#1 Breaches in Morality
"Let those remain who turn black into
white, to whom it comes easy to take contracts for temples, rivers or harbours, for
draining floods, or carrying corpses to the pyre, or to put up slaves for sale under the
authority of the spear.[4] These men once were horn-blowers, who went the round of every
provincial show, and whose puffed-out cheeks were known in every village; to-day they hold
shows of their own, and win applause by slaying whomsoever the mob with a turn of the
thumb[5] bids them slay; from that they go back to contract for cesspools, and why not for
any kind of thing, seeing that they are of the kind that Fortune raises from the gutter to
the mighty places of earth whenever she wishes to enjoy a laugh?" (21)
#2 Religious Intolerance
"At Rome you may produce a witness as unimpeachable as the host of the Idaean
Goddess.--Numa himself might present himself, or he who rescued the trembling Minerva
from the blazing shrine--the first question asked will be as to his wealth, the last
about his character: 'how many slaves does he keep?' 'how many acres does he own?' 'how
big and how many are his dessert dishes?' A man's word is believed in exact proportion to
the amount of cash which he keeps in his strong-box. Though he swear by all the altars of
Samothrace or of Rome, the poor man is believed to care naught for Gods and thunderbolts,
the Gods themselves forgiving him." (126)
#3 Discrimination
"Here in Rome the son of free-born parents has to give the wall to some rich man's
slave; for that other will give as much as the whole pay of a legionary tribune to enjoy
the chance favours of a Calvina or a Catiena, while you, when the face of some
gay-decked harlot takes your fancy, scarce venture to hand Chione down from her lofty
chair." (126)
#4 Illegal Immigration
"The
Syrian Orontes has long since poured into the Tiber, bringing with it its lingo and its
manners, its flutes and its slanting harp-strings; bringing too the timbrels of the
breed, and the trulls who are bidden ply their trade at the Circus. Out upon you, all ye
that delight in foreign strumpets with painted headdresses! Your country clown, Quirinus,
now trips to dinner in Greek-fangled slippers, and wears niceterian ornaments
upon a ceromatic neck! One comes from lofty Sicyon, another from Amydon or
Andros, others from Samos, Tralles or Alabanda; all making for the Esquiline, or for the
hill that takes its name from osier-beds[8]; all ready to worm their way into the houses
of the great and become their masters." (58)
#5 Education
After much searching, I could not find any reference to education in Juvenal's "Satire III."
I'm glad you mentioned religious intolerance as a social issue. It's one we don't often think of but is right on. The magazine article you showed is a perfect example. If that headline had been used against Jews or Muslims there would be a public outcry, yet no one thinks twice about it for us.
ReplyDeleteYou found a lot of the same connections that I did. One thing that has been a problem, especially in the southern states, is illegal immigration. With illegal immigrants coming across the border, they often get jobs, health care, and a good education, but for those that try to do it legally it is a very costly and time consuming, IF they are able to actually get US citizenship. This topic is very close to me, because my brother married a woman from Mexico and it took them over two years and having a child together, as well as thousands of dollars for her to finally be able to come to the US and become a citizen.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the past two comments. Religious intolerance and illegal immigration are two good points you brought up. Also, it is interesting how our society seems to want less 'discrimination,'in regards to gay marriage and things like that, yet there is less tolerance for religion.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the immigration issue from the perspective of a Roman. Although the Romans were typically accepting of new ideas and cultures it seems that there was some irritation as to some of the customs that were adopted. Growing up in Texas as the son of an immigrant I have seen this issue first hand. On more than one occasion I have overheard unfriendly conversations about the heavy Hispanic influence in Texas and how foreigners should abandon their culture upon arriving the United States.
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