to fill the drinking-cups.

166

Murrhine vases, (murrhina vasa). Vases made of murrha, a material with a pale sheen in it, highly valued by the ancients; probably fluor-spar.

167

Guinea-fowls from Numidia, (aves Numidicae or merely Numidicae) were a favorite dish. (Plin., Hist. Nat. Mart. etc.)

168

The province of Thesprotis in Epirus, extended from Chaonia to the Ambracian Gulf. The goats raised there were considered exceptionally good.

169

Pheasants from the Caspian Sea. At the time of our story, these birds were a newly-introduced delicacy. Phasis was the name of the boundary river between Asia-Minor and Colchis; hence their name phasianus; (avis Phasiana, or merely Phasiana, or Phasianus– the pheasant.) Martial also calls them volucres Phasides.

170

Dates. The best quality were imported into Rome from Egypt.

171

Dainty Cakes. Bread from Picenum is mentioned in the menu of a banquet given in the latter half of the century B. C., (Marquardt Handbuch, IV, 1.)

172

Figs from Chios. Varro, (R. Rust. I, 41) speaks of Chian, Lydian, Chalcedonian and African figs.

173

Pistachio nuts. The best pistachio nuts came from Palestine and Syria, whence Lucius Vitellius introduced them into his garden at Albanum.

174

Euphemus. Caesar’s head-cook or butler. (See Martial Ep. IV. 8.)

“The tenth hour’s proper for my book and me,

And Euphem, thou who dost the board o’ersee.”

Anon, 1695.

175

The long flowing hair of a female slave. This fancy was not at all unusual. (See Petron., 27.)

176

Hispalis. A city in southern Spain, now Seville.

177

Castanets. Castanet dances are often represented in pictures. (See O. Jahn, Fresco-paintings on the walls of the columbarium, in the Villa Pamfili.)

178

Jester. Jesters, especially dwarfs, were very popular in ancient Rome. The scene that follows here is based upon various incidents in a description by Lucian, which has come down to modern times: “The Banquet, or The Lapithae” 18, 19. In this a hideous little fellow, who gives utterance to all sorts of jests and witticisms, appears at Aristaenetus’ banquet. "Finally he addressed each person with some mischievous joke – and each laughed as his turn came. But when he accosted Alcidamas, calling him a Maltese puppy, the latter, especially as he had long been jealous of the applause and attention bestowed on the jester by the whole company, grew angry, threw off his cloak and challenged the dwarf to a boxing-match. What could the poor jester do? It was infinitely comical to see a philosopher fight with a clown. Many of the spectators were ashamed of the scene, but others laughed merrily, until Alcidamas was at last beaten black and blue.”

179

Velarium. The cloth hung across the amphitheatre, to screen it from the sun.

180

The baths of Titus were located near the Cyprius Street, on the site of Nero’s domus aurea, which had been destroyed after its builder’s death.

181

Curtain. The drop-scene (as we should call it) raised between the acts of a play. The curtain, properly so-called, was the aulaeum. These were not drawn up, as in modern theatres, but lowered.

182

A tall cross. Crucifixion was the common punishment of great crimes.

183

Trimeter. A verse of three double feet – the usual metre in dramatic verse.

184

The capital punishment of a criminal slave. Such executions in theatrical form, especially pantomimic representations of them, were no rarity in the arena. Condemned criminals were specially trained for such performances. “They entered, clad in costly, gold-broidered tunics and purple mantles, and adorned with golden wreaths; suddenly, like the death-dealing robes of Medea, flames burst from these magnificent garments, in which the miserable creatures died a cruel death. There was scarcely a torture or terrible end known in history or literature, with whose representation the populace had not been entertained in the amphitheatre. Hercules was seen burning to death on Mt. Oeta, Mucius Scaevola holding his hand over the brazier of coals till it was consumed, the robber, Laureolus, the hero of a well-known farce, fastened to a cross and torn by wild beasts. At the same spectacle, another condemned criminal, in the character of Orpheus, ascended from the ground as if returning from the nether-world. Nature seemed enchanted by his playing, the rocks and trees moved towards him, birds hovered over him, countless animals surrounded him; when the scene had lasted long enough, he was torn to pieces by a bear.” (Friedlaender II, 268, etc.) It can scarcely be termed an unwarrantable license, that Lycoris presents a similar spectacle for the amusement of her guests. The masters’ right to dispose of the lives and persons of their slaves had been restricted in the first century, it is true; but the omnipotent Parthenius was doubtless superior to such legal edicts.

185

Daci. A people living in the region now called Hungary, east of the Danube.

186

Blood-hounds. (Molossi.) The dogs from Molossis in eastern Epirus were famous sleuth-hounds. (Hor. Virg. etc.)

187

Patrician way. (vicus Patricius) ran between the Esquiline and Viminal hills.

188

This is violence! Julius Caesar’s famous exclamation just before his murder, when Cimber Tullius, having approached him with a petition, after a refusal, seized him by the toga. (Suet. Jul. Caes. 82.)

189

I should advise you, freedman. Their former condition of slavery affixed an ineffaceable stigma upon all freedmen, especially in the eyes of the old senatorial nobility. Even the vast power attained by some of the emperor’s freedmen, for instance the high chamberlain Parthenius, was of no avail in this respect; they too were at heart despised by all free-born citizens, much as they strove, from motives of prudence, to conceal this contempt beneath protestations of sycophantic devotion. Quintus addressing Stephanus as “freedman,” could not fail to be taken by the latter as a mortal insult.

190

Town-watch, (cohortes urbanae). Besides the imperial body-guard, specially devoted to the Caesar’s service, there was a city-guard, which provided for the maintenance of public safety.

191

Sabine Hills. The Sabines, an old Italian people, were the neighbors of the Latins. Their country extended northward to the domains of the Umbrians, southward to the Anio river.