Satires

Juvenal. Juvenal and Persius. Ramsay, G. G., editor. London, New York: William Heinemann, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1918.

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This is a collection of sixteen hexameter satirical poems that sharply criticize the moral decay and social injustices of Rome during the early Empire. The poet declares that, faced with a society rampant with corruption, hypocrisy, and crime, he is driven by an uncontrollable indignation (indignatio) to write satire. In the earlier poems, he vividly details the hardships of poor Roman citizens, the influx of parasitic foreigners, the hubris of the imperial court under Domitian, and a notorious diatribe against the vices of women and marriage. As the collection progresses, the tone shifts toward philosophical reflection, famously warning against the vanity of human wishes—such as wealth, power, and long life—and advocating for "a sound mind in a sound body." Ultimately, the work champions a life of moderation and conscience, ending abruptly with a satire on the unfair privileges of the military.