The Roman Poets of the Republic, 3rd edition

by W. Y. Sellar

This is the 'patriotic passage' which Mr. West discusses in the paper previously referred to. He holds that 'The passage, keeping steadily within the limits so rigidly imposed by Roman Stage-censorship, is written from the stand-point of sympathy with the plebs in favour of Scipio's assuming command against Hannibal, and reflects very brightly and completely those features of the Second Punic War which were prominent and recent in 205 b.c.'

The end of many of the prologues also shows that they were addressed to a people constantly engaged in war.

[⁶⁰] Menaech. 590.

[⁶¹] Cf. such expressions and lines as:—Salva sumes indidem (Mil. Glor. 234); locare argentum; fenerato.

Mihi quod credideris, sumes ubi posiueris.—Trinum. 145.

Nequaquam argenti ratio comparet tamen.—Ib. 418.

Bene igitur ratio accepti atque expensi inter nos convenit.—Mostel. 292.

[⁶²] For a list of these cp. the edition of the Mostellaria by the late Professor Ramsay.

[⁶³] E.g. Mellitus, ocelle, mea anima, medullitus amare.

[⁶⁴] 'Don't threaten me; I know that the cross will be my tomb: there lie my ancestors, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather: but your threats can't dig these eyes out of my head.'—Mil. Glor. 372-5.