1. Horace, Satires, 1.6 Lines 71-88

2. Parents’ Evening
Homework –
Revise Ovid Metamorphoses
Pygmalion
Daedalus & Icarus
Autumn Tracker 2 next Wednesday
Revision materials are on Moodle

3. This isn’t the start of the poem -
IN THE PREVIOUS 70 lines –
Maecenas is Horace’s patron.
Maecenas does not despise Horace because he is the son of a freedman –
For gaining honour character is more important than origins. (Remember honour – we’ll be meeting it again)
Other people should not resent Maecenas’ friendship for Horace BECAUSE
Maecenas only chooses worthy people – vita et pectore puro, “with pure heart and life”.
AND JUST BEFORE OUR PASSAGE STARTS –
Horace has just described himself as having a good character (as above).

4. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
causa fuit pater his qui, macro pauper agello,
noluit in Flavi ludum me mittere, magni
quo pueri magnis e centurionibus orti,
laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto,
ibant octonos referentes Idibus aeris: 5

5. the reason for these things was my father qui, macro pauper agello,
Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
causa fuit pater his
the reason for these things was my father
qui, macro pauper agello,
who, although a poor man (pauper) with a meagre little farm (macro agello)
noluit in Flavi ludum me mittere,
did not want to send me to the school of Flavus,
magni
quo pueri magnis e centurionibus orti,
where great big boys born of great big centurions,
laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto,
ibant
used to go (ibant) having dangled writing cases and a tablet from their left shoulder
octonos referentes Idibus aeris:
bringing back eight bronze coins each on the Ides

6. the reason for these things was my father
Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
 causa fuit pater his
the reason for these things was my father
his – these things – Horace has previously just described himself as having a nature with few vices
qui, macro pauper agello,
who, although a poor man (pauper) with a meagre little farm (macro agello)
the little farm was on Mount Vultur in Apulia
noluit in Flavi ludum me mittere,
did not want to send me to the school of Flavius,
magni
Flavius was probably a litterator – teacher of reading. writing, basic arithmetic
quo pueri magnis e centurionibus orti,
where great big boys born of great big centurions,
could just mean great – status not size. Venusia was a colony for ex-soldiers.
laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto,
ibant
used to go (ibant) having dangled writing cases and a tablet from their left shoulder
octonos referentes Idibus aeris:
bringing back eight bronze coins each on the Ides
Fees of 8 asses a month - cheap

7. laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto, ibant
Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto,
ibant
used to go (ibant) having dangled writing cases and a tablet from their left shoulder
octonos referentes Idibus aeris:
bringing back eight bronze coins each on the Ides
Fees of 8 asses a month - cheap
A boy apologises to his teacher for being late: copy of a second-century AD relief. (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

8. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
sed puerum est ausus Romam portare, docendum
artes quas doceat quivis eques atque senator
semet prognatos.

9. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
sed puerum est ausus Romam portare,
but he dared (ausus est) to transport his boy to Rome,
docendum artes
so that he might be taught those skills
quas doceat quivis eques atque senator
semet prognatos.
which anyone (quivis) of equestrian and even senatorial rank would themselves teach (doceat) their offspring.
doceat is a generic subjunctive – quas doceat quivis – of the kind that anyone would teach.
semet prognatos descended from them

10. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
sed puerum est ausus Romam portare,
but he dared (ausus est) to transport his boy to Rome,
est ausus – verb shows his father took a daring step
docendum artes
so that he might be taught those skills
quas doceat quivis eques atque senator
semet prognatos.
of the kind which anyone (quivis) of equestrian and even senatorial rank would themselves teach (doceat) their offspring.
skills = literature and public speaking

11. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
vestem servosque sequentes,
in magno ut populo, si quis vidisset, avita
ex re praeberi sumptus mihi crederet illos. 10

12. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
vestem servosque sequentes,
in magno ut populo, si quis vidisset,
flip these lines for easier translation
in magno ut populo,
as happens (ut) in a large population (in magno populo)
si quis vidisset,
if anyone had seen (pluperf subjunctive following si)
my clothing and the slaves following me,
avita
ex re praeberi sumptus mihi crederet illos. 10
take crederet first
he would have believed
those expenses to have been provided for me (sumptus illos praeberi mihi)
by an ancestral estate (ex re avita).

