"When scarce Ulysses had a good pretense, With all th' advantage of his eloquence."
"Which, at the peril of a soldier's fame, The brave Ulysses scarcely dared to claim."
"Thersites never could that armor bear, Which e'en Ulysses hesitates to wear."
Britann. suggests that it may mean "his enemies doubted if he were really Achilles or no." Facciol.: "in a doubtful frame of mind as to whether they would become him or not."
[708] _Matho._ Cf. i., 39; vii., 129. Mart., iv., Ep. 80, 81. For Curtius Montanus, see Tac., Ann., xvi., 48. Hist., iv., 42.
[709] _Mullum._ Gifford always renders this by "sur-mullet" «"mugilis" being properly the mullet, of which Holyday gives a drawing, ad x., 317»; Mr. Metcalfe, by "the sea-barbel." Cf. ad iv., 15.
"Nor doubt thy throat of mullets to amerce, While scarce a gudgeon lingers in thy purse." Badham.
[710] _Crumenâ._ Properly "a bag or reticule to hang on the arm;" a satchel to be hung over a boy's shoulder: then a purse suspended from the girdle, like the "gypciére" of the Middle Ages:
"If thy throat widen as thy pockets shrink." Gifford.
"That deep abyss which every kind can hold, Land, cattle, contract, houses, silver, gold." Badham.
[712] _Novissimus._ VI., 356, "Levibus athletis vasa novissima donat."
[713] _Pollio._ Probably the Crepereius Pollio mentioned Sat. ix., 6, who could get no one to lend him money, though "triplicem usuram præstare paratus."
[714] _Senectus_; exemplified in the story of Apicius above.
"Decrepit age far more than death they fear; Nor thirst nor hunger haunt the silent bier." Hodgson.
[715] _Qui vertere solum._ Cic. pro Cæc., 34, "Qui volunt pœnam aliquam subterfugere aut calamitatem, _solum vertunt_, hoc est sedem ac locum mutant." Browne conjectures the meaning to be, "They who have parted with their property by mortgage, and so _changed_ its owner."
[716] _Cedere foro_ is evidently explained, "to give one's creditors the slip"--"to run away from justice"--"to abscond from 'Change"--"to become bankrupt."
"Lest Rome should grow too _warm_, from Rome they run." Dryden.
[718] _Circensibus._ Cf. iii., 223, "Si potes avelli Circensibus." vi., 87, "utque magis stupeas ludos Paridemque reliquit." viii., 118, "Circo scenæque vacantem." x., 80, "duas tantum res anxius optat Panem et Circenses." All these passages show the infatuation of the Romans for these games. Cf. Plin., Ep. ix., 6. Tac., Hist., i., 4; Ann., i., 2.