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He humorously describes a squabble betwixt Rupilius and Persius.

IN what manner the mongrel Persius¹ revenged the filth and venom of Rupilius, surnamed King, is I think known to all the blind men and barbers. This Persius, being a man of fortune, had very great business at Clazomenae, and, into the bargain, certain troublesome litigations wtth King; a hardened fellow, and one who was able to exceed even King in virulence; confident, blustering, of such a bitterness of speech, that he would outstrip the Sisennae² and Barri, if ever so well equipped.

I return to King. After nothing could be settled betwixt them (for people among whom adverse war breaks out, are proportionably vexatious on the same account as they are brave. Thus between Hector, the son of Priam, and the highspirited Achilles, the rage was of so capital a nature, that only the final destruction [of one of them] could determine it; on no other account, than that valor in each of them was consummate. If discord sets two cowards to work; or if an engagement happens between two that are not of a match, as that of Diomed and the Lycian Glaucus; the worse man will walk off, [buying his peace] by voluntarily sending presents), when Brutus held as praetor³ the fertile Asia , this pair, Rupilius and Persius, encountered; in such a manner, that [the gladiators] Bacchius and Bithus⁴ were not better matched. Impetuous they hurry to the cause, each of them a fine sight.

Persius opens his case; and is laughed at by all the assembly; he extols Brutus, and extols the guard; he styles Brutus the sun of Asia , and his attendants he styles salutary stars, all except King; that he [he says,] came like that dog, the constellation hateful to husbandman: he poured along like a wintery flood, where the ax seldom comes.

Then, upon his running on in so smart and fluent a manner, the Praenestine [king] directs some witticisms squeezed from the vineyard,⁵ himself a hardy vine-dresser, never defeated, to whom the passenger had often been obliged to yield, bawling cuckoo with roaring voice.

But the Grecian Persius, as soon as he had been well sprinkled with Italian vinegar, bellows out: O Brutus, by the great gods I conjure you, who are accustomed to take off kings,⁶ why do you not dispatch this King? Believe me, this is a piece of work which of right belongs to you.

Satires. Q. Horatius Flaccus. Christopher Smart (Translator), ed. Theodore Alois Buckley. New York. 1863.

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Current edition Perseus

Satires (English) (Horace. The Works of Horace. Vol. II. Smart, Christopher, translator. Buckley, Theodoore Alois, editor. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1862.)

Editions (1)

Satyrarum libri Perseus (Horace. The Works of Horace. Vol. II. Smart, Christopher, editor. Philadelphia: J. Whetham, 1836.) — 1.7.1 focus

Proscripti Regis Rupili pus atque venenum

hybrida quo pacto sit Persius ultus, opinor

omnibus et lippis notum et tonsoribus esse.

Persius hic permagna negotia dives habebat

Clazomenis et iam litis cum Rege molestas,

durus homo atque odio qui posset vincere Regem,

confidens, tumidus, adeo sermonis amari,

Sisennas, Barros ut equis praecurreret albis.

ad Regem redeo. postquam nihil inter utrumque

convenit — hoc etenim sunt omnes iure molesti,

quo fortes, quibus adversum bellum incidit: inter

Hectora Priamiden, animosum atque inter Achillem

ira fuit capitalis, ut ultima divideret mors,

non aliam ob causam, nisi quod virtus in utroque

summa fuit: duo si discordia vexet inertis

aut si disparibus bellum incidat, ut Diomedi

cum Lycio Glauco, discedat pigrior, ultro

muneribus missis. Bruto praetore tenente

ditem Asiam, Rupili et Persi par pugnat, uti non

conpositum melius cum Bitho Bacchius. in ius

acres procurrunt, magnum spectaculum uterque.

Persius exponit causam; ridetur ab omni

conventu; laudat Brutum laudatque cohortem,

solem Asiae Brutum appellat stellasque salubris

appellat comites, excepto Rege; canem illum,

invisum agricolis sidus, venisse: ruebat

flumen ut hibernum, fertur quo rara securis.

tum Praenestinus salso multoque fluenti

expressa arbusto regerit convicia, durus

vindemiator et invictus, cui saepe viator

cessisset magna conpellans voce cuculum.

at Graecus, postquam est Italo perfusus aceto,

Persius exclamat: ‘per magnos, Brute, Deos te

oro, qui reges consueris tollere, cur non

hunc Regem iugulas? operum hoc, mihi crede, tuorum est.’

Notes on the current edition

Satires

Ibrida Persius

. Persius was a Greek by his father, and an Italian by his mother. The Romans gave the name of Ibrida to those whom parents were of different nations, or different conditions.

Cornelius Sisenna being reproached by the senate with the bad conduct of his wife, replied, "I married her by the advice of Augustus." Insinuating, Augustus had obliged him to marry her, that he might have a more easy commerce with her. Titus Veturius Barras, having ruined himself by his extravagance, was put to death for violating a vestal virgin.

Marcus Brutus and Cassius were praetors of Rome when Caesar was put to death. In 711 Brutus went to take possession of his Macedonian government, and praetor may be understood propraetor; a manner of speaking of which there are many examples.

The Scholiast tells us, that Bithus and Bacchius were two gladiators, who certainly put to death whoever fought with them. They afterward engaged together, and both expired on the stage.

Horace means a particular kind of vine, arbustiva, that grew round trees, in which the people who gathered the grapes stood exposed to the raillery of the travelers. In such an attitude our

durus Vindemiator

had often appeared. All sort of injurious language was allowed during the vintage; a custom that still continues in Naples .

Lucius Junius Brutus expelled Tarquinius Superbus. Marcus Brutus freed his country from the imperial power of Julius Caesar. From the introduction of this, we may conjecture that Horace , at the time of writing this satire, had not yet espoused the side of Augustus.

Q. Horatius Flaccus Satires 1.7

Christopher Smart (Translator), ed. Theodore Alois Buckley

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He humorously describes a squabble betwixt Rupilius and Persius.

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

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