§2.86atque bonam tenerae placant abdomine porcae §2.87et magno cratere deam; sed more sinistro §2.88exagitata procul non intrat femina limen: §2.89solis ara deae maribus patet,
ite profanae,
and they appease the Good Goddess with the belly of a tender sow and with a huge bowl; but by a sinister custom, a woman, driven far away, does not enter the threshold: the altar of the goddess is open to males alone.
§2.90clamatur,
nullo gemit hic tibicina cornu.
"Go away, uninitiated women!" is cried out; no female flute-player moans here with any horn.
Such rites did they celebrate by a secret torch, who were accustomed to weary the Athenian Cotyto, like the Baptae.
§2.93ille supercilium madida fuligine tinctum §2.94obliqua producit acu pingitque trementis §2.95attolens oculos; vitreo bibit ille priapo, §2.96reticulumque comis aura tum ingentibus implet §2.97caerulea indutus scutulata aut galbina rasa, §2.98et per Iunonem domini iurante ministro; §2.99ille tenet speculum, pathici gestamen Othonis, §2.100Actoris Aurunci spolium, quo se ille videbat §2.101armatum, cum iam tolli vexilla iuberet, §2.102res memoranda novis annalibus atque recenti §2.103historia, speculum civilis sarcina belli;
One extends his eyebrow, dyed with damp soot, with a slanted needle, and paints his trembling eyes raising them up; another drinks from a glass priapus, and fills a net with his hair, then with huge gold meshes, dressed in blue checkered or shorn yellow garments, while the master's servant swears by Juno; another holds a mirror, the accoutrement of pathic Otho, the spoil of Auruncan Actor, in which he used to see himself armed when he was already ordering the standards to be raised, a thing to be recorded in new annals and recent history: a mirror, the baggage of a civil war!
§2.104nimirum summi ducis est occidere Galbam §2.105et curare cutem; summi constantia civis §2.106Bebriacis campis spolium adfectare Palati, §2.107et pressum in faciem digitis extendere panem, §2.108quod nec in Assyrio pharetrata Samiramis orbe, §2.109maesta nec Actiaca fecit Cleopatra carina,
Doubtless it is the part of a supreme commander to kill Galba and to care for his skin; the constancy of a supreme citizen on the fields of Bedriacum is to affect the spoil of the Palace, and to spread bread pressed by fingers onto his face— a thing which neither quiver-bearing Semiramis did in the Assyrian world, nor sad Cleopatra on her Actian vessel.
§2.110hic nullus verbis pudor aut reverentia mensae, §2.111hic turpis Cybeles et fracta voce loquendi §2.112libertas et crine senex fanaticus albo §2.113sacrorum antistes, rarum ac memorabile magni §2.114gutturis exemplum conducendusque magister,
Here is no shame in words, no reverence for the table; here is the license of filthy Cybele and of speaking with a broken voice, and the white-haired fanatic old man, the priest of the sacred rites, a rare and memorable example of a great throat, and a teacher to be hired.
§2.115quid tamen expectant, Phrygio quos tempus erat iam §2.116more supervacuam cultris abrumpere carnem?
Yet what are they waiting for, those for whom it was already time, in the Phrygian manner, to cut off their superfluous flesh with knives?
§2.117Quadringenta dedit Gracchus sestertia dotem §2.118cornicini, sive hic recto cantaverat aere; §2.119signatae tabulae, dictum
feliciter,
ingens §2.120cena sedet, gremio iacuit nova nupta mariti.
Gracchus gave four hundred sestercia as a dowry to a horn-player, or perhaps he had played on a straight brass horn; the tablets were signed, "Good luck!" was said, a huge dinner is set, and the new bride lay in the lap of her husband.
§2.121o proceres, censore opus est an haruspice nobis?
O nobles, do we need a censor or a haruspex?
Would you indeed shudder and think them greater portents, if a woman gave birth to a calf, or if a cow gave birth to a lamb?
§2.124segmenta et longos habitus et flammea sumit §2.125arcano qui sacra ferens nutantia loro §2.126sudavit clupeis ancilibus.
He takes up flounces, long robes, and the wedding veil, who, carrying the sacred things that sway on a secret strap, sweated under the sacred shields.
o pater urbis, §2.127unde nefas tantum Latiis pastoribus? unde
O father of the city, whence came such great impiety to Latium's shepherds?
