Throughout history, writers have sought to use sarcastic
comedy as a means to express their concerns
about the society in which they live. Such authors
as Voltaire and Jonathan Swift achieved their fame
through satire, while also articulating important observations
about life. Among the ancient Romans,
no one made better use of satire than Juvenal.
Juvenal was born in the town of Aquinum, Italy,
at a time when the Roman Empire was at its
height. This age was known as the Pax Romana, or
“Roman Peace.” The empire controlled the entire
Western world, ruling millions of people and outwardly
appearing to be a model of tranquillity and
stability. All was not perfect, however, and Juvenal’s
writings articulated this fact quite well.
Little is known about Juvenal’s life. He came
from a wealthy family and served both in the army
and as a public official. It is not known if he ever
married or had children, but records indicate that
MARTIAL was one of his friends. His knowledge of
the workings of rhetoric schools have led some to
speculate that he might have been a teacher, but
there is no proof.
Juvenal’s writings got him into trouble with the
authorities, a fate suffered by many other socially
conscious writers both before and after him. The
Emperor Domitian sent him into exile for having
criticized Domitian’s favorite comedian, but Juvenal
was apparently held in high regard by another
emperor, the cultured Hadrian.
Juvenal wrote his most important work between
110 and 130, during which time he published
his 16 major satires, composing them in
dactylic hexameters. His themes vary, but every
satire revolves around Juvenal’s conviction that
Roman society was rapidly decaying and losing
its sense of purpose. He writes about the corruption
of the aristocracy, moral degeneration and
sexual depravity among all classes, congestion in
Roman cities, and numerous other social ills. He
also displays strong anti-Semitism as he approaches
all of his subjects with derisive sarcasm
and intense bitterness.
Juvenal did not expend all his energy on serious
social commentary. Some of his works also
lampoon less crucial problems. In his Satire I, for
example, he begins by making fun of banal and
long-winded poets:
Must I always be stuck in the audience at
these poetry-readings, never
Up on the platform myself, taking it out on
Cordus
For the times he’s bored me to death with
ranting speeches
From that Theseid of his?
. . . When you find
Hordes of poets on each street-corner, it’s
misplaced kindness
To refrain from writing. The paper will still
be wasted.
By cloaking these feelings with wit and humor,
Juvenal both infuriates and amuses his readers.
Furthermore, his meticulous and precise style gives
his works a sense of poetic perfection, which was
emulated by many poets who came after him.
One of Juvenal’s most famous phrases became a
part of the lexicon of historians who studied
Rome. Juvenal claimed the Roman people were interested
only in “bread and games.” In other words,
as long as Roman citizens had enough to eat and
were entertained, they did not care about the critical
issues facing their society, such as reforming
the government, managing the economy, or protecting
the borders from barbarian enemies. The
“bread and games” observation thus became an
analogy for everything that caused the collapse of
the Roman Empire.
Juvenal’s works are important for several reasons.
From a purely literary standpoint, his poetic
style and satirical technique served as models for
many later writers. He also provides information
that has been extremely useful to historians as they
attempt to piece together a picture of Roman culture
during the Pax Romana. Finally, the social ills
Juvenal lampooned were hardly unique to his own
time and culture, and his bitter criticisms, aside
from his anti-Semitism, can be seen as a warning to
our current societies, just as they were to his own.
English Versions of Works by Juvenal
Juvenal in English. Edited by Martin M.Winkler.New
York: Penguin Books, 2001.
The Sixteen Satires. Translated by Peter Green. New
York: Penguin, 1999.
Works about Juvenal
Colton, Robert E. Juvenal’s Use of Martial’s Epigrams:
A Study of Literary Influence. Amsterdam: Benjamins,
John Publishing, 1991.
Wehrle,William T. Satiric Voice: Program, Form, and
Meaning in Persius and Juvenal. Hildesheim, Germany:
Georg Olms Publishing, 1992.