VIII. To Suillius
This poem, nominally addressed to Suillius, husband of Ovid's stepdaughter, is in fact directed to Germanicus, of whose staff Suillius was a member (see at 23 [[pp 264-65]]).
Ovid begins the poem by expressing his pleasure at receiving, at last, a letter from Suillius, saying he hopes that Suillius does not feel ashamed of being related to him by marriage (1-20). He then asks him to address Germanicus on his behalf (21-26). In 27-30 he says how grateful he will be if Germanicus assists him; at 31 he begins to address Germanicus directly in a tripartite defence of poetry. The first part (31-42) builds on 34 'Naso suis opibus, carmine, gratus erit': Ovid is now poor, but can still offer Germanicus his poetry. The second section (43-66) builds on 43-44 'nec tamen officio uatum per carmina facto / principibus res est aptior ulla uiris', and explains how verse brings immortality to great men and their deeds. The third section (67-78) offers culminating evidence for the value of poetry: Germanicus is himself a poet. Ovid moves from this to a final plea that Germanicus help his fellow-poet: once removed from Tomis, he will praise him in verse (79-88). In the final distich of the poem, he asks Suillius to assist his prayer.
The structure of the poem is similar to that of Tr V ii. In that poem Ovid addresses his wife for the first thirty-eight lines, telling her of his misery and asking her to approach Augustus on his behalf. In the six lines that follow, he asks himself what he will do if she fails him; he answers that he will make his own direct approach to Augustus. The final thirty-four lines are his prayer to Augustus, in which he describes the hardships he endures at Tomis and begs for a mitigation of his punishment. It is remarkable that in both poems direct addresses to members of the imperial family should be disguised in this way: it seems probable that Tr II, Ovid's long defence of his conduct, had been received by Augustus with hostility, and that he was thenceforth more circumspect.
1-2. SERA QVIDEM ... GRATA TAMEN. Tamen goes with grata, balancing quidem. For instances of the separate serus tamen idiom ('it is late in happening, but it does in fact happen') see Nisbet and Hubbard at Hor Carm I xv 19.
1. SERA QVIDEM. It seems that in spite of his being a close relative of Ovid, Suillius, like Sextus Pompeius (see the introduction to i), had been reluctant to be openly associated with him.
1. STVDIIS EXCVLTE. 'Refined'. Studiis adds little to the force of exculte: the same idiom at Quintilian XII ii 1 'mores ante omnia oratori studiis erunt excolendi' and Cic Tusc I 4 'ergo in Graecia musici floruerunt, discebantque id omnes, nec qui nesciebat satis excultus doctrina putabatur'.
1. SVILLI. P. Suillius Rufus (PW IV A,l 719-22; PIR1 S 700) is otherwise chiefly known to us from three passages of Tacitus: Suillius is presented as 'strong, savage, and unbridled' (Syme Tacitus 332). At Ann IV 31, Tacitus describes how, in 24, Tiberius insisted that Suillius, convicted of accepting a bribe, be relegated to an island rather than merely be exiled from Italy; what seemed cruelty at the time later seemed wisdom in view of his later behaviour as a favourite of Claudius. At Ann XI 1-7 Tacitus describes how Suillius' excesses resulted in a proposal in the Senate to revive the lex Cincia of 204 BC, by which advocates had been forbidden remuneration: the proposal was modified by Claudius at the instance of Suillius and others affected so as to establish a maximum fee of ten thousand sesterces. At Ann XIII 42-43 (AD 58) Tacitus tells how Suillius, 'imperitante Claudio terribilis ac uenalis', was charged with extortion as proconsul of Asia and with laying malicious charges under Claudius. Banished to the Balearic islands, he led a luxurious existence, remaining unrepentant.
3-4. PIA SI POSSIT SVPEROS LENIRE ROGANDO / GRATIA. Compare 21 'si quid agi sperabis posse precando'.