JUVENAL Raging against corpses…

The Flavian dynasty Titus Flavius Vespasianus Suppressed the Jewish revolt 66 CE Became emperor in 70 C.E. His sons, Titus and Domitian followed him

Titus Crushed the Jewish revolt in 70 CE Funded numerous public buildings in Rome Helped the victims of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79

Disastrous administrator Avid spectator of games… Persecutor of Jews and Christians Domitian

Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis 1st 2nd CE Writing after the death of DOMITIAN good rhetorical training little interest in philosophy Sixteen satires in hexameter, subdivided into five books.

Juvenal

Si natura negat, facit indignatio versus… Juvenal criticizes: –corruption of the political and social life in Rome –stupidity of contemporary literature indulging in mythological stories

Goals Satire cannot help anyone become a better or happier person. Horace’s answers are invalid

Tragic Satire Juvenal’s Satires are inhabited by monstra, rather than by comic characters

Style Shocking contrasts between lofty and obscene Surprising statements: – Quid Romae faciam? Mentiri necio! (3.41) –What should I do in Rome? I am bad at lying. Rare words Ambiguity Dense and memorable formulations: – probitas laudatur et alget (1.74) –Honesty is praised but not imitated

Structure of Satire 1 Introduction: reasons for writing (1-21) Exposition : reasons for writing satire (22-80) Exposition 2: the main vices (81-146) Conclusion: reasons for illustrations from the past ( )

2. Symmetry versus chaos Juvenal’s subject is life itself and life is chaotic He makes his points covertly Like a good teacher he comes back to the same topic several times In doing so he also follows the principles of rhetoric

3. Monstrous City Gallery of male freaks –Eunuch getting married –Foreigners who ‘made it’ (Crispinus) –Informers –Actors

Gallery of female freaks –Poisoners –Incestuous Adulteresses Wealth comes from crime “Indignation would make me a poet, even if I have no talent”

4. Objects of Satire Greed Sexual perversions mentioned here –(but not important later)

4. Main vices Vices associated with wealth and prestige –Stinginess –Extravagance Contrasted with the position of the poor Injustice inherent in the patron-client relationship

5. We have achieved a peak in vice Posterity can hardly add anything… My book is a pot-pourri of human vices –The rich who gamble their fortunes –The poor watch magistrates and women in litters –Dependants spend all days hanging around their patron

6. Examples Take these examples from the past: –Mucius (Scaevola attacked by Lucilius) –Tigellinus (Nero’s henchman)

7. Ending Should the crooks go free? It is dangerous to write satire. Attack Tigellinus and you will be burned alive… So I will attack the dead

Tigellinus Handsome and wealthy Sicilian Became Nero’s prefect of the praetorians in 62 CE Forced to commit suicide after Nero’s fall 30 years before Juvenal is writing…