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Published byJosephine Nicholson Modified over 9 years ago
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JUVENAL Raging against corpses…
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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
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Titus Crushed the Jewish revolt in 70 CE Funded numerous public buildings in Rome Helped the victims of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79
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Disastrous administrator Avid spectator of games… Persecutor of Jews and Christians Domitian
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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.
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Juvenal
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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
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Goals Satire cannot help anyone become a better or happier person. Horace’s answers are invalid
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Tragic Satire Juvenal’s Satires are inhabited by monstra, rather than by comic characters
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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
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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 (147-171)
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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
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3. Monstrous City Gallery of male freaks –Eunuch getting married –Foreigners who ‘made it’ (Crispinus) –Informers –Actors
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Gallery of female freaks –Poisoners –Incestuous Adulteresses Wealth comes from crime “Indignation would make me a poet, even if I have no talent”
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4. Objects of Satire Greed Sexual perversions mentioned here –(but not important later)
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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
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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
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6. Examples Take these examples from the past: –Mucius (Scaevola attacked by Lucilius) –Tigellinus (Nero’s henchman)
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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
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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…
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