Juvenal Flashcards
Juvenal context (about him as a person)
Wrote about 100 years after Horace
More of a bitter and discontented person, angry at living conditions in Rome, was living under the rule of a tyrant emperor, so doesn’t name real (alive) people in his satires to avoid getting into trouble
Despite criticising life in Rome, he doesn’t leave
His poems were intended for the Roman educated elite, he was trying to instigate real social change but was also criticising some of his intended audience
Uses a third party to express opinions and give advice (much like Horace)
Rome context
Rome was a very dangerous place to walk around in due to drunks, muggings, and unstable infrastructure (e.g. insulae)
Traffic and overcrowding were real problems, especially at night, so it was difficult to sleep
What was the comparison Juvenal made in this satire? What characters did he use to do this?
Comparison between rich and poor, how privileged the lives of the wealthy were compared to those living in poverty in the insulae
Cordus (very poor) vs Assaracus (wealthy)
Quote - Cordus living in poverty
He had “a bed too small for Procula” - Procula was a dwarf, so this comparison creates pity for him
What is the overall message of this satire?
Rome as a city has been neglected and so is a dangerous place to live - crime is rampant, houses frequently catch fire and fall down, people are murdered, it is a generally unsafe place to be
But it is significantly safer for the wealthy than for the poor
What was the difference in the general reaction to Cordus losing his home vs Assaracus?
When Cordus’ house burnt down and he lost everything - nobody cared or helped him
If Assaracus’ massive house was destroyed - the entire city would mourn and pay attention to the issues of fire and collapse of houses (even though the man could just buy another home) - people would also give him gifts and donations, even though he wouldn’t really need them
What does Juvenal think people living in Rome should do?
Buy a house in the countryside, and live off the land
This way you could be free of the danger of Rome, and have safety and independence (instead of the social pressure)
IDEA OF EPICUREANISM (similar to Horace’s idea of living in the countryside and doing philosophy, not a life of excess or meanness)
What is the negative effect on people of living in Rome?
Juvenal claims Rome leads to physical decline, and poor overall health, due to disease, overcrowding and lack of sleep
Quote x 2 - wealthy people can do better in Rome, bypassing the downsides
During traffic, a wealthy person is carried by in a litter “like some vast Liburnian galley” - simile compares the chair to a warship, fast and intimidating, cutting through the crowd
“You have to be filthy rich to find rest in Rome” - only the wealthy can have leisure/rest in the city
Quote - negative effect of the crowd
Juvenal says - the crowds “crush my kidneys” - shows the physical struggle of even walking somewhere in Rome
How did some people dine in Rome (according to Juvenal)?
They were followed through the streets by portable kitchens - i.e. slaves carrying ovens, pots and pans
Quote - the main danger to a crowd that Juvenal describes being in
A cart carrying a pine tree, that could “spill an upturned mountain on top of the dense crowd” - hyperbole of mountain emphasises the potential tragedy
What does Juvenal describe happening to a man crushed by a tree in a crowd?
The man immediately dies, but his household don’t realise for a long time - it is an everyday tragedy in Rome that a man dies and his family are unaware (idea is both comic and tragic)
He is then described as stuck on the banks of the Styx, without a coin for the ferryman - reference to mythology, reader feels pity for man unable to go into the afterlife
Quote x 2 - general danger of walking around in the city (in the evening)
“If you go out to dinner without making a will, you’re thought of as simply careless” - death is a constant presence, and people have to plan for their own death before going out at night
“There are as many opportunities to die as there are open windows watching you” - shows how prevalent death is, emphasises the danger and introduces a sense of being constantly watched as well as being in mortal danger
Quote - rich have more security
The drunk and angry man “steers clear of him in the scarlet cloak” - scarlet was an expensive dye, so wearing it was a sign of wealth - rich can avoid violence in Rome
What happens at the end of the satire?
Towards the end, the narrator describes being attacked by a drunk man - who just wants to pick a fight with anyone - narrator is verbally and physically abused
Then thieves are mentioned, as there are many in Rome - showing that assault is not the only danger
Who is the narrator in this satire?
Umbricius
Quote - crime rate is on the rise
“Where is the furnace or anvil not employed for fashioning chains?” - exaggeration to make his point
What is the concluding message of this satire?
That the countryside is safer and better overall than Rome
Countryside is tied to simplicity, culture, moral goodness
Narrator is nostalgic for Rome years before, sees it as the passing of a golden age (as now Rome is dangerous and crowded)
