Note 3, 21 — A. PERSIUS FLACCUS (continued 3)

21. contemnere: A sudden desertion of the metaphor, unless contemnere be a technical term, like ἀποδοκιμάζειν, ‘reject on test.’ Cicero combines conterere et contemnere, contemnere et reicere, contemnere et pro nihilo putare. The Scholiast thinks that the word is an unhappy reminiscence of Hor., Sat., 2, 3, 14: contemnere miser.—sonat vitium = sono indicat vitium. Sonat vitium, like sapit mare, ‘sounds flawy,’ ‘has a flawy ring.’ The Schol. comp. Verg., Aen., 1, 328: nec vox hominem sonat.—maligne: ‘ill-naturedly,’ ‘grudgingly,’ of that which falls short of what was expected. Maligne respondet, ‘gives a short answer,’ ‘a dull sound.’