II] OF PIGS 163 



CHAPTER IV 



OF PIGS 



But who ^ next sails out from an Italian port to 

 discuss the subject of pigs? Scrofa's peculiar fit- 

 ness to discuss this question is, however, indicated 

 by his nick-name Scrofa. Said Tremellius (Scrofa) 

 to him. You don't seem to know why I am called 

 Scrofa. So, in order that you and our friends sitting 

 near you may learn the reason, let me tell you that 

 the surname connected with pigs does not belong 

 to my gens^ and that I do not claim descent from 

 Eumaeus.^ My grandfather was the first to be 



speaks (Augusti Vita, 74) : Valerius Messala tradit, neminem 

 umquam libertinonim adhibitum ah eo caenae, excepto Mena^ sed 

 asserto in ingenuitatem post proditam Sexti Pompei classem. 

 The Menas who first brought barbers to Rome, 300 B.C., was 

 a Sicilian. Cf. Pliny (N. H., vii, 59). 



» Sed quis e portu, etc. Many ingenious emendations have 

 been proposed of these words, the best being Schneider's : 

 Sed quis e porculatoribus Italicis. But none is needed. The 

 last two speakers, Atticus and Cossinius, were called by Varro 

 (ii, 1, 2) semi-graeci and Epirotici pecuariae athletae. Atticus 

 (Athenian) was a Greek cognomen, and Cossinius had just 

 described himself as Homericus Melanthius Cordus. Now it 

 is suggested that a genuine Italian hailing from an Italian 

 harbour should treat the subject of pigs, not Greeks from 

 Athens or Epirus. 



* Eumaeus was the swine-herd {SXoq v<popl36c — <rv(3u}rric opxanoq 

 Mpwv. — Od., xiv, beginning) and faithful servant of Ulysses 

 and looked after his 600 brood sows in Ithaca. He received 

 and fed Ulysses when he returned home. 



