Note 15 — A. PERSIUS FLACCUS

ante diem: ‘before your time.’—blando caudam iactare popello: Casaubon thinks that a peacock is meant, Jahn suggests a horse. The Scholiast says that the image is that of a (pet) dog. Pelle decorus would not apply to the peacock, nor very well to the horse. It does apply to Alcibiades as the lion’s whelp of Aristoph., Ran., 1431. Comp. the famous description in Aeschyl., Agam., 725 (Dindorf). The comparison of politicians with lions is found also in Plato, Gorg., 483E. The only difficulty lies in blando popello, but petting implies blanditiae on both sides. ‘The dog fawns on those who caress him’ (Conington).—popello: contemptuously, 6, 50; Hor., Ep., 1, 7, 65.