13. vestem servosque sequentes,
in magno ut populo, si quis vidisset,
flip these lines for easier translation
in magno ut populo,
as happens (ut) in a large population (in magno populo)
people would see him without knowing who he was
si quis vidisset,
if anyone had seen (pluperf subjunctive following si)
my clothing and the slaves following me,
the usual slaves were a paedagogus – guard and a capsillarius to carry the satchel
avita
ex re praeberi sumptus mihi crederet illos. 10
take crederet first
he would have believed
those expenses to have been provided for me (sumptus illos praeberi mihi) by an ancestral estate (ex re avita).

14. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
ipse mihi custos incorruptissimus omnes
circum doctores aderat. quid multa? pudicum,
qui primus virtutis honos, servavit ab omni
non solum facto, verum opprobrio quoque turpi;

15. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
 ipse mihi custos incorruptissimus omnes
circum doctores aderat.
He himself (ipse)was present (aderat)amongst all the teachers (circum omnes doctores) as a most incorruptible guardian (incorruptissimus custos).
quid multa?
What more (can I say)?
pudicum,
qui primus virtutis honos, servavit ab omni
non solum facto,
He protected (servavit) my modesty (pudicum), which is the first honour of virtue, not only (non solum) from every deed (omne facto)
verum opprobrio quoque turpi;
but also (verum quoque) from every disgraceful slander (opprobrio turpi). (omne refers to both deed and slander)

16. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
 ipse mihi custos incorruptissimus omnes
circum doctores aderat.
He himself (ipse)was present (aderat)amongst all the teachers (circum omnes doctores) as a most incorruptible guardian (incorruptissimus custos).
Father seems to have acted as paedagogus, not trusting a slave.
quid multa?
What more (can I say)? Standard expression
pudicum,
pudicum = chastity – father kept him safe from sexual predators
qui primus virtutis honos, servavit ab omni
non solum facto,
He protected (servavit) my modesty (pudicum), which (is) the first honour of virtue, not only (non solum) from every deed (omne facto)
verum opprobrio quoque turpi;
but also (verum quoque) from every disgraceful slander (opprobrio turpi). (omne refers to both deed and slander)

18. Summary –
Maecenas is Horace’s patron.
Maecenas has said that a man’s good character is the thing which impresses him most.
PREVIOUSLY IN THIS POEM
Horace has said that he is worthy of Maecenas’ good opinion because of his upright character.
AT THIS POINT IN THE POEM
Horace is here giving the credit for his own good character to his father who protected him from sexual predators and from being gossipped about (slandered).

19. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
 nec timuit sibi ne vitio quis verteret olim 15
si praeco parvas aut, ut fuit ipse, coactor
mercedes sequerer;

20. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
 nec timuit sibi ne vitio quis verteret olim 15
nor did he fear that somebody (ne quis) might turn it into a fault on his part (verteret sibi vitio) one day (olim)
si praeco parvas aut, ut fuit ipse, coactor
mercedes sequerer;
if, as an auctioneer (praeco), or, as he was himself(i.e. Horace’s father), a money-collector (coactor) , I was to pursue small wages( parvas mercedes sequerer).

21. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
 nec timuit sibi ne vitio quis verteret olim 15
nor did he fear that somebody (ne quis) might turn it into a fault on his part (verteret sibi vitio) one day (olim)
si praeco parvas aut, ut fuit ipse, coactor
mercedes sequerer;
if, as an auctioneer (praeco), or, as he was himself(i.e. Horace’s father), a money-collector (coactor) , I was to pursue small wages( parvas mercedes sequerer).
professions of low wage and low status
praeco – announcer – at games, auctions, court, public assemblies
coactor – collector of debts, taxes, money paid at auctions

22. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
neque ego essem questus: at hoc nunc
laus illi debetur et a me gratia maior.

23. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
neque ego essem questus:
nor would I have complained – (pluperf deponent/passive subjunctive)
at hoc
but because of this
nunc laus illi debetur
now praise is owed to him
et a me gratia maior.
and from me, (even) greater thanks.

24. Horace, Satires 1.6, lines 71-88
neque ego essem questus:
nor would I have complained – (pluperf deponent/passive subjunctive)
Although at some point he must have decided to become a poet.
at hoc
but because of this
nunc laus illi debetur
now praise is owed to him
et a me gratia maior.
and from me, (even) greater thanks.

25. Horace became a poet… IN THE PAST,
Horace had joined Brutus’s army, but was forgiven by Augustus.
However, in the mean time his father had died, his farm been confiscated.
Then Virgil introduced him to the great patron Maecenas.
NOW
By this time (38BC) he no longer had to work at anything except poetry.
AFTER THIS POINT
a Sabine farm was granted to him