Satyricon, vol 7, Marchena Notes

Satyricon, vol 7, Marchena Notes

The Project Gutenberg EBook The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter, v7
#7 in our series by Petronius Arbiter (Translated by Firebaugh)
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Title: The Satyricon, v7 (Marchena Notes)
Author: Petronius Arbiter
Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5224] [Yes, we are more than one
year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on June 8, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English

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SATYRICON OF PETRONIUS, V7 ***

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THE SATYRICON OF PETRONIUS ARBITER
Complete and unexpurgated translation by W. C. Firebaugh, in which
are incorporated the forgeries of Nodot and Marchena, and the readings
introduced into the text by De Salas.

SIX NOTES BY MARCHENA.

TO THE ARMY OF THE RHINE.
The conquests of the French have resulted, during this war, in a boon to
knowledge and to letters. Egypt has furnished us with monuments of its
aboriginal inhabitants, which the ignorance and superstition of the
Copts and Mussulmans kept concealed from civilized countries. The
libraries of the convents of the various countries have been ransacked
by savants and precious manuscripts have been brought to light.
By no means the least interesting of the acquisitions is a fragment of
Petronius, which we offer to the public, taken from an ancient
manuscript which our soldiers, in conquering St. Gall, have sent to us
for examination. We have made an important discovery in reading a
parchment which contains the work of St. Gennadius on the Duties of
Priests, and which, judging from the form of the letters employed, we
should say was written in the eleventh century. A most careful
examination led us to perceive that the work by this saint had been
written on pages containing written letters, which had been almost
effaced. We know that in the dark ages it was customary to write

ecclesiastical works on the manuscripts containing the best authors of
Latinity.
At a cost of much labor we have been able to decipher a morsel which
we give to the public: and of the authenticity of which there can be no
doubt. We render homage to the brave French army to which we owe
this acquisition.
It is easy to notice that there is a lacuna in that passage of Petronius in
which Encolpius is left with Quartilla, looking through a chink in the
door, at the actions of Giton and little Pannychis. A few lines below, it
relates, in effect, that he was fatigued by the voluptuous enjoyment of
Quartilla, and in that which remains to us, there is no mention of the
preliminaries to this enjoyment. The style of the Latin so closely
resembles the original of Petronius that it is impossible to believe that
the fragment was forged.
For the benefit of those who have not read the author, it is well to state
that this Quartilla was a priestess of Priapus, at whose house they
celebrated the mysteries of that god. Pannychis is a young girl of seven
years who had been handed over to Giton to be deflowered. This Giton
is the "good friend" of Encolpius, who is supposed to relate the scene.
Encolpius, who had drunk an aphrodisiacal beverage, is occupied with
Quartilla in peeping through the door to see in what manner Giton was
acquitting himself in his role. At that moment a soldier enters the
house.
Finally an old woman, about whom there is some question in the
fragment, is the same as the one who had unexpectedly conducted
Encolpius to the house of the public women and of whom mention is
made in the beginning of the work.
Ipsa Venus magico religatum brachia nodo Perdocuit, multis