BOOK XXII.

1 Those hired female mourners who weep at a stranger's funeral,

and tear their hair, and bawl louder....[1825]

2 A slave neither faithless to my owner, nor unserviceable to

any, here I, Metrophanes, lie, Lucilius' main-stay[1826]

3 Zopyrion cuts his lips on both sides....[1827]

4 ... whether the man's nose is straighter now, ... his calves

and legs.

FOOTNOTES:

[1825] _Præfica_, the ἰαλεμίστρια, Æsch., Choëph., 424, or θρηνήτρια

(cf. Mark, v., 38), of the Greeks; from præficiendo, as being set at

the head of the other mourners, to give them the time, as it were:

"quaæ dant cæteris modum plangendi, quasi in hoc ipsum _præfectæ_."

Scaliger says it was an invention of the Phrygians to employ these

hired mourners. Plaut., Truc., II., vi., 14. Gell., xviii., 6. The

technical name of their lamentation was Nænia. Cf. Fest. in voc. It

generally consisted of the praises of the deceased. Æsch., Choëph.,

151, παιᾶνα τοῦ θανόντος ἐξαυδωμένας. «Cf. Hor., A. P., 431, "Ut qui

conducti plorant in funere, dicunt et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex

animo."»

[1826] Cf. Introduction. Mart., xi., Ep. xc., 4. Plaut., Amph., I.,

i., 213. Terent., Phorm., II., i., 57, "O bone custos salve, columen

verò familiæ!" _Columella_ is properly "the king-post that supports

the roof;" then put, like columen, for the main-stay or support of any

thing. So Horace calls Mæcenas, ii., Od. xvii., 4, "Mearum grande decus

columenque rerum." Cic., Sext., viii., "Columen reipublicæ." So Timon

is called, Lucian, Tim., 50, τὸ ἔρεισμα τῶν Ἀθηναίων. Sil., xv., 385,

"Ausonii columen regni." So Clytæmnestra calls Agamemnon, ὑψηλῆς στέγης

στύλον ποδήρη. Ag., 898. «Doederlein thinks there is a connection

between the words culmus, calamus, culmen, columen, columna, columella,

with cello, whence celsus. "Significarique id quod emineat, sursum

tendat, altum sit," ii., 106.»

[1827] Cf. ad ix., 14.