§2.128haec tetigit, Gradive, tuos urtica nepotes?
Whence did this itch touch your descendants, Gradivus?
§2.129traditur ecce viro clarus genere atque opibus vir, §2.130nec galeam quassas, nec terram cuspide pulsas,
Behold, a man illustrious in birth and wealth is handed over to a man; yet you do not shake your helmet, nor strike the earth with your spear, nor complain to your father?
Go then, and depart from the acres of the strict field which you neglect.
‘Officium cras §2.133primo sole mihi peragendum in valle Quirini. ’ §2.134quae causa officii?
‘quid quaeris? nubit amicus
"Tomorrow, at first light, I have a duty to perform in the valley of Quirinus." What is the cause of this duty? "Why do you ask?
§2.135nec multos adhibet. ’ liceat modo vivere, fient, §2.136fient ista palam, cupient et in acta referri,
A friend is marrying, and he is not inviting many." If only we live long enough, these things will happen openly, and they will want them to be recorded in the public registry.
§2.137interea tormentum ingens nubentibus haeret §2.138quod nequeant parere et partu retinere maritos,
Meanwhile, a great torment clings to those who marry: that they cannot give birth and retain their husbands by childbearing.
§2.139sed melius, quod nil animis in corpora iuris §2.140natura indulget: steriles moriuntur, et illis §2.141turgida non prodest condita pyxide Lyde, §2.142nec prodest agili palmas praebere luperco.
But it is better that nature grants no power to their minds over their bodies: they die sterile, and to them bloated Lyde, hidden in her small box, is of no help, nor does it help to offer their palms to the agile Lupercus.
§2.143Vicit et hoc monstrum tunicati fuscina Gracchi, §2.144lustravitque fuga mediam gladiator harenam §2.145et Capitolinis generosior et Marcellis §2.146et Catuli Paulique minoribus et Fabiis et §2.147omnibus ad podium spectantibus, his licet ipsum §2.148admoveas cuius tunc munere retia misit.
The three-pronged spear of the tunic-clad Gracchus surpassed even this monster, and as a gladiator, he traversed the middle of the arena in flight, more noble than the Capitolini and Marcelli, and the descendants of Catulus, Paulus, and the Fabii, and all those watching from the podium, even though you should add to these the very man at whose expense he then cast his nets.
§2.149Esse aliquos manes et subterranea regna §2.150Cocytum et Stygio ranas in gurgite nigras, §2.151atque una transire vadum tot milia cumba §2.152nec pueri credunt, nisi qui nondum aere lavantur.
That there are some ghosts and underworld realms, and Cocytus, and black frogs in the Stygian pool, and that so many thousands cross the ford in a single boat, not even children believe, except those who do not yet bathe for a copper coin.
§2.153sed tu vera puta: Curius quid sentit et ambo §2.154Scipiadae, quid Fabricius manesque Camilli, §2.155quid Cremerae legio et Cannis consumpta iuventus, §2.156tot bellorum animae, quotiens hinc talis ad illos
But do you believe these things to be true: what does Curius feel, and both Scipios, what does Fabricius and the ghost of Camillus, what does the legion of Cremera and the youth consumed at Cannae, the souls of so many wars, as often as such a shade from here comes to them?
§2.157umbra venit? cuperent lustrari, si qua darentur §2.158sulpura cum taedis et si foret umida laurus, §2.159illic heu miseri traducimur.
They would wish to be purified, if any sulfur with torches and wet laurel were given, there, alas, we miserable ones are exposed!
arma quidem ultra §2.160litora Iuvernae promovimus et modo captas §2.161Orcadas ac minima contentos nocte Britannos; §2.162sed quae nunc populi fiunt victoris in urbe, §2.163non faciunt illi quos vicimus, et tamen unus
We have indeed advanced our arms beyond the shores of Iuverna, and the recently captured Orcades, and the Britons content with the shortest night; but what is now done in the city of the victorious people, those whom we conquered do not do.
And yet, one Armenian, Zalaces, is said to have indulged himself, softer than all ephebes, to a burning tribune.
§2.166aspice quid faciant commercia: venerat obses, §2.167hic fiunt homines, nam si mora longior urbem §2.168indulsit pueris, non umquam derit amator,
See what commerce does: he had come as a hostage, here they are made men; for if a longer stay in the city is granted to boys, a lover will never be lacking.